Joanna Stern

Joanna Stern
Born	Joanna Ruth Stern 12/5/1984
Birthplace	New York, United States
Nationality	American
Occupation	Journalist, technology columnist, author
Employer	NBC News / New Things
Known for	Personal technology columnist at The Wall Street Journal, Chief Technology Analyst at NBC News
Education	Union College
Awards	Gerald Loeb Award (2016, 2022), Emmy Award nomination (2020)

Joanna Ruth Stern (born December 5, 1984) is an American technology journalist, columnist, and video producer who became one of the most recognizable voices in consumer technology coverage during her tenure at The Wall Street Journal. Over a career spanning two decades, Stern has worked at several prominent technology and news outlets, including Engadget, The Verge, and ABC News, before joining the Journal in 2014 as part of the team assembled to succeed Walt Mossberg in the paper's personal technology coverage. Known for her creative video presentations and accessible approach to explaining complex technology topics, she has earned multiple Gerald Loeb Awards and an Emmy Award nomination. In February 2026, Stern announced her departure from The Wall Street Journal to launch an independent media venture called New Things, and in March 2026, she entered into a partnership with NBC News as the network's chief technology analyst, a deal that reflects a growing trend of news organizations collaborating with independent journalists and creators.

Early Life

Joanna Ruth Stern was born on December 5, 1984, in New York. She is the daughter of Daniel R. Stern and Susan S. Stern. Details about her upbringing and childhood in New York remain largely private, though her career trajectory suggests an early interest in technology and media. Stern grew up during a period of rapid technological change—the rise of personal computing, the early internet era, and the emergence of digital media—a backdrop that would inform her later work as a technology journalist.

Education

Stern attended Union College in Schenectady, New York, where she completed her undergraduate studies. Union College, a small liberal arts institution, provided a broad educational foundation. Specific details regarding her major or year of graduation have not been widely reported, though her early career moves into technology journalism began shortly after her time at the college.

Career

Early Career: Engadget and The Verge

Stern began her career in technology journalism in the mid-2000s, entering the field at a time when technology blogs and online publications were rapidly gaining influence alongside traditional print media. She worked at Engadget, one of the leading technology news and review websites, where she developed her skills covering consumer electronics and the broader technology industry.

In 2011, a significant upheaval occurred in the technology blogging world when several members of Engadget's editorial team departed to form a new technology publication. Stern was among the journalists who left Engadget and joined what would become The Verge, a technology news site launched under Vox Media. The Verge launched in November 2011 with an ambitious editorial vision, and Stern served as one of its founding editorial members, contributing to the site's early coverage of consumer technology, gadgets, and digital culture.

ABC News

In 2012, Stern departed The Verge to join ABC News, marking a transition from digital-native technology media to broadcast and mainstream news journalism. At ABC News, Stern covered technology for both the network's television broadcasts and its digital platforms, gaining experience in video production and on-camera reporting that would later become a hallmark of her work. Her time at ABC News helped bridge the gap between the technology press and mainstream media, allowing her to reach a broader audience with her coverage of gadgets, software, and digital trends.

The Wall Street Journal (2014–2026)

In late 2013, The Wall Street Journal announced a new personal technology reviewing team as part of a broader restructuring of its technology coverage. The move was part of a succession plan as Walt Mossberg, who had been the paper's flagship personal technology columnist for more than two decades, prepared to depart. Stern was named to the team that would replace Mossberg, joining the Journal in 2014 as a personal technology columnist.

At the Journal, Stern established herself as one of the publication's most prominent journalists through a combination of written columns, video reports, and investigative pieces on consumer technology topics. Her work covered a wide range of subjects, from product reviews and gadget evaluations to deeper investigations into how technology companies affect everyday life. She became known for her creative and often humorous approach to video journalism, producing segments that explained complex technological concepts in accessible terms.

Notable Work

Among Stern's notable pieces at the Journal was her 2015 video review of the Apple Watch, titled "Apple Watch: What Living With It Is Really Like," which provided a candid assessment of the wearable device shortly after its launch. The review was characteristic of her approach: grounded in real-world usage rather than purely technical specifications, aimed at helping consumers make informed purchasing decisions.

She also produced a widely viewed video on improving home Wi-Fi networks, "How to Improve Your Home Wi-Fi," which addressed a common frustration for consumers in an era of increasing internet dependence.

In 2016, Stern wrote a column exploring the growing market for pet technology products, titled "The Dumb, Delightful World of Pet Tech," which examined gadgets designed for pets and their owners, reflecting her ability to find consumer-oriented stories within broader technology trends.

One of Stern's most significant investigative pieces was a 2021 video investigation into TikTok's recommendation algorithm, which examined how the platform's algorithm curates content for users and raised questions about its influence on user behavior and potential for promoting harmful content. The investigation was part of a broader wave of scrutiny directed at social media algorithms and their societal impact, and it demonstrated Stern's capacity for work that went beyond product reviews into accountability journalism.

Advocacy and Commentary

Beyond her technology reviews and investigations, Stern was also known for commentary on issues affecting the technology industry. Early in her career, she wrote a notable open letter to Dell, published by Laptop Magazine, criticizing the company's marketing efforts that she characterized as sexist, arguing that such approaches were counterproductive and alienating to female consumers. The piece, written in response to Dell's "Della" marketing campaign that targeted women with technology tips focused on calorie counting and finding recipes, drew attention and became part of a broader conversation about gender representation in technology marketing.

CNBC Appearances

During her tenure at the Journal, Stern also appeared as a technology commentator on CNBC, contributing analysis and insights on technology news and trends for the business news network's audience. These television appearances expanded her profile beyond the Journal's readership and established her as a recognizable on-air technology commentator.

Departure from The Wall Street Journal

In February 2026, Stern announced that she was leaving The Wall Street Journal after more than a decade at the publication. Her departure came as she prepared to launch an independent media venture, reflecting a broader trend of established journalists leaving legacy media organizations to build their own platforms and brands.

New Things and NBC News Partnership (2026–present)

In March 2026, Stern announced the launch of New Things, an independent media company focused on technology reporting and analysis. Simultaneously, NBC News announced a partnership with Stern, naming her the network's chief technology analyst and contributing correspondent.

Under the arrangement, Stern would bring exclusive reporting and analysis from her independent venture, New Things, to NBC's television and digital platforms. The partnership was structured to allow Stern to maintain editorial control over her independent publication while also contributing to NBC News's technology and artificial intelligence coverage. NBC News specifically sought to expand its coverage of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies through the collaboration.

The deal was reported as part of NBC News's broader strategy of partnering with independent journalists and creators as the network expanded its subscription streaming product. Industry observers noted that the arrangement reflected evolving models for how established journalists could operate independently while maintaining affiliations with major news organizations.

Personal Life

Stern's 2014 wedding was documented in The New York Times "Weddings" section, which reported that the couple's relationship had originated through an interaction on Twitter. The Times piece noted her parents as Daniel R. Stern and Susan S. Stern. She resides in the New York area.

Recognition

Stern's work has received significant recognition within the journalism profession. In 2016, she received a Gerald Loeb Award, one of the most prestigious honors in business and financial journalism, presented by the UCLA Anderson School of Management. The Gerald Loeb Awards recognize journalists who make significant contributions to the understanding of business, finance, and the economy.

In 2020, Stern received a nomination for a News Emmy Award for her video journalism at The Wall Street Journal, recognition of the innovative visual storytelling that had become a signature element of her work.

In 2022, Stern won a second Gerald Loeb Award, further cementing her standing among the leading business and technology journalists in the United States. Winning the award twice across a six-year span reflected sustained excellence in her technology journalism across different formats and subject areas.

Legacy

Stern's career has tracked the evolution of technology journalism itself, from the era of dedicated technology blogs like Engadget, through the rise of multimedia digital publications like The Verge, to the reinvention of technology coverage at legacy newspaper institutions like The Wall Street Journal, and ultimately to the emerging model of independent creator-journalists partnering with major broadcast networks. Her transition from The Wall Street Journal to launching New Things while simultaneously serving as NBC News's chief technology analyst represents an increasingly common model in 2020s-era journalism, where experienced journalists leverage their personal brands and audiences to operate across multiple platforms.

At The Wall Street Journal, Stern helped redefine what technology coverage could look like at a business publication traditionally known for its text-heavy journalism. Her video work, which combined informative content with creative production techniques and humor, reached audiences that might not have engaged with traditional technology columns. Her investigative work on topics such as TikTok's algorithm demonstrated that consumer technology journalism could encompass both product reviews and substantive accountability reporting.

Her role in succeeding Walt Mossberg at the Journal placed her within a lineage of influential personal technology columnists, and her ability to maintain a prominent voice in the field over more than a decade at the publication spoke to her adaptability as the technology landscape and media industry underwent significant changes during that period.