• by Ray Schultz , October 16, 2022

Sharon Matthews is joining the L.A. Times as a leader for its video, television and film strategy, and as deputy managing editor for L.A. Times Originals and vice president of L.A. Times Studios.

Most recently, as a senior director of originals for Andscape, formerly known as the Undefeated, Matthews expanded its digital storytelling platform into a multimedia video division of the Walt Disney Co., producing more than 20 specials, including “The Stop: Living, Driving and Dying While Black,” “Rise Up,” and “Unapologetic.”

Matthews assisted in the launch of her hometown’s digital channel NBA TV Canada (formerly known as Raptors NBA TV and Leafs TV). Armed with a mini-HD DV camcorder, she drove 300 miles to Akron, Ohio, to cover 18-year-old LeBron James.

“When I arrived, the doors were locked, and there was a ‘no media allowed’ sign on the door,” Sharon said of her trip to Akron. “At that moment, I knew I wasn’t going to be shut out, and I was going to find a way inside. Once I did, I asked Coach Dru Joyce II why he let me in. He said, ‘We don’t see many people who look like you and I doing what you’re doing.’"