Biography
I came to Medill as professor and Knight Chair in Digital Media Strategy in 2009 after a 37-year career at the Chicago Tribune, where I directed the launch of the Tribune’s Web site in 1996 (at various other times I was a supervising editor in sports, business, and features. Later, as senior vice president for strategy and development, I started the RedEye commuter newspaper and oversaw marketing, philanthropy, community relations, and research). At Medill I often worked with professors in McCormick, including on NU’s San Francisco campus and the Knight Lab. I’m an independent director of Legacy.com, the large online obituary site; on the board of the Solti Foundation U.S., which makes grants to young American conductors; a governing member of the Chicago Symphony; and a digital media consultant to companies and individuals. Avocationally, I sing bass, play the trombone, and attend classical music events around the Chicago area, around the country, and occasionally overseas. I intermittently post essays at https://owenyoungman.com, the personal Web site I started in 1994.
o-youngman@northwestern.edu