AOL-owned Huffington Post gets Twitter power: Biz Stone joins

Following the high-profile $315m takeover by AOL, the popular liberal news site Huffington Post will be joined by Twitter co-founder Biz Stone.

“Strategic adviser for social impact” is Stone’s title at AOL, where he will among other things work on a platform where people can co-ordinate work in their local communities.

Huffington Post founder Arianna Huffington said:

“[Stone will] advise The Huffington Post Media Group and all of AOL on social impact and cause-based initiatives, develop a platform to facilitate people doing service in their communities, rally other companies to invest in and deploy the best corporate practices, and create and develop a video series spotlighting leading companies and executives at the forefront of philanthropy and corporate responsibility.”

This is the latest new recruit by Huffington, who has also brought onboard former New York Times and Los Angeles Times editor John Montorio, and Howard Fineman, a former analyst for NBC and MSNBC.

AOL is undergoing significant changes at the moment, as its advertising revenues are dropping and Google is gaining ground. The company has just slashed 20% of its workforce, equivalent to 900 people.

Stone will keep his existing duties at Twitter.