ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Sept. 29, 2023) – The newest member of the Poynter Institute Board of Trustees is Lori Waldon, president and general manager of KOAT TV, the Hearst Television-owned ABC affiliate in Albuquerque-Santa Fe, New Mexico, with a well-established reputation for journalism excellence and outstanding community service.
“As a journalist and a news executive, Lori brings tremendous experience and wisdom to our Board of Trustees,” said Paul Tash, chairman of the board. “Her dimensions of insight will help Poynter build on its success and navigate a rapidly shifting news landscape. We are delighted to have her join us.”
Waldon’s career has been marked by a keen ability to build highly collaborative teams and grow ratings. Her station has won multiple awards and has been recognized with two consecutive Station of the Year awards from the New Mexico Broadcasters Association.
Waldon has also been honored with numerous awards as a leader in innovative news coverage, enterprise reporting and investigative journalism. In her current role, Waldon received the Women of Influence award from Albuquerque Business First and was named the Top Media CEO by the Albuquerque Journal. The Albuquerque chapter of the National Council for Negro Women also presented Waldon with the Living Legend award for her community service.
“Lori’s range of experience and her journalism know-how, her distinguished record of leadership in local television news, and her contributions as a member of Poynter’s National Advisory Board make her an ideal addition to our Board of Trustees,” said Poynter President Neil Brown. “We are honored and grateful that she will join us and help extend Poynter’s influence on the media industry and chart its future.”
Before KOAT, Waldon served as regional director of news for Hearst Television and news director of the KCRA/KQCA duopoly in Sacramento, California. There, Waldon led the team to secure two national Edward R. Murrow Awards for Overall Excellence and Breaking News and three consecutive Northern California Emmy Awards for News Excellence.
Prior to KCRA, Waldon was the news director at WISN TV News in Milwaukee. The station earned two national Edward R. Murrow Awards and multiple state and regional awards during her tenure. Waldon also dedicated 15 years of her career to various news management positions at CBS stations in San Francisco and Sacramento. She graduated from the University of Southern California with a bachelor’s degree in political science and a minor in journalism. She acquired her master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.
“Poynter has long been at the forefront of elevating the craft of journalism and the journalists who inform, educate and enlighten our communities,” said Waldon. “In these dynamic times, Poynter’s mission has never been more critical. I am honored and thrilled to join Poynter’s Board of Trustees.”
Waldon joined the nonprofit’s governing body in September. She will lend her decades-long expertise in local journalism and news operations to help build Poynter’s strategy for growth and sustainability in service to journalism and democracy.
In addition to Poynter’s Board of Trustees, Waldon has served as a member of Poynter’s National Advisory Board and visiting faculty. Next month, she will meet with 20 top-level media executives participating in Poynter’s prestigious Executive Leadership Summit and lead a conversation about managing effectively across generations. She has also served as a leadership coach with both the Radio Television and Digital News Association and the National Association of Black Journalists.
Media Contact
Jennifer Orsi
Senior Director, Publishing and Local News Initiatives
The Poynter Institute
(727) 350-2588
About The Poynter Institute
The Poynter Institute is a global nonprofit working to address society’s most pressing issues by teaching journalists and journalism, covering the media and the complexities facing the industry, convening and community building, improving the capacity and sustainability of news organizations and fostering trust and reliability of information. The Institute is a gold standard in journalistic excellence and dedicated to the preservation and advancement of press freedom in democracies worldwide. Through Poynter, journalists, newsrooms, businesses, big tech corporations and citizens convene to find solutions that promote trust and transparency in news and stoke meaningful public discourse. The world’s top journalists and emerging media leaders rely on the Institute to learn new skills, adopt best practices, better serve audiences, scale operations and improve the quality of the universally shared information ecosystem.
The Craig Newmark Center for Ethics and Leadership, the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), MediaWise and PolitiFact are all members of the Poynter organization.
Support for Poynter and our entities upholds the integrity of the free press and the U.S. First Amendment and builds public confidence in journalism and media — an essential for healthy democracies. Learn more at poynter.org.
