Ex-'60 Minutes' EP Bill Owens Joins Newpress

Former '60 Minutes' executive producer Bill Owens has joined creator media company Newpress as its executive producer. This move comes as Newpress raises $12 million in a funding round led by Emerson Collective.

The funding round also includes investments from Jesse Angelo, CEO of Checker Media; David Leavy, former COO of CNN Worldwide; and Brent Montgomery, CEO of Wheelhouse Entertainment. Additionally, Patrick Steel, former CEO of Politico, will be investing and joining the board of Newpress.

Newpress was founded by Johnny and Iz Harris, who are both established YouTube filmmakers. The company plans to launch 2-4 creator-led shows in the coming months, with a longer-term goal of having 12-16 channels. Bill Owens will begin his new role at Newpress on March 1, 2027, and will work with the creators to develop new shows and bolster their production.

Newpress currently reaches more than 15 million followers across its network, and the company's longer-term goal is to build a network reaching 100 million followers across digital platforms. With Owens' leadership and the new funding, Newpress aims to expand its reporting and production operations and launch new shows in areas such as technology, finance, and economics.

## Why it matters The move by Bill Owens to join Newpress and the company's funding round marks a significant development in the creator economy. Newpress is built on the belief that people want to learn about the world from humans they trust, and with Owens' experience in traditional journalism, the company aims to bring high standards of journalism to a new model. This partnership has the potential to make ambitious and insightful storytelling that meets audiences where they are, and with a goal of reaching 100 million followers, it could have a significant impact on the digital media landscape.