Rocky Mountain Public Media has a new executive to tie KUNC to community listening, as Brandi Grissom Swicegood joins the senior leadership team as VP of Engaged Journalism to oversee editorial strategy across broadcast, streaming, digital, social, and live events.
Swicegood comes from the MuckRock Foundation, where she served as Chief Editorial and Programs Officer, leading editorial strategy, newsroom partnerships, research services, audience engagement, and training programs. She previously served as Executive Director of the Sunlight Research Center, a nonprofit journalism organization she co-founded, and she initiated and led its merger with MuckRock.
Her career includes time at The Texas Tribune, where she rose from reporter to managing editor and, according to RMPM, helped build one of the first nonprofit digital newsrooms. At The Dallas Morning News, she led a six-person Capitol bureau through a print-first to digital-first transition. At the USA Today Network, she directed an investigation that led to indictments of law enforcement officials and new state laws.
Rocky Mountain Public Media Chief Experience Officer Amber Payne said, “We are thrilled to welcome Brandi into our newsrooms. She brings a rare blend of sound editorial judgment, a proven ability to grow audiences and a genuine commitment to public service journalism. Her experience guiding teams through change, along with her roots in Northern Colorado, makes her uniquely suited to develop a unified engagement strategy for KUNC and Rocky Mountain PBS while honoring each newsroom’s distinct voice and identity.”
Swicegood stated, “I believe deeply in the role strong local news plays in helping people connect with their communities and make informed decisions. The opportunity to bring decades of journalism experience to newsrooms serving the community my family and I call home and care so deeply about is what makes this role so thrilling. I’m grateful to call Northern Colorado home and KUNC my NPR station, and I’m excited to work alongside the talented teams at KUNC and Rocky Mountain PBS to deepen engagement with Coloradans across every platform.”
