Reporter Melanie Lawson from ABC Channel 13 will speak at Sam Houston State University on April 19 at 6 p.m.
Lawson will speak at Mingling with the Media, an event hosted by Priority One Public Relations that serves as an opportunity for students to hear the professional journey of a well-known journalist or reporter.
Lawson has been an anchor and reporter at KTRK-TV for more than three decades. She is the anchor of “Live at 5” and “Eyewitness News at 11 a.m.” She also hosted a weekly community affairs program called “Crossroads” for ten years, focusing on issues and events around the city.
“She has covered virtually every city, state and national election during her career,” Lawson’s media contact Doris Lofton said. “She has interviewed a wide range of notables, including three presidents, poet Maya Angelou, singer Beyoncé and actors Betty White, Anthony White and Denzel Washington. She has earned three Emmys for her work among many other awards.”
Lawson has been honored for her body of work by Houston Community College, Houston Press Club, Anti-Defamation League, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Women in Film and Television, Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, the YWCA and the Houston Association of Black Journalists. She has served on the boards of Houston Ballet, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Houston Museum of African American Culture, Volunteer Houston and is a trustee for Princeton University.
Lawson received her undergraduate degree in politics from Princeton and a joint degree in law and journalism from Columbia University. She worked at a Wall Street law firm for three years before returning to Houston, and is admitted to both the Texas and New York State Bars.
Lawson and her partner, John Guess, are collectors of glass art and African American art. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, the Houston Chapter of the Links, Inc. and the church founded by her parents—Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church.
Mingling with the Media will be held in the Dan Rather Mass Communication Building in Studio A on the first floor.
Lawson will be interviewed by Warner Endowed Chairman Peter Roussel and will be sharing her professional story. There will be a Q&A opportunity at the end of the event for the audience’s questions.
Priority One is also holding a contest before the event called “Why I Want to be a Journalist” for a $25 Amazon gift card. To participate in the contest, students must comment on the Priority One Facebook page ‘what motivates you into purposing a degree in journalism’. To win, you must be a current SHSU student and “like” the SHSU Priority One Facebook page.
QR CODE: Ws7cmC7waY
For more information on Mingling with the Media, visit https://events.shsu.edu/event/mingling_with_the_media_1502#.
