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 of Journalism and New Media.

With 17 years of experience in broadcast news, Debora cultivated a global perspective through her extensive career journey. She traveled internationally to work for U.S. State Department-sponsored journalism workshops and also earned a first-of-its-kind Ph.D. by publication from Kingston University in London.

In this episode, we talk about the evolving role of AI in journalism, the global differences in newsrooms and her career transitions from news producer to educator to author.

Guest: Debora Wenger, associate dean and professor in the School of Journalism and New Media at the University of Mississippi and a Google News Initiative trainer

Host: Alexis Derickson

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 the Williamson Scene.

With each new location, she developed relationship-building strategies to tap into the heart of her stories. Simultaneously, Praino learned what time was necessary for self-reflection after covering emotional events to continue bringing clarity to her coverage.

In this episode, we talk about covering emotional stories, shining a light on local communities and finding a work/life balance.

Guest: Nicolle Praino, reporter at the Nashville Post and The News, managing editor at the Williamson Scene.

Host: Alexis Derickson.

The Jackson Advocate’s DeAnna Tisdale Johnson on the 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 youngest publishers in the history of Black newspapers.

In this episode, we talk about a solutions journalism storytelling approach, competing with national outlets as a local publisher, and the role vocal performance played in her career.

Guest: DeAnna Tisdale Johnson, editor in chief and publisher of The Jackson Advocate.

Host: Alexis Derickson.

UGA’s Carlo Finlay on sports media in the digital age

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 in the coming years. Teaching sports media in immediate proximity to championship-winning teams, Finlay shares his unique perspective on covering major stories without sensationalism while building core journalistic skills from the ground up.

Guest: Carlo Finlay, associate director of UGA’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.

Host: Alexis Derickson.

Trusting News’ Joy Mayer on rebuilding audience trust in the media

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 reliability and audience connection amidst the widespread skepticism directed at media outlets.

In this episode, we talk about the powerful role of local news, encouraging healthy curiosity, and audience engagement best practices.

Guest: Joy Mayer, founder of Trusting News.

Host: Alexis Derickson.

BONUS: Introducing Alexis Derickson as host

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 on finding a travel journalism niche

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 doing it for more than 30 years. As a cyclist and hiker, his hobbies also inform his adventure journalism, and he talks about his role in creating the Via Dinarica hiking trail and Trans Dinarica cycle route across the Balkans in Southeastern Europe.

Guest: Alex Crevar, freelance travel journalist.

Host: Jacqueline GaNun.

Scripps News’ Alexandra Travis on telling Black stories on screen

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 how her documentaries connect with audiences. You can watch her award-winning documentary “Ropes in Brown Hands,” which is about an Oklahoma town that’s home to one of the nation’s oldest Black rodeos, here.

Guest: Alexandra Travis, documentary producer at Scripps News.

Host: Jacqueline GaNun.

WRAL’s Kelsey Coffey on knowing what drives you

Kelsey Coffey gets up at 2:30 a.m. every day to deliver the morning news as a broadcast reporter at WRAL in Raleigh, North Carolina. She graduated from the University of Georgia in 2020 into uncertainty from the pandemic and protests for racial justice across the country. But today, she knows what drives her to wake up early each morning — connecting with her audience and serving them through her reporting.

In this episode, Kelsey talks about the projects she’s worked on with Charlayne Hunter-Gault, a phenomenal journalist and one of two students who desegregated UGA in 1961, and about why it’s important to know your “why.”

Guest: Kelsey Coffey, reporter at WRAL.

Host: Jacqueline GaNun.

UGA’s Dodie Cantrell-Bickley on the bright future of broadcast journalism

Dodie Cantrell-Bickley was taught the importance of a free press from her mother, who grew up in Nazi Germany and saw how crucial journalism was. Dodie pursued that passion for more than 30 years as a broadcast reporter and president of multiple news stations. She was a leader during the pivot to digital and the advent of the internet, and she’s always looking forward to what’s next.

In this episode, we talk about leading through change, encouraging innovation and staying powerfully optimistic about the future of journalism. 

Guest: Dodie Cantrell-Bickley, senior lecturer in journalism at the University of Georgia.

Host: Jacqueline GaNun.