IC News

Sara McCloskey ‘15 was accepted into this year's spring cohort of the Poynter Institute’s annual Leadership Academy for Women in Media. The renowned program is dedicated to inspiring innovation and inclusion for women who hold leadership roles in the media industry.

This past spring, McCloskey began the week-long program which included training sessions, guided workshops, and prestigious speakers.  Traditionally, each cohort would convene at the institute’s Florida headquarters, but since last fall, Poynter has been offering a virtual experience for participants.

The Leadership Academy is designed to address the need for diversity, equity, and inclusion in breaking barriers and creating change as newsroom leaders. The program’s training focuses on the individuality of each member and how reflecting on their own experiences, and learning about one another's, is critical as they continue to grow in their field.

“I loved hearing from the instructors because they all have such varied experiences as leaders in the media industry,” said McCloskey. “Hearing their stories was extremely gratifying and very helpful as I try to figure out how I will move forward in my own work after learning from their perspectives.”

The program centers nine key lessons for the cohort to unpack and strategize on how to improve their leadership experience. Some of these include navigating ethical issues in the newsroom, effectively handling burnout and anxiety, and defeating imposter syndrome. This spring’s keynote speaker was journalist, author, and podcaster Danyel Smith. Smith, who is a former editor for Billboard and Vibe magazine, shared her own journey as a Black, female editor.

McCloskey currently serves as the newscast editor and internship coordinator for the multimedia news platform VPM, Virginia’s home for public media. Her experience while managing a newsroom has allowed her to understand how issues such as these impact her personally, and the climate of newsrooms in general.

For women who lead in this field there are specific pressures rooted in gendered discrimination that must be faced daily. Considering most media industries are male dominated fields, the women who champion these roles are left isolated in their attempts to tackle them. For McCloskey, this is what makes opportunities such as the Leadership Academy so important.

“I can genuinely say I feel like I've made connections that will last a lifetime, said McCloskey. “Networking aside, I feel as though these women are going to be in my circle as sources, mentors, and people who I can lean on.”