David Kraft is a primary news leader at ESPN, and was named vice president of news in May 2021. Kraft had served as the senior director and executive editor of ESPN’s news operations since October 2015. In his current role he created and leads the network’s Universal News Group – made up of editors in newsrooms across the country – which gathers and distributes news and provides editorial guidance for every ESPN platform, including television, digital, audio, social and ESPN App alerts.

On a daily basis, he works closely with production teams to guide news coverage across studio shows – including ESPN’s signature SportsCenter – in addition to producers and editors on ESPN’s digital platforms. He works directly with ESPN’s experienced team of Insiders and reporters throughout the company to make sure coverage is accurate, fast, contextual and consistent no matter where audiences access it. He also works on news presentations with ESPN’s Bottom Line team, remote events producers and broadcasters, and much more.

From May 2010-October 2015, Kraft was responsible for the news content specifically across the network’s award-winning digital media properties, including web, mobile and other platforms. In this role, he led a team of news and copy editors at offices in Bristol, CT, and Los Angeles. During that time, he also established news coverage standards across five local sites and a number of college recruiting site, in addition to collaborating with ESPN The Magazine.

Kraft’s career at ESPN began in 1996 as an editor of Olympics coverage for the then-ESPNetSportszone.com by Starwave. From there he quickly expanded his role as a highly-respected and recognized leader across ESPN’s editorial properties. He was named a deputy editor, sports coverage for ESPN New Media in 1997, then director, editorial operations, ESPN New Media (2003-06), before becoming the senior director, news coverage, ESPN Digital Media (2006-10).

Kraft’s successful, 35+ year career in sports journalism began in September 1985 as a sports writer at the San Luis Obispo County Telegram-Tribune in California, where he covered college football and basketball as well as writing features and enterprise content. After that, he spent 7 years as the managing editor of Volleyball Monthly Magazine, including coverage of the Barcelona Olympics, college, national team and beach volleyball around the world, before joining Starwave and ESPN.

Kraft received a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from the California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, CA. In 2014, he also completed Columbia Journalism School’s Sulzberger Executive Leadership Program. His project focused on successfully creating a platform-agnostic newsroom at a multi-platform company.