Jonathan Greenberger is departing ABC News, where he has been Washington, D.C. bureau chief, for a new job as executive vice president of Politico.
Greenberger will start in his new position on April 22.
Debra OConnell, president of news group and networks for Disney Entertainment, and Kim Godwin, president of ABC News, announced his departure in a note to staffers, as did Greenberger.
“Though it brings me incredible joy to call each of you my colleagues and friends, I have made the decision to step away from ABC News later this month,” Greenberger wrote in a memo to staffers. “The time is right for me to transition to a new professional challenge. Handing off the reins now, with plenty of time before the election, enables Debra, Kim and their team to begin planning immediately for the next chapter of this great Bureau.”
Greenberger served as bureau chief since 2014. Before that, he was executive producer of This Week, the youngest person in the role.
John Harris, global editor in chief of Politico, and Goli Sheikholeslami, CEO of Politico Media Group, wrote in their memo that Greenberger “is known as idealistic, perceptive, and organized—as well as deeply caring of his colleagues.” They said that in the near term, Greenberger would focus on creating “a template for how we can set the agenda at major events in the United States and globally, starting with the conventions this summer.”
“In the longer-term, we are expecting Jonathan to be an indispensable partner as we think about how to organize for the future,” they wrote.
Katie den Daas will serve as acting bureau chief until a permanent successor is found.
The memos from OConnell and Godwin and Greenberger are below.
Team,
We wanted to share the note below that Jonathan Greenberger sent to his team a short time ago.
For more than a decade, Jonathan has been a fixture in our organization, most recently serving as chief of the DC Bureau, where he has played an instrumental role in navigating our coverage of some of the most consequential events in our nation’s recent history. He has been a great asset to our powerhouse political team and will be greatly missed. We thank him for his contributions and look forward to toasting him in-person in DC next week to wish him a fond farewell.
In the interim, Katie den Daas will serve as acting DC Bureau chief as we conduct a search for Jonathan’s permanent replacement. Our thanks to her and the entire DC team for their collaboration and commitment during this transition.
As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out to either one of us if you have questions. In the meantime, please join us in thanking Jonathan and wishing him the best of luck in his new endeavors.
All the best,
Debra and Kim
Note from Jonathan Greenberger
DC Team,
I write to share some news of my own.
For just shy of 10 years, I have had the exceptional privilege of leading this incredible team of journalists. Over that decade, we have been entrusted with the great responsibility of chronicling a changing America and a changing world. Each day, you have fulfilled that mission with empathy, determination, and the utmost care. Through every challenge, you have shown unwavering commitment to our audience and to each other. My pride in each of you – in your accomplishments, in your growth, and in who you are as people – is immense. And my gratitude for your devotion to this great institution is infinite.
It was exactly 20 years ago when I first walked into this building as an intern. I spent that summer sneaking into Nightline’s editorial meetings and watching Ted Koppel and other titans of our industry debating and analyzing the news. I was immediately hooked on ABC, hooked on this business. That summer, it was clear the caliber of journalists residing here; with time, I have come to realize this team’s defining attribute is actually the caliber of people here. For every journalistic success we have had over the past two decades, it will be our moments of friendship and camaraderie that I will treasure the most.
Though it brings me incredible joy to call each of you my colleagues and friends, I have made the decision to step away from ABC News later this month. The time is right for me to transition to a new professional challenge. Handing off the reins now, with plenty of time before the election, enables Debra, Kim and their team to begin planning immediately for the next chapter of this great Bureau. I am confident that under their leadership this Bureau and ABC News will continue shining bright. As for my own next chapter, I will be remaining here in Washington, and though we will become competitors – of a sort – I will forever be cheering you on.
At a time when so many of our nation’s institutions are under attack, you – together – represent an institution in which I believe deeply. Keep fighting for the truth, keep fighting for our audience, and keep fighting for each other.
With deep gratitude and respect,
Jonathan