JIM BRADY

Jim Brady is the CEO of Spirited Media, a consulting firm which owned and/or operated local news sites Billy Penn in Philadelphia, The Incline in Pittsburgh and Denverite in Denver prior to selling the businesses in early 2019.

Prior to founding Spirited Media, Jim served in many roles as a media executive, including Executive Editor of washingtonpost.com, Editor in Chief of Digital First Media, General Manager of TBD, Head of News and Sports for America Online and in various other roles. Jim also served as public editor of ESPN from 2015-18.

Spirited Media’s well-regarded sites focused on traditional local news coverage, but combined that coverage with a more distinctive voice, strong curation and a focus on mobile that separated it from competitors. It also differentiated itself from a business perspective by focusing on events and membership as core revenue lines, rather than advertising. In 2019, Spirited Media sold Denverite to Colorado Public Radio, The Incline to digital startup Whereby.us and Billy Penn to WHYY, Philadelphia’s iconic public radio station.

During his career, Jim has seen journalism from all angles. He’s worked in legacy newsrooms, digital-only companies and pure startups. He’s worked in newsrooms, on product and as a business leader. And he’s served in roles ranging from cub reporter to CEO.

During Jim's tenure at washingtonpost.com, the site won a national Emmy award for its Hurricane Katrina coverage, a Peabody Award for its “Being a Black Man” series, an Editor & Publisher award for Best Overall Newspaper-Affiliated Website, two Digital Edge awards for Best Overall News Site, a Knight-Batten Award for Innovations in Journalism, two Scripps Howard Foundation National Journalism Awards, four Edward R. Murrow Awards for Best Non-Broadcast Affiliated Web Site, and more than 100 White House News Photographers video awards. Jim was also on the original launch team of washingtonpost.com, serving as sports editor and then assistant managing editor for news from 1995 to 1999. 

At Digital First Media, Jim was responsible for the overall strategy and management of the 75 daily newspapers, 292 non-daily publications and 341 online sites owned by Journal Register Company and MediaNews Group. He also built and managed the company’s Thunderdome unit, which was comprised of more than 50 digitally focused journalists charged with providing cutting-edge national content for DFM’s local properties.

During his time at AOL, Jim was in charge of the service’s coverage of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the 2000 presidential election. In addition to his news role at AOL, Jim also served as Executive Director, Editorial Operations and Vice President, Production & Operations.

At TBD, Jim was charged with launching a new type of local digital news operation, one focused on building deeper relationships with consumers via a strong voice, heavy curation and personalized geographic content. In addition to overseeing the digital operation, Jim also ran NewsChannel8, Washington’s 24/7 local news cable television station.

In addition to these management positions, Jim has also done long-term consulting work at The Guardian, the Philadelphia Inquirer, NBC and Politico.

Jim is a Past President of the Online News Association, and, in 2017, received the Rich Jaroslovsky Award for his long service to ONA. He currently serves on the boards of the American Press Institute, National Press Foundation and the Local Media Association and recently concluded a four-year term as a member of the Poynter Institute’s National Advisory Board. He is also a two-time judge of the Pulitzer Prizes.

Jim earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Print Journalism from The American University in 1989, and 21 years later, won the school’s Alumni Achievement Award.

Born in New York City and raised in Huntington, N.Y., Brady lives with his wife, Joan, in the Washington D.C. area. Both are inveterate road trippers, having done two 48-state tours of the United States with their dogs, the latter chronicled on our trip blog. Jim also holds out hope that, someday, the Jets, Mets or Knicks will bring him some joy.

JOAN BRADY

Joan co-founded Spirited Media with her husband, Jim, in June 2014. As Chief Operating Officer, she expanded Spirited Media’s Partnerships and Events strategy, successfully launching innovative approaches to help identify and prove out sustainable revenue models for local news. 

Joan’s passion for news began with her  early-career work at two of public media’s most iconic public television stations: WNET in New York and WETA in Washington D.C. During her tenure in public media, Joan focused on national underwriting, station relations and pledge and audience research, working closely with public television stations nationwide as well as with PBS and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. 

Joan became part of the digital media revolution when she joined America Online in 1995. While at AOL, Joan worked in digital content development, before conceiving and creating the audience analytics and analysis department and managing qualitative content research. 

In 2001, Joan left the corporate world and became an entrepreneur, starting her own photography firm and turning a hobby into a successful business. Her images have appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times.com, Washingtonian Magazine, Capitol File, Children’s Voice (the magazine of the Welfare League of America), O Magazine, Professional Photographers Magazine, NBC-4/DC and in countless marketing, fundraising and public relations publications for various non-profits. 

Joan combines her non-profit interests and her news and photography skills as a columnist and reporter for the Connection Newspapers. In 2017, her series on foster care success stories earned her a first place award from the Virginia Press Association, and her columns earned her second place in 2015.

Joan’s experience working across multiple platforms and disciplines and as both a media executive and entrepreneur allows her to help each of our clients across a broad spectrum of objectives.