Need a good quote, learned opinion or strong presence for your news story or program? Our faculty lend their perspective to help you make sense of the latest news stories, hot-button issues and trends.
With a wide range of expertise and a keen sense of issues and trends, Quinnipiac's faculty members are the perfect sources for your stories. Call us when financial or political news breaks or when you need a quote and some insight on a legal or health-related issue.
Three members of the Quinnipiac University School of Communications, including the dean, Lee Kamlet, are available to comment on the death of Gwen Ifill. Please contact John Morgan, Associate Vice President for Public Relations, at 203-582-5359 for more information or to set up interviews.
Kamlet, who first met Ifill in 1992 when he was a lead producer for ABC News, said “When I first met Gwen, she was reporting for The New York Times on Bill Clinton’s first presidential campaign. Gwen was an outstanding journalist who cared about facts and fairness. She rose to the top of her profession, and became a role model for so many young journalists.”
Rich Hanley, associate professor of journalism, said, “The loss of Gwen occurs at a moment when journalism desperately needs a figure of her stature, personal warmth and credibility to see it through the present crisis in the public's confidence in news media. Her capacity to get to the core of an issue during an interview without resorting to contemporary theatrics distinguished her from others in the television news realm. Her authentic curiosity in all kinds of subjects made the audience share in her enthusiasm for learning something knew. This is a loss for the Americans who appreciated her professional practice of journalism in this age of cable television farces.”
Ben Bogardus, assistant professor of journalism, said, “Gwen Ifill’s success lay in the way she connected with viewers. She was someone you trusted to tell in-depth stories while, at the same time, someone you were happy to invite into your home at night. Many TV journalists can only do one of those things well. But Ifill could do both. This, along with her pioneering personal accomplishments, should serve as an example for young journalists hoping to make their mark in the industry.”
Ifill received Quinnipiac University’s Fred Friendly First Amendment Award in 2010. Since 1994, Quinnipiac has presented the Fred Friendly First Amendment Award to honor those who have shown courage and forthrightness in preserving the rights set forth in the First Amendment. The award bears the name of the former CBS News president and champion of freedom of speech.