ESPN Executive Kevin Merida to Take Over as LA Times Top Editor

Published May 03 2021 at 3:51 PM GMT

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The Los Angeles Times has selected Kevin Merida as its new top editor, bringing to an end a months-long search and signaling the paper"s intention to address internal criticism of its staffing decisions and coverage of race in the Golden State.
Merida, 64, an ESPN executive and newspaper industry veteran, will be the Times" new executive editor, according to an internal memo sent to staffers by the paper's president and chief operating officer Chris Argentieri, obtained and reviewed by The Daily Beast.
Over the past several years, as a senior vice president Merida has overseen The Undefeated, ESPN's blog covering the intersections of sports, race, and culture.
"I am excited to be the next executive editor of the LA Times, and will bring with me an open heart, a penchant for experimentation and a fiercely competitive spirit", Merida said in a statement provided in the memo.
"Looking forward to partnering with new colleagues and soaring to greater heights together.