Newstex publishers' stories: Mary Weilage of Technology Advice Brands

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Tell us about yourself.

Yes, absolutely. One of the brands that I work on is TechRepublic. And I actually joined that company when it was a startup in 1999, and so I've been with that brand in particular through many, many iterations, to where we are today, and it's been a very fulfilling and interesting and educational ride.

Was this your first job in the publishing industry? 

Not exactly. I worked previously at a company where we did editorial abstracts for publications and newspapers and things like that. So, a wonderful colleague from that organization joined TechRepublic and loved it, and she encouraged me to apply, so there you go!

I love it, and now is your friend there as well?

She is not currently, but she was with the brand for many, many, many years, too.

What is the best part for you of being the managing editor of eWeek and TechRepublic?

I know it's going to sound cliche, but it really is, and has been, the people. I learn from everybody I work with in editorial publishing. I feel like it's a real privilege to work with people whom I admire and get to learn about topics that are changing the world.

Have you had to learn a lot about technology?

This is true, yeah. It has been really fascinating to watch what is the hot technology at the moment, and what sort of comes into favor, and then maybe takes a backseat to something else, but then comes back. 

How do you set the editorial priorities? 

That is an ever-evolving process. So I really try to think about what our readers are interested in, and a big way to stay on top of that is to look at the data and see what they're really interested in. Also, I asked my reporters, what topics are bubbling up? 

How do you balance different types of content?

We are regularly trying different things and seeing what works, so some of our news articles are shorter, and some of them are twice as long, with maybe more sources and that sort of thing. We have a content type that we call Cheat Sheets--sort of a snapshot of what you need to know about ChatGPT, for instance. Or I have some explainer articles, "what is AI?" and that sort of thing. One of our internal writers, whom I consider an expert in AI, has been doing these shorter pieces. [For example,] "what are the best AI tools for XYZ?" So, whether it's for remote workers, or teachers, or for SEO or that sort of thing, she's reviewing and using her expertise to say here are some ideal use cases for these tools. 

Do you have a favorite moment as a leader?

A lot comes to mind, fortunately. One of the things that's been most fulfilling in my career is mentorship, whether that's official or unofficial. I find that very rewarding, and it has also led to some deep, long-lasting friendships. Quite honestly, I learn from mentees as well, because it forces me to pause and really think through my thought process, my judgment calls, my recommendations, and just kind of have that space to kind of slow down. Doing something a little bit outside the norm has been very rewarding. 

What do you see as the advantages of syndicating with Newstex?

Hopefully just broadening our reach and becoming more front and center with more readers, more publishers, and that sort of thing. I think our content could have appeal for a broad range of readers. And it's a very crowded space, and so to try and stand out amongst the crowd is becoming more challenging, and so I think this is just a fabulous opportunity for us to get our name out.

Mary Weilage is a longtime technology editor and journalist with more than 20 years of experience in tech and B2B news, and currently serves as a managing editor for news content at TechRepublic and eWeek.