(This is not simply a cut and paste of my Facebook post!)
Hey Everybody. I have a bittersweet announcement.
After an amazing year on the staff of Daily Kos I am leaving to become the Senior Justice Writer for the New York Daily News. I start later this month and will be covering social inequality, police brutality, and racial injustice in America and around the world.
I love Daily Kos and think of the team here as my family. I always will. Not only have they taught me so much about the industry, they've had my back through so many battles this past year...and they were many!
I particularly want to thank all of my editors, the close knit editorial team (thinking of you Barb, Laura, Kerry, Joan, Jen, Kerry, Hunter Tim, David, and crew), the social, campaign, and activism teams, the trusty web crew, Denise in HR, Will for being such a great leader, and two people that I'm deeply grateful to know, trust, and admire - Susan & Markos. Thank you for believing in me and for being there when I needed you the most. When you two reached out to me one year ago, I was deeply humbled and grateful. I still am. We all work hard here, but working with and for you has been nothing but a joy. I mean that.
You've helped me grow as a writer and as a person. THANK YOU.
Markos - your example of courage and boldness in the face of opposition has inspired me often over this past year. Thank you for not just being an awesome boss, but a brother and friend.
Also, I want to offer a special thank you to the Daily Kos community and supporters. You all are the best. I honestly came here as an outsider to a very networked community, but you all have supported me when I needed it and critiqued me where you saw fit. I'm better for it. I will now remain a member of this community, but just in a different role.
I'll be starting at the Daily News later this month. As you may know, the New York Daily News isn't a decidedly liberal outlet. The audience is also very different, but I hope to bring much of what you have welcomed here to the New York Daily News audience.
Keep pushing, keep fighting, keep advancing the issues and causes that we all believe in so much. Also, I have three very selfish requests...
1. As you may know, we have an amazing new writer on our team, Josie Duffy. She's awesome. Read and support everything she does. Her specialty is tracking prosecutorial misconduct, but she covers so much more than that and is one of my favorite writers out right now.
2. We're going to be hiring a strong replacement for the work I'm doing and I hope you welcome her/him with open arms and give them a running start. We're looking at strong candidates already.
3. So many of you have told me that I'm your primary voice on police brutality. Please don't let my absence here cause your passion about the issue to change. Of course I'll still be covering it, but our team here will too, and our country has SO much work to do on this issue and I truly believe that Daily Kos will be a real part of the process.
Thank each and every one of you again.
Your friend and brother,
Shaun