Andscape signs extension with senior writer and content creator Jesse Washington

Andscape, ESPN & Disney’s Black multimedia content studio, announced late last week that it had signed senior writer and content creator Jesse Washington to a multi-year contract extension.

Washington joined ESPN in January 2015 to work for The Undefeated and was a leading voice on the property before it was rebranded in 2022 as Andscape.

Per the announcement, Washington will continue to work as a narrative journalist and content creator focused on stories “at the intersection of the Black identity and culture.”

“Jesse is an outstanding storyteller, an accomplished author, and an acclaimed journalist. The versatility, depth, and range of his work have propelled Andscape’s growth,” said Jason Aidoo, Vice President and Head of Andscape. “We are thrilled that he will continue to produce great content and expand his reach across our different platforms.”

Some of Washington’s most notable work with the company include The Waco Horror, about the 1916 lynching of a Black farmhand also named Jesse Washington, and an Outside the Lines report about Georgetown men’s basketball coach John Thompson’s protest of Proposition 42.

“Andscape represents a tremendous opportunity to tell stories that are crucial to understanding our world,” Washington said in the release. “I appreciate continuing to work with this talented and passionate group of journalists and creators.”

Before joining ESPN and Andscape, Washington was the national race and ethnicity writer at the Associated Press. Before that, he was the founding Editor-in-Chief of Blaze magazine and managing editor of Vibe magazine.

[ESPN]