VETERAN NEWS EXECUTIVE SUSIE BANIKARIM JOINS VICE NEWS AS EVP AND GLOBAL HEAD OF NEWSGATHERING
Banikarim to lead daily news coverage and key newsroom operations as VICE continues to expand its award-winning news division
VICE bolsters its newsroom with a raft of recent hires and promotions including Emmy®-winning correspondent Seb Walker named Washington DC Bureau Chief
December 11, 2019 - Brooklyn, NY -- It was announced today by Jesse Angelo, President, Global News and Entertainment, VICE Media Group, that award-winning news and digital executive Susie Banikarim will join as Executive Vice President and Global Head of Newsgathering, VICE News starting January 6, 2020.
In this new senior leadership role, Banikarim will oversee newsgathering functions and daily newsroom operations for all of VICE News’ bureaus working across New York, Washington DC, London and LA as well as the news organization’s multi-award winning digital and social divisions. Serving as one of the newsroom’s most senior strategic leaders, Banikarim will be responsible for strengthening VICE News’ daily operation and global editorial strategy for VICE News Digital, which has a footprint in 25 countries.
Working alongside Subrata De, Senior Executive Producer, Long Form, and Maral Usefi, Executive Producer, News, Banikarim will marshall numerous reporting teams as VICE News continues to grow on new platforms, including audio and through dynamic documentary partnerships with Hulu and Showtime. Together with Morgan Hertzan, Executive Vice President and General Manager, VICE Television, the VICE News team is bringing increased news and documentary programming across VICE’s TV channel, including VICE News Reports and the relaunch of the Emmy Award-winning nightly news show VICE News Tonight returning in 2020.
“Susie is a powerhouse in the world of news. She’s a rare veteran of both digital media and television and we’re thrilled that she’ll be bringing her decades worth of experience to our newsroom,” says Angelo. “Her unparalleled strategic expertise comes at an exciting time for
VICE as we continue to push the boundaries and pursue new journalistic excellence heading into 2020.”
“In a time when we are losing many of media’s most brash voices, VICE continues to tackle stories others won’t with unique authenticity and irreverence,” says Banikarim. “VICE News’ commitment to fearless, provocative global journalism is unrivaled and I’m looking forward to working with Jesse and the incredible team to shape its next chapter.”
An award-winning journalist, director and producer, Banikarim comes to VICE News with decades of experience. Banikarim was most recently the Editorial Director and Executive Vice President of Gizmodo Media Group where she set editorial strategy and oversaw Deadspin, Gizmodo, Jalopnik, Jezebel, Kotaku, Lifehacker, Splinter and The Root. Previously, she was the Chief Content Officer of media and technology start-up Vocativ. A 2014 Nieman Fellow and lecturer at Harvard University; she helped launch Katie Couric’s syndicated talk show and worked at Newsweek Daily Beast as Deputy Director of Editorial and executive produced Daily Beast TV.
Banikarim was filmmaker-in-residence at Harvard University’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy and began her journalism career at ABC News where she served as a senior producer for World News and as an anchor producer for Diane Sawyer, George Stephanopoulos, Charlie Gibson and David Muir. She has received the Edward R. Murrow Award for feature reporting and five Emmy® Award nominations. She is a cum laude graduate of Barnard College and has a master’s degree from Columbia University’s School of Journalism.
Banikarim will be based in VICE’s Brooklyn headquarters and will report to Jesse Angelo.
Today’s leadership announcement comes as the company continues to expand its newsroom with a raft of new hires and promotions. Emmy, Peabody, and DuPont-winning International Correspondent Seb Walker has been promoted to VICE News, Washington DC Bureau Chief. In his new role, Walker, a veteran journalist with over 15 years of international and domestic reporting experience, will oversee the DC newsroom operation. In addition to covering politics from Washington, he will continue to provide groundbreaking conflict reportage from the Middle East. Additional staff changes include:
● Maral Usefi, previously a Supervising Producer has been promoted to Executive Producer, News, VICE Media ● Joelle Martinez, previously a Producer has been promoted to LA Deputy Bureau Chief ● Paola Ramos, Chris Moody, Femi Redwood and Michael Anthony Adams have been hired as on-air correspondents working across all news platforms and divisions ● Brian Wheeler and Tiffani Davis, previously Producers have been promoted to Senior Politics Producer VICE News and Senior Planning Producer VICE News respectively
● Kristin Fraser and Amanda Pisetzner, previously Producers have been promoted to Senior Editorial Producers, VICE News ● Patty Guerra and Lena Jakobsson, previously Producers have been to Senior Producers, VICE News ● Ani Ucar, previously a Producer has been promoted to Coordinating Producer, VICE News
ABOUT VICE MEDIA GROUP VICE Media Group is the world’s largest independent youth media company. Launched in 1994, VICE has offices in 35 cities across the globe with a focus on five key businesses: VICE.com, an award-winning international network of digital content; VICE STUDIOS, a feature film and television production studio; VICE, an Emmy-winning international television network; a Peabody award-winning NEWS division with the most Emmy-awarded nightly news broadcast; and VIRTUE, a global, full-service creative agency with 21 offices around the world. VICE's programming has been recognized by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, Peabodys, Sundance Film Festival, George Polk, Scripps Howard, PEN Center, Cannes Lions, Knight Foundation, American Society of Magazine Editors, LA Press Club, James Beard and Webbys, among others. VICE Media Group’s portfolio includes Refinery29, the leading global media and entertainment company focused on women; PULSE Films, a London-based next-generation production studio with outposts in Los Angeles, New York, Paris and Berlin; i-D, a global digital and bimonthly magazine defining fashion and contemporary culture; and Garage, a digital platform and biannual publication converging the worlds of art and design. Journalism.
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