COURIER Announces Staffing Changes and Promotions

New York, NY — COURIER announced this week new staff roles and promotions as part of its continued growth and evolution. Kimberly Lawson will now serve as VP of Community Content, Pat Rynard as National Political Editorial Director, Kate Bassett as National Political Director, and Victoria Leandra as Head of Social.

While other media organizations are laying off staff and cutting positions, COURIER is expanding its team. A full list of available job opportunities can be found here.

KIM LAWSON, VP of Community Content

Kimberly Lawson has spent the last 15 years working in local journalism and audience-centered storytelling. She is a former alt weekly newspaper editor, and her freelance writing has primarily focused on issues of power through a gender lens. Her writing has been featured in the New York Times, VICE, Rewire.News, The Week, and more. She joined COURIER in December 2019, and now calls Georgia home.

PAT RYNARD, National Political Editorial Director

Pat Rynard has spent the past 20 years working in Iowa journalism and politics. He founded Iowa Starting Line in 2015 and built the left-leaning news outlet into a nationally-respected and well-read source for Iowa news, expanding the operation into a full newsroom and being the leading outlet for Iowa Caucus coverage. Originally from Kansas City, home of the world champions, Rynard lives in the Des Moines metro with his wife and two daughters.

KATE BASSETT, National Political Director

Kate Bassett spent more than 20 years working at the intersection of local news and politics. She served as a Michigan Press Association award-winning editor for two decades, represented rural communities on a range of statewide boards and spent six years as a political strategist in campaigns and long-term infrastructure building in her home state of Michigan. She joined COURIER in March, 2022.

VICTORIA LEANDRA, Head of Social

Victoria Leandra is a Latina award-winning journalist and COURIER’s Head of Social. Previously at VICE and Bloomberg, her work has been published by HuffPost, Refinery29, Variety, Oprah Magazine, Bustle, Elite Daily, Mic, Popsugar, and Remezcla. She’s also been featured as an expert commentator on MSNBC Live, AM Joy on NBC News and Cheddar TV. Her Gen-Z perspective and unique social-first approach when creating multimedia content distinguishes her from the traditional journalist, resulting in organic growth and increased engagement.

COURIER is a civic media company that protects and strengthens our democracy through credible, fact-based journalism that seeks to create a more informed, engaged, and representative America.

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CONTACT: RC Di Mezzo, press@couriernewsroom.com