The  Reynolds School of Journalism is pleased to present “The Future of News: A Conversation with Kevin Merida,” an award-winning journalist and executive editor of the Los Angeles Times. Merida will discuss the importance of empowering emerging journalists to be savvy consumers of information in an open forum from 11 to 11:50 a.m. on Monday, March 6, 2023, in the Joe Crowley Student Union Theatre at the University of Nevada, Reno.  

“Kevin is a respected editor who is not only in on the conversation about massive changes in journalism, he is also among those leading the charge,” said Reynolds School Professor and Leonard Distinguished Chair in Media Ethics and Writing, Caesar Andrews. “This is an opportunity for all readers, viewers, listeners, and consumers of news to hear from an inspirational editor about where newsgathering is headed and what is expected of the next generation of talent.”

Before joining the LA Times as executive editor in June 2021, Kevin Merida was a senior vice president at ESPN and editor in chief of The Undefeated, a multimedia platform that explores the intersections of race, sports and culture. Previously, Merida spent 22 years at the Washington Post as a congressional correspondent, national political reporter, longform feature writer, magazine columnist and senior editor in several roles. He led the national staff for four years during the Obama presidency and was managing editor, where he helped lead the Post to four Pulitzer Prizes.

In addition to authoring several books, Merida was named Journalist of the Year in 2000 by the National Assn. of Black Journalists (NABJ), receiving the Missouri Honors Medal for Distinguished Service in Journalism in 2018 and receiving NABJ’s Chuck Stone Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020.

There will also be an audience Q&A. This event is free and open to the public.