Kevin Shinkle named AP business editor

NEW YORK (AP) -- Kevin Shinkle, the AP's deputy business editor for the past two years, has been promoted to business editor, overseeing the news agency's coverage of business and finance worldwide.

Shinkle joined The Associated Press as an assistant business editor at the height of the financial crisis in 2008 and directed AP's coverage of global markets.

"We are thrilled to have Kevin build on the great success he's had over the past several years in guiding AP's coverage of the business world through the most tumultuous of times," said Lou Ferrara, the AP managing editor overseeing business, sports and entertainment coverage. "Over the months ahead, we will be working to better define what AP business coverage should be for the future to meet the needs of AP customers and consumers."

Before joining the AP in November 2008, Shinkle, 48, was business editor of The Star-Ledger in Newark, N.J. He joined the newspaper in 2000 as deputy business editor. Before that, he was a reporter for Bloomberg News and The Tampa Tribune. He also worked for The Chapel Hill Newspaper in North Carolina.

A native of Tucson, Ariz., Shinkle graduated with honors from Hillsdale College in Michigan with majors in political theory and history.

During Shinkle's tenure at the AP, the business staff has been honored by the Society of American Business Editors and Writers for breaking news coverage and explanatory and feature writing. The Star-Ledger business section was honored by SABEW with its top award for general excellence during his tenure and won a National Headliner Award.

Earlier this year, Shinkle was elected to the SABEW Board of Governors.

Shinkle replaces Hal Ritter, now the weekend editor at the AP's Nerve Center, the global hub that coordinates news coverage across all of the news agency's operations.