Jim Spencer honored by Missouri Governor Jay Nixon for economic development in launching digital video news service
For immediate release
Wed, September 10, 2014
(NYSE: SSP)
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Jim Spencer, president and founder of Newsy, was awarded the Governor’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award at Missouri’s 2014 Governor’s Conference on Economic Development on Sept. 5.
Newsy is a national video news network based in Columbia, Missouri. It produces and curates video news reports for web, mobile, tablet, and connected TV, providing its audience with easy access to a variety of news and information sources.
The E.W. Scripps Company (NYSE: SSP) acquired the digital startup in January for $35 million. Since it started in 2008, Newsy has grown to a team of more than 40 full-time employees, many of whom are graduates of the Missouri School of Journalism.
“Winning this award was possible because of our team’s dedication to making Newsy a success,” said Spencer. “Together, we’re building the next generation of news – advancing new forms of storytelling on multiple platforms.”
The annual Governor’s Awards presentation recognizes outstanding leaders in business, education and economic development in Missouri. Spencer spoke on a panel about how businesses make project decisions, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author and New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman delivered the keynote.
“Newsy represents the best kind of entrepreneurship underway in the journalism business,” said Adam Symson, chief digital officer for Scripps. “Now we’re working to expand the Newsy brand by delivering this innovative approach to storytelling to consumers.”
It’s been an award-winning year for Newsy. Newsy earned a 2014 National Edward R. Murrow Award from the Radio Television Digital News Association for ‘Three Counties Out: Guns and the Heartland.’ It was honored in the news documentary video category for online news organizations. In June, Jim Spencer was a finalist for EY ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ Award for the Central Midwest.
Newsy also has won two Appy Awards, a Davey Award and a W3 Award.
About Newsy
Promising to make you smarter, faster, Newsy (www.newsy.com) is a national video news network that highlights unique perspectives from across the media spectrum — providing what you need to know about the day’s events. Through engaging video news bites available on the web and mobile devices, Newsy offers a broader view in a concise format. Newsy’s highly rated free apps are available from the Apple App Store, Google Play, the Windows Phone Marketplace and the Nokia Store.
About Scripps
The E.W. Scripps Company (www.scripps.com) serves audiences and businesses through a growing portfolio of television, print and digital media brands. Scripps owns 21 local television stations as well as daily newspapers in 13 markets across the United States. It also runs an expanding collection of local and national digital journalism and information businesses including online multi-source video news provider Newsy. Scripps also produces television programming, runs an award- winning investigative reporting newsroom in Washington, D.C., and serves as the long-time steward of the nation’s largest, most successful and longest-running educational program, the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Founded in 1879, Scripps is focused on the stories of tomorrow.
Contact Alexandra Wharton, Newsy, 415-596-9411
[email protected]
Contact Carolyn Micheli, The E. W. Scripps Company, 513-977-3732
Email: [email protected]