• by Ray Schultz , March 31, 2024

Julie Makinen is stepping down as editor in chief of The San Francisco Standard to care for her ailing parents, effective April 12.

Makinen joined the Standard last year after stints at the Desert Sun and the Los Angeles Times Beijing bureau, according to Mission Local. 

Jon Steinberg, executive editor, and Jeff Bercovici, managing editor, will head the newsroom for now.  

CEO Griffin Gaffney praised Makinen in a email to the staff. 

“From leading the charge on our world-class reporting of news events like the Bob Lee murder in her first month here to building out our express desk, she has unquestionably upleveled our organizational rigor and professionalism across the board,” Gaffney wrote, Mission Local reports. 

The Standard was founded in 2021 by billionaire journalist-turned-investor Michael Moritz.