– Floridian GHI
// Panelists: Rob Yarin, VP Content Strategy & Research, Cox Media Group; Tim Burke, Publisher, The Palm Beach Post; Mary Kelli Palka, Editor, The Florida Times-Union & Neil Brown, President, The Poynter Institute
Panel
Neil Brown
Neil Brown became the president of the Poynter Institute for Media Studies in St. Petersburg, Fla., in September 2017.
He was previously the editor and vice president of the Tampa Bay Times newspaper. He was named Editor of the Times (formerly the St. Petersburg Times) in May 2010, and in that capacity, oversaw the journalism published in the Times, on its website tampabay.com, and in related products including PolitiFact.com and a daily tabloid called tbt*.
During Brown’s tenure leading the Times news staff, the paper won more national and state awards than at any time in its history, including five Pulitzer Prizes. Brown first joined Times Publishing in 1988, serving as managing editor in Washington, DC at Congressional Quarterly, a former Times affiliate company.
He came to the Times in 1993 as world editor in charge of national and international news and then as managing editor and executive editor. He was named to the Times Publishing Company’s board in 1997 as a director, and was made a vice president in 2001.
A native of Chicago, Brown is a graduate of the University of Iowa, Phi Beta Kappa, with a bachelor’s degree in political science and journalism. He began his newspaper career as a reporter and editor at The Miami Herald, covering government and politics in Miami and working in bureaus in Key West, Tallahassee and West Palm Beach.
In 2015, Brown was elected to the Pulitzer Prize Board. He previously served four years as a Pulitzer Prize nominating juror in journalism. He is past president of the Florida Society of News Editors and served six years on the Board of Directors of the American Society of News Editors. In 2010, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame at the University of Iowa School of Journalism.
Brown lives in St. Petersburg with his wife, journalist and author Gelareh Asayesh. They have two children.
Tim Burke
Tim Burke has been Publisher of The Palm Beach Post since December 2009. Previously at The Post, he served as Editor, Vice President of Digital Media, Deputy Managing Editor and Executive Sports Editor. Burke also served as a multi-market Vice President for Cox Media Group, managing digital and content strategy for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Austin American Statesman, Dayton Daily News and The Post. Before joining The Post, he worked at The Miami Herald, Dallas Times Herald and Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader. Under Burke, The Post bolstered its longstanding commitment to investigative journalism, and built one of the industry’s first in-house advertising agencies. The Post has also been a leader in consumer research and data analysis, aligning its strategy and resources with customer preferences. A graduate of the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism, Burke is currently the chair of the Florida Press Association’s board of directors. He also serves as a board member of the Southern Newspapers Publishers Association, Economic Council of Palm Beach County, Palm Beach North Chamber of Commerce, Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches, and Community Foundation of Palm Beach and Martin counties.
Mary Kelli Palka
Mary Kelli Palka has been a journalist for more than 20 years. She became editor of The Florida Times-Union in January 2017. She previously served in various roles at the Times-Union from reporter beginning in 2003 to managing editor. She has also worked as a reporter for the Naples Daily News and Burlington Times-News in North Carolina.
Rob Yarin
Rob Yarin is VP of Content Strategy and Research for Cox Media Group. He oversees strategic content initiatives and research for Cox Media Group’s television stations, radio stations and newspapers. He is responsible for CMG’s National Content and Distribution Center, Washington News Bureau and he also runs the Digital Analytics team.
Prior to Cox Media Group, Rob served as Executive Producer of national TV shows including Meet the Press, Hardball with Chris Matthews, Race for the White House with David Gregory and Scarborough Country with Joe Scarborough. He was a Senior Vice President and consultant at Frank N. Magid Associates for 14 years. Rob also served as Managing Editor and a producer at Entertainment Tonight at Paramount Pictures. Rob started his media career in local TV news working as a producer at WLNE in Providence, KCBS and KNBC in Los Angeles, and WJLA in Washington, DC.
Rob earned his BA in Political Science from Brown University in Providence and his JD from the University of Southern California Law Center in Los Angeles.
Event Timeslots (3)
– Track 1 –
-
Floridian GHI
Panelists: Rob Yarin, VP Content Strategy & Research, Cox Media Group; Tim Burke, Publisher, The Palm Beach Post;
Mary Kelli Palka, Editor, The Florida Times-Union & Neil Brown, President, The Poynter Institute
– Track 2 –
-
Floridian GHI
Panelists: Rob Yarin, VP Content Strategy & Research, Cox Media Group; Tim Burke, Publisher, The Palm Beach Post;
Mary Kelli Palka, Editor, The Florida Times-Union & Neil Brown, President, The Poynter Institute
– Track 3 –
-
Floridian GHI
Panelists: Rob Yarin, VP Content Strategy & Research, Cox Media Group; Tim Burke, Publisher, The Palm Beach Post;
Mary Kelli Palka, Editor, The Florida Times-Union & Neil Brown, President, The Poynter Institute
