A man with dark hair and a beard is smiling at the camera. He is wearing black-framed glasses, a light blue collared shirt, and a dark jacket. The background is blurred greenery, and the image is framed in a circular shape.

Rodney Gibbs

Hi—I'm Rodney, a media executive, product strategist, and eternal tinkerer with a passion for local news and the people who make it. I’ve built startups, scaled newsroom operations, launched industry labs, and helped turn promising ideas into national models.Currently, I lead product, AI, and audience strategy at the National Trust for Local News, supporting 60+ newsrooms across the U.S. I also teach AI and product strategy at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism and chair the Online Journalism Awards, which spotlight innovation in digital news worldwide.Earlier in my career, I was Senior Director of Strategy and Innovation at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the first Chief Product Officer at The Texas Tribune, where I helped shape its path from ambitious startup to national leader. I’ve also co-founded a gaming company acquired by Disney, launched live events inside legacy newsrooms, and built a revenue lab that’s helped more than 200 news outlets become more sustainable.I serve on the boards of the Online News Association and The Current, a digital newsroom covering coastal Georgia. I’ve also served as a board member and advisor to NPR and PBS affiliates, film societies, university programs, and nonprofits supporting arts, media, mentorship, and workforce development.When I’m not building things with journalists, you’ll find me digging for vinyl, biking around Atlanta, tending to my backyard garden, or watching old movies. I host a monthly radio show on WRFG-FM—check out my archives. I live in Atlanta with my wife, Nancy Mims, an artist whose work inspires me daily. We have two children who inspire me just as much.

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