Robert Niles

As the founder and editor of ThemeParkInsider.com, Robert Niles has been providing award-winning coverage of the themed amusement industry for more than a decade, while also establishing a new, community-focused model for the practice of journalism online.

Columnist Dan Gillmor called Robert's work on ThemeParkInsider.com "pathbreaking." New York University's Jay Rosen called Robert "a shrewd observer of online journalism" and Peter Preston of The Guardian newspaper in the United Kingdom called Robert "one of America's top media academics" for his work at the University of Southern California's Online Journalism Review.

Robert has conducted training on online publishing and reporting methods for the Knight Digital Media Center, WAN-IFRA, the American Press Institute, and the Orlando Sentinel. He also provides training on the use of math in news reporting, and has spoken on that topic to the American Copy Editors Society and the Association of Capitol Reporters and Editors. Robert's also appeared as a featured speaker at events for the James Beard Foundation, National Society of Newspaper Columnists, Online News Association, Public Relations Society of America, and Society of America Travel Writers.

Robert has worked on the staff of the Los Angeles Times, Rocky Mountain News, Omaha World-Herald and the Herald-Times of Bloomington, Indiana, in addition to his website and training work. (He worked as a cast member at the Walt Disney World Resort, as well, explaining his ongoing fascination with theme parks.) A native of Los Angeles, Robert lives in Pasadena, California, where his wife edits Violinist.com and his children attend the public schools.