# Taylor Lorenz

> Taylor Lorenz is an independent journalist, author, and media operator who has spent her career documenting how the internet reshapes fame, culture, power, and everyday life. After stints at Business Insider, The Daily Beast, The New York Times, and The Washington Post, she left legacy media in October 2024 to run User Mag, her Substack-based publication covering tech and internet culture, which quickly grew to nearly 100,000 subscribers. Her 2023 book 'Extremely Online' is a landmark social history of the influencer economy. She is widely considered one of the most influential — and most harassed — tech journalists in America.

- **Role:** Founder & Writer at User Mag
- **Organizations:** User Mag, Zeteo, Power User Podcast
- **From:** New York City, USA
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** BA in Political Science, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Knight Visiting Nieman Fellow, Harvard University, Nieman Foundation for Journalism, Affiliate, Harvard Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society
- **Known for:** National bestselling author of 'Extremely Online' (Simon & Schuster, 2023), Fortune 40 Under 40 in Media & Entertainment (2020), Adweek Young Influentials (2020)

## Career timeline

- **2007** — Graduated from Hobart and William Smith Colleges
- **2009** — Discovered Tumblr during recession while working temp jobs - credited as life-changing
- **2011** — Joined The Daily Mail as Global Head of Social Media
- **2014** — First journalism bylines at The Daily Dot; joined Business Insider as technology reporter
- **2017** — Moved to The Daily Beast as technology reporter
- **2019** — Joined The New York Times as technology reporter; became Harvard Nieman Fellow
- **2020** — Named to Fortune 40 Under 40 (Media & Entertainment); moved to Los Angeles
- **2022** — Moved to The Washington Post as tech and online culture columnist; published Libs of TikTok expose
- **2023** — Published 'Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet' (Simon & Schuster) - national bestseller
- **2024** — Launched Power User podcast with Vox Media; left Washington Post after editorial dispute; launched User Mag on Substack
- **2025** — Joined Zeteo as contributing columnist; User Mag surpasses 99,000 subscribers; appeared on CNN's MisinfoNation

## Achievements

- National bestselling author of 'Extremely Online' (Simon & Schuster, 2023)
- Fortune 40 Under 40 in Media & Entertainment (2020)
- Adweek Young Influentials (2020)
- Harvard Nieman Fellow (2019)
- World Influencers & Bloggers Association Tech & Media Influencer of the Year (2023)
- Broke Bloomberg 2020 campaign Instagram meme accounts story
- Exposed Chaya Raichik as operator of Libs of TikTok (Washington Post, 2022)
- Brought 'OK boomer' and 'cheugy' to mainstream audiences
- User Mag grew to nearly 100,000 subscribers within months of launch
- Featured in Netflix, HBO, and FX/Hulu documentaries
- Regular TV commentator on NBC, CNN, MSNBC, CBS, and BBC

## Latest updates

- **2025-04** — Appeared on CNN's MisinfoNation; comment about Luigi Mangione went viral and generated political backlash; clarified the remark was describing supporter perspectives
- **2025-01** — Joined Zeteo, Mehdi Hasan's outlet, as a contributing columnist covering Silicon Valley and tech power
- **2024-10** — Left The Washington Post following editorial dispute over a Biden-related Instagram post; immediately launched User Mag on Substack
- **2024-02** — Launched Power User podcast with Vox Media distribution; now distributes independently via Patreon
- **2023-10** — Published 'Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet' - became a national bestseller

## Links

- Website: https://www.taylorlorenz.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylorlorenz/
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/TaylorLorenz
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TaylorLorenz
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taylorlorenz/
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@taylorlorenz

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/taylor-lorenz
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-04-23