Nancy Barnes, senior vice president of news and editorial director for National Public Radio (NPR), will serve as the keynote speaker at the 2019 winter graduation ceremony for Temple University’s Klein College of Media and Communication. 

“Nancy Barnes is one of the smartest, most energetic, most respected people in the world of journalism,” said David Boardman, dean of Klein College. “She has worked successfully across forms of media to produce content that enriches lives and elevates our democracy. We are so fortunate to have her here to inspire our graduates.”

Barnes’ media career spans more than 30 years and features several prominent roles at award-winning organizations. She joined NPR in 2018 and leads 450 journalists in creating poignant media. Previously, she was the executive editor of Hearst Texas newspapers and the Houston Chronicle, where she was also an executive vice president and editor. Under her leadership, journalists at the Chronicle won the Selden Ring Award for Investigative Reporting in 2017, a George Polk Award in Journalism in 2016 and the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary in 2015. 

Prior to her time in Texas, Barnes held several positions at the Star Tribune in Minnesota. While with Star Tribune Media Company, she spearheaded efforts to help revive the newspaper, which eventually resulted in the Star Tribune having one of the strongest major metropolitan newsrooms in the country. She was also a reporter in Mid-Atlantic and New England markets for many years.

Barnes received her master’s degree in business administration and management from the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School and her undergraduate degree in international relations and affairs from the University of Virginia. She is the president of the board of directors of the American Society of News Editors and a member of the Pulitzer Prize Board at Columbia University.

Barnes looks forward to speaking with the diverse group of students continuing their journey into the world of media and communication.

“I’m delighted to be able to join the graduates on a really important moment in their lives and the beginning of their careers,” she said.