Jenna M. McKnight is an award-winning journalist and digital strategist with a deep passion for architecture, design, and culture. Her work has taken her around the world, from reporting on humanitarian projects in Haiti and Burkina Faso to covering international design expositions such as the Milan furniture fair. She has held senior positions at major print and online publications, in addition to serving as the first digital editor at the global architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. A recognized leader in her field, Jenna has launched new programs, managed digital initiatives from the ground up, and organized numerous events related to architecture and media. You can find Jenna on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Career History

Jenna currently serves as a contributing editor at Dezeen. Having helped launched the influential publication’s New York office — its first outside of London — she now produces daily stories about architecture and design across North and South America. Jenna works in tandem with her European counterparts to bolster Dezeen’s global reach. Popular among design professionals and informed consumers, Dezeen’s website draws four million visits per month, and its social media platforms have nearly four million followers.

Prior to Dezeen, Jenna was the digital editor at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, one of the world’s largest and most distinguished architecture firms. Founded in 1936, SOM’s portfolio includes the Sears (Willis) Tower, Burj Khalifa, and One World Trade Center. Jenna managed the firm’s representation in the digital realm, from overseeing the launch of an award-winning website to crafting and executing a global social media strategy. As the firm’s first digital editor, Jenna was responsible for helping lay the foundation for a new department within SOM, which entailed building a team, establishing infrastructure and protocols, and educating staff and firm leaders about the critical need for a strong and well-curated online presence. Architect magazine featured Jenna in its October 2014 story, “The Emerging Role of the Design Editor,” which explored how firms are hiring top journalists to create compelling content. 

Jenna sharpened her knowledge of the digital space while serving as editor in chief at Architizer, a leading online publication for architects and design enthusiasts. Its robust website offers both editorial content and a rich database of architectural projects and products. As the site’s first official editor in chief, Jenna oversaw all content, managed a growing team of employees and contributors, and worked with the company’s founder and chief creative officer to establish goals and strategy. She also helped launch the A+ Awards, a global design awards program that receives more than 1,000 entries annually.

Jenna began her design journalism career at Architectural Record, the esteemed magazine founded 125 years ago by McGraw-Hill. She worked at the publication for five years, starting as web editor in 2007 — a time when media outlets were just beginning to explore and define the digital realm. In addition to writing and editing stories, Jenna oversaw blogs, created e-newsletters, and produced videos, among many other responsibilities. She climbed the ranks to news director, a role that entailed managing print and online news coverage, overseeing special sections, and writing feature stories about avant-garde buildings worldwide. She also was a key contributor to digital initiatives. 

Jenna holds a master’s degree in arts journalism, with a focus on architecture and design, from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, and a BS in journalism from Northern Arizona University. Prior to graduate school, she was a newspaper reporter and editor.

Achievements

Jenna has garnered numerous accolades, including an Associated Press Award for distinguished journalism and inclusion in Public Interest Design’s ranking of the top 100 people working in humanitarian design. She was a member of editorial teams that received Neal Awards for a multimedia package about the Great Recession and an issue of Architectural Record devoted to humanitarian design. Moreover, she has been featured in Surface magazine’s Portfolio of American Influencers and is a recipient of a grant from the New York State Council on the Arts and the Architectural League of New York.