The Lead Podcast
The Cox Institute for Journalism Innovation, Management and Leadership at the Grady College prepares students and professionals for leadership roles in the news media. The Lead Podcast, now on hiatus, captures these conversations to share.
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The Lead: AJC’s Samira Jafari on Journalism Standards, Practices
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…
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The Lead: The AJC’s Drew Kann on Climate, Environment Reporting
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…
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The Lead: The New York Times’ Bill Ruthhart on early-career navigation
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…
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The Lead: Dotdash Meredith’s Annie Campbell on Food Journalism’s Push to Vertical
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…
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The Lead: AJC’s Olivia Wakim on Food Reporting
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…
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The Lead: Country Living’s Anna Logan on Home and Design Magazines
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,…
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The Lead: Mather Economics’ Matt Lindsay on Future Journalism Revenue Streams
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…
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The Lead: Debora Wenger on AI and fighting misinformation
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…
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The Lead: The Nashville Post’s Nicolle Praino on connecting with communities
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…
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The Lead: The Jackson Advocate’s DeAnna Tisdale Johnson on Role of Local News
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…