MORE ABOUT DELANO
Delano Massey is the Managing Editor of Local at Axios, where he joined in 2022 to spearhead the company's expansion into a dozen new markets, including Detroit, Raleigh, and Seattle. In this role, he works alongside Executive Editor Jamie Stockwell to lead Axios Local.
Before joining Axios, Delano held a prominent position at CNN as a supervising producer, overseeing the Washington-based producers, reporters, and writers covering crucial topics like the Justice Department, legal and criminal issues, the Supreme Court, the Department of Homeland Security, and immigration. During a pivotal time marked by a racial reckoning, he collaborated with CNN's President Jeff Zucker to create the network's Race & Equality team, a dynamic unit providing comprehensive news coverage across all platforms. Delano actively participated in the recruitment, interview, and selection process for team members. Balancing two demanding beats, he played pivotal in CNN's legal coverage surrounding the 2020 election and the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol. Furthermore, Delano was instrumental in shaping CNN's coverage on race, providing input on stories, scripts, and shows, and frequently appearing on panels or speaking at universities on topics ranging from criminal justice and race to diversity, equality, and inclusion.
Before his tenure at CNN, Delano served as a deputy news director in Chicago for The Associated Press, where he supervised all-format coverage across the central United States, spanning 14 states from Texas to the upper Midwest. Notably, he built the region's video editing operation from scratch and reorganized AP's Shared News Desk to focus more on high-impact stories, elevating the presentation of countless narratives. Passionate about investigative journalism, Delano encouraged the region to proactively utilize FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) requests. Additionally, as a leader of the Race & Ethnicity team, he facilitated the telling of several impactful stories that might have otherwise gone untold, including an award-winning coverage of the Red Summer of 1919 and the anniversary of the Little Rock Nine.
Delano's diverse career also includes experience as the digital director at WEWS, the ABC affiliate in Cleveland, where he oversaw the station's digital business and operations, and led coverage of significant events such as the Republican National Convention in Cleveland and the NBA championship for the Cavaliers. He also served as the projects and digital content executive producer at WKYT, playing a key role in increasing the station's web traffic and successfully orchestrating a site redesign. Delano's prowess in the digital realm earned him recognition as the best digital journalist by the Kentucky Associated Press Broadcasters in 2016.
In previous roles, Delano served as the metro editor for the Lexington Herald-Leader, leading coverage of various impactful events, from extreme weather incidents to the Kentucky Derby and riotous behavior surrounding the University of Kentucky's NCAA championship. During this time, he also taught journalism at the University of Kentucky.
Delano's commitment to excellence extends to his dedication to continued learning and development, having completed several prestigious programs, including the Kiplinger Program, the Poynter-NABJ Leadership Academy for Diversity in Digital Media, Leadership Lexington, and the ASNE-API Minority Leadership Institute. He has also undergone management training at the Maynard Institute's Media Academy at Harvard University. Delano was recognized for his outstanding achievements and was listed among the Most Influential People of African Descent in 2021 and selected as a Poynter fellow for the 2023 Media Transformation Challenge. He mentors journalists for the Poynter Institute, Maynard and beyond. He also serves as a professional board member for Kent State University's Student Media Board.
Throughout his career, Delano has showcased his versatility as a reporter, authoring a weekly column and producing compelling enterprise and feature stories at the Akron Beacon Journal. He also covered noteworthy beats, including cops, courts, and city issues for the Belleville News-Democrat. A proud graduate of the University of Akron in his home state of Ohio, Delano's exceptional work has garnered numerous awards, celebrating his contributions to breaking news, general news, and investigative journalism.
Before joining Axios, Delano held a prominent position at CNN as a supervising producer, overseeing the Washington-based producers, reporters, and writers covering crucial topics like the Justice Department, legal and criminal issues, the Supreme Court, the Department of Homeland Security, and immigration. During a pivotal time marked by a racial reckoning, he collaborated with CNN's President Jeff Zucker to create the network's Race & Equality team, a dynamic unit providing comprehensive news coverage across all platforms. Delano actively participated in the recruitment, interview, and selection process for team members. Balancing two demanding beats, he played pivotal in CNN's legal coverage surrounding the 2020 election and the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol. Furthermore, Delano was instrumental in shaping CNN's coverage on race, providing input on stories, scripts, and shows, and frequently appearing on panels or speaking at universities on topics ranging from criminal justice and race to diversity, equality, and inclusion.
Before his tenure at CNN, Delano served as a deputy news director in Chicago for The Associated Press, where he supervised all-format coverage across the central United States, spanning 14 states from Texas to the upper Midwest. Notably, he built the region's video editing operation from scratch and reorganized AP's Shared News Desk to focus more on high-impact stories, elevating the presentation of countless narratives. Passionate about investigative journalism, Delano encouraged the region to proactively utilize FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) requests. Additionally, as a leader of the Race & Ethnicity team, he facilitated the telling of several impactful stories that might have otherwise gone untold, including an award-winning coverage of the Red Summer of 1919 and the anniversary of the Little Rock Nine.
Delano's diverse career also includes experience as the digital director at WEWS, the ABC affiliate in Cleveland, where he oversaw the station's digital business and operations, and led coverage of significant events such as the Republican National Convention in Cleveland and the NBA championship for the Cavaliers. He also served as the projects and digital content executive producer at WKYT, playing a key role in increasing the station's web traffic and successfully orchestrating a site redesign. Delano's prowess in the digital realm earned him recognition as the best digital journalist by the Kentucky Associated Press Broadcasters in 2016.
In previous roles, Delano served as the metro editor for the Lexington Herald-Leader, leading coverage of various impactful events, from extreme weather incidents to the Kentucky Derby and riotous behavior surrounding the University of Kentucky's NCAA championship. During this time, he also taught journalism at the University of Kentucky.
Delano's commitment to excellence extends to his dedication to continued learning and development, having completed several prestigious programs, including the Kiplinger Program, the Poynter-NABJ Leadership Academy for Diversity in Digital Media, Leadership Lexington, and the ASNE-API Minority Leadership Institute. He has also undergone management training at the Maynard Institute's Media Academy at Harvard University. Delano was recognized for his outstanding achievements and was listed among the Most Influential People of African Descent in 2021 and selected as a Poynter fellow for the 2023 Media Transformation Challenge. He mentors journalists for the Poynter Institute, Maynard and beyond. He also serves as a professional board member for Kent State University's Student Media Board.
Throughout his career, Delano has showcased his versatility as a reporter, authoring a weekly column and producing compelling enterprise and feature stories at the Akron Beacon Journal. He also covered noteworthy beats, including cops, courts, and city issues for the Belleville News-Democrat. A proud graduate of the University of Akron in his home state of Ohio, Delano's exceptional work has garnered numerous awards, celebrating his contributions to breaking news, general news, and investigative journalism.