Josh Hoffner Email & Phone Number

Josh Hoffner is the director of U.S. news for The Associated Press, where he oversees one of the largest newsrooms in the country. He leads a team of about 250 reporters, video journalists and photographers who cover breaking news, politics, elections, extreme weather, state government and national affairs on newsworthy topics including immigration, race and ethnicity and abortion for a global audience reaching tens of millions of viewers every day.He was appointed U.S. director in 2022 and quickly completed a transformation of the U.S. news report that featured a large expansion of AP’s video and photo footprint and implementation of an all-formats structure and a successful digital integration. Among the biggest news stories that Josh has directed as AP's U.S. leader: The Uvalde school massacre; deadly Maui wildfires; Hurricanes Ian, Idalia and Francine; the Titan submersible implosion; the Baltimore bridge collapse; elections of 2022 and 2024; and the influx of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border (which netted AP a Pulitzer Prize for photography) Josh also works closely with foundations through partnerships to provide state, local and nonprofit newsrooms with AP election content.In previous roles at AP, Josh directed the news organization’s coverage of the global pandemic, bringing together colleagues from across the globe and in every format to elevate storytelling on one of the biggest stories of our generation. He guided AP’s immigration coverage starting in 2016, and the team was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and winner of an RFK Journalism award for a series of stories about the toll of family separation on migrant children and parents. Other positions Josh has held at AP: Deputy West and Southwest editor in Phoenix, New York City news editor; national desk editor at global headquarters in Rockefeller Center. He got his start while still in college as a temporary staffer in the AP’s Bismarck, N.D., bureau, and made the jump to the company's general desk two years later. He is a graduate of South Dakota State University.He has guided news coverage at the scenes of top stories including: The 2006 Winter and 2016 Summer Olympics; the Gulf Oil Spill; the deadly bridge collapse in Minneapolis among many others.Josh thrives on breaking news, innovation and leading a big newsroom in a collaborative and fun away, no matter how challenging the circumstances are. He and his wife, Anna Jo, live in Brooklyn with their two elementary-age children. He serves on the board of the school PTA and loves volunteering at school events in the community.

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  South Dakota State University

  Journalism