NEW YORK (AP) — The Associated Press named its head of U.S. news to the new position of managing editor on Tuesday, appointing Brian Carovillano to take the No. 2 position in the newsroom of the global news cooperative.
The appointment was announced by Sally Buzbee, AP’s senior vice president and executive editor. As Buzbee’s chief deputy, Carovillano takes on responsibility for AP’s news gathering efforts around the world and in all media formats.
“Brian is a strong and creative news leader, deeply committed to upholding AP’s mission and to exploring the newest, most vibrant ways to tell stories,” Buzbee said. “He excels at helping talented people rise to new heights.”
Also Tuesday, Buzbee named David Scott, AP’s U.S. political editor since 2014, to the new position of deputy managing editor for operations. Scott will have a series of responsibilities inside the AP’s global newsroom, including oversight of content distribution, news gathering logistics, budgeting and staffing.
“We are spread around the world, often in challenging situations,” Buzbee said. “David is formidably skilled when it comes to tackling problems and creating the conditions that allow our journalists to do their best work.”
Carovillano and Scott will report directly to Buzbee, as does Ian Phillips, who was named AP’s head of international news in June 2016.
The changes further the cooperative’s shift to a new leadership structure in which news leaders at its bureaus around the world, its regional hubs and its New York headquarters are responsible for AP’s news report in all media formats.
“We are setting up a management structure that puts more reporters and visual journalists out in the world, covering and telling great stories,” Carovillano said. “That will serve us well for years to come.”
Carovillano, 43, was named managing editor for U.S. news in November 2013. In his new role, he will directly oversee AP’s heads of U.S. news, enterprise, investigations and business news. Buzbee said Tuesday she expects to add to his responsibilities over the next several weeks.
Before his tenure as managing editor for U.S. news, Carovillano was AP’s regional editor in Asia. In that role, he helped open AP bureaus in North Korea and Myanmar, and led coverage of Japan’s 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis.
He joined AP in 2000, working as a reporter and editor in Providence, Rhode Island, Boston and San Francisco. In 2008, he was named regional editor for the southern U.S., where he directed AP’s award-winning coverage of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
“It is my great fortune to work with the best journalists in the world,” Carovillano said. “Every day I am in awe of the work they do and the dedication with which they do it.”
Scott, 40, joined AP in 1999 as a reporter in St. Louis. After four years as North Carolina news editor, Scott was named AP’s central region editor in 2009, overseeing AP’s report in middle America.
As U.S. political editor, Scott directed coverage of the 2014 midterm elections and the 2016 presidential campaign and elections. In his new role, Scott will continue to oversee AP’s Washington-based race calling and polling teams.