Ex-Newsday editor to join celeb news website

Former Newsday editor John Mancini will join the staff of HollywoodLife.com, the celebrity-oriented website, as news director, the site said in a statement.

Mancini, who left the helm of Newsday in 2009 after a five-year stint, is expected to help lead a staff of 18, overseeing reporters and designing editorial strategy and directing traffic to the site, which launched in November 2009 and caters to women 18 to 35 years old.

"I'm thrilled to be joining the HollywoodLife.com team," Mancini said Monday. He will start Feb. 14.

"The site is dynamic and engaging, well-positioned for continued expansion as a prime content destination and a vibrant brand," Mancini said.

The move is a sharp departure from Mancini's long career in hard news. He was most recently a transit reporter for NY1, which he joined last year.

He has been metro editor of the New York Post, an editor at The New York Times and editor-in-chief of the Long Island Voice. He also worked at the Greenwich Time/Stamford Advocate.

"John's incredible track record managing major newsrooms and directing newsgathering of editorial teams is a tremendous win for us," said Bonnie Fuller, the site's editor-in-chief. "What's more, John's history of successful enterprise and innovation across many media will be crucial in accelerating the next stages of growth for HollywoodLife.com."