Panels- April 29, 2022 - April 30, 2022
Pandemic Pivots: How News Got Done (Virtual): Friday, April 29, 8:00 A.M. - 9:00 A.M. EDT
The pandemic led to an unprecedented situation where people were forced to work offsite, under circumstances that required a lot of modification and juggling, including dealing with mental health issues. What have been the greatest challenges of reporting during the pandemic? How did managers and reporters pivot?
Moderator: Ruth Michaelson '14 (@msrmichaelson), a journalist covering the Middle East whose written for The Guardian and other publications.
Panelists: Alan Goldstein ‘85 (@alanmgoldstein), senior editor in New York for Bloomberg Today, the global mobile news service for the Bloomberg Professional app, Barkha Dutt ‘98 (@BDUTT), the Founder and Editor of MojoStory, an independent digital media platform that reports on current affairs, and We The Women, a community festival for women to engage in conversations with and seek mentorship from one another, Heather Khalifa ‘18 (@khalifaheather), an Emmy-award winning photojournalist at the Philadelphia Inquirer, and Larry Madowo ‘20 (@LarryMadowo), a correspondent for CNN International in Africa who has reported several stories on vaccine inequality during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Taking Your J-School Skills To Other Careers (Virtual): Friday, April 29, 9:30 A.M.- 10:30 A.M. EDT
The skills we learned at the J-School - critical thinking, listening, communicating effectively, assessing facts, the ability to tell a pointed story - can be used outside newsrooms and in other careers.
Moderator: Fred Katayama '83
Panelists: Michael McAdoo ‘89, a Partner and Director for Global Trade and Investment at the Boston Consulting Group, Fred Katayama ‘83 (@freddiethekat), the Executive Vice President of the US-Japan Council, an organization that seeks to bolster the relationship between the two nations, Francine Parham ‘17 (@francineparham), the Founder and CEO of FrancineParham & Co., a professional development company that offers coaching and advice for career advancement, Alice Rhee ‘96, the Chief Global Partnerships and Communications Officer at the Skoll Foundation, an organization that invests in the work of social entrepreneurs in order to push for transformative social change, and Geoffrey Melada '14 (@GeoffreyMelada), director of communications for the Treatment Advocacy Center, a national mental health nonprofit headquartered in Arlington, VA.
Press Freedom and Democracy (Hybrid): Saturday, April 30, 10:00 A.M. - 11:30 A.M. EDT
With systemic threats to global press freedom, the very underpinning of democracy is being evaluated. There is a barrage of attacks on the very principles of democracy and the role of a free press, on uninhibited reporting, on reporters and a battle between the concept of fake news versus real news. Join this important discussion moderated by Professor Steve Coll.
Moderator: Steve Coll, Henry R. Luce Professor of Journalism.
Panelists: Malini Parthasarathy ‘82 (@MaliniP), chairperson of the Hindu Group, the publication company that oversees the publication of multiple newspapers in India, Gina Chua ‘88 (@GinaSKChua), recently named executive editor of a new media start up heralded by former Bloomberg Media, Justin Smith, and former New York Times media columnist, Ben Smith, Kimberly Atkins Stohr ‘01 (@KimElleen), a senior opinion writer and columnist at The Boston Globe, and lead columnist for The Emancipator, and Joel Simon, a research fellow at the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at the J-School.
Freelancing and the Gig Economy (Hybrid): Saturday, April 30, 2:00 P.M. - 3:00 P.M. EDT
A discussion on the changed landscape of journalism, freelancing and challenges of the gig economy.
Moderator: Jane Eisner '78 (@Jane_Eisner), director of academic affairs at the Columbia Journalism School.
Panelists: Sara Clemence ‘02 (@saraclemence), a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Bloomberg Businessweek, Vogue, Esquire, Fast Company, and many other publications, Anup Kaphle ‘08 (@anupkaphle), the executive editor at Rest of World, Alexis Clark ‘02 (@msabclark), an author and freelance journalist, and Melanie Eversley '88 (@MelanieEversley), who was named executive editor of the upcoming news organization, Black News & Views, in March.
Covering Climate Change (Hybrid): Saturday, April 30, 3:30 P.M. - 4:30 P.M. EDT
Climate change is systemic and global so how are news media responding? Are there lessons to be learned from covering the COVID-19 pandemic? What are the main operational and ethical questions that journalism is facing now in trying to cover the climate crisis adequately?
Moderator: Andrew Revkin '82 (@revkin), environmental journalist and founding director of a new Initiative on Communication and Sustainability at Columbia University's Earth Institute.
Panelists: Sarah Graham '01, a Senior Editor for Climate, at The New York Times, Justine Calma '15 (@JustCalma), a science reporter covering energy and the environment at Vox Media's The Verge, and Tik Root ‘17 (@tikroot), writer for The Washington Post, where he covers climate and climate solutions.
Hearst Lecture: Friday, April 29, 6:00 P.M. - 7:00 P.M. EDT
Speaker: Kevin Merida, executive editor of the Los Angeles Times.
2022 Alumni Award Winners
Please read our interviews with the 2022 Alumni Award Winners here, as well as the press release.
Alumni Weekend 2021:
Virtual Alumni Awards Ceremony - May 13, 2021, 5 p.m. EDT
On May 13th, our Virtual Alumni Awards Ceremony starts at 5 p.m. EDT. The honorees are Michelle Johnson '82, Donna Ladd '01, Natasha Lebedeva '94, Robert Fieseler '13 and Alexandra Bell '13. Read about them here.
Zoom Socials - May 13, 2021, 5:30 p.m. EDT
Right after the Awards ceremony, there will be three grouped Zoom socials. Check your inbox for details for your class!
Global Journalism Day - May 14, 2021
Our Global Day of Journalism as part of our Alumni Weekend will be held on Friday, May 14. We are excited for you to connect virtually with alumni in four locations across the globe. The local time for each of these is between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. You can join one or more meet-ups to connect with J-Schoolers!
Find links to register for our New Delhi, London, San Francisco & Washington D.C. zoned meetings in your April 15th email.