KERA is excited to welcome Ed Timms into the role of Executive Editor of KERA News. Timms will lead KERA’s growing newsroom of 30+ journalists, editors, reporters and on-air hosts, serving the fourth-largest population area in the country.
“Aggressive reporting keeps government officials honest,” says Timms. “News organizations have a responsibility to give people who need help the most more of a voice. KERA has made a strong commitment to that kind of journalism, and I’m honored to work with its incredibly talented news staff.”
“Ed’s journalism expertise and experience is remarkable,” says Nico Leone, President & CEO of KERA. “He has a steadfast commitment to facts, truth, accountability and amplifying the voices of our region. Audiences are going to continue to see that commitment reflected in KERA News’ reporting moving forward.”
Timms joined KERA in 2021. As Government Accountability Editor, he built a new and growing team focused on holding North Texas government officials accountable to their actions. Prior to joining KERA, Ed has led investigative teams on award-winning projects and managed multi-platform operations. He supervised coverage of Congress, the White House and federal agencies in Washington, D.C., as the deputy editor and later as the editor and vice president of Roll Call. He also served as a former city editor of The Dallas Morning News.
His investigative reporting and computer-assisted analyses have uncovered widespread misconduct and questionable practices in local government, federal agencies, the military and the judicial system. In fact, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall cited his research in a concurring opinion when Batson v. Kentucky changed the way juries are chosen. Timms has also reported on conflict or its aftermath from Iraq, Somalia, Sudan, Rwanda, the Palestinian territories, Angola, the Balkans, Haiti and Zaire.
Timms’ leadership of KERA News comes at an exciting time for the future of KERA’s local journalism. In 2022, KERA launched a collaboration with the Fort Worth Report, a digital nonprofit news service for and by Tarrant County. That same year, KERA and The Dallas Morning News launched Arts Access — a partnership expanding arts journalism in North Texas through the lens of access and equity. Additionally, KERA is the lead newsroom of the Texas public media hub, The Texas Newsroom, which creates and shares statewide reporting. And most recently, KERA acquired the Denton Record-Chronicle, Denton County’s primary source of local news.
“KERA is expanding its reach and making sure North Texans always have a place for fact-based news and storytelling that reflects their experience,” says Timms. “I’m so proud of how KERA journalists are laser-focused on helping raise the voices of those who need help most, and to holding government officials accountable. I’m going to do everything I can to help our news staff continue to make a difference.”
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