LZ Granderson has joined ABC News as a contributor, division President James Goldston told his staff on Tuesday via an internal memo, which was obtained by TheWrap.
The journalist will continue on as a senior writer at ESPN, where he covers the NBA and serves as tennis editor. Granderson also hosts and co-produces several digital programs for the so-called Worldwide Leader in Sports.
“LZ has a unique voice with deep knowledge across a broad spectrum of subjects,” Goldston began. “From his insightful coverage of Ferguson and the re-election of President Obama to his popular TED Talk, ‘Myth of the Gay Agenda,’ LZ’s opinion on social issues is sharp, sophisticated and thought provoking. Already a familiar face on ‘This Week,’ we’re pleased to have more of his perspective on politics, sports and pop culture across all of our shows and platforms.”
Granderson was named Journalist of the Year in 2011 by the National Lesbian Gay Journalists Association, among other awards and recognitions he’s received.
Here is Goldston’s note announcing the hire:
Team–
I’m pleased to announce that LZ Granderson is joining ABC News as a contributor.
LZ has a unique voice with deep knowledge across a broad spectrum of subjects. From his insightful coverage of Ferguson and the re-election of President Obama to his popular TED Talk, “Myth of the Gay Agenda,” LZ’s opinion on social issues is sharp, sophisticated and thought provoking. Already a familiar face on “This Week,” we’re pleased to have more of his perspective on politics, sports and pop culture across all of our shows and platforms.
LZ will continue as a senior writer at ESPN where he has worked since 2005 in such roles as NBA and tennis editor; host and co-producer of a variety of digital shows; and a member of their on-air tennis coverage team. He was recently honored for his work on SportsCenter, winning a College Sports Media Award for his feature on University of Texas basketball star Imani McGee-Stafford.
In addition, he is a 2015 fellow at the Institute of Politics at the University of Chicago and a lecturer at Northwestern University. Previously, LZ was a CNN contributor and worked at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Kalamazoo Gazette, The South Bend Tribune and The Grand Rapids Press.
LZ was named Journalist of the Year in 2011 by the National Lesbian Gay Journalists Association, and he has been recognized by the Online News Association and the National Association of Black Journalists. The Human Rights Campaign honored him for his work, and he is also a former fellow at the Hechinger Institute at Columbia University.
Please join me in welcoming LZ to ABC News.
James