Shannon Luibrand ’14CPS

Shannon Luibrand ’14CPS can trace a direct path from her days as a journalism major at St. John’s University to her current position at CBS News, producing stories for CBS This Morning, the network’s award-winning, national morning show.

“St. John’s is a huge reason I am where I am,” Ms. Luibrand said of her role as a television producer, spending her workday shuttling between the newsroom and an edit room at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street in Manhattan.

She arrives at the office at 10 p.m., working the “overnight” in tandem with one or more correspondents to produce a breaking or hard news piece that usually airs during the first 15 minutes of the two-hour show, between 7 and 7:15 a.m. By the time her story runs, Ms. Luibrand has written the script for it, as well as the intro for the news anchors, and has clocked several hours “cutting my piece in the edit room.”

“I see a story through from the moment I walk into work until it airs,” she said.

Ms. Luibrand, who was raised in Clifton Park, an upstate suburb in Saratoga County, NY, recalls that her fascination with broadcast news began during her childhood. “I always loved the news and I was obsessed with it,” she recalled. “I watched 48 Hours with my mom, and I usually watched CNN with my parents when I was in high school. And I loved writing.”

By the end of her junior year in high school, and with enthusiastic encouragement from her parents, Ms. Luibrand knew she wanted to pursue a career in broadcast journalism. But finding the perfect college for her undergraduate education was not so crystal clear.   

Before she visited the St. John’s campus in Queens, NY, Ms. Luibrand had already toured 15 schools. “I left feeling unfulfilled each time,” she said. “I remember saying to my mom, ‘I can’t find my place.’ Then, I visited St. John’s and about halfway through the tour, I turned to my mother and said, ‘This is it. This is where I want to be.’ I knew by my senior year of high school that St. John’s was a perfect fit, and once I got to campus to begin my freshman year of college, it was even more apparent to me.”

“St. John’s offered so much to me by being in New York City, the heart of the media world. I loved Queens—I live there still—and being only a subway ride from Manhattan. I was thrilled to learn about the internships that would be available to me,” said Ms. Luibrand, whose student internships ranged from reporting full-time at the Daily Gazette, a newspaper in Schenectady, NY, to stints as homepage editor and staff writer for CBSNews.com, as well as interning in the CBS News Investigative Unit.

In addition, Ms. Luibrand’s participation in two study abroad opportunities cemented her “hunger for journalism.” Just before the start of her first year at the University, she spent two weeks in Italy as part of St. John’s Global Passport program. “I became inspired to tell people’s stories and learn about other cultures.”

During her sophomore year, Ms. Luibrand studied abroad for 15 weeks in Italy, Spain, and France, as part of the Discover the World: Europe program at St. John’s. “The experience inspired me to find unique stories to tell,” she said.

But Ms. Luibrand considers her experience at The Torch, St. John’s independently-run student newspaper, as the place where she launched her journalism career. She joined The Torch staff as a junior, becoming staff writer by the end of that year, before assuming the role of features editor in her senior year.

“The Torch shaped me into becoming a good reporter,” Ms. Luibrand said. “I learned how to find stories, work with other people, and conduct interviews.”

She also recalled her involvement in other student activities, such as being a Student Ambassador, as well as her membership in the Gamma Phi Beta Sorority and the Gamma Sigma Alpha Honor Society, which added to the richness of her college experience.

Asked what advice she would give to current undergraduates at St. John’s, Ms. Luibrand said that students should never underestimate the power of persistence. “Apply to as many internships as possible,” she said. “If you get rejected, keep applying. I was rejected from several until I got my first one.”

Ms. Luibrand also credits St. John’s with preparing her to thrive in what some believe is a waning industry. “I think a lot of young people believe that the journalism industry is struggling. Journalism is alive and well, but like other industries, it is rapidly changing and evolving. If it is something you can see building a career out of, do not shy away from it,” she said. “Go for it.”