Technical.ly boosts editorial team with hire of experienced tech journalist

The newest member of Technical.ly’s editorial team has a geographic background that’s almost amusingly aligned with our newsroom’s current reach. Bonus: She brings a journalism philosophy that jibes with our community-focused mission and goals.

Meet our new editor, Katie Malone. 

After attending college in Washington DC, then moving to Pittsburgh, Malone recently relocated to Philadelphia — so she’s lived and worked in three of the five markets where Technical.ly currently reports. 

Her professional experience includes time at national tech publications, including as senior security reporter for Engadget, cloud editor for Insider and associate editor for CIO Dive. She also worked as a technology reporter or contributor at local-focused outlets like MeriTalk, Washington City Paper, GovLoop and 730DC.

What does this mean for you, dear reader? A new dash of global perspective on local issues in the Technical.ly markets Malone now oversees — Pittsburgh, Philly and Delaware — plus a new player dedicated to connecting the people who make up the fabric of each region’s tech and startup scene.

We’re excited for this new era of our newsroom management team. Reach out to say hello on LinkedIn, via email, or by coming to our Builders Conference on May 9.

Until then, get to know Malone better in the Q&A below.

How did you get into tech reporting?

I fell into tech reporting after college. My first full-time position in the space was at a government social networking site focusing on tech innovation at the federal, state and local level. I talked to officials and realized tech laid the foundation for a lot of what they were able to accomplish — or not accomplish. 

I hopped around from there, writing about gov tech for a bit, and then covering business and consumer tech. Now, I’m a firm believer that covering tech means covering nearly everything we touch. 

What most excites you about covering tech and startups? 

For me, connecting with people and communities will always be the most exciting part. 

While I love seeing new innovations and how startups build tomorrow’s tech, digging into the “why” and “how” and “whose lives will this change” make for some of the best conversations. Founders and community leaders in the space often have fascinating stories to share, and can give a peek at the cutting edge, but the opportunity to talk to folks at all levels often provides more of the story. 

Plus, there’s a lot of hype in the tech space. Helping readers navigate what’s legit and how it’ll impact the world around them is an important part of covering the industry. 

Let’s get specific: Give us your view of the scene in Pittsburgh, in Philadelphia and in Delaware — and what you’re excited to learn

Pittsburgh has been thriving as a tech hub, but it still goes overlooked in big conversations about the innovation industry. When you live there, however, it’s obvious. Whether it was walking through tech office parks with my dog or passing giant branded office buildings downtown, you can’t escape how tech embedded itself in much of the city. We have a real opportunity to dive into industries like robotics and medicine that have strong local roots, and better understand innovations to come. 

I moved to Philadelphia in April, and so I’m still adjusting to the market. But with strong family ties to the area, I do have a bit of a background on local happenings. The booming life sciences industry and the startup industry more broadly have become an established part of the local economy. I can’t wait to work with reporter Sarah Huffman to keep learning more about the scene. 

Delaware has to be the market I’m least familiar with. I’m excited to work closely with reporter Holly Quinn to learn more, especially how tech brings together the local community. If you’re based in Delaware (or Philly or Pittsburgh!), reach out and let me know what local people, trends or events I should be following. 

Prediction time: What do you see in the future of local journalism?

Oh boy. The decimation of local news orgs over my career has been hard to watch. It’s been undervalued and overlooked as an industry. I think that’s changing, and I hope we continue to watch it rebound. Local journalism brings neighbors together and builds strong communities. It keeps us well-informed and connected. 

Local news will continue to see bright reporters building a life in the communities they cover and doing important work. We’ll see the focus on hyperlocal, neighborhood-by-neighborhood coverage of the people who make change among their peers. Or sector-by-sector coverage, like Technical.ly does.

What do you think will change most about the innovation economy in the next decade?

Diversity! There’s a lot of tech I could talk about here — AI, blockchain, quantum computing — but it’s the people that bring most of the change. More people from an array of backgrounds joining the field bringing new ideas and experiences fuels the innovation economy. There’s been major progress on this front, and as leaders in the industry keep pushing to make diversity a priority at every turn, in the next decade that will just become the norm. 

Tech “for good” will also shift the innovation economy. Values like environmental sustainability and reducing bias have already started to change startups. During the crypto boom, people pushed back on the carbon emissions from bitcoin mining, and companies are working hard to make sure gen AI doesn’t regurgitate the hate it sees online. As consumers pay more attention and try to spend their money in line with their personal values, it influences how companies approach their innovations, too. 

And for fun: What are your favorite things to do outside of work?

Baking! I worked part time in pastry while I was in Pittsburgh, making bagels, donuts, and other bakery items. Now, in my free time, I bake my way through different cookbooks. In 2024, I’d like to make everything in the modern classic “Dessert Person “by Claire Saffitz.