Danyel Smith Steps Down as Executive Editor of TheRoot

The Maynard Institute reported yesterday that the Executive Editor Danyel Smith has stepped down from her post at TheRoot.com after 6 short weeks.  It’s being reported that the decision was made largely because of her commute between New York and Washington DC where TheRoot’s operations are based.  TheRoot’s publisher Donna Byrd gave this statement:

“We are sad to see her go, but have appreciated her energy and insight and are happy she was a part of The Root family,” Byrd said in a note to the staff. “We are aggressively searching for her replacement and plan to fill the role in the next few weeks.”

Terrence Samuel had served as the editorial team led prior to Smith’s arrival at TheRoot.  No word on what next steps are for both TheRoot and Smith.