After 20 years, Dave Marsett is retiring from WBBM Newsradio. He has worked in radio for half a century as a news director, reporter, and broadcaster at stations including WYSL in Buffalo, New York. He talks about how he became a minister during his radio career, why he likes anchoring, tips for broadcasting, the first time the news was used to make a point by the people in power, bias, and more. Dave was interviewed at WBBM by Margaret Larkin.

Dave Marsett: News Broadcaster and Minister

In East Peoria, Gabi Guerrero is a multimedia journalist at Heart of Illinois and WEEK-TV. She talks about how being from a small town has helped her reporting, how COVID and the media are perceived in Central Illinois, how her goals have changed since she graduated from Illinois State University, advice for getting into the media and persevering, why she wants to go into management, and the importance of digital media. Gabi was interviewed by Margaret Larkin via Zoom.

Gabi Guerrero: Multimedia Journalist at WEEK-TV and Heart of Illinois ABC

After 17 years in TV news, including several years at MSNBC, Colleen King is now the Director of the Richard and Leslie Frank Center for Leadership and Innovation in Media and Clinical Assistant Professor in Journalism at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She worked on shows including "Morning Joe," "Hardball with Chris Matthews," "Way Too Early," and "The 11th Hour with Brian Williams." She's done all levels of TV news producing and talks about why she went into academia, writing for TV, and offers advice. Colleen spoke at the fall INBA convention. This is from a livestream that she did with Margaret Larkin.

Colleen King: from MSNBC to Professor

Chicago native Beth Godvik is an award-winning producer and news writer at CBS Chicago, adjunct professor at DePaul University, and board member of the WGA East. She shares her insights from more than 20 years in TV journalism, a career that she loves. Beth was interviewed by Margaret Larkin via livestream.

Beth Godvik: Writer and Producer at CBS Chicago

After working as a producer for several years in TV, Reginald Hardwick became News and Public Affairs Director at Illinois Public Media, where they have just launched the new radio station Illinois Soul. He discusses what he's learned during his long career, why he cares about diversity in broadcasting, his personal and professional experiences with race and ethnicity, challenges and changes in the media, advice, and much more. Reginald was interviewed by Margaret Larkin via livestream.

Reginald Hardwick: Illinois Public Media

TV-10 news director Laura Trendle Polus retired from Illinois State University and moved to Chicago to become a news writer at WGN-TV. She talks about her teaching and TV experience in Illinois and Wisconsin, explains why the INBA is important, and offers advice for students and recent grads. Laura was interviewed by Margaret Larkin via livestream.

Laura Trendle Polus: WGN-TV writer

After graduating from Western Illinois University, Aaron Frye began his broadcasting career in Illinois. He worked in sports and news as a videographer and digital journalist, eventually becoming Director of Photography at WDJT-TV, CBS 58 in Milwaukee. Aaron talks about the cameras, lights, and drones he uses in broadcasting, how he works with reporters to cover stories, offers advice for getting into the business, and describes what is required to be a top-notch photojournalist.
This interview was edited from a livestream with Margaret Larkin.

Aaron Frye: Director Of Photography

As a Missouri capitol bureau reporter, Emily Manley reports for Nexstar TV stations in Illinois and Missouri, and nationally. She talks about her journalism experience, why she is passionate about reporting and how she got into broadcast journalism, how she balances her responsibilities and information, and her career trajectory. She also offers advice and insight for journalists and goes into detail about what her job entails. Emily is the vice president of the Illinois News Broadcasters Association and often speaks to students about journalism.
Margaret Larkin conducted this interview via livestream.

Emily Manley: TV reporter

After starting her broadcasting career at TV-10 News at Illinois State University, Alex Corradetti was the morning anchor at WCIA 3 News in Champaign and is now an anchor on the CBS 58 Morning News in Milwaukee, where she also hosts Racine & Me on WMLW-TV. She talks about the importance of keeping a positive attitude, pursuing your dreams, learning all angles of the TV news business, effective storytelling, and more. Alex was interviewed by Margaret Larkin via livestream.

Alex Corradetti: TV News Anchor

"Sports is part of news," says Ron Gleason, who went from sports broadcasting to WBBM Newsradio, where he was an anchor then Director of News and Programming for several years. Before WBBM, Ron was Director of Sports and Programming at WSCR The Score, which changed the style of sports radio. He talks about management vs being on air, sportscasting and play-by-play; his long radio career that started in California, continued at WJOL in Joliet, then Chicago; why he loves radio; advice for getting a job; the end of news stations WMAQ in Chicago and WCBS in New York; radio before and during the Internet, and much more. Margaret Larkin did this extensive interview with Ron via livestream.

Ron Gleason: WBBM Newsradio, The Score and more

Putnam County native John Kendall started as a part-timer at WEEK-TV in Peoria, and has worked his way up to be the Assignment Manager. He started his journalism career at Illinois Valley Community College and Western Illinois University in Macomb. John talks about why networking is important, why he’s passionate about journalism, his writing and sports experience, how he got into producing news, how school helped his career, how technology has changed over the years, the importance of Leon Hendricks and other mentors, how journalism has changed, and more. This interview is from a livestream that John did with Margaret Larkin.

John Kendall: WEEK-TV Assignment Manager

At WLS-AM in Chicago, Scott Childers anchors and reports news, traffic, and fills in for show hosts. He's spent several years in radio and talks about his reporting at the DNC and RNC, traffic reporting for various stations, how traffic and news require similar skills, writing and broadcast styles, and more. This interview was part of a livestream that Scott did with Margaret Larkin.

Scott Childers: Award-winning broadcaster

John Kendall is the assignment manager at WEEK-TV in Peoria and is on the INBA board. This is from a livestream that John did with Margaret Larkin. (Entire transcript at inba.net)

Margaret Larkin: the INBA...how did you get involved with that?

John Kendall: Tanya Koonce was a big part of why I became part of INBA. Also Mike Miletich and Jeff Burnett. I think I knew of INBA back in college, but I really never did much with it. But I kind of knew a lot of our newsroom was part of it, and I talked with Tanya a little bit about it. She was another one that I have learned a lot from, and when she was with us at WEEK. I'm glad to call her a comrade and a friend. But she and Mike were like "Hey, the meeting's in Bloomington. Why don't you come over for the day?" And I came over to the meeting and met a lot of people that I didn't know, but a few that I did.

I was able to learn and grow from there and was able to network. I was nominated for the board by Jeff out of the blue. And I'm like, "I'm not even a member yet. I'm here as a visitor." I lost out on the board, but I felt like I was learning a lot.

And during the group gatherings and just throughout it I was just speaking to people I was meeting with, yourself included, and H [Wilson] and Rachel [Lippmann] and Emily [Manley], who are all part of the board. And things kind of went by, kind of happened, and some people left the board, and Rachel called Tanya and said, "If John's still interested, we'd be more willing to have him on the board to fill out a term."

And Rachel, Tanya, and I spoke over the phone, and I felt more than honored to be part of the board to help fill a term. I was recently reelected to the board because I feel being on the INBA board and a member of the INBA itself helps the new generation and not just a new generation, but us journalists as a whole, to learn how to become better at our craft.

We always ask, how can I be better at my craft? INBA allows us to do that at the spring and fall meetings. Here we had Maggie [Vespa] speak, and we learned about opioid overdoses and why they're causing a major problem, not only here in Peoria but across the state. The meeting we were at in 2022 in Bloomington, we were talking about electric vehicles and the way electric vehicles are now part of every day life, not only here in Illinois, but the world.

That was just so helpful, being able to understand and ask questions, not only to professionals who work with you every day, but professionals who work at other stations. We're also asking the same questions. I've been able to become good friends with a lot of people through INBA, and that's just helped grow me as a better journalist and as a better person as well.

I've learned a lot from those people and how good journalists do their job. Emily Manley and Rachel Lippmann in Missouri, how you do your job nowadays up there in Chicago. And I can see my good friends Mike and Maggie, who are INBA members as well, and how they and others help college kids.

And it's not only just networking. You submit your stuff, in the spring meeting, not only for SIMBA awards, but you also can get your stuff looked at by a professional. Where else can you do that? You bring your stuff on a resume reel and they say, "Hey, that right there looks pretty good," or "I would maybe take that out." And that little 20-minute interaction with them can maybe be the difference of you waiting 6 to 8 months like I did to get a job, compared to, "Hey, I like your stuff; here's my business card; why don't we talk when you graduate."

Margaret Larkin: so obviously, you're saying that you think it's still beneficial for people to join.

John Kendall: I think it's beneficial to join 100%. You know, the conventions are very informative and you learn things, like at the recent convention when we did the Emiquon trip, how we learned about the watershed. I covered something like that 20-plus years ago up in Hennepin when they were doing the water life.

John Kendall on joining the INBA

Molly Jirasek was first interviewed six years ago at the Illinois News Broadcasters Association convention when she was Assistant News Director at Heart of Illinois ABC in Peoria. Now she is News Director at ABC57-TV in South Bend, Indiana. Molly says that she is hiring and explains what she looks for in an applicant. She also offers advice for recent college grads, including demo reels, necessary skills, attitude and passion, how to get experience, and more.

This interview is edited from a livestream that Molly did with Margaret Larkin.

Molly Jirasek: ABC57-TV News Director

Charlie Wheeler is a professor at the University of Illinois Springfield, where he is Director of the Public Affairs Reporting Program. He talks about his reporting career with the Chicago Sun-Times, how he got into journalism, the newspaper business, how the media has changed, why it's better to be right than fast, and advice for journalists. He was interviewed at the INBA fall 2018 conference in Springfield by Margaret Larkin.

Charlie Wheeler: Public Affairs Reporting Program Director at University of Illinois Springfield

Lisa Fielding is an anchor and reporter at WBBM Newsradio, and she has won numerous journalism awards, including Associated Press awards presented at the INBA. She talks about why she likes doing reporting and anchoring, why she got into journalism, working in television, how to face challenges, how to write and succinctly tell a story, the difference between TV and radio, advice for getting work in TV or radio, the importance of journalism, and more. Lisa was interviewed in the WBBM newsroom by Margaret Larkin. See the video of her at WBBM at https://vimeo.com/119333619

Lisa Fielding: anchor and reporter at WBBM Newsradio

Rob Martier reports and anchors news at WLS Radio in Chicago, where he also covers the University of Illinois' Fighting Illini teams. He did news at WGN Radio before he went to WLS. And before working in Chicago, he spent many years in Canada, where he reported and hosted sports shows at Montreal CJAD 800 Radio. He was interviewed by Margaret Larkin at the WLS studios, in the NBC Tower in downtown Chicago (before there was a stay-at-home order in Illinois).

Rob Martier: News and Sports Anchor and Reporter at WLS Radio

Michele Fiore is a reporter at Fox 32 (WFLD-TV) in Chicago and AP award winner, and has spent many years in radio and TV news, including WBBM Newsradio, WMAQ Radio, and CLTV in Chicago, WAND-TV in Springfield, and WTMJ Radio and TV in Milwaukee. She talks about her career, why teamwork matters, what makes a good story, the difference between TV and radio, and more. Michele was interviewed by phone in her car by Margaret Larkin.

Michele Fiore: Fox 32 TV News Reporter

Gary Wordlaw was a speaker at the 2019 INBA Convention, where he talked about the importance of the Black News Channel. He has worked all over the country in TV news and talks about how he got into the business as a teenager; being the first African American hired at a Chattanooga TV station; how his family, God, and the community helped him get through challenges; important stories for the African American community; why he is glad and proud to be part of the Black News Channel; the South, telling deeper stories, staying objective, and a lot more. He was interviewed in his Tallahassee, Florida office by Margaret Larkin (who was in Chicago) via Zoom.

Illinois News Broadcasters Association

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