Ark Republic announces new management team

Ark Republic announced today the formation of its management team to help lead the startup into its next phase of growth.

Effective immediately Stephanie Arnold joins the staff as managing editor. Arnold, a veteran newspaper and digital journalist, will lead day-to-day editorial strategy, audience engagement operations, as well as oversight of the team of editors and contributors. 

She spent the last two years as an audience engagement editor at The Philadelphia Inquirer and four years at The Virginian-Pilot as social media editor, digital producer and contributor for the newspaper and special sections. 

She is a thought leader in accountability journalism and ethics, and serves as a member of PBS’ Editorial Standards Review Committee. A staunch advocate for women and girls, Arnold is the Board Chairwoman of The Echo Collective, a non-profit organization that supports the personal and professional growth and development of women.

“In order to move our critical work forward, Ms. Arnold brings brilliance, innovation and fearlessness,” said founder and president Kaia N. Shivers, Ph.D.  “I am honored and excited about this addition, as we are working hard to bring another angle to the media landscape.”

Additionally, Fahiym Abdul-Wasi, former managing editor of The Source magazine and academic advisor at NYU, was named deputy editor. African American literature scholar, Mellon Mays Fellow and Assistant Professor of Liberal Studies at Kentucky State University, Donavan Ramon, Ph.D., will serve as editor of narratives.

“Startups, especially those led by black women encounter the most difficulty in funding and thriving. Mr. Abdul-Wasi and Dr. Ramon remained steadfast in ensuring that The Ark moves forward in spite of all the obstacles I’ve encountered,” Shivers said.

Ark Republic launched in May 2017 as a membership-based, advertisement-free media outlet providing 100% original multimedia coverage of under-explored, under-examined and under-reported stories. The Ark is fueled by productive engagement, robust storytelling and an accessible infrastructure.