{{Short description|American journalist and editor}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2022}} {{Infobox person | honorific_prefix = | name = <!-- use common name/article title --> | honorific_suffix = | image = Versha Sharma at the International Journalism Festival 2024 in Perugia, Italy (cropped) 1.jpg | image_upright = | landscape = <!-- yes, if wide image, otherwise leave blank --> | alt = A woman shown from the neck up looks off camera <!-- descriptive text for use by speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software --> | caption = Sharma at the International Journalism Festival in 2024 | native_name = | native_name_lang = | pronunciation = | birth_name = <!-- only use if different from name --> | birth_date = c. 1986 <!-- {{Birth date and age|YYYY|MM|DD}} for living people supply only the year with {{Birth year and age|YYYY}} unless the exact date is already widely published, as per WP:DOB. For people who have died, use {{Birth date|YYYY|MM|DD}}. --> | birth_place = Alexandria, Louisiana | nationality = <!-- use only when necessary per WP:INFONAT --> | other_names = | siglum = | citizenship = <!-- use only when necessary per WP:INFONAT --> | education = | alma_mater = Centenary College of Louisiana | occupation = {{hlist|Journalist|Editor}} | years_active = 2009–present | era = | employer = ''Teen Vogue'' | organization = | agent = <!-- Discouraged in most cases, specifically when promotional, and requiring a reliable source --> | known_for = | notable_works = <!-- produces label "Notable work"; may be overridden by |credits=, which produces label "Notable credit(s)"; or by |works=, which produces label "Works"; or by |label_name=, which produces label "Label(s)" --> | style = | title = Editor in chief <!-- Formal/awarded/job title. The parameter |office=may be used as an alternative when the label is better rendered as "Office" (e.g. public office or appointments) --> | term = | predecessor = | successor = | party = | otherparty = | movement = | opponents = | boards = | spouse = <!-- Use article title or common name --> | partner = <!-- (unmarried long-term partner) --> | children = | parents = <!-- overrides mother and father parameters --> | mother = <!-- may be used (optionally with father parameter) in place of parents parameter (displays "Parent(s)" as label) --> | father = <!-- may be used (optionally with mother parameter) in place of parents parameter (displays "Parent(s)" as label) --> | relatives = | family = | awards = Edward R. Murrow Award | website = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} --> | module = | module2 = | module3 = | module4 = | module5 = | module6 = | signature = | signature_size = | signature_alt = | footnotes = }} '''Versha Rani Sharma''' (born c. 1986)<ref name=":0" /> is an American journalist and editor. She was editor in chief of ''Teen Vogue'' until its merger with ''Vogue'' in November 2025. From 2015 to 2021 she was managing editor at NowThis, where she shared in a 2018 Edward R. Murrow Award for a documentary on Hurricane Maria's effects on Puerto Rico. She is on the board of the Online News Association.
== Early life == Sharma was born and raised in Alexandria, Louisiana,<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|last=Kennell|first=Tiana|title=Versha Sharma, Centenary College alumna, named Teen Vogue top editor|url=https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/money/business/2021/05/10/versha-sharma-teen-vogue-editor-in-chief-louisiana-native/5022361001/|access-date=2022-01-07|website=The Times|language=en-US|archive-date=2021-06-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210629011519/https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/money/business/2021/05/10/versha-sharma-teen-vogue-editor-in-chief-louisiana-native/5022361001/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web|last=Kennell|first=Tiana|title=Centenary College alum interviews President Obama|url=https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/election/2016/11/07/centenary-college-alum-interviews-president-obama/93345658/|access-date=2022-01-07|website=The Times|language=en-US|archive-date=2022-01-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220107031530/https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/election/2016/11/07/centenary-college-alum-interviews-president-obama/93345658/|url-status=live}}</ref> the daughter of Indian immigrants.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|date=2021-05-10|title=NowThis editor Versha Sharma to take over at Teen Vogue|url=https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-arts-and-entertainment-08b6e981677cafa2f72955d45fa77dec|access-date=2022-01-07|website=AP NEWS|language=en|archive-date=2022-01-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220107020505/https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-arts-and-entertainment-08b6e981677cafa2f72955d45fa77dec|url-status=live}}</ref> She attended Bolton High School, graduating in 2004,<ref>{{Cite news|date=2004-05-20|title=Class of 2004|pages=14|work=The Town Talk|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92057113/class-of-2004/|access-date=2022-01-07|archive-date=2022-01-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220109010643/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92057113/class-of-2004/|url-status=live}}</ref> then Centenary College of Louisiana in Shreveport, where she studied political science.<ref name=":2" /> She graduated in 2008,<ref name=":2" /> then worked on Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign{{How|date=November 2025}}.<ref name=":3" />
==Journalism career== Sharma began working in newsmedia as a writer and editor for Talking Points Memo<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bhattacharya |first=Shriya |date=2022-05-11 |title=Teen Vogue’s First Indian American Editor-In-Chief Versha Sharma is the Newest Role Model for Young South Asians Around the World |url=https://browngirlmagazine.com/2022/05/teen-vogues-first-indian-american-editor-in-chief-versha-sharma-is-the-newest-role-model-for-young-south-asians-around-the-world/ |access-date=2022-06-03 |website=Brown Girl Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref> and MSNBC's Lean Forward.<ref name=":3" /> She covered the 2012 United States presidential election for MSNBC's website.<ref name=":1" /> In 2015, she became managing editor at NowThis,<ref name=":1" /> where she shared in a 2018 Edward R. Murrow Award for her work on a documentary on Hurricane Maria's effects on Puerto Rico.<ref name=":0">{{cite news|last1=Robertson|first1=Katie|date=10 May 2021|title=Teen Vogue has a new top editor.|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/10/business/media/teen-vogue-new-editor.html|access-date=7 January 2022|archive-date=7 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220107015719/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/10/business/media/teen-vogue-new-editor.html|url-status=live}}</ref> "Puerto Rico: After the Hurricane" won for Excellence in Video in the Large Digital News Organization division.<ref>{{Cite web|title=2018 National Edward R. Murrow Award Winners|url=https://www.rtdna.org/content/2018_national_edward_r_murrow_award_winners#SMDG|access-date=2022-01-09|website=www.rtdna.org|language=en|archive-date=2021-10-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211007042743/https://www.rtdna.org/content/2018_national_edward_r_murrow_award_winners#SMDG|url-status=live}}</ref>
In May 2021, she was named editor in chief of ''Teen Vogue''.<ref name=":0" /> In assuming the role at Condé Nast, Sharma was part of an increase in women's newsroom leadership; ''Adweek'' noted she was one of "a dozen women…named editors in chief at some of the most influential publishers in the world" in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Stenberg|first=Mark|last2=|date=July 15, 2021|title=Women Named Editor in Chief of a Major Newsroom in 2021|url=https://www.adweek.com/media/these-12-women-have-all-been-named-editor-in-chief-of-a-major-newsroom-in-2021/|url-status=live|access-date=2022-01-08|website=Adweek|language=en-US|archive-date=2021-11-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211106035759/https://www.adweek.com/media/these-12-women-have-all-been-named-editor-in-chief-of-a-major-newsroom-in-2021/}}</ref> CNN also noted her appointment as part of diversifying newsroom leadership that took place in 2021, as she became the first South Asian American to hold the role,<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-05-11|title=Who will lead America's newsrooms?|url=https://www.poynter.org/business-work/2021/who-will-lead-americas-newsrooms/|access-date=2022-01-09|website=Poynter|language=en-US|archive-date=2021-07-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210706040521/https://www.poynter.org/business-work/2021/who-will-lead-americas-newsrooms/|url-status=live}}</ref> and additionally discussed the growing expectations for change to newsroom culture, beyond the new heads.<ref name=":4" /> Sharma told CNN that concern for the state of her team was a management priority for her, saying, "I pride myself on being a leader with empathy. Despite the fact that our job is storytelling, a lot of newsroom leaders don't value that or prioritize that."<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|last=Flynn|first=Kerry|date=August 17, 2021|title=Newsroom leadership has never been this diverse, but that's not enough|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/17/media/media-leadership-diversity/index.html|url-status=live|access-date=2022-01-08|website=CNN|archive-date=2022-01-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220104032813/https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/17/media/media-leadership-diversity/index.html}}</ref>
Sharma is also a member of the board of the Online News Association.<ref name=":1" />
==Personal life== Sharma has lived in New York since 2009.<ref name=":1" /> She is married to world-renowned investigative journalist and author Casey Michel. They have a golden retriever named George and two Roborovski dwarf hamsters named Thor and Jojo.
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{Twitter|versharma}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sharma, Versha}} Category:Living people Category:American magazine editors Category:Condé Nast people Category:Journalists from Louisiana Category:Centenary College of Louisiana alumni Category:American women journalists Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:American people of Indian descent