Laura Fitzgerald

Guest Questions
Bridget Clegg
1. What skills did you learn while working on TV that are transferrable to digital and online
media?
2. You landed a job in NYC right after graduation. How did you come into the position at
your first job with Katie Brown workshop? What advice would you give to Miami
students who prefer a first job outside of Ohio after graduation?
Elizabeth Jenson, Ombudsman/Public Editor, NPR
1. How do you filter through all the replies NPR receives and pick which ones to comment
on or include in your articles?
2. After reading NPRs Staff Diversity Numbers, Updated, what are some additional steps
that NPR can take in creating diversity in its staff and sources?
Stephen Colbert, CBS
1. How do you deal with competition from other late night talk shows?
2. Do you have a hand in booking your guests or does CBS do it for you?
3. Where do you get inspiration for your material? Do ever hit writers block when youre
preparing your material?
John Terret, correspondent for Al Jazeera
1. What are some similarities and differences between American and British media? Do you
prefer one over the other? Why?
2. What are some similarities and differences when reporting for television versus reporting
for print/online media?
Saundra Thomas, VP of community engagement for WABC
1. Are there any parallels between being a writer and producer for W-ABC and in
community engagement?
2. WABC as a station has an impressive social media presence. How do you use social
media in your position?
Alex Blumberg, co-founder and CEO of Gimlet Media
1. What do you think has contributed the most to the success of Gimlet Media and the
podcast Startup?
2. Do you think podcasting will ever grow into a medium as large and legitimate as
traditional news media like television and online/print?
Jane Frye, Audience Engagement/Social Media, ABC
1. What day-to-day tasks do you complete working social media and audience engagement
for ABC?

2. The View caters to demographic of married women, who can be an older demographic.
How do you engage with a demographic that isnt as attuned to social media as a younger
generation would be?
The Book of Mormon
1. The show obviously pokes fun at a religion that millions of people follow and which
mean a lot to those people. How much can you make fun of a serious religion? What is
the line between playful fun and outright offensive?
2. Not to say the play is racist against Africans, having not seen it yet, but should satirical
plays avoid racial stereotyping in order to not be racist, or would that detract from the
comedy?
9/11 Museum
1. How do you highlight the rise of Al-Qaeda and terrorism without invoking racial and
religious hostility against Arabs and Muslims?
2. Is it right to charge admission for a memorial and commemorate it with a gift shop? Does
making it into a tourist attraction dishonor the memory of those killed?
Cassie Carothers, managing editor of Yahoo food
1. What is the work atmosphere like in hard news versus lifestyle reporting?
2. Do you have any projects on the table to create innovation in Yahoo food?
Melissa Knific, associate food editor at Family Circle
1. How do you manage to also be a freelance journalist for The Telegraph in the UK? Do
you travel for that? How do you balance your responsibilities at Family Circle and at the
Telegraph?
2. How do you cater to a generation of women that are working outside the home and may
be short on time?
Larry Wilmore, Comedian for the Nightly Showing
1. How do you create comedy around African Americans without being outright racist or
draw criticism for being racial insensitive, especially being an African American
yourself?
2. How has the transition been from mostly being behind the camera writing to being in
front of the camera?
Taylor Dolven, Vice reporter
1. How do you target millennials in your programming for Vice?
2. What is your favorite issue to research in Latin America?
Gerri Willis, news anchor and financial reporter, Fox
1. What factors contributed to the cancellation of the Willis report?
2. What steps did you take to land your own segment, the Willis report?

Trevor Noah, comedian

1. What are some differences between media and comedy in South Africa and America?
2. How do deal with criticism for being racially insensitive, especially being black African
yourself?
Bill Hemmer, Fox News anchor
1. How is the work atmosphere different between CNN and Fox? Similar?
2. What prompted you to make the switch from sports journalism in Cincinnati to being a
correspondent for CNN?
3. What changes have you seen in the broadcast news industry since you started your career
in broadcast journalism?
Jenna Pirog, Virtual Reality Editor/producer The New York Times
1. What was your most interesting experience traveling for The Displaced?
2. What prompted you to make the switch from National Geographic and the magazine
world to news media and The New York Times?
Danielle Pierre-Bravo, NBCUniversal producer
1. You received your degree in marketing and international studies, which is a versatile field
with hundreds of possibilities. What prompted you to pursue marketing in the news and
entertainment field?
2. What prompted you to join the NBC page program? How might your career have been
different had you not joined it?
Elaina Whal, Buzzfeed
1. How do you come up with ideas for your content?
2. Do you want your Youtube channel to stand alone or compliment your work at Buzzfeed?
3. Where do you see yourself working in the future?
Amanda Wolfe, digital director of fitness magazine
1. Have you always incorporated social media in your work? If not, when did social media
became a major tool of your professional work?
2. What do you think does the future look like for online journalism?
Gail Collins, op-ed NYT
1. What advice do you have for someone who wants to go into news media?
2. What is the work environment like at the New York Times versus the other New York
newsrooms you worked at?