For immediate release
Tue, February 11, 2014
(NYSE: SSP)
CINCINNATI – The E.W. Scripps Company has hired industry veteran Sean McLaughlin as its vice president of news, effective March 6.
McLaughlin, a dynamic news leader with proven results, joins Scripps from KMOV in St. Louis, where he was executive news director and creative services director. He will rely on his experiences at all levels of newsroom operations in guiding the news strategy for the Scripps television division. His focus will be on journalism excellence, audience relevance and digital platforms.
“I am very excited about Sean joining the Scripps team, said Brian Lawlor, senior vice president of the Scripps broadcast division. “He impressed me so much in his first interview, and it grew from there. He has a history of growing news ratings, most recently taking KMOV from third to first. Sean has a ton of energy and represents the leadership skills that motivate people to want to work hard and to want to win.”
Before starting at KMOV in 2007, McLaughlin was a news director at KTUL, the ABC affiliate in Tulsa, Okla., from 2005-2007. Prior to that, he was the news director at the FOX affiliate in Tulsa, KOKI, from 2001-2005.
From 1996-2001, he developed his insight for news strategy at WICS in Springfield, Ill. He started as an anchor and political reporter but moved up to executive producer and finally news director. He developed his on-air skills as an anchor and reporter at KAAL, in Austin, Minn., from 1994-1996.
Under his leadership, his news team at KMOV received numerous awards including a national Edward R. Murrow Award in 2011 for the documentary State of Education, four regional Emmy Awards and the RTNDA Unity Award in 2009 for A Shared St. Louis.
McLaughlin has a bachelor’s degree in political science and mass communications from Minnesota State University.