Scripps. Giving Passion a Place to Shine.

Career growth is a point of pride at Scripps – something we strive to help every employee achieve.

Scripps president and CEO Adam Symson is a journalist. It just so happens he’s no longer changing laws and lives through his own stories. Unless, of course, his story helps change yours.

After years in local and network news operations, Symson got his start at Scripps as an investigative journalist with KNXV in Phoenix and sees Scripps as an organization that empowers journalists to serve its communities.

He proudly calls himself idealistic – wanting to make a positive impact on the world.

“I feel that journalism, particularly investigative journalism, is one of the best ways to do that,” he says. “The power of the pen or microphone or camera is unparalleled in its ability to shine a light on what is right and reveal what is wrong in society.”

Symson’s own career story has influenced his intent to support internal mobility for employees throughout the company. 

“Scripps has an obligation to create processes and pathways for people to move and grow, but it’s also incumbent on employees to take control of their own destinies,” Symson says.

In 15 years, Symson went from leading the I-team in Phoenix to leading the company. His story can serve as inspiration for others.

It was 2002 when Symson took a three-month consulting assignment to help re-launch ABC 15’s investigative team. At the time, his fiancé, Sherri, was getting her MBA at Northwestern so the couple lived in Chicago, with Symson commuting back and forth to Phoenix. He enjoyed the job enough to stay past his three-month assignment. After getting married and Sherri’s graduation, the couple chose to relocate to Cincinnati where Symson was tasked with applying what he'd done in Phoenix across the company’s then-nine TV stations as director of investigations and special projects. His role was then quickly expanded to director of news strategy and operations.

Approximately five years into Symson’s tenure with Scripps, the company established an Interactive Media division focused on its newest acquisitions, specifically in the internet space. It was then that Symson temporarily stepped away from journalism for the role of senior director of content and marketing.

“It was an amazing opportunity to work on digital businesses that were really different from where I had come from – to help those businesses navigate their brands and think about content as the vehicle of engaging with consumers,” Symson says.

In 2008, upon the spin-off of the first Scripps Networks and the interactive media businesses into a new company, Symson moved into the role of vice president of interactive for Scripps’ broadcast division. In the newly created role, he combined his experiences in journalism and digital media to develop the company’s infrastructure and strategy for station group’s digital businesses. A few years later, in 2011, Symson was named Scripps’ chief digital officer and tasked with developing a companywide digital strategy that included consolidating digital operations between newspapers and TV stations.

In late 2016, Symson was tapped to succeed @Rich Boehne as CEO, taking on the role in August of 2017.

“I’m a fairly impatient person – appropriately focused on recognizing that if you don’t keep moving forward in the media marketplace, you’re probably falling behind,” Symson says. “My job is to drive the company’s evolution. Lots of media brands are no longer operating because they were not comfortable with change. The hallmark of this company is to constantly evolve while still remaining dedicated to its mission of journalism and community stewardship.”

But Symson admits change is difficult. He says empathy is also critical. “We really try our best to keep employees at the center of our focus through these difficult periods as we travel the path forward to perpetuate the company and serve the American people with the news and information they need to live fully engaged and informed lives.”

No one climbs to the top without strong support. He cites Boehne as a mentor and Brian Lawlor , president of Scripps Sports, as someone from whom he learned a tremendous amount. “I’ve also learned a lot from Chief Operating Officer Lisa Knutson as a partner and mentor. Chief Administrative Officer Laura Tomlin has always been a close advisor and someone I can trust to push back even when I dig in.” Symson also credits KNXV’s former news director @Bob Sullivan. “He’s the best news director I ever worked for. I was inspired by his desire to reinvent what ABC 15 was more than 20 years ago.”

Symson understands that with reward comes risk.

“With the exception of CEO, every role I’ve taken at Scripps was new for the organization,” he says. “There seemed to be a need within the company and I was willing to raise my hand and take a risk, even if I wasn’t fully experienced or prepared yet for the role.”

This is Symson’s story. Now, it’s time to create yours.

Apply today.

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