• by Ray Schultz , March 29, 2023

Scripps News, a division of the E.W. Scripps Company, is forming a longform programming unit to create documentary programming.

Zach Toombs, previously the deputy director of programs, has been named director of longform. 

Joining Toombs are full-time hires who worked on CNN’s “This Is Life,” Showtime’s “VICE” and Comedy Central’s “Klepper.”

Toombs will report to Ethan Nelson, head of program development at Scripps, a 24/7 news network, available for free over the air.

“At a time when the ethical lines of documentary production are increasingly blurred, we’re keeping journalism and the journalistic process at the center of our work,” states Toombs. “Our mission is to create documentaries and series that inform, entertain and build trust with our viewers.”