NEWS RELEASE

Contact: David West (west@nsula.edu )
News Bureau
Northwestern State University
Natchitoches, LA 71497
(318) 357-6466

2/3/2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NATCHITOCHES ­Sean-Patrick Kennedy will discuss some of the recent scandals in journalism in a speech at Northwestern State University Wednesday, Feb. 16 at 3 p.m. in the Ora G. Williams Television Studio (Room 104) in Kyser Hall. Kennedy's speech, "The NewsWho Can You Trust?" is part of the Newsmakers and Shakers open forum sponsored by the NSU Department of Journalism. Admission is free and open to the public.

An advocate of responsible journalism, Kennedy, the news director at KTAL-TV in Shreveport, will address the importance of credibility and ethics for journalists. He plans to talk about the recent CBS/Dan Rather episode, the Jayson Blair scandal at the New York Times and other recent media occurrences that have had a negative impact on the credibility of journalists.

Kennedy has been news director of KTAL for six years. He has worked his way up through the producing ranks as a news and executive producer at WPSD-TV, Paducah, Ky.; and executive producer at KYTV-TV in Springfield, Mo. Kennedy also worked at KLAX-TV in Alexandria as morning show anchor/weatherman/producer and dayside reporter. He helped launch Texas Cable News, the first 24-hour, statewide cable news outlet in Texas. In the Shreveport market, he worked as the 10 p.m. producer, executive producer, assistant news director and interim news director for KTBS-TV.

A native of Kansas City, Mo., Kennedy is a graduate of Southern Methodist University. During the past five years, he's played a major role at KTAL-TV in developing and refocusing that station's news department.

For more information on the Newsmakers and Shakers Forum, contact Mary Brocato in NSU's Department of Journalism at (318) 357-4433.

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