Chief investigative Reporter Susannah Frame discusses career with journalism students
Elliot Bailey, A&E Editor
Originally published January 7, 2016
Speaking with professional journalists can be a boon for a high school journalism program. That’s why Newspaper and Yearbook adviser Michael Smith called on Susannah Frame, Chief Investigative Reporter for KING 5 News to speak with his students during fifth period on January 6.
Susannah Frame, Chief Investigative Reporter for KING 5, visited members of Talisman and Shingle staff today to speak about her career, accomplishments and the slog of a professional journalist.
THE FOUR PRONGS OF INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM
According to Susannah Frame, Chief Investigative Reporter for KING 5
The content you’re reporting:
— is important to the public
— is your own work; ie. research, record requests and story were your hard work
— is something somebody wants to keep a secret
— has the potential to instigate change socially, legislatively, etc.
Frame has won many awards for her reporting, including the prestigious Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award for excellence in broadcast journalism.
Her work has instigated legislative action in many cases. “Fostering Justice,” a 2013 report by Frame, led to a new state law which ensured for the first time ever that Washington foster children would have the right to legal counsel.
In a conversation that spanned her career, Frame gave advice on working as a journalist, writing impactful articles with confidence and what she calls “the three prongs of investigative journalism.”
Frame’s visit was made possible by Brenda Miyake, Frame’s friend as well as mother to junior and Shingle Editor-in-Chief Max Miyake. Brenda Miyake and Frame met years ago as reporters working for competing news outlets in Yakima.
Michael Smith, Yearbook and Newspaper Advisor, looks to bring in professionals in the journalism field, such as Frame, each year. Sometimes they’re photographers, sometimes they’re printers and sometimes they’re Frame, an investigative journalist. “I think it’s always valuable for students to get a sense of the different careers and opportunities, because obviously a lot of kids don’t necessarily really know what they’re going to end up doing,” Smith said.
