The Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) announced that NBC News’ svp of editorial Catherine Kim is the 2023 recipient of RTDNA’s Loren Tobia Leadership Award, given annually to “a journalist who exemplifies true leadership within their company or organization during a given year.”
The organization states that Kim is recognized for helping lead NBC News’ commitment to original and on-the-ground reporting, breaking news and investigations, and innovative multimedia experiences.
As NBC News svp of editorial, Kim manages editorial teams across the Investigative, National Security, Climate, Biz & Tech, Health, and Race, Equity, and Justice units and also manages editorial teams across NBCNews.com, which includes breaking news, general assignment, politics, tech, diversity verticals NBCBLK, NBC Out, NBC Latino and NBC Asian America and more. Additionally, Kim oversees the digital video properties NBC Stay Tuned and NBC News Digital Docs.
She has led teams who report on the culture wars as they began to take foot during local school board meetings, the water crisis in America’s towns and cities, such as in Jackson, Miss., or the role social media plays in shaping and influencing American teens, while also placing a premium on delivering accurate, credible and timely breaking news to a national news audience, including live updates and coverage of major news events.
The Loren Tobia Leadership Award is named after RTDNA’s former treasurer, who retired from that role in 2022 after a record-setting tenure in the volunteer role.
He was the inaugural recipient of the eponymous award in 2022.
“Catherine is a true leader who knows how to bring people together, get the resources they need, and motivate them to do great things,” Tobia said in a statement. “The end result is some incredible journalism.
“It is a true honor to call her a Loren Tobia Leadership Award winner.”
Kim will be recognized first at RTDNA23 in Minneapolis, Sept. 20-22, with the honor highlighting someone who represents one of RTDNA’s core values — leadership — and is recognized at all three signature events, including the annual RTDNA conference, the First Amendment Awards and the Edward R. Murrow Awards Gala.
“It’s a great honor to have your leadership skills mentioned alongside Loren Tobia’s,” said RTDNA President and CEO Dan Shelley. “At NBC, Catherine has risen to the occasion and led many journalists to produce some awe-inspiring work. We are proud to honor her and celebrate her leadership.”
Kim has been in her current position at NBC News since November 2022. Before that, she served as NBC’s head of global digital news, being named to the position in March 2021. She was responsible for all NBC News and MSNBC digital newsroom activities.
During her time at NBC News, she has built out the digital newsroom and hired scores of new reporters, editors, and talent for NBC News Digital. She has led double-digit growth for digital, year over year, since 2016, and her team has been recognized with dozens of awards.