Michael Oreskes

Michael Oreskes is NPR's Senior Vice President of News and Editorial Director. He leads an award-winning team of journalists and seasoned newsroom executives who are committed to excellence, innovation and the highest quality reporting and multi-platform storytelling.

Oreskes has 40 years of professional journalism experience, ranging from reporter to senior managing editor, and expertise in shepherding the transition of traditional media to multi-media enterprises.

Since joining NPR in 2015, Oreskes has reinvigorated the connections between the newsrooms of NPR and Member stations, to cover the news as no other media organization can. Across platforms, NPR News today provides essential information that helps audiences understand their communities, the world, and the people around them. Under his leadership NPR established ambitious collaborative coverage projects with NPR Member stations including one to expand reporting on local statehouses, launched groundbreaking forays into the podcast space, with hits such as the NPR Politics Podcast and Embedded, and provided millions of people essential information about the world they live in. Oreskes is also a frequent speaker, defending and promoting the value of a free and independent press and its essential role in today's democracy.

Prior to NPR, Oreskes served for seven years with The Associated Press. During his tenure at AP, Oreskes supervised the timeliness and quality of AP's global news coverage and worked with business and news colleagues to redefine the journalistic goals of the 169-year-old organization to better reach online and mobile users. He also coordinated closely with member newspapers and broadcasters of the AP for more collaborative journalism tailored to respond to regional and local news.

At The International Herald Tribune (2005-2008), Oreskes introduced video, blogs, and other multi-media features to expand the paper's digital footprint, while also focusing on the quality, content and circulation of the paper. As Executive Editor he managed hundreds of multi-cultural, multi-lingual staff around the globe.

From 2001-2005, Oreskes served as Deputy Managing Editor/Assistant Managing Editor at The New York Times, supervising the growth of digital and video content for the news organization and overseeing its documentary television programs. Previously, as Washington Bureau Chief, he led the team to three Pulitzer prizes, and oversaw the development of television and internet projects. During his two decades at the Times he had many roles, including Chief Political Correspondent, Metropolitan Editor and City Editor. He came to the Times in 1981 from The Daily News where he covered City Hall.

Oreskes is co-Author (with Eric Lane) of The Genius of America, How the Constitution Saved Our Country and Why It Can Again and has written for publications including the American Journalism Review, Harvard International Journal of Press/Politics and Insights on Law & Society.

He was awarded three Emmys and an Alfred I. DuPont Columbia University award for documentary television production.

He is a member of the board of the American Society of News Editors, CUNY Graduate School of Journalism, Columbia Journalism Review and Media Leaders Council, World Economic Forum. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from City College of New York.