Episodes

Wednesday Mar 02, 2022
Max Blau on practicing radical transparency in interviews
Wednesday Mar 02, 2022
Wednesday Mar 02, 2022
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, his approach to beginning investigations, and how one's journalism practice can be deeply connected to their lived experiences.
Guest: Max Blau, investigative reporter with ProPublica's South Unit.
Host: Kyra Posey.

Wednesday Feb 16, 2022
Alex Sujong Laughlin on investing in your passions
Wednesday Feb 16, 2022
Wednesday Feb 16, 2022
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 to your work, and two of her current projects: the podcast "Normal Gossip" and her newsletter for Poynter, "The Cohort."
Guest: Alex Sujong Laughlin, writer and audio producer.
Host: Kyra Posey.

Wednesday Feb 02, 2022
UGA’s Karin Assmann on interviewing hesitant sources
Wednesday Feb 02, 2022
Wednesday Feb 02, 2022
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 the Grady College of Journalism & Mass Communication at the University of Georgia.
Host: Kyra Posey.

Wednesday Nov 17, 2021
Wednesday Nov 17, 2021
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.

Wednesday Nov 03, 2021
Jewel Wicker on the future of culture journalism and on interviewing different sources
Wednesday Nov 03, 2021
Wednesday Nov 03, 2021
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 podcast, “Gaining Ground: The New Georgia.

Wednesday Oct 20, 2021
CNN’s Grace Walker on finding her storytelling voice
Wednesday Oct 20, 2021
Wednesday Oct 20, 2021
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 collaboration.

Wednesday Oct 06, 2021
The AJC‘s Tyler Estep on covering communities and maintaining the human connection
Wednesday Oct 06, 2021
Wednesday Oct 06, 2021
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.

Wednesday Sep 22, 2021
Wednesday Sep 22, 2021
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.

Wednesday Sep 08, 2021
WSB-TV‘s Maureen Sheeran on the investigative reporting process
Wednesday Sep 08, 2021
Wednesday Sep 08, 2021
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.

Wednesday Sep 01, 2021
Season 11 Trailer: Welcome Back!
Wednesday Sep 01, 2021
Wednesday Sep 01, 2021
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 executive produced by Keith Herndon, Ph.D.