NBC’s Andrea Mitchell Says Writing Skills Matter Most
Good writing skills are the best entry point to print or electronic journalism, according to NBC Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent Andrea Mitchell, who delivered NCS’ 12th Annual Janet Griffith International Lecture on May 21.
Good writing skills are the best entry point to print or electronic journalism, according to NBC Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent Andrea Mitchell, who delivered NCS’ 12th Annual Janet Griffith International Lecture on May 21.
Ms. Mitchell’s speech ranged widely over her career, the status of women in the professions, and the state of television journalism. She opened her remarks by noting that Hillary Clinton is the third woman in a row to serve as U.S. Secretary of State, and reminded students that women have struggled to achieve such gains.
As a teenager Ms. Mitchell wanted first to be a violinist, until at age 16 she realized she wasn’t good enough to be a professional musician. When she attended the University of Pennsylvania, by chance she became host of a music program at the college radio station. That job led to an internship at an all-news radio station, where she became hooked on news reporting. “Don’t close off possibilities—experiment,” she advised. When she started in the late 1960s, the only job open to her in television news was as a “copy boy” on the midnight to 8:00 am shift, ripping and posting wire copy for other reporters, then all men. She ultimately broke in, but it took years of hard work.
“Really be colleagues with women, as sisters and friends,” Mitchell advised. “Not all barriers have been broken down yet. Women should help younger women. It’s the greatest support system you’ll ever have.”
What’s her advice for those wanting to break into television journalism? “The most important skills are to write well and love to talk to people,” said Ms. Mitchell. “Being a good writer is the real entry point for print or television journalism.” Ms. Mitchell described the many routes young people are taking in journalism today, citing the example of a young NBC researcher who subsequently moved to the online Daily Beast.
She also spoke about how television journalism has changed due to the growth of cable television and the Internet. “These changes and the current economic climate have made it harder to do traditional diplomatic reporting,” she said, citing how few reporters and producers are now sent overseas by the networks.
When Lower School students asked her what was her most exciting story, Ms. Mitchell answered it was the 2008 presidential election; she covered the Democratic race, broadcasting live from every major primary and caucus state and all the candidate debates for NBC News and MSNBC programs. “Either way, with Clinton or Obama, it was going to be historic,” she said.
Ms. Mitchell’s schedule continues to be a strenuous one; when she arrived at NCS to speak first to the Lower School at 8:00 am, she had already done the Today show. She would go on to host MSNBC'S Andrea Mitchell Reports, an daily hour of political news and interviews at 1:00 pm ET, and there was always the possibility NBC Nightly News would need a segment in the evening.
In appreciation for Ms. Mitchell's appearance, Student Government President Madeleine Duff ’10 and International Club Co-Chair Amy Alemu ’10 presented her with a glass bowl created by Voyageur Program Director Syl Mathias.
Janet Griffith, the former NCS teacher served at NCS from 1969 to 2000 and for whom the lecture series is named, was present for the address. The lecture series honors Ms. Griffith for establishing NCS’ International Program. Each year the NCS Parents’ International Committee invites a person to speak to the entire NCS student body on issues of global importance. Past speakers have included Betty Bao Lord, Madeleine Albright, Esther Brimmer, Asra Nomani, Wade Davis, and Ngozi Iweala.
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Ms. Mitchell’s speech ranged widely over her career, the status of women in the professions, and the state of television journalism. She opened her remarks by noting that Hillary Clinton is the third woman in a row to serve as U.S. Secretary of State, and reminded students that women have struggled to achieve such gains.
As a teenager Ms. Mitchell wanted first to be a violinist, until at age 16 she realized she wasn’t good enough to be a professional musician. When she attended the University of Pennsylvania, by chance she became host of a music program at the college radio station. That job led to an internship at an all-news radio station, where she became hooked on news reporting. “Don’t close off possibilities—experiment,” she advised. When she started in the late 1960s, the only job open to her in television news was as a “copy boy” on the midnight to 8:00 am shift, ripping and posting wire copy for other reporters, then all men. She ultimately broke in, but it took years of hard work.
“Really be colleagues with women, as sisters and friends,” Mitchell advised. “Not all barriers have been broken down yet. Women should help younger women. It’s the greatest support system you’ll ever have.”
What’s her advice for those wanting to break into television journalism? “The most important skills are to write well and love to talk to people,” said Ms. Mitchell. “Being a good writer is the real entry point for print or television journalism.” Ms. Mitchell described the many routes young people are taking in journalism today, citing the example of a young NBC researcher who subsequently moved to the online Daily Beast.
She also spoke about how television journalism has changed due to the growth of cable television and the Internet. “These changes and the current economic climate have made it harder to do traditional diplomatic reporting,” she said, citing how few reporters and producers are now sent overseas by the networks.
When Lower School students asked her what was her most exciting story, Ms. Mitchell answered it was the 2008 presidential election; she covered the Democratic race, broadcasting live from every major primary and caucus state and all the candidate debates for NBC News and MSNBC programs. “Either way, with Clinton or Obama, it was going to be historic,” she said.
Ms. Mitchell’s schedule continues to be a strenuous one; when she arrived at NCS to speak first to the Lower School at 8:00 am, she had already done the Today show. She would go on to host MSNBC'S Andrea Mitchell Reports, an daily hour of political news and interviews at 1:00 pm ET, and there was always the possibility NBC Nightly News would need a segment in the evening.
In appreciation for Ms. Mitchell's appearance, Student Government President Madeleine Duff ’10 and International Club Co-Chair Amy Alemu ’10 presented her with a glass bowl created by Voyageur Program Director Syl Mathias.
Janet Griffith, the former NCS teacher served at NCS from 1969 to 2000 and for whom the lecture series is named, was present for the address. The lecture series honors Ms. Griffith for establishing NCS’ International Program. Each year the NCS Parents’ International Committee invites a person to speak to the entire NCS student body on issues of global importance. Past speakers have included Betty Bao Lord, Madeleine Albright, Esther Brimmer, Asra Nomani, Wade Davis, and Ngozi Iweala.
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Janet Griffith, for whom the lecture series is named.
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