Speakers included:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Steve Warmbir, Editor-in-Chief of the Chicago Sun-Times<\/a><\/li>\n
- Alexis Rogers of WISH-TV<\/a> in Indianapolis<\/li>\n
- JJ Green, host of WTOP\u2019s Target USA podcast<\/a><\/li>\n
- Claude Marx, senior reporter at FTCWatch<\/a><\/li>\n
- Hugo Balta, associate editor of The Chicago Reporter\u00a0<\/a><\/li>\n
- Kathleen Hunter, morning editor for Bloomberg DC<\/a><\/li>\n
- Michael Mishak, senior editor at Pro Publica<\/a><\/li>\n
- Kelly McBride, public editor at NPR<\/a><\/li>\n
- Nick Munson, Director of Communications at Marymount University<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"Steve](\"https:\/\/marymount.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Warmbir-300.jpg\")
<\/p>\nSteve Warmbir<\/strong>\u00a0of the Chicago Sun-Times, speaking via Zoom, gave students advice about how to get interviews with elusive sources and answered questions about what skills and qualities make a good journalist.<\/p>\n
Curiosity about the world is critical for being a reporter, he explained. \u201cYou get paid to find stuff out.\u201d<\/p>\n
He discussed his love for plunging into documents and history, and figuring out how things are supposed to work \u2013 then talking to people about how things actually work. \u201cUsually the difference is a story or multiple stories.\u201d<\/p>\n
A passion or borderline obsession for accuracy is also a critical skill for a journalist, he said. \u201cEither you get it right or eventually you go home. Our credibility is on the line all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Alexis](\"https:\/\/marymount.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Rogers-300.jpg\")
<\/p>\nAlexis Rogers<\/strong>, a Murrow and multi-Emmy award-winning storyteller at WISH-TV in Indianapolis, told students that being a journalist is \u201clike you get a backstage pass to life.\u201d Sources are \u201ckind enough to let us in, in their broken moment.\u201d She described a family\u2019s decision to donate the organs of a deceased child, and said \u201ctheir broken moment ended up helping a lot of people.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rogers also recounted experiences as a KATV<\/a> reporter in Arkansas, including when she encountered the Ku Klux Klan in 2014. They followed her to a gas station during a reporting assignment outside Little Rock, and quizzed her about her presence there. She also said she was \u201ccalled the N-word by people I was trying to cover.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first time, it is a little paralyzing,\u201d Rogers explained.<\/p>\n
Rogers\u00a0anchors the evening newscast\u00a0in Indianapolis and is the\u00a0founder of Lisa\u2019s Girls, a mentoring program for young women. She began her broadcasting career as an anchor and reporter at KOMU<\/a> in Columbia, Mo. Later, in Cincinnati, Rogers helped create and anchor a news magazine show, Let\u2019s Talk Cincy<\/a>.<\/p>\n
![\"WTOP\u2019s](\"https:\/\/marymount.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Green-300.jpg\")
<\/p>\nWTOP\u2019s\u00a0JJ Green<\/strong>\u00a0told students in Broadcast Writing & Delivery that America suffered a \u201cheart attack\u201d\u00a0on January 6, when rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol. Green, a national security correspondent for WTOP, also recounted the September 11 terrorist attacks and discussed the military withdrawal from Afghanistan.<\/p>\n
Green, speaking via Zoom, advised students about creating a varied news diet for themselves, including sources of information they disagree with. He told students about journalists he knew personally who risked their lives to deliver news.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can never stop trying to help people as journalists, and we can help people by reporting on their situations,\u201d Green said.<\/p>\n
![\"Claude](\"https:\/\/marymount.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Marx-300.jpg\")
<\/p>\nClaude Marx,<\/strong>\u00a0a senior reporter at FTCWatch, talked to the Contemporary Journalism class in person about how to prepare for a journalism career \u2013 which, he says, starts with reading and writing as much as you can.<\/p>\n
He advised students to find out what their passions are, be curious and \u201cdon\u2019t be afraid to ask questions. Sometimes ask the obvious question. Try to get people to go beyond their talking points.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marx has written about implications of certain mergers on consumers, the regulation of advertising and attempts by Congress to overhaul the patent system. As the Washington reporter for Credit Union Times<\/a>, he also wrote about the impact of legislation and regulations on community banks and credit unions. Earlier, as a political reporter for the Associated Press<\/a>, he wrote about economic policy and politics for Investor\u2019s Business Daily<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Marx also described an interview he had with then-Governor of Arkansas, William Clinton. After Marx\u2019s car broke down, he asked the governor\u2019s staff for a ride back to town and was offered a seat in the governor\u2019s limo. \u201cNever hurts to ask,\u201d Marx said.<\/p>\n
![\"Hugo](\"https:\/\/marymount.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Balta-300.jpg\")
<\/p>\nHugo Balta,<\/strong>\u00a0associate editor for The Chicago Reporter, spoke to the Contemporary Journalism class on behalf of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ)<\/a>. Balta previously held news manager positions at outlets like MSNBC<\/a>, ESPN<\/a>, WCBS<\/a> and Telemundo New York<\/a>. He also was news director at Chicago PBS station WTTW-Channel 11<\/a>, executive producer of the weeknight newscast \u201cChicago Tonight\u201d and host of the weekly \u201cChicago Tonight: Latino Voices\u201d before being placed on administrative leave and exiting the company.<\/p>\n
Balta talked to students via Zoom about his career path and the values of transparency and fairness in reporting. He offered information about how to connect with NAHJ.<\/p>\n
![\"Bloomberg\u2019s](\"https:\/\/marymount.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Hunter-300.jpg\")
<\/p>\nBloomberg\u2019s\u00a0Kathleen Hunter<\/strong>\u00a0spoke to the Broadcast class via Zoom from London, giving students an example of how to turn a print story into broadcast-style writing. She also advised students about using \u201cpower words,\u201d and gave tips on how to prepare to talk on TV about a story. She said she tries to quickly summarize what the conflict is in the story, and then makes three points about it.<\/p>\n
Hunter shared with students \u201cthe best advice I ever got when I started doing radio and TV,\u201d which was, \u201cYou don\u2019t actually have to answer the question that you\u2019re asked. You can answer the question that you want to answer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was always nervous I\u2019d be caught not knowing the answer to the question, like \u2018how many House members are there from Michigan?\u2019 and I would just go blank and not remember the answer,\u201d Hunter said. \u201cYou can kind of reframe the question in your answer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hunter advised students to raise their hands and volunteer for broadcast opportunities whenever possible. Earlier in her career, she worked for Roll Call<\/a> and Congressional Quarterly, and would frequently be called as a guest on TV programs, which eventually led her to broadcast positions on Bloomberg TV<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have two radio hits and two TV hits\u00a0tomorrow morning, and all of these are for European audiences,\u201d Hunter said.<\/p>\n
![\"Michael](\"https:\/\/marymount.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Mishak-300.jpg\")
<\/p>\nMichael Mishak<\/strong>\u00a0of Pro Publica spoke via Zoom\u00a0to the Contemporary Journalism class about investigative reporting. He currently oversees his outlet\u2019s Local Reporting Network, an initiative to support investigative journalism at local and regional newsrooms across the country.<\/p>\n
Previously, he was deputy editor of Newsweek<\/a> and an investigative reporter at the Center for Public Integrity<\/a>, where his work examining the financial ties between state insurance commissioners and the companies they regulate was a finalist for a Gerald Loeb Award. Mishak has also worked as a staff writer for the Las Vegas Sun, Associated Press, National Journal<\/a> and Los Angeles Times<\/a>, and is a co-director of Princeton University\u2019s Summer Journalism Program<\/a>, an annual journalism and college admissions initiative for low-income high school students.<\/p>\n
![\"Kelly](\"https:\/\/marymount.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/McBride-300.jpg\")
<\/p>\nKelly McBride<\/strong>, NPR\u2019s public editor, talked to the Broadcast Writing & Delivery class via Zoom. Since 2002, she has been on the faculty of The Poynter Institute<\/a>, a global nonprofit dedicated to excellence in journalism, where she now serves as its senior vice president. She is also the chair of the Craig Newmark Center for Ethics and Leadership<\/a> at Poynter, which advances the quality of journalism and improves fact-based expression by training journalists and working with news organizations to hone and adopt meaningful and transparent ethics practices.<\/p>\n
McBride was appointed as NPR\u2019s Public Editor in April 2020 as the result of a new partnership between NPR and Poynter. Her role is supported by researchers and editors from both organizations, significantly expanding her ability to respond to audience concerns and suggestions.<\/p>\n
![\"Nick](\"https:\/\/marymount.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Munson-300.jpg\")
<\/p>\nNick Munson<\/strong>, Marymount\u2019s Director of Communications, also talked to Contemporary Journalism students about his earlier life as a broadcast journalist in Hagerstown, Md. Over a five-year period, he served in a variety of roles at WDVM-TV<\/a> (formerly WHAG-TV) that included web producer, multimedia journalist and morning news anchor, before his tenure culminated through newsroom leadership in the position of Assistant News Director & Executive Producer. At Marymount, he now develops and implements a comprehensive communications strategy for the institution while overseeing external communication, media relations, content generation, photography and videography, social media strategy, speechwriting and internal communications for the Office of the President.<\/p>\n
\u201cI miss the excitement of that field sometimes, but it\u2019s good to try something else as well,\u201d Munson said. \u201cFortunately, the skills I have gained through my journalism education and my broadcast news experience are highly versatile and can be applied to many different career fields, such as communications and public relations.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also answered student questions for stories they planned to pitch to The Banner<\/a>, Marymount\u2019s student-produced newspaper.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A variety of professional journalists from print, television and digital news outlets made appearances this semester in the University\u2019s Contemporary Journalism and Broadcast Writing & Delivery courses, both taught by Professor Kathleen Murphy Nee, to share their advice and expertise with Marymount students. Speakers included: Steve Warmbir, Editor-in-Chief of the Chicago Sun-Times Alexis Rogers […]<\/p>\n
- Alexis Rogers of WISH-TV<\/a> in Indianapolis<\/li>\n