LaSharah S. Bunting

CEO / Executive Director

I am a media executive and journalist with more than 20 years in journalism, including 13 years as an editor at The New York Times. My experience ranges from leading a financial and organizational turnaround to overseeing a multimillion-dollar portfolio of journalism initiatives to developing editorial and digital transformation strategies. I also advise various journalism organizations and leaders on philanthropic funding as well as equity and inclusion.

I am CEO and Executive Director of the Online News Association, a nonprofit membership organization connecting journalism, technology and innovation. Previously, I served as Vice President and Executive Editor at Simon & Schuster, where I acquired and edited nonfiction with a particular focus on deeply reported narratives that explore the complex issues of our time. 

In my work at the Knight Foundation,  I sourced and managed a $100 million portfolio of investments focused on accelerating digital and cultural transformation in newsrooms and advancing equity and inclusion in journalism.

At The New York Times, I helped drive digital transformation across the newsroom. This included rethinking existing coverage, resources and workflows; partnering with departments to develop a comprehensive vision and strategy; building up the digital skills and instincts of our journalists; challenging organizational and cultural norms; and cultivating an environment for innovation.

After joining The Times in 2004, I worked as an assignment editor on the Metro and Culture desks. On the National desk at The Times, I managed the daily report, breaking news and multimedia projects. I also served as senior faculty for the New York Times Student Journalism Institute, an intensive two-week program for college journalists around the country. And before coming to The Times, I was an editor at The Dallas Morning News.

I am a 2000 graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. And I’m also an alumna of Maynard Media Academy at Harvard University; Chips Quinn; Dow Jones Editing program; and the Sulzberger Executive Leadership Program at Columbia University (now known as the Media Transformation Challenge at Poynter).

I currently serve on the board of directors of the Lenfest Institute, Outlier Media, Dow Jones News Fund and Open Campus.