Kim Guthrie has been named the recipient of the 2019 James W. Schwartz Award. The annual award recognizes distinguished service to journalism and communication and is the highest honor conferred by Iowa State University’s Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication.
Guthrie, who holds a degree in journalism and mass communication from Iowa State University, is the president of Cox Media Group (CMG), an integrated broadcasting, publishing and digital media company.
At the helm of CMG, Guthrie oversees content, sales and operations for 14 broadcast television stations, more than 60 radio stations, two daily newspapers and more than 100 digital sites and services.
In addition, she oversees the National Advertising Platform businesses of Gamut, Videa and CoxReps, the country’s largest television rep firm.
Guthrie is the first woman to hold the presidential position at CMG, which is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, a 121-year-old privately held conglomerate based in Atlanta that started with one newspaper in Dayton, Ohio. Cox Media Group currently operates in 20 media markets, reaching approximately 52 million Americans weekly through its television and radio stations, newspapers and publications and digital services.
Since joining Cox in 1998 as vice president and general manager of its New York cluster of radio stations, Guthrie has held a number of executive leadership positions within the company.
Previously, she was President of CoxReps, based in New York City, and also Executive VP of National Ad Platforms. Prior to that role, she also was the EVP of Radio, responsible for all programming, operations and sales at the company’s radio portfolio.
Under her leadership, CMG has won multiple honors for programming excellence and outstanding community service, including several Edward R. Murrow awards, Emmy awards, Gracie awards, Investigative Reporters and Editors awards, Marconi awards, Crystal awards, New York Air awards, Online News Association awards, Scripps Howard awards, Society of Professional Journalism awards and Telly awards.
A native of Davenport, Iowa, Kim (Bredar) Guthrie (’84), got her start in broadcast journalism as a television news anchor and morning news producer for WOI-TV while she was still an Iowa State student. Upon graduation, she landed her first job as a news anchor, reporter and weather anchor at KAAL-TV in Austin, Minnesota. A few years later, she made the move to media sales, holding several management positions in Milwaukee and Minneapolis before joining Cox in New York.
Guthrie is a multi-year honoree as Radio Ink magazine’s “Most Powerful People in Radio” and “Most Influential Women in Radio.” She also was named “Woman of Distinction” by the March of Dimes and “Humanitarian of the Year” by the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Guthrie currently serves on the board of directors for the National Association of Broadcasters, the Broadcasters Foundation of America and the Metropolitan College of New York.
She is also a member of the Greenlee School Advisory Council. As a member of the council’s curriculum and assessment subcommittee, Guthrie recently provided support for a survey to help the school research what the industry is looking for in recent graduates.
“Guthrie’s hands-on approach has created success throughout her career,” said Greenlee School Director Angela Powers. “She is a role model for our students.”
“It’s an incredible honor to receive the prestigious James W. Schwartz award from Iowa State University and the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication," Guthrie said. "I’m so grateful to have earned my journalism degree from ISU, as it has served as a strong foundation for my career in media over the last 35 years. Strong journalism plays an essential role in our democracy, and my best hope is to continue to pay it forward for the next generation of leaders in the media industry.”
Guthrie will be recognized at the Iowa State University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Honors and Awards Ceremony on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2019.
About the James W. Schwartz Award
The James W. Schwartz Award is the highest honor conferred by Iowa State University’s Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication. It is awarded in honor of James W. Schwartz (1941), who served as department chair of the school for 13 years. The Schwartz Award has been presented since 1978 to leaders in journalism and related fields. The school’s advisory council and faculty nominate candidates and faculty members select the winner. Previous honorees include four Pulitzer Prize winners, distinguished broadcast journalists, authors, advertising and public relations executives, newspaper and magazine publishers and editors and leading writers in a variety of specialty areas.
About the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication
Established in 1905, the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication is the oldest journalism program in the state and one of the oldest in the country. The school prepares future leaders in advertising, journalism and mass communication and public relations.