Homeowner

San Diego Magazine's New Editor Bets on Print: A Look at the Publication That's Been Telling Our Story for Decades

By Hedda ParashosSeptember 19, 2026

Emma Veidt, a 27-year-old North County native, just took the helm at San Diego Magazine — and her second issue came in with the biggest page count in five years. For anyone who cares about San Diego's identity, that's worth paying attention to.

San Diego Magazine's editorial team added Emma Veidt earlier this year, and she's using the role to argue that the region beyond the city core deserves sharper, more specific coverage. A Carlsbad native, Veidt was born at Tri-City Medical Center and — like plenty of North County teenagers — worked at Legoland during high school. She first interned at the magazine in 2018, an experience she's said solidified her path into journalism, then spent nearly five years at Backpacker magazine before returning to San Diego. She holds a bachelor's and a master's degree from the Missouri School of Journalism.

A Clear Point of View on Covering the County

Veidt writes the magazine's print edition and has used her own editor's notes to lay out her editorial thinking. In her July 2026 note, "Hello Again," she pushed back on the idea that North County has been flattened into what she called a "two-toned monolith," arguing instead that it holds "vastly different cultures... but all distinctly San Diego" — a little mellower, fewer airs, come as you are, in her words.

She's part of a small editorial team that includes Executive Editor Mateo Hoke and Managing Editor Jackie Bryant, with her own focus on the print product and its signature franchises. One of those is the annual Best of San Diego issue, which she wrote about in her August 2026 note, "The Best is Here." That issue drew on nearly 134,000 reader votes across more than 500 categories — as Veidt put it, "we're not the only ones chiming in."

Why Local Media Is a Community Asset Worth Caring About

For residents in La Jolla and across the county, a strong local media presence does real work. A publication that covers dining, neighborhoods, design, and community life shapes how people discover San Diego and how the city understands itself — which matters to anyone buying or selling property here, since community identity is part of what people are buying into when they choose a San Diego neighborhood.

When local media shrinks, that story goes untold or gets replaced by national outlets that flatten regional character into generic descriptions. An editor actively pushing back against that flattening — as Veidt has said she intends to do for North County — helps keep the nuance intact: the difference between a coastal village and an inland suburb, the texture of a local business district, the people who make a neighborhood feel like a place.

What This Means For You

Veidt's stated focus on covering communities beyond the city core is worth watching for residents in areas that have historically gotten less press attention. And for homeowners thinking about their property's value in the context of neighborhood identity, local storytelling is part of what sustains that identity. Find out what your home is worth →

Supporting local media — by subscribing, sharing stories, or simply reading — remains one of the more direct ways residents can invest in San Diego's sense of place. Check the Palisade Realty blog for more on the people and stories shaping San Diego's communities.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the new editor at San Diego Magazine?

Emma Veidt, who grew up in Carlsbad in North County San Diego, joined San Diego Magazine's editorial team this year, focusing on the print edition. She previously interned at the magazine in 2018 and spent nearly five years at Backpacker magazine before returning.

How does San Diego Magazine affect local real estate and neighborhood identity?

San Diego Magazine covers lifestyle, dining, design, and community character across the region, which shapes how residents and outsiders understand San Diego neighborhoods. That kind of local storytelling contributes to the sense of place that buyers factor in when choosing where to live.

Is San Diego Magazine still in print?

Yes. San Diego Magazine continues to publish in print, and Veidt has spoken specifically about wanting to expand and deepen its coverage of North County alongside the city core.

Source: axios.com