LA Times Names Aguilera Head of Audio
• The Los Angeles Times welcomes Jazmín Aguilera into the family as Head of Audio. The announcement was made by Managing Editor Shani Hilton, who said, in part, “We all know that The Times has made powerful, addictive podcasts, from deep narratives to smart and chatty interviews, and Aguilera will take us further. She describes herself as a ‘creative pragmatist’ and blew all of us away with her blend of get-it-done spirit and out-of-the-box thinking. What I loved in meeting her is that she’s people-first; you simply cannot make great work without taking care of the colleagues who do the work.”
A native of Santa Cruz, CA, Aguilera most recently hosted and produced The Cut at New York Magazine. Before that, she worked as interim executive and senior producer at Conde Nast, developing, producing and scoring podcasts for magazines including Vogue and Pitchfork. She also worked at The New York Times, making episodes for The Daily, and at the long-running show Snap Judgment as a producer.
Hilton noted that Aguilera “has a knack for crafting order from chaos. She has been described by former colleagues as ‘if a supercomputer and duct tape had a baby,’ and as one of ‘the most generous and effective leaders.'”
Hilton added, “Aguilera’s assignment will be to help our daily news show, The Times, continue to grow and to support the amazing work of our producers, editors and reporters. She’ll also develop new shows, collaborate with outside partners and talent and find ways to amplify our work in audio. For those of you who have been pitching podcasts these last few months, and for those of you who have been thinking about pitching podcasts, Aguilera will be a powerful partner. I couldn’t be happier to bring aboard someone who so deeply understands the podcast landscape, California and the audiences we want to reach most.”