Ex‑Walt Disney Co (The) Exec Rebecca Campbell Joins Philadelphia Inquirer Board to Lead Digital Strategy

Ex‑Disney media executive joins Inquirer board as newsroom strategy priority

Rebecca Campbell, a veteran media executive who spent 26 years at The Walt Disney Co., joins The Philadelphia Inquirer’s board of directors, the newspaper announces on Feb. 10, 2026. Campbell, who serves as interim CEO of immersive arts company Meow Wolf and previously chaired Disney’s international content and operations, brings decades of experience in digital distribution, streaming and multiplatform audience engagement to the Inquirer as it navigates industry disruption.

Campbell’s resume includes senior operational roles at Disney, a tenure running Philadelphia TV station 6abc and early career experience in local television and journalism. The Inquirer’s board chair, Lisa Kabnick, says Campbell’s blend of local roots and global digital experience will help sustain community connection while guiding strategy on subscriptions, advertising and immersive storytelling. Campbell also sits on the inaugural board of Versant Media, the Comcast spinoff that owns networks including CNBC and the Golf Channel, underscoring her network and rights-negotiation background.

The appointment signals a wider trend of legacy news outlets recruiting executives with streaming and consumer product expertise to confront declining ad revenues and audience fragmentation. Inquirer directors expect Campbell to advise on digital transformation initiatives, partnerships and new audience models that leverage immersive formats and distributed content strategies she developed at Disney and other ventures. Her operational experience positions her to bridge newsroom priorities with commercial imperatives as local journalism seeks sustainable revenue and deeper community engagement.

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