Notes recorded by Bryan following the Oct.

23 class session

Scene:
Third floor lecture room in Knight Hall
Glass walls, very open
Wooden tables form an inner U and outer U
Approximately 30 students in class, fill all seats in room
Missy and Professor Lee sit at front of room facing students
Missys mother and baby are present they come in and out of the classroom
throughout class period
Presentation starts off with Professor Lee giving brief introduction and asks first
question

Findings from the Q&A session:

Always loved writing; thats how she ended up where she is today
Studied English literature at Georgetown
Interested in reporting on foreign affairs but isnt always easy to get there need to
take odd jobs along the way that may not be exactly what youre interested in
Foreign correspondence is different than other types of journalism can run into your
boss when you get out of the shower
Sometimes have to pick up and fly to other countries; ex Paris terrorist attacks,
hopped on a plane on a Friday afternoon 2 hours after learning about it
Working in close quarters with other reporters; only people you know in other
countries; these are the people who you hang out with at night and spend all your time
with you cant just go home at the end of the work day
Get out on battle field and missions (embedded journalism) can be dangerous,
sometimes seen as a conflict of interest after getting to know soldiers
Writing process involves breaking down complex subjects for readers
Only one story she remembers not publishing to risk national security
Held captive in hospital scary, shows just how intense job can be
Emotional challenges some journalists face serious emotional trauma from what they
see during war
Iraq bureau chief had his reporters die out there in accidental shooting; carried that
baggage for a long time but recently started speaking up about it
Mental health services need to be put in place for journalists who report on these
situations like they are for veterans
Reuters UK-based publication; very focused on reporting the facts and nothing else
Doesnt really see herself redefining role of women in media just doing her job
Women not likely to go abroad with family; foreign correspondents are often male or
single females
She went when she was single at the time and before having child
Sometimes helps in cultural situations where men are seen as a threat; she can go in
and talk to the women more easily
 Does see more women getting involved with national security reporting
Advice: get as much experience with reporting during college as you can; writing for
school newspaper, internships are crucial
Need to have a thick skin always going to be criticized
The Washington Post often isnt the first step for a journalist have to work way up
Has noticed local and regional positions declining; makes it difficult to work way up
If she wasnt a journalist would be working in federal government in some capacity,
likely covering the same issues she covers as a reporter
Interested in foreign affairs, got to work in this sector as a White House fellow

Overall impression:
Very relaxed, calm demeanor
Clearly very passionate about journalism seen through her answers that show her
dedication but also the way she talks about it
Confident in her answers and her experiences
Clearly very knowledgeable
Candid and honest with students didnt hold back and answered all questions asked
Students were clearly very interested, asked planned questions but also asked follow-
ups