Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — Mesfin Fekadu, a music writer for The Associated Press, has been named the AP’s music editor.
The appointment was announced Thursday by Global Entertainment & Lifestyles Editor Nekesa Mumbi Moody. He will direct the news agency’s music coverage across platforms.
“Mesfin is a dynamic reporter who has done wonderful work for the AP and has helped lead its music coverage,” Moody said. “He is a news breaker with impressive sources within the industry and an innovator within the entertainment department. I am confident he will take the department to even greater heights.”
Fekadu, 27, joined the AP in 2008 as an entertainment producer after graduating from Saint Peter’s University in Jersey City, New Jersey.
He has interviewed countless performers, from Beyonce to Rihanna to the Rolling Stones, written key trend stories and scored major exclusives. He has had a role in the coverage of major news events, including the deaths of Amy Winehouse and Whitney Houston. He was appointed music writer in 2012.
Fekadu has covered the Grammy Awards, the Super Bowl, both inaugurations of President Barack Obama and New York Fashion Week. He edits coverage of various events, often producing video content and arranging for photo coverage.
Fekadu, who will remain based in New York City, is a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He worked as a production assistant and fill-in tape producer for MSNBC for two years.