Shelby Coffey III

Currently a senior fellow at The Freedom Forum and Vice Chairman of The Newseum in Washington, DC, Coffey is the author of “Best Practices: The Art of Leadership in News Organizations,” a book on leadership that draws on the experiences of top media executives. Previously the president of CNN Business News and CNNfn, he was responsible for the overall leadership of CNNfn, which expanded to a 24-hour programming schedule under his leadership, and for all business and financial programming on CNN/U.S., CNN International, CNN Headline News, CNN Airport Network and the news content of CNNfn.com.

Prior to joining CNN, Coffey was the executive vice president of ABC News, and also served as the editor and executive vice president of the Los Angeles Times from 1989 to 1997. In 1995, he was named Editor of the Year by the National Press Foundation in recognition of the Los Angeles Times’ coverage of the 1992 Los Angeles riots, the 1994 Northridge earthquake and the 1994 O.J. Simpson trial. He also received the Ida B. Wells Award in 1995 for exemplary achievement in the hiring and advancement of minorities in the news media. Other positions he has held include serving as senior vice president and editor of the Dallas Times Herald and editor of U.S. News & World Report. He began his career at The Washington Post where he held a variety of positions during his 17 years there.