Shani is the Editor in Chief of Civic News Company, where she oversees its three newsrooms – Chalkbeat, Votebeat, and Healthbeat. Prior to joining Civic News Company in 2024, she served as Managing Editor and Senior Vice President at the Los Angeles Times, where she was responsible for The Times’ efforts to expand its journalism. She also oversaw the Originals and Audio departments, working with those teams and other collaborators to sharpen The Times’ video and podcast strategies. She worked within the newsroom to cultivate ideas and create an environment where journalists could try new things, launch products, and pursue ways to engage subscribers and the community with their reporting. Under her leadership, the Los Angeles Times received its first Academy Award for the short documentary “The Last Repair Shop” in 2024.

Previously, Shani worked at BuzzFeed News as Vice President of News and Programming, Executive Editor, and Deputy Editor-in-Chief, where she oversaw the company’s news show programming and led efforts to diversify BuzzFeed News revenue. At BuzzFeed, she built and managed a U.S. news staff of more than 200 award-winning journalists reporting on tech, politics, national news, entertainment, and business coverage.

Shani began her career as an editor and reporter at outlets including NBC Washington, Washington City Paper, and the Center for American Progress. She grew up in California, and currently lives in Virginia with her two cats and beloved poodle. Shani graduated with a B.A. in Journalism from Howard University.