ESPN Beefs Up Sports Coverage With Six Washington Post Journalists
ESPN said it has hired six journalists who had been working at The Washington Post, which eliminated more than 300 jobs in early February, including a significant portion of its sports and international coverage.
The reporters include enterprise reporter Kent Babb; basketball writer Kareen Copeland; investigative reporter Robert Klemko; sports writer Chuck Culpepper; Washington Commanders reporter Tom Schad; and sports business reporter Ben Strauss. Some of the group had been cut from the paper during a recent round of layoffs. Klemko was working on the outlet’s national desk, covering criminal justice.
“Adding these six outstanding journalists and the reputation of ‘The Washington Post’ will enhance an ESPN team that is already the best in the business,” said Jimmy Pitaro, chairman of ESPN, in a statement. “We are proud to advance our robust commitment to journalism, which is core to our mission of serving sports fans. Today’s news strengthens our position as the place to turn for the latest and most in-depth sports news, reporting and feature stories across every platform.”
The journalists will join a unit devoted to investigative, enterprise and digital journalism.
ESPN is among several journalism outlets that have sought to beef up at their staffs following the Post’s decision to cut costs. The Baltimore Banner, a digital journalism outlet that covers Maryland’s biggest city, has also expressed interest in moving into coverage of sports in Washington, D.C.
Babb will write across all sports for ESPN. Copeland will be based in the Midwest, covering women’s college basketball and the WNBA. Culpepper will be able to cover a wide range of sports and events. Klemko will focus on sports‑related crime, investigations and major scandals. Schad will be a general assignment reporter who focuses on enterprise, quick-turn, investigative and data journalism for ESPN. Strauss will focus on sports business enterprise and investigative journalism for ESPN.
Their work will appear across ESPN’s platforms, including ESPN.com, the ESPN App, “SportsCenter,” ESPN Audio podcasts, and additional ESPN programming.
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