Following an extensive national search, St. Louis Public Radio has appointed Rob Edwards as the station’s first Managing Editor of News.
In this role, Edwards will set the newsroom’s coverage vision and lead the reporting engine of the newsroom — about a dozen reporters and three news editors. He’ll direct the daily and weekly news gathering operation for covering the bistate region and ensure high editorial standards for all local news reports. Edwards will also plan special coverage and direct newsroom investigations and reporting series.
“I’m thrilled to be joining the team at St. Louis Public Radio and look forward to working alongside some of the best journalists in the region,” Edwards said.
Reshaping newsroom leadership
Edwards’ hire ushers in a new leadership structure for the newsroom that will allow STLPR to better meet the needs of modern news consumers and a rapidly changing media landscape and to deliver outstanding local journalism. Instead of a single news director, the station’s local news operation will now be led by two managing editors — Edwards’ role focused on news coverage, the other on audience and platform strategy.
Edwards will work in partnership with the Managing Editor of Audience and Product, a new position that oversees the presentation and distribution of local news across STLPR’s broadcast and digital platforms and supervises the newscast, digital, audience engagement and St. Louis on the Air teams. Interim News Director Brian Heffernan will transition into this role when Edwards joins the newsroom next month.
“Rob is an exceptional journalist and newsroom leader and I am looking forward to beginning this new chapter for STLPR in partnership with him,” Heffernan said. “I’m excited for our team and for the public service we will provide under this new structure.”
Edwards said, “We will push to hold public officials accountable and stand up for St. Louis. I’m confident the team at STLPR is ready to take on that challenge.”
Decades of experience
Edwards brings more than two decades of newsroom experience, including managing reporters and day-to-day coverage. Most recently, he worked at KSDK-TV in St. Louis, where he served as Managing Editor and Executive Producer and helped lead news coverage during some of the region's toughest challenges. Before settling in St. Louis, Rob worked at KOMU in Columbia, Missouri; WTVG in Toledo, Ohio; and WMC in his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee.
Edwards is a 2005 graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism.
Edwards and Heffernan will begin in their new roles on August 11.
