The Lead

Ken Foskett recently retired from his role as a senior editor for investigations at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and he has no shortage of stories to tell. He led a reporting team that investigated open records violations in Atlanta, which led to the first-ever criminal investigation of open records violations in the state of Georgia. He managed to get an interview with Supreme Court Justice...

Max Blau is an investigative reporter covering health care, public health, and the environment for ProPublica's South unit, and during his career as a journalist, he has investigated people, corporations and government agencies that have caused harm in their communities. He joins this episode of The Lead to discuss the importance of being radically transparent and participatory during interviews,...

Alex Sujong Laughlin paved her own way into podcasting: while working in social media, she taught herself how to produce audio with her own podcast. She went on to create and host podcasts for some of the biggest news brands in the world, including The Washington Post, the New York Times, and Buzzfeed. She joins to talk about investing in your passions, the importance of having your name attached...

Dr. Karin Assmann has reported from Guantanamo Bay "three times" by her count. She's also convinced multiple CIA directors to interview with her. She joins today's episode to share her methods for getting an interview with the most hesitant sources, and shares why she became interested in studying newsrooms and working journalists. Guest: Karin Assmann, Ph. D., Assistant Professor of Journalism at...

How do you speak with sources who have recently been affected by a tragedy? How do you exceptionally report on a family's unique medical journey? Wayne Drash, the Cross Platform Managing Editor at Georgia Public Broadcasting News, answers in this episode.

What trends are we seeing in the culture and entertainment journalism industry? Is preparing for celebrity interviews different than preparing for interviews with sources who have had little to no media exposure? Freelance culture and entertainment reporter Jewel Wicker answers in this episode of The Lead. Plus, her methods for finding her writing voice and what she learned from her award-winning...

How do you find your personal audio voice, and what goes into great audio stories? Grace Walker, an Associate Producer at CNN Audio and a graduate of UGA’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, answers in this episode. Plus, how she unexpectedly came into audio storytelling from a background in digital reporting, and how the virtual workspace has changed the way she views collaborati...

How do you approach covering evictions, and how do you maintain the human connection with your sources? Tyler Estep from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has the answers in this episode. Plus, why it's important to have widespread county coverage, and his advice for people looking to break in to the journalism industry. 

What trends are we seeing in photojournalism today, and why is it important to study visual communication as a profession? Dr. Kyser Lough from the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication has the answers in this episode. Plus, a discussion on solutions journalism and his advice for people considering continuing their education beyond their undergrad.

What does it take to produce an Emmy award-winning investigation, and why does investigative reporting matter? Atlanta's WSB-TV Investigative and Special Projects Producer Maureen Sheeran answers, plus, she shares her networking strategies and her advice for people looking to jumpstart their journalism career.

Welcome to a new season of The Lead, a podcast about how to get ahead in the news industry from the people who did. This season we're going to continue bringing you stories from seasoned news professionals, where we'll dive into how they broke into the journalism world and hear their advice for aspiring media professionals. New episodes begin on Wednesday, September 8. Hosted by Kyra Posey, and ex...

In this season 10 bonus episode, Caroline Odom passes the microphone to incoming host, Kyra Posey. Kyra will host seasons 11 and 12 of The Lead in her role as the Morris Chair in News Strategy and Management graduate assistant. Kyra tells us about her decision to pursue a master’s degree in journalism, what she will bring to The Lead, and why leadership matters in the journalism industry. 

In this episode, independent photographer Michelle McLoughlin joins us to talk about shifts in technology, covering personal and traumatic events, and offers advice on working as an independent contractor. She also shares tips on storytelling that apply to any medium.

This episode features Will Carr, an ABC News Correspondent based in Los Angeles, California. Will talks about covering the California wildfires in 2020 and how he prepares to report on dangerous situations. He also shares how he found a passion for broadcast journalism, his approach to work-life balance and the importance of critical thinking and adaptability.  

In this episode, UGA lecturer of journalism and former anchor with CNN International  Ralitsa Vassileva joins us to talk about her career journey reporting for diverse audiences, offer advice communicating well and share her interest in sustainability.

In the second episode of our two-episode conversation, Greg Bluestein of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution continues to find the local angle on national stories like the impeachment of former President Donald Trump and the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol. He also tells us more about the book publishing process and offers advice on dealing with controversy.

This episode is part 1 of a two-part series featuring Greg Bluestein, a political reporter and University of Georgia alumnus who covers the governor’s office and state politics for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Greg catches us up on covering the 2020 presidential election and Georgia’s congressional runoffs, discusses what’s next on Georgia’s political horizon and offers and shares stories fro...

This first episode of season 10 features Rana Cash, editor of the Savannah Morning News in Savannah, Georgia, and Georgia state director for the Augusta Chronicle and the Athens Banner-Herald. Rana discusses what it’s like to lead a newsroom, shares how the Savannah Morning News is focusing on the community and  offers encouraging advice for journalism students.

This Season 9 Bonus episode features the show’s own Charlotte Norsworthy, who hosted the podcast for four seasons and serves as executive producer. In our conversation, Charlotte reflects on her time at the University of Georgia, shares her experience of earning a master’s degree in journalism and offers a peek at what she’ll be doing next and what got her there.

In this episode, the first of five parts, Nick Chiles, the industry writing coach for the college of journalism at the University of Georgia, sits down with executive producer Charlotte Norsworthy to discuss the importance of good storytelling. Why does it matter and how do we do it? 

In this episode, the second of five parts, Nick Chiles, the industry writing coach for the college of journalism at the University of Georgia, sits down with executive producer Charlotte Norsworthy to discuss newsgathering and where to look to find stories.

In this episode, the third of five parts, Nick Chiles, the industry writing coach for the college of journalism at the University of Georgia, sits down with executive producer Charlotte Norsworthy to discuss the importance of the lead and how to make it engaging.

In this episode, the fourth of five parts, Nick Chiles, the industry writing coach for the college of journalism at the University of Georgia, sits down with executive producer Charlotte Norsworthy to discuss covering "the other." How do we cover communities to which we don’t belong?

In this episode, the last of five parts, Nick Chiles, the industry writing coach for the college of journalism at the University of Georgia, sits down with executive producer Charlotte Norsworthy to discuss developing your voice in writing.

In this final episode of season 9, Ian Urbina shares his experiences as an award-winning investigative reporter and founder of The Outlaw Ocean Project, a nonprofit journalism outlet sharing stories of lawlessness at sea from around the world. We talk about Ian’s decision to launch The Outlaw Ocean Project and the innovative storytelling that has followed through the Outlaw Ocean Music Project. Th...