A Little Bit About Me

I spent twenty years in newsrooms and in the field reporting on everything from local news to national political campaigns to international conflicts. Working a 15-hour day was the norm. I went weeks without showering in an African war zone. I peed in front of a squadron of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan. (My fun fact: Tina Fey portrayed me in that scene in Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot!)  And I traveled around Baghdad in up-armored Humvees and Blackhawk helicopters. My stories aired on CNN, MSNBC and the Fox News Channel.

Some of my life’s most meaningful experiences have come from the privilege of telling other people’s stories. I am someone who loves to feel. I crave emotion and drama. For me, war reporting is perfect. Working on deadline is heaven. There’s so much pressure, so much tension. You live a lot in a short amount of time. And then you get to start over and do it again. It’s an honor, a sacred space.

I left the newsroom for the classroom when I had my son and joined the faculty of Columbia University, where I became the Director of Video Journalism. I developed the broadcast news curriculum and taught students the full spectrum of reporting on-camera and producing behind the scenes. I also taught at New York University.