Kevin Merida: The Eternal Optimist

Press Pause

Kevin Merida is brewing with optimism. The self-described “free agent” — who most recently served as executive editor of The Los Angeles Times — believes that despite the evolving media landscape, there are still stories to be told, and told in a variety of ways. The longtime media executive and newspaper veteran joined Press Pause and shared thoughts about the challenges newspapers face. “We now have that sophistication, but we haven’t become as sophisticated as the business has become,” Merida explained. “We are great at interrogating every other kind of industry, but when it comes to us we don’t interrogate what we do.” Host Mark W. Wright invited his former ESPN colleague to Press Pause and chopped it up on an array of topics — including Merida’s solution to making the NBA’s All-Star Weekend relevant again.