Speaker Bios
Bob Dotson
Former National Correspondent
NBC News, New York, NY
Bob has crisscrossed America, more than four million miles, searching for people who are practically invisible, the ones who change our lives, but don’t take time to tweet and tell us about it. His long-running series, “The American Story with Bob Dotson,” became a regular feature on the TODAY Show until his retirement on the 40th anniversary of the day he joined NBC. Bob then taught storytelling for seven years at Syracuse University in New York and is now working to improve visual storytelling at Gray Media’s 119 stations in the U.S.
Bob also conducts workshops in Korea, Australia, England, Holland, Switzerland, and Austria.
His classic textbook, “Make It Memorable: Writing and Packaging Visual News with Style” has been studied on campuses and in newsrooms around the world for a quarter of a century. A third edition was just published. (Rowman & Littlefield.)
He is one of the most honored storytellers of our time. Bob has earned 120 awards, including: 6 Edward R. Murrow Awards for Best Network News Writing (a record) and 12 more for reporting. 10 National Emmys. Top honors from the National Press Photographers Association, the Kennedy Center, DuPont Columbia and the William Allen White Foundation for journalistic excellence. Long-form programs Dotson wrote and produced have won seven International Film Festivals and documentary's highest honor, the CINE Grand Prize.
Blayne Alexander
Dateline Correspondent
NBC News, Atlanta, GA
Blayne Alexander is a correspondent for Dateline NBC, the longest running primetime show on NBC.
Previously, Blayne Alexander was an Atlanta-based correspondent for NBC News, where she reported for all platforms including NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt, Today Show and MSNBC.
During her time with the network, Blayne’s reporting has been at the forefront of the biggest stories in recent history, including the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 Elections (and Georgia's Senate runoffs), the death of Congressman John Lewis and the nationwide protests around racial injustice. Blayne also led the network’s coverage of the Georgia criminal indictment of President Trump during his first administration, a story on which she landed several exclusive interviews.
Blayne previously spent two years as Washington correspondent for NBC News Channel, reporting on the Trump administration for NBC affiliate stations nationwide.
Blayne's reporting has taken her around the world, from the White House to Wimbledon, Singapore to Melbourne, Australia and - her personal favorite - the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
A four-time Emmy Award nominee, Blayne began her reporting career at WRDW-TV in Augusta, Georgia, before spending six years as a reporter and anchor with Atlanta’s WXIA-TV. Her work has been honored by the Atlanta and National Associations of Black Journalists and the Atlanta Press Club and is the recipient of a Gracie honorable mention.
Blayne is graduate of Duke University and member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and National Association of Black Journalists. A proud Oklahoma City native, Blayne has loved making Atlanta home with her husband, James Bailey, and their two incredible daughters, Sage and Skylar.
Kevin Benz
Newsroom Coach
KevinBenz.News, Austin, TX
A self-described “recovering” news director, Kevin Benz is well-known as an inspiring, engaging journalism coach. He works with thousands of journalists in hundreds of newsrooms around the country with his own style of pragmatic, ethical craft. His 30 years in newsrooms, shooting and reporting on the streets provide a unique understanding of what journalists need.
Known as a media trailblazer and innovator, Kevin launched two of the most innovative media organizations in the country — News 8 Austin, a 24-hour local news channel; and CultureMap Austin, the most read digital lifestyle magazine of the city.
He began his career in broadcast journalism as an award-winning news photographer and followed a path to becoming a nationally recognized journalism leader — serving 14 years as news director and editor-in-chief in Austin.
His teams received national recognition from the most prestigious organizations including the Sigma Delta Chi awards, the National Edward R. Murrow awards, three National Walter Cronkite awards for excellence in Political Journalism and the DuPont-Columbia awards. Kevin’s personal honors also include the Western Heritage award from the National Cowboy Hall of Fame.
Kevin is former Chairman of both the RTDNA (Radio, Television, Digital News Association) and the Texas Associated Press Broadcasters where he co-founded the Southwest Broadcast Journalism Conference. He served as visiting faculty for the Poynter Institute and currently serves as faculty for the Carole Kneeland Project for Responsible Journalism.
Katie Eastman
Manager of Storytelling
KOTV, Tulsa, OK
Katie Eastman is the Manager of Storytelling at KOTV in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In this unique position she tells stories herself while mentoring reporters and multimedia journalists. Before this jump into management, she spent 12 years as a general assignment reporter and multimedia journalist in Iowa, Boston, New York, and Denver. She came to Tulsa after working at KUSA in Denver, where she had the privilege of amplifying the voices of Coloradans across the state. Katie believes in seeking out people she might never meet along her own path.
Alex Rozier
Reporter
KNBC, Los Angeles, CA
Alex Rozier is an award-winning General Assignment Reporter for KNBC in Los Angeles, California. Rozier joined KNBC in 2022 after moving from Dallas, Texas where he reported for WFAA. Prior to WFAA, he worked for KING5 in Seattle, Washington, KHQ in Spokane, Washington, and KOMU in Columbia, Missouri.
Throughout his career he's covered several major stories including the 2011 tornado in Joplin, Missouri, and the 2019 mass shooting at the Wal-Mart in El Paso, Texas. In 2017, he made international headlines as the journalist who stepped off an Amtrak train in Washington minutes before it derailed. More recently, he was one of the first Reporters on scene covering the devastating California wildfires.
Rozier has earned nine Emmy awards and three National Edward R. Murrow awards. He's a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism.
Jobin Panicker
Reporter
WFAA, Dallas, TX
Jobin Panicker is a reporter at WFAA in Dallas, TX who joined in December of 2012. He specializes in features and stories from Collin County. Jobin's work has garnered more than 30 Emmy® Awards along with a number of Edward R. Murrows and Society of Professional Journalists Awards through 2024. He's also a two-time national Reporter of the Year by NPPA (National Press Photographer's Association) in 2022 and 2023. Jobin has an awesome wife and three wonderful children. He is originally from Southern California and has made North Texas his home.
Noel Brennan
Multimedia Journalist
WBBM, Chicago, IL
Noel is a multiskilled journalist at WBBM and one of just a few TV reporters in Chicago who shoots, writes and edits his own stories. He covers general assignment news, and his stories are often featured on the CBS Weekend News.
Before Chicago, Noel spent nine years reporting for KUSA in Denver where he was a storytelling sponge, soaking in all he could from the talented photojournalists.
Noel’s reporting has earned a National Murrow Award, 18 regional Emmy Awards and several honors from the National Press Photographers Association. He’s a two-time finalist for the NPPA Reporter of the Year Award, finishing as runner-up in 2024.
Noel lives in Chicago with his wife, their two boys, and their golden retriever, Cooper.
Forrest Sanders
Multimedia Journalist
WTVF, Nashville, TN
Forrest Sanders is a solo video journalist at WTVF NewsChannel 5 in Nashville.
Forrest is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and started his career at WBKO in Bowling Green, KY. He's covered the stories of Nashville since 2009. He’s the recipient of 42 Emmy Awards for work he wrote, shot and edited. He was named national Solo Video Journalist of the Year in NPPA's Best of Photography competition in 2022, 2023, and 2024. He's a three-time runner-up for the national Ernie Crisp Photographer of the Year.
Forrest believes in visual, emotion-driven storytelling that emphasizes the uniqueness of the person and situation at the center of the story. A somewhat unconventional path to news, Forrest decided he wanted to write, shoot and edit stories after watching 'The Evil Dead' in high school (it's a long story). He thanks the Kentucky News Photographers Association for arranging for the governor to officially bestow him the title of ‘Kentucky Colonel.’ This designation has made him, yes, Colonel Sanders.
Mike Grady
PhotoJournalist
KUSA, Denver, CO
One of my main objectives growing up as a Catholic school student at St. Agnes School in Dalton, MA, was using mass to get out of the tedious day-to-day responsibilities. The pinnacle of my success came in 4th grade when I realized that working on the weekly live TV broadcast of mass also got me out of the churchy parts of going to church. I managed to avoid most scholarly enterprises at Westfield State College by majoring in communications. Just before leaving WSC I told my career counselor that I wanted to do anything in video production other than work in local TV news. A year of actual labor painting houses changed my mind. I fell back into the warm embrace of a video camera in 2010 when I started shooting news at WNYT in Albany, NY. I continued avoiding having a real job when I went to WGAL in Lancaster, PA, in 2014. That led me to a gig at KDVR in Denver, CO in 2015 where I shot for a year before jumping across the street to KUSA. At 9NEWS I’ve learned so much about shooting, editing, writing, and all the other aspects of journalism that go into every newscast. My colleagues here have shown me that the humanity and empathy involved in gathering, producing, and sharing people’s stories is what is most important. Some organizations have recognized my skill navigating our capitalist society. Numerous regional Emmys, two National Edward R. Murrow awards, and in 2024 the National Press Photographers Association recognized me as both the Photographer and Editor of the year. My Dad legit told me, “if you love what you do you’ll never work a day in your life.” Through a life spent shooting video, I can certainly vouch for that statement.
Emily Gracey
Creative Content Producer
The National Weather Desk, Charleston, SC
Emily, a certified digital meteorologist with 20 years of experience, holds an Atmospheric Science degree from UNC Asheville. Her career spans national and local TV, science non-profits, and academia. After leaving local TV she joined Sinclair Broadcasting, producing content for The National Weather Desk. She single-handedly produces, hosts and edits Off the Radar podcast, transforming complex science topics into captivating storytelling. Based in Charleston, SC, she creates her podcast from her backyard "weather shed".
John Kirtley
Workshop Director and host
Sound Of Life Media, Asheville, NC
John Kirtley founded Sound Of Life Media in 2016 to spread his passion for the importance of high-quality visual storytelling in television news. He enjoys helping his clients achieve their goals in local markets all over the country and at the national level.
John told stories in markets throughout the country, finishing his newsroom career as the Assistant Chief Photojournalist at WLOS-TV in Asheville, NC.
In his decade-long career as a storyteller, he won numerous awards, including 10 Emmy’s, 5 Edward R. Murrow awards and was named the NPPA’s Ernie Crisp Photojournalist of the Year - Runner-up, the industry's highest honor for photojournalism.
John has spoken at workshops throughout the country, was the co-director of the NPPA Southeast Storytelling Workshop and is the director of the annual Sound of Life Storytelling Workshop.
John lives in Asheville, NC with his wife and four children. He loves supporting independent music, coaching youth sports, Survivor and a good acai bowl.