Kristin Thorne (C'04)
Television reporter Kristin Thorne speaks realistically about her field. Reporting the news is not an easy business to break into—especially in the current economy—but she explained that passion for a chosen field makes hard work well worth the effort.
“I have been into journalism since I was fourteen,” said Thorne. “It was always my passion, my love, so I just kept going with it.”
Thorne (C’04), an award-winning television reporter for News 12 in the New York tri-state area, spoke to a group of College students on April 26 at the final Dean’s Lunch Seminar of the semester. Over the course of the academic year, the lunch series has brought prominent alumni and other standout professionals to campus to speak about their experience as students and working professionals.
Thorne realized her passion for journalism while working for her high school newspaper. As an American Studies major at Georgetown, she took advantage of the internship opportunities in Washington, D.C. to gain practical experience and decide what most interested her about news reporting. First she interned as a production assistant for the Laura Ingraham radio show, then moved to broadcast journalism as an intern for “Hardball with Chris Matthews.” Her interest in investigative journalism was further piqued at her next internship with “Dateline NBC.” This extensive, real-world experience confirmed for Thorne her commitment to reporting the news. Following graduation from Georgetown, she went on to the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University to earn her master’s degree in broadcast journalism.
“I interned a lot,” says Thorne. She recommended this path to graduating seniors in lieu of a full-time position, as the experience and contacts made in the process prove key to breaking into the field of journalism. “It is okay to still get an internship, especially nowadays.”
The students in attendance appreciated getting advice from Thorne, who has excelled in her field so quickly after graduating from the College. Several students were considering careers in journalism, whereas others were concerned about navigating this industry where cutbacks continue to reduce job stability. Thorne noted the positive side of this, saying, “If you are a creative person, this is a great business to be in. Reporters are constantly being asked to do more now than just report and do live shots.”
One College senior who attended the Dean’s Lunch Seminar, Chudi Obianwu (C’10), is a physics major interested in working in the similarly competitive field of finance. Facing potential relocation in order to get a finance job, Obianwu was reassured by Thorne’s honesty about compromise sometimes being a part of achieving professional success. “It is good to know that other people are in my shoes,” he said.
Thorne spoke about her own experience moving around geographically to pursue the right reporting opportunities. The self-proclaimed urbanite spent two years in rural Pennsylvania as reporter and bureau chief at ABC News in the Harrisburg area. Eventually she landed her current position as reporter for News 12 and moved to her dream city: New York.
Though Thorne was straightforward about the the challenges in a competitive career field like news reporting, she exemplifies the ways in which hard work can pay off. She was confident about the futures of the students at the Dean’s Lunch Seminar, and offered to stay in touch to serve as an industry contact. She encouraged them to put forth all they have to offer: “You are your own best self-marketer. You’ll get there.”
-Kara Burritt
Photo courtesy of kristinthorne.com.
