John Woo

About John Woo

I build creative teams and systems that scale. At the New York Times, I founded Reporter Reads, a micro-podcast/audiobook hybrid and anchor of the NYT Audio app, and ran it as Executive Producer. In five years we worked with 800+ reporters and made audio stories across every desk and the NYT Magazine, with listening completion rates that routinely exceeded 80%. I assigned and edited nearly every installment.Nothing sharpens your sense of an audience like producing for a live room. There\'s no algorithm to blame. I was Director of Video at Pop-Up Magazine, making stories and leading video for the pioneering live non-fiction show that played to sold-out houses at BAM, Lincoln Center, the Paramount Theatre, Davies Symphony Hall, and LA\'s Theatre at Ace Hotel.Before the industry began talking about pivots to video, I was the first staff video editor at the Times, where I launched Times Documentaries, helped build the social video playbook, and produced some of the earliest Visual Investigations the newsroom ever made.I\'ve spent 25+ years managing cross-functional teams spanning editorial, design, and engineering, shipping products and managing multi-million dollar budgets along the way. Data, user needs, adaptable formats, and smart storytelling are central to how I make anything. I have a history of successfully navigating significant disruption, including building a remote video production workflow from scratch, at the start of the COVID lockdown, on deadline, before anyone knew how. My editorial work has also screened at Sundance, SXSW, Cannes, IDFA, PBS, and the Criterion Collection. I was First Assistant Editor on Inside Job, the Academy Award winner for Best Documentary (2011). Recognized by the Pulitzer Prizes, the News and Documentary Emmys, the Overseas Press Club, the National Press Photographers Association, the Online News Association, the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences, and others.Professional recording and touring musician since 1994. Certified Scrum Product Owner. Proud native New Yorker.

Experience

1. Executive Producer, Audio (Reporter Reads)

   The New York Times

   Mar 2024 — Present

   Lead all content strategy, creative direction, and product decisions for read-aloud content from the newsroom. Responsibilities include story editing, show development, hiring and team management, and budgeting.

Education

• Harvard University

  B.A. with Honors, East Asian Languages and Civilizations