Former Chief Digital Officer, Media Executive and Attorney
Atlanta, GA
David Payne is an attorney and award-winning digital media executive with a wide-range of operating experience in both large and small media companies.
Currently, David is the President/Executive Producer of Rainstream Media, a company he co-founded to produce investigative true crime podcasts. His current flagship series, “Somebody Somewhere,” was recognized as an Editor’s Choice on Spotify and has over 3.5M downloads to date.
Previously, David served in more traditional media executive roles, most recently as the Chief Digital Officer for Fortune 500 company Gannett Co., Inc., where he oversaw the company’s digital media strategy and led the digital product and technology groups. Originally trained as an attorney, David was a federal prosecutor before joining Turner Broadcasting, where he served as General Counsel for the Atlanta Braves, Hawks, and Thrashers. During his 15-year tenure at Turner, David made the transition from in-house counsel to heading up CNN Digital. During his DCI fellowship, David renewed his interest in criminal law, handling pro bono cases in association with the Stanford Three Strikes Project.
David and his wife Kathy Payne are the parents of two grown children. Kathy and David both attended Duke University for undergrad and law school. David is an avid outdoorsman, trekker, scuba diver, tennis player and swimmer, who is always up for a game, swim, or long walk.
DCI Partner: Kathy Payne