nicole noren

Nicole Noren is a director, producer and multi-platform journalist who made more than 50 investigative reports and short documentaries for ESPN, and left in 2024 to pursue her own film projects. A recipient of six Emmys, two Edward R. Murrow Awards and a Peabody, Noren has reported extensively on education, health and social issues. Noren's 2023 debut feature-length investigative documentary, "LISTEN" has been viewed by over six million people on YouTube, was honored with three national reporting awards and is used by law enforcement officials and schools across the country as a training tool. In November 2024, Editor & Publisher (E&P) Magazine honored Noren's 2024 film, "The Walkout" with an EPPY Award for “Best Sports Video”. Her most recent film, "Missing at Sea" premiered at the Hot Springs Doc Film Festival in October and is now streaming on Disney+ and ESPN+. Noren started at ESPN as an entry-level production assistant, and in less than three years was tapped to line produce the award-winning news magazine show, Outside the Lines. She then evolved into being a pivotal member of the network's investigative unit as a director/producer/reporter/writer and was an early champion at the network for stories on mental health, gender-based violence, and LGBTQ athletes. Noren traveled the world covering stories for ESPN. From the remote Indonesian island of Sumbawa for a child labor story on young horse jockeys, to Turkey for the Emmy-nominated Enes Kanter feature in which Noren and Jeremy Schaap questioned government officials about allegations of human rights violations and treatment of the exiled former NBA player...to South Africa for the 2010 World Cup, where John Barr and Noren uncovered extensive human trafficking, a story for which the duo was honored with the Edward R. Murrow Award in video investigative reporting - a first for a sports entry. In addition to wearing many hats in development, in the field, and in post, Noren was very involved in the PR/marketing/execution/audience engagement plans for her projects and has a multi-platform mindset with 20+ years producing for digital, streaming, podcast and social platforms. A first-generation college graduate, Noren has spent her career amplifying underrepresented voices and producing high impact accountability journalism that effects change and raises awareness on crucial topics. An avid traveler, music lover and outdoor enthusiast, she once lived on a sailboat for a year, and can typically be found on a trail or at a concert.