Time Inc. New Media Records: Editor Daniel Okrent Files
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Date
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
The Time Inc. New Media Records contain Daniel Okrent's files created while he was Editor of New Media and document this department's management of Time Inc.'s internet projects including websites for each magazine.
Historical Note
According to records about Time Inc. Multimedia/Time Inc. New Media in the Time Inc. Subject Files (MS 3009-RG 1), Time Inc. created the New Media department in November 1993 in preparation for the testing of an interactive cable TV service with the appointment of Walter Isaacson as editor. At this time, the department Time Inc. Multimedia already existed separately. In 1994, Time magazine announced it was planning "a World Wide Web 'site'" and began testing of Pathfinder in October 1994 with supervision from both Time Inc. Multimedia and New Media. Pathfinder was an early Time Warner website containing editorial material from all Time Warner divisions including Time Inc. magazines. By mid-1997, news articles indicate that Pathfinder was struggling, and Time Inc. abandoned it at some point in favor of maintaining individual websites for each magazine.
When head of Multimedia Curt Viebranz left Time Inc., Isaacson and New Media took over management of Time Inc.'s online, cable online and electronic distribution of content. In January 1995, Paul Sagan was appointed Senior Vice President of New Media, later becoming President and Editor of New Media. In June 1996 New Media appointed Meg Siesfeld as the Managing Editor, responsible for the continuing development of Pathfinder. Sagan resigned at the end of 1996 with Danial Okrent replacing him as Editor of New Media. In February 1997, Time Inc. appointed Craig Forman as the Editor-at-Large for New Media. In April 1997, Linda McCutcheon Conneally was appointed as President of New Media, filling the position left by Sagan. It isn't documented how long after her resignation from Time Inc. in April 1999 the New Media department remained in existence.
Other projects managed by New Media included participation in the launch of Road Runner high speed cable internet in September 1996, a service created by the Excalibur Group, a joint venture of Time Warner Cable and Time Inc.; Thrive, a joint venture between Time Inc. and America Online providing content about healthy living; and Money.com Plus, a subscription personal finance website with partner Thomson Financial Services.
Biographical Note
Daniel Okrent joined Life in 1989 as a consultant and contributing editor before being appointed as the Assistant Managing Editor. In December 1992, he was appointed the Life Managing Editor.
Daniel Okrent joined the New Media department as Editor at the end of 1996, taking over one of the roles vacated by Paul Sagan. According to a November 1996 news release announcing Okrent's appointment, he "will oversee the editorial content of the company's online, cable online and Internet publishing activities. In addition to his responsibilities for Pathfinder... Okrent will work closely with the managing editors of the Time Inc. magazines to fully exploit the online opportunities for each of the company's titles." and "work with ...outside content providers interested in pursuing new media initiatives with Time Inc." Okrent served two years in this position before being named Time Inc. Editor-at-Large in March 1999.
Aside from his work at Time Inc., Okrent was a writer and participated as a commentator in Ken Burns's documentary on baseball.
Citation:
Time Inc. Bio Files, MS 3009-RG 2, New-York Historical Society.
Scope and Contents
Daniel Okrent Files include his correspondence and subject files created during his tenure as Editor of New Media and document this department's management of Time Inc.'s internet projects including websites for each magazine. The paperwork transferring Okrent's files to the archives is in his Bio file. Some files from his time as Managing Editor of Life were included in the transfer and remain with these files.
Subjects
Organizations
People
Access Restrictions
Open to qualified researchers with the exception of restricted materials. Restricted materials include personnel records dated after 1975; personnel performance evaluations; contracts and agreements; and records with personally identifiable information. Restricted materials are located in box R38.
Materials in this collection are stored offsite. For more information on making arrangements to consult them, please visit www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.
Use Restrictions
Taking images of documents from the library collections for reference purposes by using hand-held cameras and in accordance with the library's photography guidelines is encouraged. As an alternative, patrons may request up to 20 images per day from staff.
Application to use images from this collection for publication should be made in writing to: Department of Rights and Reproductions, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5194, rightsandrepro@nyhistory.org. Phone: (212) 873-3400 ext. 282.
Copyrights and other proprietary rights may subsist in individuals and entities other than the New-York Historical Society, in which case the patron is responsible for securing permission from those parties. For fuller information about rights and reproductions from N-YHS visit: https://www.nyhistory.org/about/rights-reproductions
Preferred Citation Note
This record group should be cited as Time Inc. New Media Records: Editor Daniel Okrent Files (MS 3009-RG 45), The New-York Historical Society.
Location of Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Time Inc. in 2015.
About this Guide
Processing Information Note
Editor Daniel Okrent Files were initially processed by Melanie Rinehart in 2017. Holly Deakyne added additionally discovered materials in 2020. Documents were removed from hanging folders and transferred to new housing. Folders that contained only resumes and other job seeking materials have been removed. Deakyne created the inventory and descriptive notes for this record group.
Sponsor Note
Repository
Series I. Correspondence, 1993-2001, inclusive
Extent
Scope and Contents
Okrent's correspondence is a mix of business and personal. Records include interoffice memoranda, correspondence from companies interested in partnerships, invitations to professional events, and some correspondence from users of Time Inc. websites and discussion boards. Personal correspondence includes that related to Okrent's professional work outside of Time Inc. as a writer and commentator.
His correspondence also includes transcripts and other material for John Loengard's Life oral history project and remains with the set from 1999 in the original order although this project was conducted earlier.
Arrangement
Organized chronologically. Based on the original order, correspondence maintains two sets of A-Z miscellaneous with some specific titled folders included in alphabetical order. The first set of correspondenced has dates beginning with 1996 and the second set has dates beginning with 1999. Folders that belong to neither group are filed in chronological order.
Pearlstine, Norm: Memoranda to and from, 1995-1999, inclusive
Pearlstine, Norm: Staff Changes Memoranda, 1995-1998, inclusive
A Miscellaneous, 1996-1998, inclusive
B Miscellaneous, 1996-1998, inclusive
C Miscellaneous, 1996-1998, inclusive
D Miscellaneous, 1996-1998, inclusive
E Miscellaneous, 1996-1998, inclusive
F Miscellaneous, 1996-1998, inclusive
G Miscellaneous, 1996-1998, inclusive
H Miscellaneous, 1996-1998, inclusive
I Miscellaneous, 1996-1998, inclusive
J Miscellaneous, 1996-1998, inclusive
K Miscellaneous, 1996-1998, inclusive
L Miscellaneous, 1996-1998, inclusive
M Miscellaneous, 1996-1998, inclusive
Mc Miscellaneous, 1996-1998, inclusive
McGwire, Mark, 1998, inclusive
McPartland, Marian, 1998, inclusive
N Miscellaneous, 1996-1998, inclusive
O Miscellaneous, 1996-1998, inclusive
P Miscellaneous, 1996-1998, inclusive
Q Miscellaneous, 1996-1998, inclusive
R Miscellaneous, 1996-1998, inclusive
S Miscellaneous, 1996-1998, inclusive
Sinatra and Pop Culture, 1998, inclusive
T Miscellaneous, 1996-1998, inclusive
U Miscellaneous, 1996-1998, inclusive
V Miscellaneous, 1996-1998, inclusive
W Miscellaneous, 1996-1998, inclusive
XYZ Miscellaneous, 1996-1998, inclusive
Correspondence, 1997-1998, inclusive
A Miscellaneous, 1999-2000, inclusive
B Miscellaneous, 1999-2000, inclusive
C Miscellaneous, 1999-2001, inclusive
D Miscellaneous, 1999-2001, inclusive
E Miscellaneous, 1999, inclusive
Editorial Guidelines, 1997, inclusive
F Miscellaneous, 1999-2001, inclusive
G Miscellaneous, 1999-2001, inclusive
H Miscellaneous, 1999, inclusive
I Miscellaneous, 1999, inclusive
Idea Submission Form Letter, 1997-1999, inclusive
J Miscellaneous, 1999, inclusive
K Miscellaneous, 1999-2000, inclusive
Kiosk Project, 1998, inclusive
L Miscellaneous, 1999, inclusive
Lamb, David, 2000, inclusive
Lycos, 1997, inclusive
M Miscellaneous, 1999-2000, inclusive
Magazine Ideas, 1997, inclusive
Marketing Memoranda, 1997, inclusive
MIT Media Lab, 1997, inclusive
Mc Miscellaneous, 1999, inclusive
McDonald, Scott, 1997, inclusive
McKinsey, 1997, inclusive
N Miscellaneous, 1999-2000, inclusive
Nagourney, David, 1999, inclusive
Nylen, Bob/Waldman, Steve: BeliefOnline.com, 1999, inclusive
O Miscellaneous [empty], 1999, inclusive
P Miscellaneous, 1999, inclusive
Photographers: Life: John Loengard Interview Project, 1993-1996, inclusive
Photography, 1996, inclusive
Popular Science, 2001, inclusive
Principal for a Day, 1996-2000, inclusive
Privacy, 1998, inclusive
Q Miscellaneous [empty], 1999, inclusive
R Miscellaneous, 1999-2001, inclusive
Ratings, Internet, 1998, inclusive
Recreational Software Advisory Committee, 1997, inclusive
Rowan, Doug: Interlane Images Entertainment, 1998, inclusive
Ryan, Kevin: People Online, 1999, inclusive
S Miscellaneous, 1999-2000, inclusive
Search Engines Memorandum, 1997, inclusive
The Sign, 1996, inclusive
Smith, Danyel, 1999, inclusive
Smith, Mike: Customer Summary, 1999, inclusive
T Miscellaneous, 1999, inclusive
U Miscellaneous [empty], 1999, inclusive
V Miscellaneous, 1999, inclusive
W Miscellaneous, 1999, inclusive
XYZ Miscellaneous, 1999, inclusive
Zentmyer, Dave: Lands End, 1998, inclusive
Series II. Subject Files, 1989-2001, inclusive
Extent
Scope and Contents
The Subject Files are Okrent's office files on various projects and subjects related to his work as Editor of New Media. Items of interest include webpage printouts of Pathfinder; some user commentary on Pathfinder; and a New Media Department strategy workshop organized by McKinsey & Co.
Arrangement
Organized alphabetically.