How will the founder of The Awl make a mark at CNN?

The cable news network said Tuesday that it had hired Choire Sicha, the creator of the New York-based culture website which published daily ruminations on city weather under a motto of “Be Less Stupid,” to lead its new effort at editorial features.

Sicha, who most recently was editor at large at New York magazine and also led the Styles desk at The New York Times, will join CNN as svp of features editorial on May 19. The move marks the latest hire at the brand as it attempts to reorient itself in the online news ecosystem with an eye toward developing subscription products — a big pivot for CNN, but one seen as a necessity as the channel looks past its linear TV roots. It also signals that the news outlet aims to compete on the Times turf.

In its hiring release,...