Joanna Stern (born December 5, 1984)[1] is an American technology journalist, best known for her videos and columns at The Wall Street Journal and technology news websites Engadget and The Verge. She became a personal technology columnist[2] at The Wall Street Journal in 2014, as part of the team that replaced Walt Mossberg.[3]
Journalism
Stern graduated from Union College in 2006, where she studied political science and journalism. She served as the editor in chief of the Concordiensis, Union's student newspaper.
Stern began her technology writing career at Laptop Magazine, where she reviewed laptops and netbooks.[4] She then spent three years at Engadget, as reviews editor, writing various consumer technology reviews. In March 2011, she left Engadget with Joshua Topolsky, Nilay Patel, Paul Miller, Chris Ziegler and other co-workers to create This Is My Next,[5] which would later become The Verge.
In February 2012, Stern joined ABC News as a technology editor,[6] hosting her own video series and appearing on the TV network's various shows as a technology expert. In December 2013, she and Geoffrey A. Fowler were named personal technology columnists at The Wall Street Journal.[7]
In 2016, Stern received a Gerald Loeb Award[8] for her Wall Street Journal videos, including her video review of the Apple Watch (which includes a cameo appearance by Rupert Murdoch)[9] and another where she "rode" on a router that had a shape like a spaceship.[10] She is also a CNBC contributor,[11] often appearing on Tech Check.[12] In September 2021, she won a News & Documentary Emmy Award[13] for her Wall Street Journal documentary on death and technology.[14] Stern received a second Gerald Loeb Award in 2022 for an article on TikTok.[15][16]
Personal life
Stern was born to Susan S. Stern and Daniel R. Stern, the former the owner of a lecture agency.[17]
In February 2009, Stern met her wife on Twitter, where she then proposed to her in 2013.[17] They live in Jersey City with their children. She has written an article that jokingly names their dog as a co-author.[18] Stern is Jewish.[19]
