Emil Wilbekin Ditches GIANT for Essence

Industry veteran, Emil Wilbekin has been named Managing Editor of Essence.com. Emil, best known for his 12-year tenure as Editor-in Chief of “Vibe” magazine, and more recently for his work as Editor-in-Chief of GIANT Magazine, will join Essence.com’s General Manager, Lesley Pinckney, to comprise the Essence.com leadership team. As Managing Editor, Emil will lead the Essence.com editorial team and work closely with Pinckney and the brand’s senior creative and business executives on the development and extension of the site’s unique offerings, which include original video programming –EXTRA on ESSENCE and ESSENCE TV — and an active online community in partnership with the Ning social network.

“We are so excited to have such an experienced journalist and talented editor as Emil join the Essence.com team,” says Angela Burt-Murray, Editor-in- Chief, ESSENCE. “The broad spectrum of Emil’s expertise – from style to entertainment to news — will further the development of ESSENCE’s digital platform, which serves a broad audience of savvy and intelligent African-American women with innovative daily content.”