NBC Nightly News hires digital journalist
Cory Bergman October 9th, 2007
Mara Schiavocampo has been hired by NBC News and “will report primarily to nightly.msnbc.com.” Schiavocampo has been a contributor/guest commentator for ABC News Now, ABCNews.com, NPR, Current TV, Yahoo!, Ebony and Uptown magazines. “Mara has the perfect mix of broadcast and digital journalism experience, and we are thrilled to have her bring her innovative reporting to nightly.msnbc.com and the Nightly News team with her reports for the website,” said executive producer Alexandra Wallace.
PRESS RELEASE — NBC News has named Mara Schiavocampo as a digital
journalist for “NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams,” effective immediately
it was announced today by executive producer Alexandra Wallace.
Schiavocampo will report primarily for nightly.msnbc.com.
Said Wallace, “Mara has the perfect mix of broadcast and digital
journalism experience, and we are thrilled to have her bring her
innovative reporting to nightly.msnbc.com and the “Nightly News” team
with her reports for the website.”
Prior to joining NBC News, Schiavocampo has been a contributor/guest
commentator for numerous outlets and online news sites including ABC
News Now, ABCNews.com, NPR, Current TV, Yahoo!, Ebony and Uptown
magazines. Among the stories she has covered include: the plight of
Iraqi refugees in Jordan, post war events in Beirut, the bird flu in
Indonesia, the Lebanon oil spill and hate crimes in Russia.
“This is an exciting time for journalism and new media and I’m really
happy to be a part of NBC News’ digital expansion. But more than
anything, I look forward to joining the stellar team at ‘Nightly News,’”
said Schiavocampo.
In 2007, Schiavocampo was named as the emerging journalist of the year
by the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), and also this
year, received the Society of Environmental Journalists honorable
mention for outstanding television reporting. In 2006, her report on
Army recruiting fraud won her the New York State Broadcasters
Association award for outstanding hard news reporting.
Prior to her role as contributor and guest commentator for various news
outlets, Schiavocampo worked as anchor and reporter for the Regional
News Network (WRNN) where she also produced and reported long-form and
investigative news stories. From 2004-2005, she was part of the team
that launched “ABC News Now,” ABC’s 24 hour digital cable and internet
news channel. Prior to that, Schiavocampo worked as an anchor and
reporter for CBS News on mtvU (University), also filing reports for CBS
Newspath and BET “Nightly News.” She began her journalism career at CBS
News’ broadcast wire service.
Schiavocampo earned a Master’s degree in broadcast journalism from the
University of Maryland, and received a Bachelors degree, with honors,
from the University of California at Los Angeles. She currently teaches
a seminar on video journalism at mediabistro.
She resides in New York City with her husband.
8 Comments Add your own
1. invitedmedia | October 9th, 2007 at 3:43 pm
hey, how much longer do you think the term “website” stands?
i went to nightly.msnbc and almost everything is video.
call it what you want, but a ‘website’ these ain’t anymore.
2. Olsen | October 9th, 2007 at 3:58 pm
Anyone know the over/under on Schiavocampo lasting longer than Amanda Congdon did on ABC?
3. MSM | October 9th, 2007 at 7:41 pm
Olsen — cheap shot, man. Mara is a journalist with a track record. Amanda Congdon proudly proclaimed she was anything but. She called herself a blogger who occasionally commited “acts of journalism.” Her phrase, not mine. She was toast with her ABC News colleagues — and much of her audience — the minute she accepted a check from DuPont to put on a labcoat and do a web commercial for them — while proclaiming that her “new paradigm” would allow her to report on DuPont for ABC News at the same time.
4. Auto Parts Car Parts | October 10th, 2007 at 12:59 am
Talk about a “digitalized” future in there. One problem with is that she will have a smaller fanbase when compared of course, with those watching through their televisions. To think of it, they will be able to target a specific audience in there.
5. brink | October 10th, 2007 at 5:21 am
It’s not really convergence when we hire people with certain (read: lesser) qualifications for the website and people with more experience or on-air work.
That’s still the “it’s just the website” attitude.
6. Hussman | October 10th, 2007 at 6:12 am
QFT, brink.
Why make the differentiation in the first place? News is news no matter where it comes from.
7. tdc | October 10th, 2007 at 6:40 am
gotta give credit where it’s deserved though. with the talk of the writer’s guild wanting an opt-out clause for their members, it’s good to see those, who while a union member of some stripe, also see their future flashing before their eyes and are doing whatever they can to make the transition.
in particular, i’ve just recently been noticing more segments cut only for the web using talent with plenty of tv years behind them.
some are even getting the idea you don’t need the coat and tie to do an effective piece!
there’s a guy in denver that has done half dozen pieces in the last few weeks ranging from a murder of a young child by her on parents to the rox incredible run. quite a range, wouldn’t you say?
AND he actually looks like he wants to do the work. something that can’t be said for every on-air put online.
8. Olsen | October 10th, 2007 at 3:47 pm
MSM: I’m just skeptical of the lifecycle of online-only talent when it comes to the big networks.
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