Global news agency Associated Press (AP) has hired Craig Linder as general counsel, replacing Karen Kaiser who left the business earlier this year.
Linder joins from Wall Street Journal publisher Dow Jones, where he was associate GC. At AP, he will lead its global legal function, which involves safeguarding the company’s journalism, IP, commercial and newsgathering operations and overseeing corporate governance.
New York-based AP is an independent news agency. It has journalists in almost 100 countries and in all 50 US states.
Daisy Veerasingham, AP president and CEO, said: “Craig brings an exceptional combination of legal expertise, business judgement and a deep appreciation for the value of fact-based journalism. His proven record of protecting journalists, defending original reporting and helping news organisations pursue responsible growth makes him ideally suited to lead AP’s legal team at a time of profound change across the media industry.”
Linder arrives after more than 16 years at Dow Jones, having originally joined as counsel from Gibson Dunn & Crutcher. Prior to his legal career, Linder was a journalist.
While at Dow Jones, he played a key role in helping secure the release of Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich, who was detained by Russia for more than a year.
Linder said: “The Associated Press stands for journalism that is factual, independent and essential to billions of people around the world. I am honoured to join AP and look forward to working with its journalists and business leaders to protect that mission, uphold the organisation’s values and help position AP for continued strength.”
Kaiser, meanwhile, left AP in April after a 17-year career with the news agency, 12 of them as GC. She is now a director and legal adviser at the Clooney Foundation for Justice.
Prior to joining the AP, she was senior counsel at East Coast Media, having previously been in private practice at Cahill Gordon & Reindel.
In other in-house media-related moves, back in June US public broadcasting non-profit PBS named acting chief legal officer Jill Patrone as its permanent legal chief, replacing Katherine Lauderdale in the role.
And in May, US local TV station owner Nexstar reappointed ex-GC Elizabeth Ryder as the company’s legal head almost four years after stepping down from the role.
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