Indiana University

Indiana University School of Journalism

Speaker Series

The School of Journalism Speaker Series gives students and area residents the opportunity to meet with some of the top media professionals in the country. Recent speakers include Pulitzer Prize winner Anna Quindlen, National Public Radio’s Nina Totenberg, reporter Bob Woodward, Steve Kroft of CBS’ 60 Minutes, Sports Illustrated writer Frank Deford and seven-time Magazine Photographer of the Year James Nachtwey.

All lectures are free and open to the public.


Fall 2009

Sept. 14: Jeff Zaslow

Jeff Zaslow
Courtesy photo
WSJ columnist and author Jeff Zaslow visits Sept. 14.
7 p.m. at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, 114 E. Kirkwood Ave.

Jeff Zaslow is co-author of the best-selling book, The Last Lecture, about the late professor Randy Pausch, whose last talk to Carnegie Mellon students about celebrating life and living grabbed public attention.

For his Wall Street Journal column, "Moving On," Zaslow focuses on life’s transitions, and when he heard about Pausch, who had terminal cancer, he decided to attend the lecture as a possible column topic. Zaslow’s resulting column and the video of the talk that circulated on the Internet propelled Pausch to international attention, and soon he and Zaslow were compiling the story into book form. Today, The Last Lecture has been translated into 44 languages and has spent weeks as No. 1 on The New York Times bestseller lists.

In addition to his continued reporting for the Journal, Zaslow is at work on a book about yet another American whose philosophy on staying focused in times of trouble captivated readers’ attention. He and Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, who safely landed his jet in the Hudson River, are co-authoring Highest Duty, set for release this fall.

Oct. 19: Vivian Schiller

Vivian Schiller
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National Public Radio CEO Vivian Schiller will speak Oct. 19.
7 p.m. at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, 114 E. Kirkwood Ave.

Vivian Schiller made the switch from print to broadcast earlier this year when she moved from the senior vice president and general manager of The New York Times to National Public Radio, where she is CEO. In this position, she oversees all NPR operations, including the organization’s partnerships with more than 800 member stations. She just led NPR’s redesign of its Web site.

While she’s new to radio, Schiller does have broadcast and multimedia experience. She spent four years as general manager of the Discovery Times channel, a joint venture of The New York Times and Discovery Communications. Under her leadership, Discovery Times Channel tripled its distribution while achieving critical acclaim for its award-winning journalistic programming.

Schiller also served as senior vice president at CNN Productions, where documentaries produced during her tenure won two Peabody Awards, two Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia University Awards and five Emmys. At the Times, Schiller oversaw the day-to-day operations of NYTimes.com, the newspaper’s Web site.

Nov. 10: Joe Buck

Joe Buck
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Sportscaster Joe Buck wraps up the series Nov. 10.
7 p.m. at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, 114 E. Kirkwood Ave.

Joe Buck is a six-time Emmy Award-winner who handles lead play-by-play duties for Fox Sports’ coverage of Major League Baseball and the National Football League.

His career path may inspire journalism students. His broadcasting career began in 1989, while he was a telecommunications undergraduate at IU. That year, he called play-by-play for the Louisville Redbirds of the American Association, a minor league affiliate of the Cardinals, and was a reporter for ESPN’s coverage of the Triple-A All-Star Game.

In 1994, he was the youngest announcer to call a full slate of NFL games on network television. Before that, he was a radio and television announcer for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1991 to 2007.

Buck is the son of the late broadcasting legend Jack Buck, whose career spanned parts of six decades. They are the only father and son to each call the Super Bowl on network television.