Jim Brady is the CEO of Stomping Ground, a mobile-focused local news startup that will launch its first site, BillyPenn, in Philadelphia this fall. Jim is the former Editor-in-Chief of Digital First Media, where he oversaw the 75 daily newspapers, 292 non-daily publications and 341 online sites that are owned by Journal Register Company and MediaNews Group. He also oversaw the launch of Project Thunderdome, which redefined how DFM produces journalism by centralizing the production of non-local content so that local papers can focus on their local communities.
Before joining JRC, Jim served as general manager of TBD, a new local news operation dedicated to comprehensive coverage of the Washington, D.C. region that combined the values of traditional journalism and the power of citizen journalism. He joined TBD after more than four years as executive editor of washingtonpost.com, where he led the site to numerous awards and accolades. As general manager of TBD, he was responsible for the business operations and editorial oversight of both TBD.com and TBD TV, a 24-hour local cable news station. On both platforms, TBD’s original journalism is supplemented with strong partnerships with other local news organizations and more than 175 area bloggers. TBD has quickly gained a reputation for innovative ways of covering local news, and gained high marks for its commitment to social media and engaging with its community in meaningful ways. TBD has also displayed a strong commitment to mobile, with highly regarded applications for the iPhone and Droid.
During Jim’s tenure as executive editor of washingtonpost.com, the site won a national Emmy award for its Hurricane Katrina coverage, a Peabody Award for its “Being a Black Man” series, an Editor & Publisher award for Best Overall Newspaper-Affiliated Web Site, two Digital Edge awards for Best Overall News Site, a Knight-Batten Award for Innovations in Journalism, two Scripps Howard Foundation National Journalism Awards, four Edward R. Murrow Awards for Best Non-Broadcast Affiliated Web Site, and more than 100 White House News Photographers video awards. He also served as sports editor and assistant managing editor for news at washingtonpost.com from 1995 to 1999.
In between his stints at washingtonpost.com, he spent more than four years at America Online, serving as Group Programming Director, News & Sports; Executive Director, Editorial Operations; and Vice President, Production & Operations. During his time at AOL, Brady was in charge of the service’s coverage of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the 2000 presidential election.
Brady earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Print Journalism from The American University in 1989. Born in Queens, N.Y. and raised in Huntington, N.Y., he now lives with his wife, Joan, in Great Falls, Va.
