Byline: Matthew Kayser
The Los Angeles Tribune has earned a Grammy Awards nomination, highlighting the company’s expansion from traditional journalism into producer-led audio documentary publishing.
The nomination, in the audiobook, narration and storytelling category, recognizes the Tribune’s role as publisher and producer — an uncommon credit for a newspaper brand and one that reflects broader shifts in how media companies are diversifying revenue, formats, and distribution.
Why it matters
As advertising-driven journalism continues to face pressure, media companies are increasingly looking beyond news to build durable businesses. The Los Angeles Tribune has focused on positioning itself as a producer across multiple formats, including books, film, television, live events, podcasts, and now award-recognized audio documentaries.
The company operates more than 20 affiliated brands and divisions, with activity across domestic and international markets. Its Spanish-language division is led by former CNN news directors, underscoring a strategy centered on experienced editorial leadership and global reach.
Audio documentaries as a long-term strategy
Unlike many publishers that treat audio primarily as a podcast extension, the Tribune has invested in audio documentaries as a standalone publishing vertical. These projects are developed with the structure and editorial rigor of traditional publishing, allowing audio to function as a long-term asset rather than short-cycle content.
The Grammy-nominated release represents the first installment in a planned series of audio documentaries produced by the Tribune, focused on documenting impactful moments in pop culture and the arts through primary voices and firsthand accounts.
The strategy aligns with broader market momentum. Audiobooks and long-form audio generate more than $2 billion annually in the U.S., with continued growth driven by mobile consumption, in-car listening, and global distribution. Long-form audio has increasingly become a primary channel for nonfiction and documentary storytelling.
Producer-led execution
The Grammy-nominated audio documentary was produced under the Tribune’s executive and publishing leadership, including CEO Moe Rock, COO and co-author Parisa Rose, Chief Strategy Officer Alisha Magnus-Louis, Vice President of Special Projects Giloh Morgan, and Fab Morvan, who also narrated the project.
The nomination places the Tribune among a small group of recognized finalists in its category for the year.
The bigger picture
For the Los Angeles Tribune, the recognition underscores a broader shift in how legacy media brands are positioning themselves. Rather than relying solely on news cycles, the company is building producer-led platforms that extend journalism into books, film, and audio documentary publishing.
The Grammy nomination suggests that strategy is beginning to gain traction beyond the news industry — and positions the Tribune’s audio documentary slate as a new pillar in its evolving media portfolio.