Title:“Hard news with heart”

What’s going on in the world? To answer this question, many people check social media, read newspapers, or listen to the radio. For millions of Americans, nightly television news is the answer, whether on cable, public stations, or one of the major broadcast networks.

Many Hoyas are drawn to work in the field of journalism, fueled by Georgetown’s location in the nation’s capital, strength in liberal arts, and commitment to expanding the greater good. Some work behind the scenes, and others are front-page influencers and storytellers. But few have the visibility and voice of Emmy-award winning journalist Norah O’Donnell (C’95, G’03), anchor and managing editor of the CBS Evening News since 2019.

In a world of punditry, divisiveness, and misinformation, O’Donnell offers an alternative, sharing a balanced and trusted perspective on stories carefully researched by her and her team. A sense of purpose guides her work.

“Journalism has the power to educate and illuminate,” O’Donnell says. “Those are the kind of stories that are most important to me.”

She credits both her parents and her Jesuit education at Georgetown for instilling the values of justice and public service that she puts into practice each day. As a journalist, she notes, one has the opportunity to research a problem, dig into it, understand it, and inspire solutions. “You can shine a light on injustice and help make change.”

Overseas and on the Hilltop

Growing up in a military family, O’Donnell lived in several places, including South Korea when she was 10 years old. At this young age, she worked at a local television station recording English language instruction videos, an early start to a career in front of the camera.

“That was also the beginning of having a job and having my own money,” she recalls. “I could spend it the way I wanted to—like buying cassette tapes of my favorite music.” Working and earning her own money gave her an early sense of independence, along with the opportunity to learn new things. “At Georgetown, same thing. I always had a job.”

In addition to internships, O’Donnell was involved in student theater on campus, including the Mask & Bauble production of The Diviners.

“As anyone who has done theater knows, it is a lot of work, and very rewarding,” she adds.

She also pursued an early interest in law by winning a seat in the student government. “I wanted to help address some of the concerns shared by my friends and see if we could advocate for change on campus.”

As for academics, after some intriguing required courses her first year, including Problem of God, she eventually chose philosophy for her major.

“Philosophy was totally new to me. I liked the reading and writing, all the values- and morals-based questions.”

“That’s the beauty of a liberal arts education,” she adds. “I didn’t have a specific career choice in mind. I was able to explore my curiosity and choose a major that I found interesting and intellectually stimulating.”

One of her favorite professors was Nancy Sherman, currently Distinguished University Professor and Professor of Philosophy known for her expertise in military ethics, Greco-Roman philosophy, moral psychology, and emotions.

“Professor Sherman inspired me to become a critical thinker, something that is at the heart of journalism.”

At times O’Donnell felt she had some catching up to do compared to her peers who seemed more prepared for college academics, she says.

“I wasn’t always the best student at Georgetown,” she notes with a smile. “It felt like I had to work twice as hard, and even then I did not get the grades that my friends did. But that struggle has made me who I am. I’ve always been scrappy and resourceful. That benefits me as a journalist—it’s what this career is about.”

Making her way

During her college internship with ABC News, she was invited to accompany legendary reporter Ann Compton to a White House press conference with President Bill Clinton (SFS’68, HON’80).

“I was awestruck,” she recalls. “I’m in the White House, and everything is glowing. I thought ‘Wow, maybe I want to do this!’ That’s where I really caught the bug.”

As the idea of becoming a journalist began to take hold, she sought guidance from Compton whenever she could, including while getting a lift to her Georgetown group house.

“Ann said to me: Do you need a ride home? I have to go pick up my son at football practice. So I got in her station wagon and she drove me home. I can remember being in the car with her along Reservoir Road, because our townhouse was right across from the construction of the new hospital. I said, ‘What advice do you have?’ She said, ‘Get yourself a Rolodex. Start keeping track of everybody that you know. You call them up, and I’ll help you.’”

Widening the lens

After Georgetown, O’Donnell worked for an early politics news aggregator called The Hotline, which went out each morning by fax.

“It was a deep dive into the news: reading a bunch of newspapers at six o’clock in the morning and watching the morning shows. I got a quick education into who all the pollsters were, and the best political consultants.” An appearance on C-SPAN during her time on The Hotline was “the beginning of getting me to where I am today.”

O’Donnell returned to Georgetown to earn a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies, an interdisciplinary program that invites students to pursue individually tailored graduate study with a big-picture lens. She wanted to deepen and broaden her knowledge of the world, with a focus on history.

“Here I am—a journalist in Washington, reporting on the most important issues not only in America, but in the world, interviewing ambassadors and presidents and reporting on decision-making in countries that I didn’t know a lot about. The master’s degree was continuing education, a way to know more about everything from the Vietnam War to national security issues.”

Points of Pride

O’Donnell is particularly interested in reporting on women’s issues and issues impacting people in the military, and the intersection of the two. Her in-depth reporting on sexual assault and harrassment in the military earned her and her team an Emmy Award in 2018.

“We need more women in the military, and we need more women in national security,” O’Donnell asserts. “Women can’t serve if they’re being assaulted and harassed out of those positions.”

Shining a light on the problem helped lead the Biden administration to name the issue of sexual assault in the military as a key priority. President Biden signed monumental legislation taking prosecution of sexual assault and other crimes out of the chain of command. Since then, the Department of Defense has launched an independent review commission with new rules for reporting sexual assault and misconduct, and a new victim response workforce.

“That isn’t just because of my reporting, but we were part of what is a #MeToo movement in the military,” says O’Donnell. “And I’m very, very proud of that.”

“Abuse festers in silence,” she adds. “That is why journalism is so important. We’re not just reporting what’s wrong in the world. We’re conducting solutions-based reporting. We say ‘this is what’s happening and it is an injustice.’ And that brings attention and hopefully a policy or political response that can improve people’s lives.”

Mentoring the next generation

In the competitive field of television news, Ann Compton’s Rolodex advice proved critical for O’Donnell’s success over the years. Relationships matter, whether they open an opportunity for an exclusive interview or provide a chance for more air time that increases visibility. As a way to pay it forward, O’Donnell is committed to mentoring the next generation of journalists.

Roxanne Feitel (C’16), now an associate producer for the CBS program 60 Minutes, has worked over the years with O’Donnell, who is also a contributing correspondent for 60 Minutes, and experienced her mentorship firsthand.

“Norah always makes sure that I and the other women on her CBS Evening News team have a voice, and she makes sure that our ideas are heard. Women have had a seat at the table for a couple of decades in journalism, thankfully. But it’s really important that we have people to look up to, people who are championing younger women in the field.”

A government and English major from northern New Jersey, Feitel grew up watching the evening news with her mom. A journalism internship at Georgetown led to a job at a CBS News affiliate newsgathering division after graduating, and a year later she joined the CBS morning show on their overnight shift.

“I was 23, so it was the perfect time to be doing something like that,” Feitel says. “You’re in the control room every single day for the show. If there’s breaking news right before airing, you call people to try to get them on television. It’s high pressure, high stakes. But that’s also kind of the fun of it.”

Like O’Donnell, Feitel is drawn to journalism for that bigger purpose—the desire to make a difference in the world and because she likes learning. “It feels like such a privilege to do what I do. It’s so creative and interesting. One of the things Norah says all the time is ‘tell me something I don’t know.’ Every day I wake up, and that’s what I’m trying to do—learn something I don’t know and then share that in a story.”

A search for understanding

Often during interviews, O’Donnell asks the person to name their superpower. For herself, she says it’s her curiosity.

“Journalism is the best job in the world, because it’s a front row seat to history. It’s always exciting. It always feeds my curiosity. You get to work with a lot of people who are also incredibly curious about the world. And you can talk to anybody and ask questions, and that’s part of your job. It changes every day.”

Although she is well-known, O’Donnell views herself not as a celebrity or media personality, but as a journalist who anchors an evening news broadcast. Her behind-the-scenes reporting work to understand the story, develop good questions, find reliable sources, and fact-check everything is challenging but critical to doing the job well.

“Walter Cronkite, whose seat I sit in, said journalism is what we need to make democracy work. And I believe that. People need to be able to turn on the evening news at 6:30 and think, I trust Norah O’Donnell. I want to hear what Norah says. What is the truth? That’s what we shoot for every single day. What’s challenging is that the truth is under fire.”

The news world has experienced a seismic shift during the course of her career, with the advent of the internet, smartphones, and citizen journalism.

“Audiences today have the news at their fingertips,” O’Donnell notes. “But there is one thing that remains the same: our commitment to the highest quality journalism. Of course, there have been ways the CBS Evening News has adapted to modern storytelling, but most importantly, we’ve doubled-down on what we call ‘hard news with heart.’ The reminder that behind every headline is a person, a family, and a community.”

Recognizing the transformative power of storytelling and journalism, O’Donnell hopes to inspire others to make the world better through more understanding. She works to share perspectives and experiences that are often overlooked.

“How can I use my voice for the truth and for good, and to shine a light on people who may have not received the attention that they deserve?”

Her time on the Hilltop helped strengthen O’Donnell’s foundation as a person seeking justice and a leader in the field of journalism.

“The liberal arts education at Georgetown enhanced what was a set of values I learned in my family, to pursue a life worth living that’s full of integrity.”

View her video tour of campus >