National Geographic Editor and MSU J-School Alumna Susan Goldberg Inspires Audience at Keynote Speech

Susan Goldberg spoke about gender equity in newsrooms today at the Society of News Design 2020 Virtual Workshop.

Susan Goldberg, Editor-in-Chief of National Geographic and Editorial Director of National Geographic Partners, inspired a group of more than 350 visual journalists today while giving a keynote presentation at the Society of News Design's 2020 Virtual Workshop.

Goldberg, a graduate of MSU's J-School, is the first female Editor-in-Chief of National Geographic, which was first published in 1888. Goldberg's trail-blazing journalism career includes leadership roles at the San Jose Mercury News, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Bloomberg News and USA TODAY.

Goldberg is heralded in the journalism industry for being a champion of helping women elevate into leadership roles in newsrooms. Goldberg also funds the School of Journalism's Susan Goldberg Scholarship.

Goldberg said progress was being made in the effort to help promote women and people of color in the 1990s and 2000s before the journalism industry began to confront a dramatic economic slowdown, when many legacy news organizations stopped prioritizing such parity and equity issues.

"Having representative leadership is as important as anything else we do," Goldberg said. "It's as important as any story we tell because it affects so many of the stories we tell. I think we are still clawing our way back. I can't think of anything more important."

Goldberg also inspired the virtual audience by explaining how National Geographic includes designers, photographers, graphic artists and social media editors, along with the writers and editors in visual storytelling conversations and planning sessions. The workshop is being held virtually over a two-week span.

It was originally scheduled to be held in Washington, D.C. last spring but was cancelled due to COVID-19.

Anyone who wants to hear Goldberg's presentation can still register for the virtual workshop, which runs through October, by going go to www.snd.org. Sessions of all the presenters will be available to view through the end of October.