SVP, Editor in Chief

The Walt Disney Company•Bristol, CT

12d

About The Position

ESPN is seeking a visionary, strategic, and deeply experienced Editor in Chief to lead and integrate our Digital Editorial, Investigative & Enterprise Journalism, and Newsgathering teams. This role is responsible for shaping and executing ESPN’s editorial strategy across platforms, driving impactful journalism, and ensuring ESPN maintains its leadership in sports storytelling, breaking news, and accountability reporting. This senior executive will partner across Content, Programming, Marketing, and Legal to ensure editorial excellence, speed, integrity, and innovation—anchored in ESPN’s journalistic mission and commitment to serve sports fans.

Requirements

Minimum 15 years of experience in journalism, including digital editorial, investigative reporting, and/or newsroom leadership at a national or global media outlet.
Proven leadership in overseeing large, multi-functional editorial teams.
Strong editorial judgment, with experience navigating high-profile, sensitive, or controversial stories.
Deep understanding of digital media and audience behaviors across platforms.
Demonstrated success in change leadership and building cohesive editorial cultures.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills; able to work effectively at all levels of the organization.

Nice To Haves

Experience in sports journalism or leading editorial efforts at a major sports media company.
Familiarity with multimedia content development and cross-platform storytelling.
Background in crisis reporting or investigative journalism with measurable audience and impact outcomes.

Responsibilities

Set the editorial vision and priorities across digital platforms, news desks, and enterprise storytelling.
Uphold ESPN's editorial standards and ethics by ensuring strong sourcing, verification, fairness, and context in all reporting.
Align daily content operations with long-term strategy, ensuring ESPN is breaking news, surfacing untold stories, and delivering distinctive perspectives.
Drive cross-platform editorial initiatives, integrating linear, digital, and social.
Lead a team of executives across Digital Editorial, Investigative & Enterprise, and Newsgathering; provide clear direction, mentorship, and accountability.
Foster a culture of creativity, urgency, inclusivity, and collaboration.
Champion editorial diversity—in content, voices, and staffing.
Work closely with Programming, Studio, Social, and ESPN+ teams to drive audience impact and storytelling consistency.
Leverage audience data and market trends to refine editorial strategies, platform distribution, and coverage priorities.
Identify and develop emerging content formats and storytelling platforms, from longform features to real-time updates and explainers.