January 30, 2024
Wherever you are working and in whatever medium, a commitment to the time-honored principles of journalism is still the best path to lasting success in the industry.
That was the message delivered to St. John’s University journalism students by members of the staff of DeSales Media Group, a leading provider of Catholic news and content through print, broadcast, and digital channels across the New York City area. The panelists, who included Alicia Venter ’22CCPS, came together on January 25 for the latest lecture in The Lesley H. and William L. Collins College of Professional Studies Journalist Series, which examines industry issues through the lens of practitioners and serves as a guidepost for students interested in pursuing careers in journalism.
Joining Ms. Venter, who earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism and served as Editor-in-Chief of the student news organization The Torch, were Michelle Powers, Senior Manager of News Operations; and Christine Persichette, anchor of Currents News, DeSales’ nightly news program. Together, they spoke to the industry’s values and DeSales in particular.
“What does good journalism do? It tells the truth,” Ms. Powers said. “There is no greater connection than the truth; if you’re not telling the truth, you’re not practicing journalism.”
DeSales is unique among journalistic enterprises. It is officially a Diocese of Brooklyn, NY, ministry whose leader, Bishop Robert J. Brennan ’84C, is a St. John’s alumnus. Its mission is to use its media tools to give Catholics to a deeper understanding of the faith.
Its official newspaper, The Tablet, has 60,000 print readers and 40,000 digital subscribers. Its broadcast and streaming service, New Evangelization Television (NET), airs 10 original shows, live Masses, films, and hosts Currents News.
While it covers issues from a Catholic perspective, it holds to industry standards, emphasizing fairness, diversity, proper sourcing, and awareness of audience sensitivities. Ms. Persichette, who formerly worked as a reporter at Fox News and as an anchor at FiOS1 News and News12 Long Island and Westchester, encouraged the St. John’s students to seek out the hidden aspects of every story as she has tried to do over a 20-year career.
“You should get every angle and all sides of every story,” Ms. Persichette said. “What you think about the issue doesn’t matter. My work is balanced, and no one ever knows my views.”
Faith-based stories have a significant and highly personal impact on the lives of the audience, Ms. Powers said. But they are most effective when they reflect industry values.
“Our codes of ethics are very similar to what you would see in any newsroom,” she said. “Accuracy, fairness, and diversity in our reporting, while upholding the Catholic faith. We are fact-based in seeking the truth, including necessary context and perspective in our reports, all while using Church teaching as a framework. We make an effort to set a higher standard for Catholic journalism by covering underreported issues.”
Ms. Venter was hired as a reporter by The Tablet in July 2023 after working for 15 months at a community newspaper group in Queens. A native of Kentucky who converted to the Catholic faith while a student at St. John’s, at 22 she was not much older than many of the students she addressed.
As she described herself, not being a “cradle Catholic” has required Ms. Venter to develop her research skills and hone her interviewing techniques. Some of her favorite stories have included a re-examination of the film The Exorcist on its 50th anniversary; accessibility issues in parish churches; and a visit to the migrant camp at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn.
“We are reminded by Michelle, ‘Don’t speak for people, speak to people,’” Ms. Venter said. “The most powerful stories are based on a person’s lived experience. So many of my stories come from being introduced to a person’s struggle.”
Under the direction of Michael A. Rizzo, Associate Professor and Director of the Journalism program, the Journalist Series has brought teams of professionals to St. John’s to discuss industry trends and employment possibilities since 2019. Past panelists have included Mary Calvi of WCBS-TV in New York; Gabrielle Fonrouge ’14CPS of CNBC; and Samantha Wanderer ’21CCPS of ABC News.
In September 2023, the series hosted 10 United Nations Reham al-Farra Memorial Journalism Fellowship program members to discuss journalism in the developing world.
During the question-and-answer session that followed, the panelists offered practical advice and shared best practices with the budding student journalists.
Dea Hoxha, a third-year journalism student and current Torch Editor-in-Chief, said the lectures provide essential career insights. “It’s important that we hear from professionals in the field, but particularly professionals who are just starting in the field,” she said. “Almost all of us are at the point in our lives where we want to be professional journalists and want to hear what advice they can give us.”
Dea said the most recent session opened her mind to the possibility of working in local or faith-based media. “Now that I see how they work in the DeSales newsroom, I would consider those options,” she said. “It’s like a new road that is opening up for us.”