Chris Hammond
Director of Audience Growth & Engagement
Chris thinks healthy communities take shape gradually through shared understanding, repeated interactions, and trust built over time.
That belief drives his work. He sees local journalism as something people should be able to return to again and again, not just to stay informed, but to feel more grounded, more capable, and more connected to the place they call home.
As Lookout’s Director of Audience Growth & Engagement, he draws on nearly twenty years of experience with digital-first, community-minded organizations, helping them expand reach, deepen participation, and sustain ambitious reporting. He has led campaigns across email, social, partnerships, and events, pairing enterprising journalism with thoughtful growth tactics so essential stories reach the people they are meant to serve.
Chris spent a decade leading marketing for a major Oregon newsroom as it navigated the shift from print to digital, increasing reader engagement and building trade and community partnerships that opened new revenue lines. Earlier roles in public-interest communications and campaigns reinforced his view that reliable local information is part of a functioning democracy, not a niche product.
​At Lookout, he focuses on building and refining the approaches that connect local readers with thorough, disciplined reporting and useful products across markets, always asking whether the numbers reflect real value. His work lives at the crossroads of analytics, storytelling, and community life, aiming to earn not just quick clicks but lasting loyalty from members, marketers, and civic partners.
A fourth-generation Oregonian, Chris resets by hiking and camping under tall, old trees and spending unhurried, offline time with his family and life-long friends.