Marcy McGinnis Named New Associate Dean at J-School

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McGinnis in the Journalism School's newly opened "newsroom of the future" Photo courtesy of the School of Journalism

By Daniel Lehrhaupt

Marcy McGinnis was named the new associate dean at Stony Brook University’s School of Journalism on Sept. 6. A petite woman with large ambitions, McGinnis has gone from the boss of Dan Rather at CBS News to overseeing the development of a brand new school of journalism – the first in the SUNY system. Before the promotion McGinnis directed the broadcast journalism program, although she will still be holding this position.

Her duties are wide ranging and include both long and short term strategic planning for the School of Journalism. She said she will concentrate on curricula development, student recruitment, faculty recruitment and fund raising.

McGinnis added she will also continue to oversee the creation of a broadcast and media center, where students can train on sophisticated equipment and produce campus wide newscasts and other news programming that can eventually air on local cable stations.

Stony Brook’s School of Journalism is only a year old, but McGinnis is prepared for the challenge. “Working in the arena of breaking news with all of its unpredictability is certainly great training for dealing with the start up of a new journalism school and to deal with a man with such ambitious goals,” McGinnis said.

McGinnis was referring to the School of Journalism’s Dean Howard Schneider, who said in a press release he is thrilled to have her as an associate dean. “Marcy McGinnis is an extraordinary journalist who has made remarkable progress in developing our broadcast journalism program…Her vision, energy, and enthusiasm are just what we need to make the journalism school one of the most competitive in the country.”

As vice president of news coverage from 1997 to 2001 and senior vice president of news coverage from June 2001 to December 2005, McGinnis influenced the way current events were reported at CBS. McGinnis helped CBS report such events as the wedding of Princess Diana, the terrorist attacks on September 11, Hurricane Katrina, and even met with Pope John Paul II. “The people at CBS News told me it [my job] could involve worldwide travel and a chance to witness history in the making. They were right,” McGinnis said.

Today, McGinnis is influencing the way the future will be reported and viewed, as well. “We have two missions, one is to train the next generation of journalists, and the second mission is to train the next generation of news consumers,” she said.

The school of journalism offers print, broadcast, and online journalism. “The varied background of the faculty helps in teaching and exposing the students to the world of convergence they’re going to experience when they graduate,” McGinnis said.

Despite her promotion, she still gets to trek across campus, “And sadly, I
have to park in a far away lot just like everyone else," she said. "At least I get some exercise walking to my office!”