L.A. Times names new entertainment reporters

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A memo to the staff from John Corrigan, assistant managing editor for arts and entertainment:

I’m excited to announce the hiring of three new reporters, who will play key roles in ramping up our coverage of the film and television industries and giving our readers the best entertainment report in the business.

These new staff writers will help us expand The Envelope’s coverage of the awards season and enable us to put a sharper focus on the important indie film scene.

What’s more, we’ll once again have an entertainment reporter in New York City, giving us a crucial perch and time advantage to cover news and features coming from the East Coast.

Please join me in welcoming:

Glenn Whipp. A frequent contributor who has covered Hollywood for two decades, Glenn is joining the staff full time as the anchor reporter for The Envelope -- with the special mission of making the online version as compelling as the print edition. With his frequent posts, Glenn will ensure readers are up-to-date on all awards-related news and developments, while also contributing first-rate analysis and events coverage. He’ll also serve as front man for The Envelope, conducting videotaped interviews with the key contenders. Glenn will work closely with Envelope editor Elena Howe in adding an array of new features. Glenn starts work today.

A journalism graduate of Biola University, Glenn is a longtime member of the Los Angeles Film Critics Assn. and has written and reviewed for publications including Variety, the Associated Press, the Los Angeles Daily News and MSN Movies.

Meredith Blake. Another Times contributor, Meredith is joining the team as a New York-based entertainment writer. Meredith has built a strong fan base with her smart and witty recaps of the late-night TV talk shows and “Mad Men” episodes on our Show Tracker blog. As a full-time staff writer, Meredith will help us bolster our coverage of the television and media industries.

Meredith has a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown and a master’s from NYU. She previously worked as a freelance Web producer for abcnews.com, providing Web content for “Nightline,” “20/20” and “Good Morning America.” She has been a regular contributor to the New Yorker’s literary blog, and has written for publications including Rolling Stone, the Atlantic and the Paris Review. Meredith, who starts Aug. 6, will report to television editor Martin Miller.

Mark Olsen. Few people know the independent film scene like Mark Olsen. For the past three years, he’s written the Indie Focus film feature for Sunday Calendar and The Envelope, along with contributing to our coverage of the Sundance, SXSW and Toronto film festivals. As a full-time staff writer, Mark will be able to report other news and features on this important aspect of the movie business, and help bolster our coverage of documentaries and foreign films.

Mark has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Kansas and a master’s in cinema studies from NYU. He has been a contributing editor to Film Comment, and has written on film for publications including the New York Times, Vanityfair.com and L.A. Weekly. He starts Aug. 20 and will report to film editor Julie Makinen.