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Alumna Spotlight: Keysha Lee (ABJ ’97)

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Keysha Lee (ABJ ’97) is an award-winning broadcast video production instructer, former 40 Under 40 honoree and proud Bulldog. Since earning her degree from the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, Keysha’s career has led her to places she never imagined, including covering the story of a dying man whose last wish was to take his wife to the Masters Tournament, reporting live from the Greensboro Airport following the September 11th attacks and interviewng living legends at the reenactment of the Selma to Montgomery March. After working in three television markets, Keysha made the transition to teaching, a job that combines her two passions: broadcasting and working with students to help them realize their dreams.

With assistance from an all-student production crew, Keysha stars in her own television show, “Lessons with Mrs. Lee.” She interviews exceptional guests who share life lessons and career tips. Her first guest was Connie Seacrest, mother of media mogul, American Idol host and former UGA student Ryan Seacrest. Other notable guests have included:

— Judge Glenda Hatchett of the Emmy-nominated show Judge Hatchett

— IronE Singleton (AB ’98) from AMC’s hit show The Walking Dead

— Artist/musician Eshe from the 90’s group Arrested Development

The show’s audience is students in grades 6-12, parents, teachers and community leaders. It gives students an opportunity to gain production skills, practice interviewing techniques, and experience a professional work environment. Watch past episodes of the show.

When not teaching, Keysha shares her broadcasting expertise across the Southeast at a variety of teaching and speaking engagements.

Alumna Spotlight: Amy Robach (ABJ ’95) receives Distinguished Achievement Award from UGA

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Amy RobachJournalist Amy Robach received the Distinguished Achievement in Broadcasting and Cable Award from the University of Georgia Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication’s national broadcast society, DiGamma Kappa.

The award was presented on January 23 at DiGamma Kappa’s annual awards banquet at the Richard B. Russell Building Special Collections Libraries.

Robach, a 1995 Grady graduate, serves as the news anchor for “Good Morning America” on ABC.

“Amy follows an American and Grady tradition of news anchors who are also great journalists, who care about what they report and how their stories influence audiences,” said David Hazinski, an associate professor in the Grady College and one of Robach’s instructors when she was in school. “They insist that information is factual and balanced. We’re proud to have her as an influential graduate.”

Since joining ABC News in 2012, Robach has traveled nationally and internationally to cover major news events ranging from the campaign to free captive school girls in Africa and reporting on the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, to covering the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia. She has also anchored “ABC News” and “20/20” on multiple occasions.

Prior to joining ABC, Robach worked at NBC News as the co-anchor of Saturday TODAY and an NBC national news correspondent. She was an anchor for MSNBC from 2003 to 2007 following her start at local news stations WTTG in Washington, D.C., and WCBD in Charleston, South Carolina.

Robach was last in Athens in October when she was the featured speaker for the Suits and Sneakers fundraiser, which generates awareness and funds for the American Cancer Society, a cause of special significance since she fought her own battle with breast cancer in 2013.

The Distinguished Achievement in Broadcasting and Cable Award is presented by DiGamma Kappa and co-sponsored by the Georgia Association of Broadcasters and Grady. Previous winners include Steve Koonin (M ’79), Gale Anne Hurd and Monica Pearson (MA ’14).

View more photos from the awards banquet.

Source

Alumna Spotlight: Brooke Anderson (ABJ ’00)

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Brooke AndersonInterviewing celebrities on the red carpet, attending prestigious award ceremonies and covering movie premieres – it’s all in a day’s work for Bulldog Brooke Anderson (ABJ ’00), who is a correspondant for “Entertainment Tonight.” After studying Broadcast Journalism at UGA, Brooke worked her way up the ranks at CNN, eventually becoming co-anchor of HLN’s “Showbiz Tonight,” before heading to “The Insider” and eventually landing her current position at “Entertainment Tonight.”

Brooke describes her professional journey:

I had no intention of working in front of the camera at CNN. My goal was to become the best writer and producer I could be. I really enjoy the creativity inherent in those aspects of the job. I worked in general news and hard news initially and worked my way from VJ to production assistant to associate producer to associate writer to writer. I was deeply affected by 9/11 and the death and heartache associated with that tragedy. Soon after, I pursued something lighter—the entertainment side of news! I have always been a fan of film, TV, music, and theater, so I thought it was be a good fit! I worked as an entertainment writer/producer/booker and one day the president of the network asked me to fill in for the correspondent I produced for because she was sick. After she took a job at E!, I was offered the position of correspondent while initially writing, producing, and booking for myself, and ultimately I also became co-anchor of HLN’s “Showbiz Tonight”.

An award winning journalist, mother, full time correspondent and avid blogger, Anderson provdes hard work and Bulldog Spirit can take you anywhere in life.

Source: The Every Girl

UGA alumna explores success of minorities in media

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Tracie-PowellAfter earning her degree from UGA’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, Tracie Powell (ABJ ’93) spent years working in newspaper ad sales and circulation, including a stint in Detroit during the 1995 Detroit Newspaper Strike. Eventually, Tracie realized she belonged in the newsroom, not out on the street pushing ad sales.

She launched All Digitocracy in 2013. The site delivers national and international news and information on technology, policy and politics and how communities access information.

Currently, All Digitocracy is trying to raise money to produce a series of video interviews titled “How’d You Get That (Media) Job?” It will focus on women and journalists of color explaining how they got to where they are in their careers.

During an interview with Poynter, Tracie said “One of the things I hear constantly from journalists of color is they don’t understand how you get from Point A to Point B.” Hopefully, this new video series will help solve this problem.

Powell was inspired to create the series after interning with Cox Media’s Washington bureau, where she witnessed the career success of TV One host Roland S. Martin, the series’ first subject.

“I saw how he took off in his career, and others don’t have the benefit of that knowledge,” said Powell. She hopes the interview series will help to share such knowledge with a larger audience.

The UGA Alumni Association wishes Tracie the best of luck on her newest endeavor!

Learn more about “How’d You Get That (Media) Job?” and watch the first video.