Since its founding in Boston in 1951, this public broadcasting institution has had a male leader.
That will soon change, as a woman who began her career as a Seattle Post-Intelligencer reporter has been named as the next President/CEO of GBH.
Susan Goldberg will assume the role, which will have her oversee WGBH-TV & WGBX-TV in Boston and WGBY-TV in Springfield, Mass.; WGBH-FM 89.7 and WCRB-FM 99.5 in Boston; and WCAI-FM, WNAN-FM & WZAI-FM, which comprise the Cape & Islands Radio noncommercial educational network.
Goldberg is inbound from National Geographic, where she has been Editorial Director since 2015 and joined in 2014 as Editor-in-Chief. Additionally, Goldberg most recently served as a Vice Dean and professor of practice at Arizona State University, with a joint appointment to the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication and the College of Global Futures.
“At a time when the media industry is changing at a rapid pace, Susan is a direct, focused, empathetic, and visionary leader who has the operational and editorial savvy to understand what resonates with our audiences, along with deep experience in executing a multi-platform transformation,” said Ann Fudge, chair of the GBH Board of Trustees and head of the search committee. “She shares the core values of our organization – passionate about trusted journalism and its role in a free society, committed to building a diverse, people-driven organization, and an understanding of GBH’s role in the community. We are thrilled to welcome Susan to GBH.”
Goldberg commented, “GBH is a trusted local and national media leader, steeped in excellence, with a proud history of investigative journalism, groundbreaking innovation, and care for its community. I have spent my life telling stories that make a difference. As a journalist who is committed to helping and reflecting the communities we serve, I’m honored to be a part of GBH’s next chapter.”
Goldberg is also known as the first woman to work in the Washington, D.C. Bureau for Bloomberg News, where she was an executive editor; as Editor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer; and as Managing Editor and Executive Editor of the San Jose Mercury News. She also worked as Deputy Managing Editor at USA Today; and as a reporter and Editor at the Detroit Free Press. She has a B.A. in journalism from Michigan State University.
Goldberg is married to Geoffrey Etnire, a real estate lawyer. They have one grown son.
Goldberg will move to Boston later this year.
