Joe Otterson has been promoted to TV News Editor for Variety. With the promotion, Otterson takes on greater responsibility for organizing and driving Variety‘s coverage of television news and related subjects across digital, print and video platforms.
Otterson will continue to work closely with and report to Michael Schneider, Variety‘s Television Editor, in steering one of Variety‘s core areas of focus. Otterson will also collaborate with colleagues across departments on event coverage, investigative reports, series recaps, profiles of talent and creatives and a range of other entertainment business journalism delivered by Variety.
“Joe is such a pleasure to work with as the heart and soul of our TV team, and so respected across the biz for his integrity and keen insight into TV shows and talent — especially, of course, ‘Cobra Kai,’” Schneider said. “And also, he continues to undisputedly possess the best hair in the biz.”
Otterson first joined Variety in 2017 after working for the Wrap. Since then, Otterson has been one of Variety‘s most prolific writers, publishing nearly 8,000 stories under his byline to date. He most recently served as Senior TV Writer. He relocated from Los Angeles to New York in 2021.
“Joe is one of the hardest-working journalists in our newsroom. He’s got strong instincts and he has his finger on the pulse of TV development and industry news. He’s also been a great colleague since day one. He’s most deserving of this promotion,” said Cynthia Littleton and Ramin Setoodeh, Variety‘s co-Editors in Chief.
A native of Wisconsin, Otterson began his journalism career by covering state politics. His lifelong passion for film and television led him to Hollywood. After a few internships that were paid mostly in free lunches and as Clif Bars, he joined the Wrap as a reporter.
In his time at Variety, Otterson has delivered a string of notable exclusive stories involving talent deals and TV development. He’s also taken the opportunity to interview some of the biggest names in the business, including Taylor Sheridan and Mel Brooks. The latter is a personal hero to Otterson, who has been fortunate enough to interview the legendary auteur twice.
