Isaac Lee

Isaac Lee Possin (born 1971) is a journalist, entrepreneur and film & television producer. He is the executive chairman and founder of EXILE Content[1], a media company developing premium original content for audiences across the U.S. and Latin America. He previously served as Chief Content Officer for Univision Communications and Televisa, the world's largest Spanish-language media conglomerate,[2][3] and founder of StoryHouse Entertainment, the Los Angeles based scripted content development unit of Univision, producer of acclaimed scripted TV Series "El Chapo" (Netflix), as well as "Outpost" (HBO), "Residente" and "Hate Rising" docu-features.

Isaac Lee Possin
Isaac Lee Possin - Los Angeles, CA - April 1, 2019
Born (1971-01-05) January 5, 1971
Bogotá, Colombia
NationalityAmerican
OccupationExecutive Chairman and founder of EXILE Content
EmployerEXILE Content
Known forFrmr. Chief Content Officer of Univision and Televisa, Frmr. Chief News, Entertainment & Digital Officer of Univision
Co-founder of Fusion
President of News for Univision
Former Editor in Chief of Revista Semana
Executive producer for Science Fair documentary
This article uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Lee and the second or maternal family name is Possin.

Lee was born in Bogotá, Colombia to Jewish immigrants.[4]

Career

When Lee was 23, he reported that Colombia's then president Ernesto Samper had received funding from the Cali Cartel. Lee was fired immediately afterward.[5]

At the age of 25, Lee was appointed editor of Cromos.[5] At 26, he was named editor-in-chief of the Colombian magazine Semana. During his tenure at Semana, the magazine became a publishing house with several titles and digital properties. The magazine was crucial in several of Colombia's most important political junctures. A 1997 cover story forced two Colombian cabinet ministers to resign shortly after[6]. Semana also covered political corruption, guerrillas, the military and paramilitaries, narco-traffickers and the peace process.

PODER Magazine

Lee founded and was the editor-in-chief of PODER Magazine, a pan-regional magazine for the business elite with special editions for the US Hispanic market, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Venezuela and Peru with a total circulation of over half a million copies. The magazine was later sold to Televisa and other investors.[5]

Univision

On December 9, 2010 Univision announced the appointment of Lee as President of News.[7]

Shortly after joining Univision, Lee announced he was working on the launch of a 24-hour cable news channel in English; the new channel was officially announced in May 2012 as a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and Univision.[8] In February 2013, both networks announced the new channel would be called Fusion[9].

Two new departments within news were created in 2011:[10] an Investigative Unit led by Gerardo Reyes[11] and a Documentary Unit led by Juan Rendón.[12] The Documentary Unit later became StoryHouse a content development and production venture producing original content for UCI's portfolio of owned networks as well as third party networks and platforms.[13]

Under Lee's tenure, Univision News has attained several recognitions for journalistic excellence such as the 2012 Peabody[14] and IRE Awards[15] for its "Fast and Furious" investigation, three Emmy's for outstanding investigative reporting, outstanding newsmagazine and outstanding breaking news coverage and two Gracie awards,[16] and the Cronkite Award for Excellence in Political Journalism.[17]

In February 2015, as part of a reorganization of Univision's digital operation, Lee's role was expanded to lead Digital for all of Univision as President of Digital.[18] Shortly after, under Lee's leadership, Univision announced the acquisition of African-American news site The Root.[19]

In November 2015 Lee was named to the newly created position of chief news and digital officer, with additional responsibilities over multicultural and music and maintaining oversight of the news and digital divisions.[20]

Organizations and Boards
  • Board of Directors Associated Press[21]
  • Board of advisors of the University of Chicago Institute of Politics[22]
  • Journalism advisory board of ProPublica.[23]
  • International Advisory Board of the Committee to protect journalists[6].
  • Hirshhorn Museum[24]
  • Frmr. Boardmember Legendary Pictures
  • Board of Directors Ualá

Lee is also a member of the IAPA, the NAHJ, the Foro Iberoamérica Presided by Ricardo Lagos and Carlos Fuentes and the Council on foreign Relations.

Projects

Film
  • Paraiso Travel (2008) He was a producer[25] of feature film "Paraíso Travel", an immigration story based on a novel of acclaimed writer Jorge Franco[26].
  • When lambs become lions (2019) Lee was the executive producer[27] for this feature film where a small-time ivory dealer fights to stay on top while forces mobilize to destroy his trade. When he turns to his younger cousin, a conflicted wildlife ranger who hasn't been paid in months, they both see a possible lifeline.

TV
  • El Chapo (2017) Produced[28] TV Series for Univision and Netflix about El Chapo's life in crime, from his lowly beginnings in the Guadalajara Cartel in the 1980s through his rise to power -- and eventual fall -- as the leader of the Sinaloa Cartel.
  • Colombia Hostage Rescue (2010) In 2010 he co-produced[25] his first documentary "Colombia Hostage Rescue" for National Geographic TV which aired in 13 countries.
  • Operación Jaque He also co-produced with Televisión Española an International Emmy Award nominated TV mini-series about Operación Jaque.[29]
  • Who Killed Malcolm X 6 part investigative follows activist and investigative journalist Abdur-Rahman Muhammad as he embarks on a complex mission seeking truth about the assassination of the African American Leader Malcolm X[30].
  • TrumpLand Fusion teams up with “Kill All Normies” author Angela Nagle to examine the social and political forces which have emboldened white nationalists in the age of Trump, in this follow-up to the emmy-nominated: The Naked Truth-Trumpland.

Other Projects
  • Mars 2030 VR A virtual reality exploration of Mars with a realistic future habitat on the surface of the red planet. The simulation includes a dig into the history of the planet;s landmarks in immersive 3D. Developed in collaboration with NASAand MIT[31].

Personal life

Lee is openly gay.[32]

gollark: How do you coordinate that?! They can't do that in countries with comparatively bad tech and much less land area/cultural variation/whatever.
gollark: With one world government this would not be possible unless it had strong devolution.
gollark: Additionally: normally, governments do somewhat different things, and we can use that to determine which things are better (very noisily).
gollark: If the one world government turns apioform there is nothing much you can do about it.
gollark: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

References
  1. de la Fuente, Anna Marie (October 10, 2018). "Univision Alum Isaac Lee Launches Exile Content (EXCLUSIVE)". variety.
  2. Univision Promotes Isaac Lee To Chief News, Entertainment & Digital Officer - Deadline.com
  3. Fuente, Anna Marie de la (2018-07-17). "Isaac Lee Exits as Content Chief for Univision and Televisa, Sets Production Venture (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2018-08-09.
  4. http://www.isaacleepossin.com/Biography/
  5. Edgecliffe-Johnson, Andrew (April 12, 2013). "Univision of the Future". Financial Times.
  6. "Timeline of Colombian history - Wikipedia". wikipedia.nd.ax. Retrieved 2020-05-12.
  7. Isaac Lee, President of News | Univision Executive Management
  8. ABC News, Univision Announce Multiplatform Plan - ABC News
  9. ABC and Univision Announce New Cable Network 'Fusion' Will Launch Later in 2013
  10. Univision bets big on news - Entertainment News, Weekly, Media - Variety
  11. Univision News Investigation Into Operation Fast and Furious; New Weapons Revealed - ABC News
  12. Congress Notes Iranian Threat in Latin America
  13. Univision Communications Inc. Launches New Los Angeles Based Development and Production Unit
  14. 72nd Annual Peabody Awards: Complete List of Winners Archived 2013-05-18 at the Wayback Machine
  15. Investigative Reporters and Editors - 2012 IRE Award winners
  16. 2013 Gracie Awards Winners Archived 2013-09-21 at the Wayback Machine
  17. Cronkite Award 2013 Winners Announced
  18. Univision Promotes Digital Execs
  19. Univision buys African-American news site The Root
  20. Univision Promotes Isaac Lee to Chief News and Digital Officer in Multicultural Content Push
  21. AP names three new directors, re-elects another at annual meeting - Associated Press
  22. David Axelrod on His Move to the University of Chicago - Chicago magazine - February 2013
  23. Board and Advisors - ProPublica
  24. "Hirshhorn Elects Four New Trustees and Announces Record-Setting Fundraising Year | East City Art". www.eastcityart.com. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
  25. "Isaac Lee on IMDB". IMDB. imdb.com. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  26. Padgett, Tim (2008-03-11). "Breaking News, Analysis, Politics, Blogs, News Photos, Video, Tech Reviews". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 2020-05-12.
  27. "WHEN LAMBS BECOME LIONS". WHEN LAMBS BECOME LIONS. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
  28. "Univision and Televisa's chief of content, Isaac Lee, steps down". Los Angeles Times. 2018-07-17. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
  29. "Operation Checkmate" (2010) - Full cast and crew
  30. Leland, John (2020-02-06). "Who Really Killed Malcolm X?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-05-14.
  31. July 2017, Sarah Lewin 31. "Mars 2030: What It Was Like to Explore the Red Planet in Virtual Reality". Space.com. Retrieved 2020-05-12.
  32. Morales, Ed. "The New Wave of Latin TV: Inside the Fusion Network". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
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