Media Summit participants to virtually visit classes, offer career connections

While this year's Lewis B. O'Donnell Media Summit will take place virtually, a team of media all-stars and talented alumni in the business will still connect with classes and inviduals throughout the day on Wednesday, Oct. 28.

The virtual summit panel discussion from 3:30 to 5 p.m., will discuss “On the Front Lines with the First Amendment.” Audience members can access the discussion at this Zoom link, and there will be an attendance tracker at the end of the panel for students to log their attendance.

Panelists will include Connie Schultz, a Pulitzer-Prize winning, nationally syndicated columnist with Creators Syndicate; Oswego alumna Michelle Garcia, editorial manager of NBC News’ NBC BLK, which which tells stories by, for and about the Black community; Bret Jaspers, politics reporter for KERA Public Media in Dallas-Fort Worth; Steve Brown, investigative reporter at WGRZ in Buffalo; and Ava Lubell, a Legal Fellow at the Cornell Law School First Amendment Clinic. Communication studies faculty member Michael Riecke will serve as moderator.

Breakout Sessions are scheduled for the day, running for an hour at most, some coinciding with classes but all are open to any interested individuals. They will include:

10 a.m.: Broadcast Journalism with Steve Brown: https://zoom.us/j/92752843773
11 a.m.: Digital Journalism with Michelle Garcia: https://zoom.us/j/96990045943
11 a.m.: Pop Culture in the Media with Justin Dobrow and Omy Melo: https://zoom.us/j/93396602282
Noon: Journalism and the Law with Steve Brown and Ava Lubell: https://zoom.us/j/97492591389
1 p.m.: Women in the Media with Stephanie Herbert and Michelle Garcia: https://zoom.us/j/96603771462
1 p.m.: WTOP Alumni with Allif Karmin and Justin Dobrow: https://zoom.us/j/91344096832
1 p.m.: A Conversation with Connie Schultz: https://zoom.us/j/93250790979
1 p.m.: Media Law with Ava Lubell: https://zoom.us/j/95753921011

From 5 to 6 p.m., a group of Career Connectors -- recent alumni working in the industry -- will be available for one-on-one discussions with current students to offer helpful tips, answers, insight and more. Participants include:

Natalie Brophy '17, a reporter for Gannett/USA Today Network: https://zoom.us/j/96538657769
Imani Cruz '17, talent and development, MTV Networks: https://zoom.us/j/92790943936
Justin Dobrow '17, program operations manager, Peacock for NBCUniversal Media: https://zoom.us/j/96128911654
Stephanie Herbert '18, media director for MOST (Museum of Science and Technology) in Syracuse: https://zoom.us/j/94102691519
Allif Karim '18, sports director for WDVM-TV in Maryland: https://zoom.us/j/91619678448
Omy Melo '14, junior editor at Nickelodeon: https://zoom.us/j/93814725328

Louis A. Borrelli Jr., a pioneer in cable television, online media and broadcast production services and a 1977 Oswego graduate, made a founding gift for the media summit in 2005. Two years later, 1976 graduate Al Roker, the national weather anchor and co-host of the third hour of NBC's "Today" show, provided additional funding to rename the summit in memory of longtime professor Dr. Lewis B. O'Donnell, a seminal figure in the college experiences of Borrelli, Roker and many others.

The annual School of Communication, Media and the Arts highlight is organized by a student team with journalism faculty member Brian Moritz serving as advisor.

For more information, visit www.mediasummit.org.