Harry McCracken | |
|---|---|
 Harry McCracken in 2023 | |
| Occupation | Magazine editor |
| Relatives | Elizabeth McCracken (sister) |
Harry McCracken is a global technology editor[1] forFast Company and the founder of Technologizer, a website about personal technology. He was an editor at large forTime, covering technology, from February 2012 to June 2014. McCracken is also a former contributing editor atCNET.[2]
Until June 2, 2008, McCracken was theeditor-in-chief ofPC World for four years; he had previously held other editorial positions for ten.
He was educated in thepublic schools of Newton, Massachusetts,the Cambridge School of Weston, andBoston University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history.[3][4]
McCracken is the son of the late Samuel McCracken, a professor at Boston University and a long-time assistant to BU president John Silber; and Natalie Jacobson McCracken, a retired editor in chief for development and alumni publications at BU.[5]
On May 1, 2007, McCracken resigned abruptly under controversial circumstances. McCracken quit abruptly because the new CEO ofPC World, Colin Crawford, tried to stop an unfavorable story aboutApple Inc. andSteve Jobs.[6] Crawford responded, calling media reports of McCracken's resignation "inaccurate."[7] McCracken told colleagues thatIDG,PC World's publisher, "was pressuring him to avoid stories that were critical of major advertisers."[8][9] On May 9, 2007, Crawford was transferred to another department and McCracken returned toPC World.[10]
In addition to his computer magazine work, McCracken has also been active in animation fandom, as a central mailer for Apatoons, and editor ofAnimato! magazine. He was also co-moderator of theBIX Animation Forum, with the late Emru Townsend. He is also the webmaster of the Scrappyland website, devoted to theCharles Mintz cartoon characterScrappy.[11] He has also contributed toSlate.[12]
McCracken has won a number of awards for his editorial work. He received theAmerican Business Media (ABM) Timothy White Award for Editorial Integrity in 2008, recognizing his resignation on principle in 2007.[13] That same year he also won Best Editorial Column recognition from ABM and was listed onFolio magazine's list of 40 media influencers.[14]
McCracken married Marie Domingo on December 26, 2010.[15] He is the brother of novelist and teacherElizabeth McCracken.[16]