Chris Davis, the Tampa Bay Times investigative editor who’s shepherded three Pulitzer-winning projects to completion, will be vice president of investigative reporting for USA Today Network, the company announced Wednesday.
In his new position, Davis will lead investigative reporting efforts at USA Today and throughout its parent company, which has recently rebranded its properties as the USA Today Network.
Joanne Lipman, the chief content officer at Gannett, said Davis’ appointment will “continue to propel our investigative reporting to new heights” in a memo to staff:
Chris started at the Times as senior investigations editor, consolidating the newspaper’s investigative reporters onto a single I-team. As deputy managing editor of investigations and data, he then helped create the newspaper’s first data team, a seven-member group of computer programmers and data analysts embedded in the newsroom.
The job, which is new, reflects an emphasis on increased collaboration among Gannett’s portfolio of more than 100 daily newspapers throughout the United States. Already, the company has begun pooling its resources to tackle ambitious projects within the same state, as it did earlier this year to take on a multi-paper project on youth suicide.
Here’s Lipman’s memo:
All,
I am delighted to announce that Chris Davis, who has edited multiple Pulitzer-Prize winning projects including two honored just this year, will be joining us as USA TODAY NETWORK’s Vice President of Investigative Reporting.
In his new role, Chris will oversee all NETWORK-wide investigative reporting efforts. USA TODAY’s investigative team will report to him, and he will also be available to guide local and regional investigations. Chris will be based in Tysons and will report to me. He will start on August 1.
For the past five years, Chris Davis has been investigative editor at the Tampa Bay Times, where he has led three Pulitzer Prize-winning reporting projects, including this year’s winners for Local Reporting and for Investigative Reporting (in conjunction with the Sarasota Herald-Tribune). Previously, as an editor at the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, he wrote or edited an additional two Pulitzer finalists plus the 2011 Investigative Reporting winner.
Chris started at the Times as senior investigations editor, consolidating the newspaper’s investigative reporters onto a single I-team. As Deputy Managing Editor of investigations and data, he then helped create the newspaper’s first data team, a seven-member group of computer programmers and data analysts embedded in the newsroom.
Before the Times, Chris was a reporter, assignment editor and eventually assistant managing editor at the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, where he also helped start the paper’s first I-team.
A University of South Carolina graduate, Chris has been a reporter and editor in Florida since 1997. An avid tennis player, he currently lives with his wife, Tiffany, and 18-month-old son, Grayson, in Bradenton, Florida.
This is an exciting time for the USA TODAY NETWORK, and with Chris we will continue to propel our investigative reporting to new heights. Please join me in congratulating and welcoming Chris.
All best,
Joanne
