ESPN has made a significant editorial move, bringing longtime journalism leader Roxanna Scott into the fold as its new senior vice president and editor in chief, FOS reports. According to Front Office Sports reporters Ryan Glasspiegel and Michael McCarthy, Scott will oversee newsgathering across both television and digital platforms, marking the first time in years the company has unified its editorial leadership under one role.
The position represents a structural shift for ESPN. Scott will lead investigations and enterprise reporting while reporting directly to Dave Roberts from the network’s Bristol headquarters. The role revives an approach ESPN last used when former Boston Globe sports editor Vince Doria ran the news desk until his retirement in 2015.
Scott arrives with decades of newsroom experience. She spent nearly 20 years at USA Today, including a three-year run as executive editor and vice president. More recently, she served as managing editor of The Athletic’s daily desk, a role she held for several months before making the move to ESPN.
ESPN Resets Its Editorial Leadership
Scott steps into the role during a period of notable turnover inside ESPN’s editorial ranks. Over the past year, executive editor Cristina Daglas exited the company following an HR investigation and later joined the Washington Wizards and Mystics in a front-office role. Senior deputy editor Elizabeth Baugh also departed amid that process and moved into a marketing and communications position at Ring Magazine. Heather Burns, who oversaw NFL coverage as a senior deputy editor, also left the network.
In announcing the hire, Roberts pointed to Scott’s leadership background and credibility across newsrooms. “Roxanna has had a distinguished career in journalism and has established herself as a strong and successful leader,” he said. “Her experience and knowledge will make her a tremendous asset to our journalism.”
Scott framed the move as an opportunity to guide coverage at a global scale. “It’s an honor to lead the newsroom at ESPN, the global leader in sports news,” she said. She added that she looks forward to supporting reporters who break major stories while continuing to raise the bar for investigative and enterprise work.
For ESPN, the hire signals a return to centralized editorial direction at a time when consistency and trust matter more than ever.
