I'm delighted to bring you the news this morning that Johnnie L. Roberts, an award-winning journalist well-known in Hollywood and media circles and a veteran of Newsweek and The Wall Street Journal, has joined TheWrap as an editor-at-large.
Johnnie will be covering a broad range of entertainment news in the world of media, television and new media, weighing in with news stories, analysis and commentary. We look forward to having his experienced and authoritative voice as part of our growing mix of news and analysis.
We could not be more thrilled to have him join TheWrap team. Johnnie will also join me as a moderator in our entertainment leadership conference, TheGrill, on September 20 and 21.
We have put out a press release, published below. He will start on August 1.
Welcome, Johnnie!
AWARD-WINNING JOURNALIST JOHNNIE ROBERTS
JOINS THEWRAP.COM AS EDITOR-AT-LARGE
Veteran Hire Further Reinforces TheWrap.com’s Position as the Authoritative Voice in Entertainment and Media Business News
(Santa Monica, CA) – July 12, 2010 –TheWrap.com, the leading digital news organization covering the business of entertainment and media, is pleased to announce that nationally-renowned journalist Johnnie Roberts is joining the organization as editor-at-large, covering a broad range media and entertainment news.
With a three-decade career spanning award-winning work at Newsweek and the Wall Street Journal, Roberts is one of the most respected editorial voices in the media and entertainment space. A frequent commentator on PBS-TV’s “Charlie Rose,” CNN, MSNBC, and CNBC, as well as “Entertainment Tonight” and “Access Hollywood,” Roberts has added new media to his deep expertise in the business of television, film and music.
“We are thrilled that Johnnie has selected TheWrap his home as he makes the transition into digital journalism,” said TheWrap.com Editor-in-Chief Sharon Waxman. “We all look forward to his insights about the rapidly changing entertainment landscape. Adding his voice to our editorial team is part of our core mission of being the most essential read for entertainment and media professionals.”
“I have been an avid reader of TheWrap since its inception, and believe that it represents the future of quality journalism for the business of entertainment and media,” said Roberts. “I am very excited about rolling up my sleeves and becoming part of this dynamic team.”
Having covered some of the biggest entertainment and media news stories over the past 20 years, Roberts was the recipient of the John Hancock Journalism award in 1990, was named one of the “100 Most Influential Business Journalists” by The Journalist and Financial Reporter newsletter in 1997, and received recognition from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers for his detailed account of the disastrous AOL-Time Warner merger.
Roberts, who will also be a moderator at TheWrap.com’s executive conference in September, TheGrill, will debut his column on TheWrap.com on August 1, 2010.
