ESPN veteran Raina Kelley has joined Vibe as Editor-in-Chief.
Kelley will steer the editorial direction and vision of Vibe, the storied hip hop and lifestyle brand that revolves around music, entertainment and culture. Kelley’s appointment follows the move of longtime Vibe chief Datwon Thomas to a new role as executive producer, talent for Dick Clark Productions in addition to serving as editor-at-large for Vibe. It also coincides with Vibe aligning with sibling brand Variety under the Penske Media umbrella.
Kelley reports to Ramin Setoodeh and Cynthia Littleton, Co-Editors in Chief of Variety, who expand their scope as editorial directors of Vibe. Kelley begins her new role on Jan. 2 and will work out of Vibe’s New York home base.
“Vibe was founded to put hip hop and other forms of Black expression on the record as world-dominating art forms,” said Kelley. “It is my absolute pleasure and honor to step in as Editor-in-Chief of this venerable brand and to expand its coverage into other areas beyond music — everywhere hip hop is already ascendant.”
Kelley most recently served as the EIC of Andscape, ESPN’s digital hub focused on the intersection of race, sports and culture. Before that she was managing editor of Andscape’s predecessor, The Undefeated. She joined ESPN in 2011 as a senior editor for ESPN The Magazine, responsible for its coverage of the NFL, tennis, action sports, the Olympics and ESPN’s enterprise unit.
Kelley was instrumental in driving ESPN’s integrated print, digital and audio editorial strategy in the years when the sports powerhouse expanded aggressively into digital news, stats and information.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Raina to the Variety family,” said Setoodeh and Littleton. “Raina brings with her an incredibly rare set of skills and experiences across politics, sports and media. She will be instrumental in maintaining Vibe’s unique voice of authority and infusing her perspective into all of our initiatives. We look forward to Vibe’s exciting evolution ahead.”
Vibe became part of the PMC portfolio through its 2020 joint venture with MRC to operate Billboard, Vibe and the Hollywood Reporter. Vibe and Variety previously collaborated on content and event partnerships in the 1990s, before the brands had any corporate connections. Vibe began in 1993 as a monthly print magazine founded by Quincy Jones with backing from then-magazine giant Time Inc.
Before ESPN, Kelley served as a writer, columnist and editor for Newsweek, as well as Newsweek.com and Newsweek/Daily Beast. She focused on race, gender and politics in columns and reporting for the storied newsmagazine. She joined Newsweek in 2003 as an associate editor, distinguishing herself with award-winning work on the subject of race and America during the 2008 presidential campaign.
Kelley is a sought-after media commentator who has appeared on such TV news programs as “Good Morning America,” “Today,” “CNN’s American Morning” and “The Charlie Rose Show.”
