Heather Burns
West Hartford
Summary
Dynamic editorial leader with extensive experience at ESPN, excelling in content strategy and team collaboration. Proven track record in enhancing reader engagement through innovative storytelling and inclusive hiring practices. Adept at training and mentoring teams, driving performance metrics, and fostering a culture of creativity and excellence in fast-paced environments.
Overview
36
36
years of professional experience
Work History
Deputy Editor
NFL Nation
Bristol
03.2017 - 05.2025
- Managed eight editors and 32 NFL reporters
- Planned coverage across ESPN platforms with an emphasis on news gathering, innovative storytelling and ESPN+ content
- Used inclusive hiring practices to recruit top talent
- Worked with reporters, editing copy with a focus on nutgraph, tension and through-line to improve readability
Senior Deputy Editor
ESPN
West Hartford
05.2022 - 04.2025
- Analyzed reader engagement metrics in order to determine which types of stories are most popular among audiences.
- Held weekly editorial meetings with team and our ESPN partners to generate ideas and ensure collaboration
- Planned contents according to publication's style, editorial policy and publishing requirements.
- Developed processes for tracking article performance metrics such as page views or time spent reading an article.
- Coordinated with marketing teams to develop promotional strategies for content dissemination
Deputy editor
NFL Nation
Bristol
09.2013 - 03.2017
- Duties include managing eight reporters covering the AFC and NFC East and West, working on breaking news, features, analysis and enterprise projects.
Deputy editor
espnW.com
Bristol
01.2012 - 09.2013
- Duties include managing writers, coordinating the daily budget and schedules, producing a weekly opinion show called The Word, working with ESPN.com to coordinate coverage of events including the Super Bowl, golf and tennis majors and NCAA championships.
Senior editor
ESPN.com
Bristol
01.2008 - 01.2012
- Duties include managing story editors, getting news on the website quickly with no errors, working with TV and local news desks to coordinate coverage, slotting stories, managing the Page 1 headline rail and coordinating story content and length with reporters.
Assistant sports editor
The Detroit News
Detroit
08.2005 - 12.2007
- Duties include managing sports copy desk, laying out section, choosing photos, slotting stories and coordinating content and length with reporters.
Sports copy editor
The Detroit News
Detroit
06.2002 - 08.2005
- Conducted CCI training for source editors, copy editors and slot editors.
- Rebuilt agate for sports section using CCI’s table functions, including a change of fonts midway through the process.
- Answered daily questions as part of launch.
- Daily work included editing stories for accuracy and style, writing headlines and cutlines, proofing pages and working with reporters to clarify stories about Michigan high school, college and professional sports.
- Primary shift was 'the closer,' the last person to update and send pages for afternoon editions of the newspaper.
- Worked as daily news editor and slot.
- Wrote more than a dozen stories. Most about the WNBA’s Detroit Shock.
Sports writer
Times Herald
Port Huron
08.2000 - 06.2002
- Responsibilities included event previews, same-day game coverage, in-depth feature writing and enterprise writing of high school, college and professional sporting events.
- Stories ranged from Detroit Lions and Shock game coverage to a weekly column to selecting all-area teams.
- Desk responsibilities included slot and rim shifts. Made decisions about content, laid out and designed the section.
Sports writer
St. Cloud Times
St. Cloud
09.1998 - 08.2000
- Primary job was daily coverage of St. John’s University football and St. Cloud State University sports, including event previews, same-day game coverage, in-depth feature writing and enterprise writing.
- Other responsibilities included coverage of high school, college and professional sports.
- Stories ranged from Minnesota Vikings and Lynx coverage to a weekly column to picking all-area teams.
Sports writer
Reno Gazette-Journal
Reno
04.1994 - 09.1998
- Primary job was daily coverage of Nevada high schools and other area sports, including previews, same-day game coverage, in-depth feature writing, enterprise reporting and taking results by phone.
- Responsibilities included conducting weekly statewide polls and selecting all-conference and all-state teams in football and basketball.
- Lead writer for top summer sporting events, including the Reno Rodeo and the Isuzu Celebrity Golf Championship.
Sports writer
USA Today
Arlington
09.1997 - 01.1998
- Responsible for daily coverage of high school, college and professional sports including game, feature and enterprise writing.
- Worked with stringers to amass high school all-USA teams.
Sports writer
Iowa City Press-Citizen
Iowa City
08.1989 - 07.1993
- Daily coverage of high school and University of Iowa sports, including event previews, same-day coverage, in-depth feature and enterprise writing.
- University of Iowa women’s beat writer, included coverage of the basketball NCAA Final Four in Atlanta.
Education
Bachelor of Arts degree - Journalism with an emphasis on communication studies
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa08.1991
Skills
- Editorial management
- Content strategy
- Team collaboration
- Inclusive hiring
- Storytelling techniques
- Training and mentoring
Awards
- First Place, Michigan Associated Press, Sports, 2001
- Third Place, Michigan Associated Press, Sports, 2000
- Third Place, Nevada Press Association, Sports Feature Writing, 1997
- Well Done, Gannett, Sports News Reporting, Spring 1997
- Sport Journalism Award, University of Nevada and National Consortium for Academics in Sports, 04/01/96
- Third Place, Bowling Magazine Writing Award, News Division, 1995
- Laurence Fairall Scholarship in Journalism, University of Iowa, 1990-91
- Dean’s list, University of Iowa, six
- R.E. Rubuesch Scholarship of Journalism, Central High School, 1987
Phone Numbers
(860) 231-8300, (860) 766-1846, (248) 225-6690
Affiliations
- Vice president of the Vaughn McClure and Jeff Dickerson Foundation
- Established a journalism scholarship in the name of Guy Clifton at the University of Nevada
Timeline
Senior Deputy Editor
ESPN
05.2022 - 04.2025
Deputy Editor
NFL Nation
03.2017 - 05.2025
Deputy editor
NFL Nation
09.2013 - 03.2017
Deputy editor
espnW.com
01.2012 - 09.2013
Senior editor
ESPN.com
01.2008 - 01.2012
Assistant sports editor
The Detroit News
08.2005 - 12.2007
Sports copy editor
The Detroit News
06.2002 - 08.2005
Sports writer
Times Herald
08.2000 - 06.2002
Sports writer
St. Cloud Times
09.1998 - 08.2000
Sports writer
USA Today
09.1997 - 01.1998
Sports writer
Reno Gazette-Journal
04.1994 - 09.1998
Sports writer
Iowa City Press-Citizen
08.1989 - 07.1993
Bachelor of Arts degree - Journalism with an emphasis on communication studies
University of Iowa
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