Cronkite School lecture series to feature leading journalists, communicators

Top journalists and communicators from Bloomberg, CNBC, ESPN, Google and The Wall Street Journal are among those taking part in a spring lecture series at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.

This semester’s “Must See Mondays” lecture series covers topics such as health care, innovation, sports and underreported communities as well as major new initiatives at the Cronkite School.

The series kicks off Jan. 14 with a panel discussion about the latest virtual tools in journalism, led by students in the Cronkite School’s New Media Innovation and Entrepreneurship Lab. Later speakers include ESPN journalist Sarah Spain, Indian Country Today editor Mark Trahant and Jessica Yu, the Doodle team lead at Google.

This year’s lecture series also will feature a number of Cronkite graduates: 2009 alumna Bailey Mosier, an on-air personality at the Golf Channel; 2012 alumnus Dan Neligh, a producer at Bloomberg; Salvador Rodriguez, technology reporter at CNBC; Stephanie Snyder, an engagement consultant at Hearken; and Dustin Volz, a cybersecurity and intelligence reporter at The Wall Street Journal.

In March, Maud Beelman, the award-winning U.S. investigations editor for The Associated Press who is joining the Cronkite School as the founding executive editor of the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism, will be featured. She will discuss the new Scripps Howard Foundation-funded institute and its mission to develop the next generation of investigative journalists.

“Must See Mondays” ends on April 22 with a discussion about media coverage of health issues and a new program at the Cronkite School that will provide in-depth health coverage to underserved communities across the Southwest.

“‘Must See Mondays' is a chance for our students, faculty and the community to learn about key issues and trends in journalism and communication from top professionals and innovators,” said Cronkite School Dean and University Vice Provost Christopher Callahan. “We’re especially pleased this year to showcase so many of our own graduates who are making a difference in their fields.”

Since 2008, more than 270 lecturers and panelists have participated in the lecture series. They have included Pulitzer Prize-winning reporters, national and international news correspondents, public relations executives and media innovators and entrepreneurs. The talks start at 7 p.m. in the Cronkite School’s First Amendment Forum on the ASU Downtown Phoenix campus. They are free and open to the public.

Spring 2019 'Must See Mondays' schedule

Jan. 14: “Virtual Tools for Real News”

Retha Hill, director of the New Media Innovation and Entrepreneurship Lab, sits down with a panel of her students to discuss the latest virtual tools for news.

Jan. 28: “The News Desert Challenge”

Penelope Muse Abernathy, Knight Chair in Journalism and Digital Media Economics at the School of Media and Journalism at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, talks about America’s growing “news deserts” in a discussion moderated by Mi-Ai Parrish, the Sue Clark-Johnson Professor in Media Innovation and Leadership.

Feb. 4: “New Opportunities in Sports Journalism”

Bailey Mosier, an on-air personality at the Golf Channel who graduated from the Cronkite School in 2009, explores the growing opportunities in sports journalism with moderator Brett Kurland, director of Cronkite Sports Programs and the Cronkite News Phoenix Sports Bureau.

Feb. 11: “Covering the Uncovered: Native American Journalism”

Mark Trahant, editor of Indian Country Today, discusses the need for more news coverage in Indian Country in this talk moderated by Assistant Dean Rebecca Blatt.

Feb. 18: “Looking Back, Looking Forward: Downtown Devil and Career Paths”

Cronkite graduates from 2012 Dan Neligh, a producer at Bloomberg; Salvador Rodriguez, a technology reporter at CNBC; Stephanie Snyder, an engagement consultant at Hearken; and Dustin Volz, a cybersecurity and intelligence reporter at The Wall Street Journal, share their paths from the Downtown Devil to some of the country’s leading media organizations. The talk is moderated by Senior Associate Dean Kristin Gilger, Reynolds Professor in Business Journalism.

Feb. 25: “Women in Sports Media”

Sarah Spain, ESPN writer, radio host and TV personality, talks about the growth of women in sports media with moderator Paola Boivin, digital director of the Cronkite News Phoenix Sports Bureau.

March 11: “Investigative Reporting and the New Howard Center”

Maud Beelman, the founding executive editor of the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at the Cronkite School, discusses the state of investigative reporting and the new center with moderator Walter V. Robinson, Donald W. Reynolds Visiting Professor.

March 18: “The Young Researchers”

Assistant Professors Monica Chadha, Syed Ali Hussain, K. Hazel Kwon and Sada Reed examine the latest journalism and communications research and its impact on the profession with moderator Marianne Barrett, the Louise Solheim Professor.

March 25: “Borderlands: Reporting from Peru”

Southwest Borderlands Initiative Professor Rick Rodriguez moderates a discussion with Cronkite students working on an in-depth reporting project from Peru.

April 1: “Visual Storytelling in the Digital Age”

Jessica Yu, Doodle team lead at Google, discusses the company’s popular changes to the Google logo to celebrate holidays and the lives of newsmakers as well as the importance of visual storytelling in this talk moderated by Innovation Chief Eric Newton.

April 15: “Untold Stories Around the World”

Jenna Krajeski, a freelance journalist and writer whose work has appeared in The Atlantic, The New Yorker, The Nation and The New Republic, shares her experiences reporting from around the world in this talk moderated by Assistant Dean B. William Silcock, director of Cronkite Global Initiatives.

April 22: “Covering Health: A New Cronkite Professional Program”

Christina Leonard, executive editor of Cronkite News, moderates a discussion on health journalism with the new Robert Wood Johnson Professor in Healthcare Journalism.