NPC Update-1 Podcast

The NPC's 2020 President Michael Freedman had the daunting challenge of leading the club during the coronavirus pandemic. In this edition of Update-1, Freedman discusses with Broadcast Podcast Committee member Irv Chapman how the club suspended all in-person services in March and then successfully pivoted to virtual newsmaker and headliner interviews, conducting more than 40 virtual events and in the process booking guests who normally would not have been available. He also talks about how the club's virtual inaugural this Saturday, when Lisa Matthews will be sworn-in as the 114th president, is also a charity event, and why maintaining the club's morale and membership during the pandemic have been top accomplishments.

National Press Club member Christy Bowe says she was in a "dangerous situation" when Trump supporters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6 realized she was a member of the media and began chanting insults directed at news organizations. In the second of a two-part series featuring journalists who were on duty that historic day, NPC Broadcast Podcast Committee member and American University assistant professor in communications Gemma Puglisi interviews Bowe, a photojournalist who was on the East side of the Capitol. She says she noticed the atmosphere becoming more intense as the size of the crowd swelled. She talks about losing her cellphone and then miraculously getting it back and calling people to find out what was going on. She discusses what she learned and offers advice to journalists covering protests and rallies.

The January 6 deadly siege on the U.S. Capitol endangered not only lawmakers but also journalists who were on duty for what turned out to be a direct attack on a hallowed democratic institution. In the first of a two-part series featuring journalists who were on the scene, NPC Broadcast Podcast Committee member and American University assistant professor in communications Gemma Puglisi interviews photojournalist and NPC member Cheriss May, who was working as a freelancer on that historic day.

Despite huge advances in communications technology, radio remains one of the most effective media--especially in developing countries. Radio can help farmers with better growing practices, encourage the use of clean water, and promote free elections. A nonprofit organization called Developing Radio Partners works to boost useful radio programming in poor countries. In the latest Update-1 podcast, Broadcast Podcast Committee member Tom Young speaks with the president and CEO of Developing Radio Partners, Chuck Rice.

Earlier this year the National Association of Broadcasters Leadership Foundation launched the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Resource Center, a website dedicated to helping media companies and industry professionals create and sustain a diverse and inclusive workplace. Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs are designed to help companies embrace unique perspectives and voices.  In this episode of Update-1, the NAB's Chief Diversity Officer and Leadership Foundation President Michelle Duke talks with Broadcast Podcast team member Sarah Dolezal about the role the NAB plays in improving DEI initiatives at radio and television stations and networks throughout the country. She discusses the "journey" that broadcast companies are on, the successes she has seen with their DEI efforts, and what organizations still have to do to impact change.

Local news across the U.S. continues to struggle as the pandemic adds to the financial losses that newspapers, radio stations and other media have suffered for years. With declining revenue from advertising and subscriptions, news outlets have resorted to cutting deeply into the personnel in their newsrooms. In this episode of Update-1, Broadcast Podcast team member Bill Loveless talks to Steve Waldman, the president and co-founder of Report for America, a nonprofit program that puts journalists into local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities. Report for America placed 226 reporters in 46 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico in 2020, and aims to increase that number to 1,000 by 2024. It will begin accepting applications for its 2021-22 class in December.  Steve crafted the plan for Report for America after authoring a Federal Communications Commission report “Information Needs of Communities,” which NPR described as “one of the most comprehensive overviews of the U.S. media ever produced.” An experienced entrepreneur, he co-founded the multi-faith religion website Beliefnet.com and LifePosts.com, a platform for online memorials. Earlier, he was national editor of U.S. News & World Report and national correspondent for Newsweek. Report for America is an initiative of The GroundTruth Project, an award-winning nonprofit media organization.

Every election cycle is rich in political communication with numerous lessons not just for ordinary voters, but also journalists and communicators. In this edition of Update-1, recorded while the final votes were still being tallied, NPC Broadcast/Podcast co-vice chair Adam Konowe speaks with American University School of Communications professor and History Affiliate professor Leonard Steinhorn. Steinhorn has published numerous books and articles on politics, race and other enduring issues. He currently serves as a political analyst for CBS Radio News and also has worked as a political consultant and speechwriter. This episode covers factors behind the rise of Donald Trump, his challenge by former Vice President Joe Biden, lessons from down-ballot races, and how disruption manifests itself in society well beyond politics.

The late actor Chadwick Boseman left a void not only in the entertainment industry but for many young people in the country. Boseman died from colon cancer in August at the age of 43.  In this edition of Update-1, Gemma Puglisi, a member of the National Press Club's Broadcast Podcast Committee, interviews Dr. Wayne Frederick,  the president of Howard University in Washington, D.C., Boseman's alma mater. Dr. Frederick, an oncologist, discusses Boseman's impact at Howard as well as his colon cancer diagnosis and the rise of the disease in young people. He also talks about the great commencement speech Boseman gave in 2018 at Howard and what the actor leaves behind.

The National Press Club’s 21st annual photo exhibit is on display virtually at https://technewslit.com/npc/photoex2020/. In this edition of Update-1, broadcast/podcast co-vice chair Adam Konowe spoke with photo team co-chair Alan Kotok about the evolution of the exhibit in a time of pandemic and social unrest. Konowe also interviewed two photographers whose work is part of this year’s exhibit. Dianne Stamm submitted two of her close-up photos of subjects in the Middle East: a female beggar in Jerusalem and a street vendor in Petra. Ron Hoffer’s four photographs on exhibit are a subset of 85 included in a new photo memoir, “From the Bronx to Berlin and Beyond.” Kotok hopes the online exhibit will return to the Club’s lobby once operational conditions permit.

As part of the National Press Club’s efforts to support the careers of future journalists, the club awards three annual scholarships to college students who plan to study journalism. Two of the awards, the Richard G. Zimmerman Journalism Scholarship and the Julie Schoo Award for Diversity in Journalism, are awarded to freshmen, while the Feldman Fellowship for Graduate Studies in Journalism is awarded to first year graduate students. In this episode of Update-1, NPC Broadcast Podcast member Sarah Dolezal interviews the co-chairs of the NPC Scholarship Awards Committee, Alicia Mundy and Gillian Rich. They discuss the competitive nature of the awards, the process of choosing a winner and the impact these awards have on the winners' careers.

President Dwight Eisenhower was in the White House during a transformational time, and his granddaughter says his goal was to unite the country with "middle road" ideas that would allow people to resolve their differences and compromise.  In this edition of Update-1, NPC Broadcast Podcast team member Irv Chapman talks to Susan Eisenhower about her latest book, "How Ike Lead." She discusses how the president always listened to dissenting points of view and took responsibility for his decisions.  She also talks about the closeness of her family allowing her to get to know her grandfather very well but also being taught to "compartmentalize" her relationship with him from his role as president. And she elaborates about her desire to become a journalist early in her career before her pivot into strategic communications. 

Retired Associated Press reporter Michael Graczyk may have witnessed more executions than any journalist in American history. Working at the AP’s Houston bureau, one of Graczyk’s assignments was to cover the Texas Department of Corrections. As part of his job, he witnessed hundreds of executions over his nearly 46-year AP career. In this edition of Update-1, Graczyk talks to NPC Broadcast Podcast member Shannon Fisher about the manner in which he approached his unique and heavy role as a reporter, sharing stories of his interactions with the families of the victims, the inmates and the loved ones of inmates who watched as the death penalty was carried out. 

Diane Foley, president and founder of the James Foley Legacy Foundation, discusses the mission and work of the organization started in memory of her son, James Foley, on this edition of Update-1. James Foley was a freelance correspondent, videographer, and conflict journalist covering the Syrian war when he was killed by ISIS in August of 2014, the first American citizen killed by the Islamic state.  Diane Foley also discusses the recent report released by the nonprofit on the state of hostages, those still missing, and the work ahead.  She also shares with Gemma Puglisi, a member of the National Press Club's broadcast team, the recent honorees of the Freedom Awards in memory of her son.

Trends in journalism education and in the profession have steadily changed over the last 10 years. One of the big changes is the increasing number of women who are pursuing degrees in mass media or communications. Their enrollment numbers have increased at both the undergraduate and graduate levels compared to male students. In this episode of Update-1, Dr. Tudor Vlad, the director of the James M. Cox Jr. Center for International Mass Communication Training and Research at the University of Georgia, discusses gender trends at colleges and universities and in the journalism profession with Broadcast/Podcast team member Sarah Dolezal. Dr. Vlad also highlights the challenges in reopening college campuses amid the coronavirus outbreak. Adjusting to online learning while balancing career aspirations is tricky for students studying mass media and communications, and remains a hot topic for staff, faculty, and industry experts.

The relationship between the United States and China is fast emerging as the number one American foreign policy priority. In this edition of Update-1, Broadcast Podcast Team member Lincoln Smith speaks with Dr. Jonathan Ward, an internationally recognized expert on Chinese Global Strategy. Earning his PhD at the University of Oxford and undergraduate degree at Columbia University, Dr. Ward is the founder of Atlas Organization, a Washington D.C. and New York-based consultancy. He has worked with the U.S. Department of Defense and American companies on China's long term strategy. In this interview, Dr. Ward discusses the state of press freedom in Hong Kong, China's objectives, how China intends to get what it wants and how the U.S. should respond.