World class journalists will be joining TheGrill. Kevin Merida, the former executive editor of the Los Angeles Times; Adam Lashinsky, the former executive editor of Fortune; Oliver Darcy, founder of Status; Laura Holson, veteran of the New York Times all join TheWrap’s Sharon Waxman in two special sessions to debate the current state of media at TheGrill 2024 on Oct. 8 at The DGA Theater.
Merida served as the executive editor of the L.A. Times, where the newspaper won four Pulitzer Prizes and its first Oscar under his leadership. Merida is currently a board member of the newly formed L.A. Local News Initiative, working alongside other industry leaders to address the decline in local journalism and restore community-focused reporting.
Lashinsky is the former executive editor of Fortune, a bestselling author and award-winning journalist. For over 30 years, Lashinsky has been at the forefront of covering tech and finance. He is currently the editor at large for the San Francisco Standard and a contributing columnist for The Washington Post. He will be moderating as well as speaking at TheGrill.
Darcy is well known for authoring the acclaimed “Reliable Sources” newsletter for CNN, where he was a senior media reporter across the network’s television and digital platforms. Most recently, Darcy founded Status, the definitive nightly briefing that informs readers about what is really happening in the corridors of media power across The Fourth Estate, Hollywood and Silicon Valley.
Holson is a veteran of The New York Times where she worked for two decades writing about the intersection of money, power and influence in Silicon Valley, New York and Hollywood. Most recently, Holson founded The Box Sessions, a series of curated gatherings where people explore arts and ideas with influential thinkers.
Waxman is an award-winning journalist as well as the founder, CEO and editor-in-chief of TheWrap. A leading authority on the entertainment business and media, Waxman was the Hollywood correspondent for The New York Times and a correspondent for eight years for The Washington Post.
During TheGrill, Lashinsky, Darcy and Holson will join Waxman for a conversation titled “Uncensored: Top Journalists Debate Media, Tech & Entertainment.” These acclaimed journalists will engage in a lively conversation about the current state of media and trends across the industries.
Darcy will also moderate a Spotlight Conversation with Merida titled “The Next Chapter of Journalism in Los Angeles.” They will explore strategies for restoring truth and trust in the city’s local news landscape.
Additional speakers at this year’s event include: Peter Guber (Owner, Los Angeles Dodgers & Co-Owner, Golden State Warriors), Jeff Sagansky (Co-Founder, Eagle Equity Partners), Sue Bird (WNBA Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist & Co-Founder of A Touch More and Togethxr), Megan Rapinoe (Soccer Legend, Activist, New York Times’ Best-Selling Author & Co-Founder of A Touch More), Melody Hildebrandt (CTO, Fox Corporation), Mary Parent (Chairman of Worldwide Production, Legendary Entertainment & Producer, “Dune: Part 2”), Lucy Fisher (Producer, “Gladiator II”), Shalini Govil-Pai (GM & VP, TV, Google), Justine Bateman (Filmmaker & Founder, CREDO23), Sue Naegle (Producer, “Nightbitch”), Lolo Spencer (Disability Advocate & Actress, “Sex Lives of College Girls”), David Eilenberg (Head of Content, Roku Media), Javier Pons Tubio (EVP, Telemundo Studios, NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises), Amy Kuessner (EVP, Programming, Pluto TV), Edouard Harris (CTO, Gladstone AI) and many more.
Click here to view the full program and to buy tickets.
For more than a decade, TheWrap’s Grill event series has led the conversation on the convergence of entertainment, media and technology, bringing together newsmakers to debate the challenges of and opportunities for making content in the digital age. TheGrill delivers a unique series of curated discussions, industry panels and virtual networking activations that explore the ever-changing media landscape.
TheGrill 2024 sponsors include Easterseals Southern California, City National Bank, Wrapbook Payroll, Veritone, Inc., SAG-AFTRA, NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, Sony Pictures, New York Festivals, Warner Bros. Discovery, Roku Media and The Los Angeles Film School.
