UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A Penn Stater who leads ESPN’s award-winning, longform storytelling and journalism efforts and who guides the editorial board that sets the direction, standards and tone of the all-sports network’s content globally will discuss sports journalism, storytelling and ESPN in general during a free public event on the University Park campus.
Rob King, ESPN’s senior vice president, original content, will participate in the Conversation Series conducted by the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism. The free public question-and-answer session will begin at 7 p.m. March 27 in 262 Willard Building.
John Affleck, the Knight Chair in Sports Journalism and Society and director of the Curley Center, will serve as moderator for the session.
King’s expansive responsibilities include oversight of ESPN’s original content portfolio (ESPN Films, 30 for 30 and ESPN+ original series); domestic and international longform journalists (ESPN the Magazine, The Undefeated, espnW, “E:60” and features); and ESPN’s investigative journalism unit and “Outside the Lines.”
King, who joined ESPN in 2004, has worked with all news platforms during his ESPN career and was previously senior vice president, “SportsCenter” and news. He also previously oversaw all global and digital content from 2007-2014. In June 2007 he was named vice president and editor-in-chief of ESPN.com, before adding oversight of digital video and audio content as well as all editorial content on ESPN’s local sites.
King began his career in the newspaper business. He worked at the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Courier-Post in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and the Commercial-News in Danville, Illinois.
King studied journalism at Penn State as part of the inaugural graduate class in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications. He earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Wesleyan University in 1984.
A past Pulitzer Prize judge, King is a member of the Associated Press board of directors, the alumni council for the Curley Center and the Poynter Institute’s National Advisory Board, where he serves as the chairman.
The Conversation Series regularly features some of the biggest names in sports and sports media discussing topical matters of interest. Along with a Q&A led by Affleck, the format encourages questions from the audience.