The Lead

As director of MediaWise at Poynter, Alex Mahadevan leads one of the world’s most influential digital media literacy projects, teaching journalists and audiences of all ages how to navigate a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence. His work goes beyond educating – it also allows them to learn how they can use the tools responsibly and ethically.  In this episode, Mahadevan talks abou...

Kelsey Russell, a Boston University grad now attending the Teachers College at Columbia University, is the host of the podcast 'Kronikled' and co-host of First Stop News. A self-proclaimed storyteller and advocate for print news, she has built a massive following on TikTok with the goal of educating viewers on news literacy. In this episode, Kelsey speaks to her journey as a non-journalist navigat...

Leigh Spann, a 2001 University of Georgia graduate built her career in broadcast meteorology across the southeast, from Macon, Georgia to Charleston, South Carolina before spending over 10 years in Tampa, Florida as a morning meteorologist. Today, she’s taken her experience to being a talent agent for broadcasters, getting her clients to exactly where they want to be.  In this episode, Spann share...

Mikaela Cohen is a reporter at HR Brew covering workplace strategy and trends at a moment when the future of work is evolving faster than ever. A proud University of Georgia alumna, she previously reported on workplace and business issues for CNBC.com, CNBC Make It, and AARP.org, approaching complex organizational challenges through an employee-first lens. In this episode of The Lead, Cohen joins...

Jennifer Duck has spent her career on both sides of the newsroom, first as a multimedia journalist covering the Bush and Obama campaigns, global politics and producer for Award-winning shows, and now as a journalism professor teaching students how to navigate truth in a digital, algorithm-driven world.  In this episode, Jennifer breaks down how social media distorts reality and why sensationalism...

John Bednarski, the longtime sports editor of the Marietta Daily Journal and the Cherokee Tribune. With 19 years at the helm of a local sports desk and a past presidency of the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE), John brings a wealth of wisdom on how to survive—and thrive—in the changing landscape of sports journalism. In this episode, John dives into the “bread and butter” of local news: high...

David Carson has been a staff photojournalist at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch since 2000 and covered events from New York City during 9/11, presidential debates and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. His photos are featured in the staff’s 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography and received a regional Emmy award in 2008. Most recently, he was a 2024-2025 John S. Knight journalism fellow at Sta...

Freelance photojournalist Valerie Plesch, based in Washington, D.C., has documented a range of topics, including politics, refugee resettlement and immigration, through her photos. Valerie also serves as vice president of Women Photojournalists of Washington, whose mission is to educate the public about the role of women-identifying visual journalists and cultivate their professional success. In t...

As editor in chief of the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Leroy Chapman Jr. sits at the top of the newsroom, overseeing every aspect of life in Georgia. Chapman began his political journalism career in his home state, South Carolina, before moving to Atlanta and working his way through several different roles at the AJC.  In this episode, Chapman discusses the future of the AJC, particularly their d...

Jenni Watts, executive producer at CNN International, took an unconventional path into journalism. Beginning as a philosophy major at Auburn before moving into radio and eventually television. Her work spans environmental, cultural and technology features, with a career defined by adaptability and curiosity rather than following a linear path.   In this episode, Watts reflects on how her early car...

Samira Jafari works at the intersection of timeliness and truth. As the head of standards and practices at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, she guides journalists in “bringing light, not heat” to ensure ethical codes are followed and truth prevails. With more than 20 years of experience producing news content across broadcast and digital platforms at CNN and the Associated Press, Jafari works to...

Drew Kann’s reporting has taken him to the critically dwindling Colorado River, the citrus farms of the rural South, and the nuclear reactors currently under construction in Georgia. While each story may focus on one geographic area, the core of Kann’s reporting lies in the environmental implications for the globe in its entirety. As a climate, environment and energy reporter at the Atlanta Journa...

Bill Ruthhart interacts with the next generation of journalists on a daily basis. As a writing coach and editor for Career Programs at The New York Times, Ruthhart guides 30 newsroom fellows into their development as impactful reporters and writers. Growing up in a family of journalists, he previously spent time covering politics and government at the Chicago Tribune and Indianapolis Star. Ruthhar...

Annie Campbell knew she didn’t want to pursue a career in hard news. When she graduated from the University of Georgia, the question that remained was how she could fuse her passions into a sustainable career path. Answering this question landed Campbell at Dotdash Meredith, where she is currently an Allrecipes associate editor. Campbell fuses her passion for food with content creation and storyte...

Olivia Wakim understands that every great meal tells a story. As a digital content producer on the food and dining team at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Wakim narrates the flavors and origins of the Atlanta culinary scene. Having graduated from the University of Georgia in 2023, she is already making her mark at a major news outlet, bringing a fresh perspective and digital-first mindset to foo...

When Anna Logan graduated, she never expected her future career would involve posing a duck for a kitchen shoot or outsmarting the weather to capture the perfect snowy home cover. As the senior homes and style editor at Country Living magazine, Logan has found herself in unlikely settings — yet, her appreciation for creativity and the little details has remained constant across her design and deco...

Matt Lindsay seeks to provide a new wave of revenue solutions to media publishers via innovative economic strategy. The founder and president of Mather Economics, he serves over 700 brands worldwide, including Hearst, The Wall Street Journal and CNBC, while managing over 6 billion dollars in revenue. Lindsay’s main goal is discovering new avenues for growth and profitability across print and digit...

Debora Wenger knows the power of a fact check. As a Google News Initiative trainer, she collaborates with journalists to fight misinformation while supporting digital transformation. At the University of Mississippi, she researches AI impacts on the future of news while serving as associate dean and professor in the School of Journalism and New Media. With 17 years of experience in broadcast news,...

Nicolle Praino began her career exploring stories beyond the surface to uncover the layers of her community. From Savannah’s WTOC to CNN’s The Row, Praino built a foundation in fact-driven, research-based narratives before entering her current roles — reporter at the Nashville Post and The News and managing editor at the Williamson Scene. With each new location, she developed relationship-building...

DeAnna Tisdale Johnson earned her master’s degree in vocal performance. Now, she uses her voice in a different way — to amplify her community’s stories and be the voice of Black Mississippians. The editor in chief and publisher of The Jackson Advocate, a Black and family-owned newspaper, Johnson is one of the youngest publishers in the history of Black newspapers. In this episode, we talk about a...

Carlo Finlay knew he wanted to work in sports from as early as he can remember. As the associate director for UGA’s Carmical Sports Media Institute , he leads students through hands-on experience in broadcast, digital content, media relations, reporting and more. In this episode, we talk about athletes’ presence on social media, landing a job post-grad, and how sports media will continue to evolve...

Joy Mayer serves as a specialized source of guidance for journalists and news organizations striving to reclaim the public’s trust. As the visionary behind Trusting News , she dedicates herself and her consulting project to leading newsrooms in transforming their reporting approach. Channeling her two decades of experience in journalism and academics, Mayer promotes an active cultivation of reliab...

In this season 16 bonus episode, outgoing host Jacqueline GaNun passes the mic to Alexis Derickson. Alexis tells us how she plans to use her previous journalism experience and what she hopes to learn — and bring to listeners — as host of The Lead.

Alex Crevar moved to the Balkans in the 1990s and has been reporting from there ever since. His vivid and insightful travel stories are published in outlets including The New York Times, National Geographic and Lonely Planet, but his focus isn’t on filling a résumé — it’s about traveling genuinely and responsibly. In this episode, Alex recalls how he fell into travel writing and why he’s been doin...

Alexandra Travis works to tell stories that have gone uncovered. As a documentary producer at Scripps News, she creates long-form, in-depth video journalism focusing especially on the experiences of Black people in the South. In this episode, Alexandra talks about what it feels like when she realizes there’s a story she can tell using video, why focusing on Black stories is important to her and ho...