New ESPN.com Editor-in-Chief

[Bristol Insider]

Senior Coordinating Producer Rob King named earlier today, although details are still sketchy.

 

[Mediator]

King is a real journalist. I'm not always a big ESPN booster, but this seems like a great move if you work for the dot com.

 

[sportsed]

Amazing what a quick Google search will yield. This from NABJ, circa 2004:

Rob King of Philly Inquirer Heads for ESPN

Rob King, deputy managing editor/visuals and sports for the Philadelphia Inquirer, has resigned to take a senior position with ESPN, the Inquirer's top editors announced to the staff today.

He will be a senior coordinating producer, overseeing the "Outside the Lines" show daily and the ESPN research department from ESPN's offices in Bristol, Conn., King told Journal-isms.

"We want to tell you what Rob told us about his decision to leave The Inquirer," said the memo from editor Amanda Bennett and managing editor Anne Gordon. "'I want to be able to take risks in my life just like my parents have done.' Anyone who knows Rob knows what powerful and honorable parents he has and anyone who knows Rob knows what he means when he says he wants to strike out in an industry that promises to challenge him in so many different ways."

King, who was previously a cartoonist, reporter and graphic designer, had been at the Inquirer for seven years.

His father, Colbert I. King, is deputy editorial page editor at the Washington Post, and his mother, Gwendolyn King, now retired, is a former Social Security commissioner.

He said he will start Sept. 1.

 

[thebiglead]

There's also this, from five days ago:

* Here’s all we’ve ascertained from the ESPN.com Editor-in-Chief search: there are at least two finalists, and the two in question are supposedly ESPN employees, which isn’t exactly what we were hearing last week. Take it with a grain of salt: the but the two names we’re hearing are ESPN’s own Patrick Steigman and Rob King. We’re trying to gain intel on Steigman, but King used to be at the Philadelphia Inquirer. Also, his Dad is the Deputy Editor of the Editorial Page at the Washington Post.

 

[andykent]

What's the difference between executive editor and editor-in-chief at ESPN.com? I ask because Patrick Stiegman's title already is executive editor.

 

[thebiglead]

EIC 1
Exec Editor 2

 

[andykent]

EIC 1
Exec Editor 2

OK. Thanks for the clarification.

 

[chazp]

King is a real journalist. I'm not always a big ESPN booster, but this seems like a great move if you work for the dot com.

Think this will this slow the constant self promotion at the WWL?

 

[WazzuGrad00]

Are you kidding?

 

[mookieblaylock]

Rob King is named new EIC at ESPN.com. Anyone know much about him and what kind of changes we can expect to see there? And is this is just the first of other changes there?
http://thebiglead.com/?p=2543

 

[write then drink]

Rob is a great guy and a real pro

 

[ogre]

My people in Louisville are people with Rob. And by people I mean in my homeoboy's wedding, people. So even though Ive never met him, he is top notch.