Ellen M. Crooke is senior vice president of news for TEGNA. In this role, she supports TEGNA’s 49 local newsrooms develop their news strategy and create trusted news and information for audiences across platforms. She also leads TEGNA’s news innovation efforts to reimagine journalism in the digital age. Crooke also leads training and development of news leaders through TEGNA’s News Leadership Forum, a program designed to develop the next generation of news leaders at our stations.

Previously, she was vice president of news for WXIA, TEGNA’s NBC affiliate in Atlanta, from 2008 to 2014 and vice president of news for WGRZ in Buffalo from 2003 to 2008. She was also a regional news executive for Gannett from 2010 to 2014.

Prior to joining Gannett, Crooke served as news director for WNDU in South Bend, Indiana from 1993 to 2002. Prior to WNDU, she was assistant news director at WHAS in Louisville, KY.

Crooke was named 2016’s TEGNA Corporate Staffer of the year and Gannett’s Innovator of the Year in 2009, Trail Blazer of the Year in 2009 by the Atlanta Business League and Local TV Person of the Year by The Buffalo News in 2007.

She is the recipient of four National Edward R. Murrow Awards including Overall Excellence, Best Newscast and two Continuing Coverage awards and multiple Southeast Emmy Awards including Best Overall News Operation and Best Newscast.

Crooke is a graduate of the State University of New York at Geneseo. Crooke and her husband, Stephen Hayes, have two daughters.