Peter Copeland

Peter Copeland is the author of Finding the News: Adventures of a Young Reporter (LSU Press, Oct. 1, 2019), his story of becoming a reporter and learning the values of quality journalism.

The former Washington bureau chief for the E.W. Scripps Company, Copeland was the editor and general manager of Scripps Howard News Service, which distributed stories and photos to newspapers and digital media around the world.

Copeland started his career as a night police reporter in Chicago, covered Latin America for five years based in Mexico City and came to Washington to cover the Pentagon. He covered the U.S. invasion of Panama, the Gulf War and the intervention in Somalia and has reported from dozens of countries on five continents.

Copeland has written, edited and produced stories for newspapers, magazines, television and online. He has published five books.

As an editor and media executive, Copeland managed reporters and editors, helped train hundreds of young reporters and college interns, developed magazines for television’s HGTV and Food Network, and launched digital media businesses. He worked closely with the Scripps television stations, cable networks, newspapers, digital properties and global syndication business.

He is a member of the Gridiron Club, and has been a board member of the National Press Foundation, Scripps Howard Foundation, International Center for Journalists and the Thomas Jefferson Center for Protection of Free Expression. He was on the board of GFR Media, the largest media company in Puerto Rico. He also was a member of the White House Correspondents Association and the American Society of News Editors.