For a commitment to establishing policies of equity and inclusion and visionary leadership that moves the media industry forward, The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP) and two of its leaders have been named 2021 Top Women in Media Awards honorees by industry publisher Cynopsis Media.
Scripps has been selected as a 2021 “Distinguished Company,” an award recognizing companies across TV, entertainment, sports, digital, media, production and more who are calling for equal opportunity, inclusion, pay parity and women in leadership positions to ensure women are welcomed and encouraged to contribute, grow and lead the industry forward.
“As a journalism and entertainment company, we take our role of reflecting and portraying the voices, faces and lives of all those in our audiences very seriously,” said Scripps president and CEO Adam Symson. “This commitment is woven throughout our company – from our company’s board of directors, which includes 40% female representation, through our division leaders and within our 61 local TV stations and nine national networks. We are honored to be among Cynopsis’ list of distinguished companies this year as we continue our journey of equity, diversity and inclusion.”
Lisa Knutson, president of Scripps Networks, Scripps’ full-scale national television networks business, has been recognized in the “Corporate Visionaries” category, honoring those with comprehensive, broad knowledge of all matters related to their business as well as the foresight to steer their organizations into the future.
Lisa Knutson, president, Scripps Networks
Following Scripps’ $2.65 billion acquisition of ION Media in January 2021, Knutson was tasked with leading the company’s integration team. She now oversees the operations of the newly combined businesses of ION Media, the five Katz networks and Newsy in her role as president of Scripps Networks.
Knutson previously served as Scripps’ chief strategy officer and most recently as chief financial officer, leading the company’s financial operations, corporate development, enterprise-wide strategic planning and company-wide functions including IT and risk management.
Danyelle S.T. Wright, vice president, employment and labor law and chief diversity officer, has been recognized in the “Innovators and Disruptors” category, honoring those challenging the status quo to push the industry forward. As the company’s chief diversity officer, she works closely with company leadership to bring Scripps’ EDI strategies to life. She also provides guidance to senior management on labor practices in her additional role as the employment attorney for the company.
Danyelle S.T. Wright, vice president, employment and labor law and chief diversity officer
Under Wright’s leadership, Scripps is pursuing a wide range of managerial, educational and recruitment policies to achieve its “Four Pillars of Diversity,” which include a focus on: racial and ethnic diversity, gender representation, LGBTQIA inclusion and becoming an employer of choice for veterans.
As part of Scripps’ strategy, Wright has launched a series of employee engagement events including companywide townhalls and roundtables. Most recently, she introduced Scripps’ first enterprise-wide Diversity Symposium, which included internal and external speakers over a three-day virtual conference in June designed to examine equity, diversity and inclusion through various lenses.
“Lisa is an impressive industry leader with a long history of guiding Scripps through periods of change and growth – including its most recent ION acquisition and integration – while casting a vision for how Scripps can best serve both our audiences and employees as the media industry evolves,” said Symson. “Similarly, Danyelle’s innovative leadership has deepened Scripps’ commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion strategies across all of our businesses throughout the company’s continuing evolution to inform and engage its audience in every community we serve. These two powerful leaders are incredibly deserving of this recognition, and I am thrilled to see them honored alongside a group of the industry’s most accomplished visionaries and inspiring leaders.”
Cynopsis will celebrate honorees at the Top Women in Media Awards Gala on Oct. 27 in New York.