In Columbia Journalism School’s Master of Science Program, students gain the fundamental skills that allow them to build successful careers in all areas of the profession - including broadcast news. Janelle Richards, a member of the Master of Science Program's Class of 2010, has led a distinguished career at NBC News since graduating from Columbia. She is currently a producer on NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt, where she has produced a range of breaking news stories, including coverage of the Pulse Orlando shooting, Hurricanes Irma and Florence, the Freddie Gray protests in Baltimore, and the Charleston church shooting. Richards has also produced stories about non-profit organizations across the country for NBC Nightly News’ “Making a Difference” series.
In the following Q&A, Richards discusses her student experience at Columbia, and her thoughts about the importance of journalism today.
What inspired you to apply to Columbia Journalism School?
I was an English major at Spelman College, and I actually always knew that I wanted to be a journalist, but the school did not have a journalism program. So I wanted to gain internship experience and learn as much as possible on-campus, but I knew graduate school would provide me with a strong skill set that I could take into the workplace. I ended up interning in Washington D.C. and Atlanta, and then I applied to Columbia and was really excited about the possibility of being able to report in New York City.
What was it like beginning your studies in the Master of Science Program?
I knew that Columbia was a fantastic school, but having the opportunity to report in a place like New York is a unique experience. Columbia throws you out the door right away - they're like, ‘Here's your camera equipment, here’s your neighborhood beat: learn it and shoot interviews and get on the subway.’ And, for the first two to three months, we learned New York really quickly because of that. But I also think that the characters and the culture and the foods and the sense of the city all contribute to your reporting. It's been really amazing to have that as my journalism foundation.
At Columbia, were any professors especially influential to you?
I started in the Reporting and Writing class, where Laura Muha and June Cross were my professors. I was so fortunate to have both of them as professors because they are truly exceptional. Beyond all they taught us about reporting and covering neighborhoods and stories, they also had office doors that were always open. I worked with Laura Muha, who was one of my master’s project advisors, throughout my year, and I was always in June Cross’ office asking questions and looking for advice and guidance and bouncing ideas off of her. And so both of them were really important to my journey through the school.
What were some of your reporting experiences at Columbia?
It was my first year in New York, and, even though I was living in Harlem, I had not had time to explore the neighborhood before school began. And so my reporting class gave me the opportunity to really explore the neighborhood through the lens of a journalist, and the things I discovered were central to the culture of Harlem, like Little Senegal, right on 116th street. Being able to build relationships with people in the community was a really special experience. There were these interesting character profiles that I got to work on all in my backyard.
The year I was at Columbia, there was also a really bad blizzard in New York. I remember that one of my close friends called me and said ‘Don't go into the building. We're going downtown to cover the storm.’ And I thought, ’What are we doing out here?' You know, everybody else was inside. And it was an early lesson about what they teach you at this school: when people run away from things, journalists run towards them. And it's not so different in my career now. When I got sent to cover Hurricane Florence and Hurricane Irma, it's that same kind of thought process of ‘Hey, can you get there? Can you cover it? What's the story?’ And I think that's something that you learn throughout your experience at Columbia and it really prepares you for the real world.
What was your master’s project about?
I ended up doing a digital masters project about the lives of Egyptian Halal street vendors with a partner. We uncovered the stories of people who make up this almost invisible fabric of New York. You don't know much about the lives of each and every vendor that you see. We profiled a vendor and went to Queens with him at 5:00 AM when he was pulling his truck out, and followed him to Midtown Manhattan near Times Square. And it was incredible to see how his business works. We had a few characters in the story, and one guy owned an entire garage where all of the vendors were pulling their trucks at the end of the night. It was inspiring to learn about these business owners and their hopes and dreams.
What drew you to broadcast journalism?
I've always loved television and thought that storytelling through a visual medium was so powerful. As is writing. I think Columbia does a fantastic job of explaining to students that, even if you want to work in television, your writing is critical. I like that producing for television gives us the ability to show an audience what we're describing, so they can see it for themselves. It allows an audience to react to a story and form their own opinion based on what they're watching. That's so important - to share a story intimately with a viewer or to take a place that's really far away and bring it into someone's home.
How did Columbia Journalism School prepare you to work in television news?
The way that Columbia News Tonight [a class now called Video Newsroom] was structured contributed to how quickly I was able to get up to speed in a real working newsroom. The structure of that class, where you go out and shoot packages and anchor and rotate roles, really parallels what it’s like to work in the evening news. The school does a great job of presenting the different roles it takes to put on the evening news.
What lessons from Columbia are most valuable to you today?
That the story is about the community that you are covering. I think keeping that perspective when you are reporting is really important. As a journalist, you are the vehicle to get this story out there and understand it and pull the right voices together, but you have to let people tell their own story. You are not the story. I think that's something that the best journalists get right.
Why do you think journalism is important at this critical time?
I think we're at a time where journalists are asking hard questions and they're getting the answers. From politics to the Black Lives Matter movement to a global pandemic, journalists are on the front lines.
When you think about communities of color, for so long, there have been many stories that we've wanted to tell. When you have journalists that look like you who are reporting on that community, it makes a difference and it does become personal. We all want to make sure that we're reporting these stories in a way that is fair and accurate. But you also have journalists across the country who are dedicated to pushing for these stories in their newsrooms. We know that these stories deserve to be told. And they aren't afraid to travel and go to the scene and make sure that they're talking to the people at the heart of the story. I think having journalists with that kind of dedication and drive and determination is really important.
How would you describe the Columbia Journalism School alumni community?
It's amazing to know that there are others who are as passionate as you are about telling stories about people in the U.S. and around the world. And I think that's what the alumni community is shaped around.
Interview by Soyeon Kim
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