Kevin Merida
{{short description|American journalist}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Kevin Merida
| image = File:American journalist and newspaper editor Kevin Merida 2021.jpg
| caption = Merida in 2021
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1957|1|17}}
| birth_place = {{nowrap|Wichita, Kansas, U.S.}}
| education = Boston University (BS)
University of California, Berkeley
| occupation = Executive editor, Los Angeles Times
| spouse = {{marriage|Donna Britt|1992}}
| children = 3, including Darrell Britt-Gibson
}}
Kevin Merida (born January 17, 1957{{cite web|url=https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/kevin-merida|title=Kevin Merida's Biography|website=The HistoryMakers}}) is an American journalist and author. He formerly served as executive editor at the Los Angeles Times, where he oversaw and coordinated all news gathering operations, including city and national desks, Sports and Features departments, Times Community News and Los Angeles Times en Español.{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/about/story/2021-06-25/kevin-merida-executive-editor|title=Kevin Merida – Executive Editor|date=June 25, 2021|website=Los Angeles Times}}
Prior to joining the Times, Merida was a ESPN senior VP and editor-in-chief. He supervised the creation and launch in May 2016 of The Undefeated (rebranded as "Andscape" in 2022). {{cite news|last1=Nwulu|first1=Mac|title=Kevin Merida Named Editor-in-Chief for "The Undefeated"– ESPN Site on Sports, Race and Culture|url=http://espnmediazone.com/us/press-releases/2015/10/kevin-merida-named-editor-in-chief-for-the-undefeated-espn-site-on-sports-race-and-culture/|accessdate=2 September 2016|agency=ESPN|publisher=ESPN MediaZone|date=October 19, 2015}} A multimedia platform that explores the intersections of race, sports and culture, editor in chief Merida expanded The Undefeated brand across The Walt Disney Company, with a content portfolio encompassing journalism, documentaries and television specials, albums, music videos, live events, digital talk shows and two bestselling children’s books.{{cite web|url=https://andscape.com/features/childrens-book-the-undefeated-wins-caldecott-and-two-other-awards/|title=Children's book 'Andscape' wins Caldecott and two other awards|date=January 27, 2020}}
During his tenure at ESPN, Merida oversaw the investigative/news enterprise unit, the television shows “E:60” and “Outside the Lines.” He chaired ESPN’s editorial board.
Early life and education
Kevin Merida was born in Wichita, Kansas, and raised in the Washington, D.C., area. He is the eldest of two children born to the late Jesse Merida, a geologist and paleontologist employed with the United States Geological Survey and Smithsonian Institution.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/magazine/2003/02/16/before-chocolate-city/a5464735-fc31-4500-9451-4f975acbe70f/ |title=Before Chocolate City |date=2003-02-16 |author1=Kevin Merida |newspaper=The Washington Post |place=Washington, D.C. |issn=0190-8286 |oclc=1330888409}} His mother, Doris, (née Ewell) worked as a communications specialist and FOIA officer for the National Science Foundation.
Merida attended Crossland High School, among the first group of children in the U.S. to be bused under a 1971 Supreme Court ruling.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local/longterm/library/pg/magnets/essay0902.htm |title=Where That Bus Ride Took Me |first=Kevin |last=Merida |date=September 2, 1998 |page=D01 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}{{cite news |last=Weil |first=Martin |title=Merida Takes The Helm of The Post's National Staff |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-19634393.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180405025047/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-19634393.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 April 2018|accessdate=27 December 2012 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=16 December 2008}}{{subscription required}} He graduated from Boston University.{{cite web|title=Kevin Merida|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G2-3072000151.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180405025158/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G2-3072000151.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 April 2018|publisher=Contemporary Authors|accessdate=27 December 2012}}{{subscription required}} After graduating, he attended the University of California, Berkeley's "Summer Program for Minority Journalists."
Career
Merida's journalistic and research focus generally involves biographies about "difficult subjects," as described by the Houston Institute for Race & Justice.{{cite web|url=https://charleshamiltonhouston.org/|title=Home|website=Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race & Justice}} He has covered biographical subjects like Strom Thurmond, Bob Dole, George W. Bush, and Newt Gingrich.
Merida began his journalism career at the Milwaukee Journal.{{cite web|last=Beaujon|first=Andrew|title=Kevin Merida named managing editor of The Washington Post|url=http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/mediawire/202895/kevin-merida-named-managing-editor-of-the-washington-post/|work=Poynter MediaWire|publisher=Poynter Institute|accessdate=February 4, 2013}} He served as a general assignments reporter and rotating city desk editor from 1979 to 1983.
In 1983, Merida was recruited by the Dallas Morning News, where he initially worked as a special projects reporter and local political writer. He was later promoted to Washington-based national correspondent and White House correspondent covering the George H.W. Bush presidency. He concluded his tenure at the paper as assistant managing editor in charge of foreign and national news coverage. At those newspapers, he wrote about crime and society.
= The Washington Post =
He was hired by The Washington Post in 1993. During his 22-year career at the paper, Merida served as a congressional correspondent, national political reporter, longform feature writer, magazine columnist and senior editor in several roles. He was the coordinating editor of the Post’s yearlong 2006 series, “Being a Black Man," which was featured in the newspaper. The series earned a Peabody Award for increasing “our ability to understand the old issues in new ways,” and for its “melding of old and new forms of journalism and pointing to the future of electronic communication.”{{cite web|url=https://peabodyawards.com/award-profile/being-a-black-man/|title=Being a Black Man}}
In 2008, Merida became Assistant Managing Editor at The Washington Post for the paper's United States national news department.{{cite news|last=Calderone|first=Michael|title=WaPo's Merida named AME / National|url=http://www.politico.com/blogs/michaelcalderone/1208/WaPos_Merida_named_AME__National.html|newspaper=Washington Post|publisher=Politico|accessdate=26 December 2012}} He led the national staff for four years during the Obama presidency. Merida co-authored 'Supreme Discomfort: The Divided Soul of Clarence Thomas, about Clarence Thomas, with Michael A. Fletcher.{{cite news|last=Patterson|first=Orlando|title=Thomas Agonistes|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/17/books/review/Patterson-t.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0|work=Sunday Book Review|publisher=The New York Times|accessdate=27 December 2012|date=17 June 2007}} He teamed with Deborah Willis in 2008 to co-author the bestselling hardcover photo book, Obama, the Historic Campaign in Photographs.{{cite web|url=https://www.harpercollins.com/products/obama-the-historic-campaign-in-photographs-deborah-williskevin-merida|title=Obama: The Historic Campaign in Photographs|website=HarperCollins}}
He was named managing editor, "responsible for news and features coverage as well as the Universal News Desk," on February 4, 2013. During his tenure in that position, he helped lead the newspaper to four Pulitzer Prizes. He was instrumental in revamping the Post’s digital presence, transforming the paper’s website into one of the world’s top-ranked online news journals.{{cite web|url=http://www.ebizmba.com/articles/news-websites|title=Top 15 Most Popular News Websites | October 2021|website=www.ebizmba.com|date=30 March 2024 }}
= The Los Angeles Times =
After a six-month search, The Los Angeles Times announced on Monday, May 3, 2021 that it had selected Merida to be executive editor of the publication.{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2021-05-03/kevin-merida-latimes-executive-editor-espn-undefeated|title=ESPN's Kevin Merida named L.A. Times executive editor|date=May 3, 2021|website=Los Angeles Times}} In January 2024, it was announced that Merida would step down from his role at The Los Angeles Times,{{Cite web |date=2024-01-09 |title=L.A. Times executive editor Kevin Merida to step down |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2024-01-09/kevin-merida-steps-down-los-angeles-times |access-date=2024-01-09 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}} with owner Patrick Soon-Shiong later stating he fired Merida in an interview with Tucker Carlson in March 2025.
Awards and board memberships
Merida serves on the boards of the Pulitzer Prizes,{{cite web|url=https://www.pulitzer.org/news/kelly-lytle-hernandez-ucla-and-kevin-merida-espns-undefeated-join-pulitzer-board|title=Pulitzer Prize Board|website=www.pulitzer.org}} and the Boston University Board of Trustees.{{cite web|url=https://www.bu.edu/com/articles/kevin-merida-com-79-joins-bus-board-of-trustees/|title=Kevin Merida (COM '79) Joins BU Board of Trustees | College of Communication|website=www.bu.edu}} In addition, he sits on the boards of the Kaiser Family Foundation,{{cite web|url=https://www.kff.org/other/press-release/journalist-kevin-merida-elected-to-kff-board-of-trustees/|title=Journalist Kevin Merida Elected to KFF Board of Trustees|date=April 4, 2017}} the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education,{{cite web|url=https://mije.org/news/2021-05-04-kevin-merida.html|title=Maynard Institute board member Kevin Merida named executive editor of the L.A. Times|first=Maynard Institute|last=Staff|date=May 4, 2021|website=Maynard Institute (MIJE)}} the Philip Merrill College of Journalism{{cite web|url=https://merrill.umd.edu/about/board-of-visitors|title=Board of Visitors | Philip Merrill College of Journalism|website=merrill.umd.edu}} and the Wallace House at the University of Michigan.{{cite web|url=https://wallacehouse.umich.edu/board-member/kevin-merida/|title=Kevin Merida}}
In 2020, Merida was named to the Dean’s Advisory Council at the Gwen Ifill School of Media, Humanities and Social Sciences, Simmons University.{{cite web|url=https://www.simmons.edu/about/university-leadership/university-advisory-council|title=University Advisory Council | Simmons University|website=www.simmons.edu}}
Merida was part of a 1990 Dallas Morning News team that was named a Pulitzer Prize finalist in explanatory journalism for a special report on the world’s “hidden wars.”{{cite web|url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/educational-magazines/merida-kevin|title=Merida, Kevin | Encyclopedia.com|website=www.encyclopedia.com}}
In 2025, Merida served as a judge for that year's American Mosaic Journalism Prize.{{Cite news |last=Brod |first=Maya |date=2025-02-11 |title=Two Journalists Awarded Nation’s Largest Media Prize for Coverage of Misrepresented Communities, Including Black Americans, Migrant Farmers and Transgender Latinx Groups |url=https://www.hsfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025-American-Mosaic-Journalism-Prize_Official-Press-Release_2.11.25.pdf |url-status=live |access-date=2025-04-16 |work=Heising-Simons Foundation}}
= Awards and honors =
- 1990, Pulitzer Prize finalist{{cite web |title=Finalist: Staff of The Dallas Morning News |url=https://www.pulitzer.org/finalists/staff-42 |website=The Pulitzer Prizes |publisher=Columbia University |access-date=May 3, 2021}}
- 2000, Journalist of the Year, National Association of Black Journalists{{cite news |last=Williams |first=Brennan |date=17 November 2012 |title=Couple Of The Year Countdown: Donna Britt and Kevin Merida |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/17/couple-of-the-year-countdown-donna-britt-and-kevin-merida_n_2152513.html |accessdate=26 December 2012 |work=Black Voices |publisher=The Huffington Post}}
- 2005, Distinguished Alumni Award from Boston University’s College of Journalism.{{cite web|url=https://www.bu.edu/com/for-alumni/distinguished-alumni/|title=Distinguished Alumni | College of Communication|website=www.bu.edu}}
- 2006, Vernon Jarrett Award for Journalistic Excellence
- 2018, Missouri Honors Medal for Distinguished Service in Journalism Missouri School of Journalism{{cite web|url=https://journalism.missouri.edu/2018/06/8-to-receive-the-missouri-honor-medal-for-distinguished-service-in-journalism/|title=8 to Receive the Missouri Honor Medal for Distinguished Service in Journalism – Missouri School of Journalism|date=20 June 2018 }}
- 2020, NABJ Chuck Stone Lifetime Achievement Award.{{cite web |url=https://www.nabj.org/news/534883/NABJ-Virtual-Awards-to-Stream-December-19-.htm |title=NABJ Virtual Awards to Stream December 19 |date=October 30, 2020 |website=National Association of Black Journalists}}
Personal life
Merida lives in Los Angeles with his wife, journalist, author and former Washington Post columnist Donna Britt. In 2012, The Huffington Post named the couple one of the "Black Voices Power Couples" of the year. He has one son--Skye-- with Donna Briit; and is stepfather to her sons Justin Britt-Gibson and actor Darrell Britt-Gibson.{{CN|date=October 2022}}
Bibliography
- Merida, Kevin. Being a Black Man: At the Corner of Progress and Peril. New York: Public Affairs (2007). {{ISBN|1586485229}}
- Merida, Kevin and Deborah Willis. Obama: The Historic Campaign in Photographs. New York: Amistad (2008). {{ISBN|0061733091}}
- Merida, Kevin and Michael Fletcher. Supreme Discomfort: The Divided Soul of Clarence Thomas. New York: Broadway (2008). {{ISBN|0767916360}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Twitter}}
- {{C-SPAN|11820}}
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Category:The Washington Post journalists
Category:African-American journalists
Category:Writers from Wichita, Kansas