NBC News President Neal Shapiro will receive this year's "Light on the Hill" award today at 11 a.m. in the Coolidge Room in Ballou Hall. Rob Burnett, Emmy-Award winning CBS producer and this year's other recipient, will not be presented with the award until next semester.
Shapiro will speak about the media since Sept. 11. His prior experience in the world of televised news, along with his current status as head of NBC's News division, make him a fitting speaker for the topic of post-Sept. 11 newscasts.
According to the NBC web site, Shapiro oversaw the production of several major breaking-news stories, such as the Oklahoma City bombing, the death of Princess Diana, the Columbine tragedy, the war in Kosovo, and the Clinton impeachment trial when he worked as the executive producer of the Emmy Award winning Dateline. He also served as the executive producer for several hour-long specials, including reports on corporate layoffs in America, migrant farm workers, and welfare reform.
In June 2001, Shapiro was appointed president of NBC News, the most-watched news organization in the world. He also oversees the cable news channel MSNBC.
Before becoming news president of NBC and working as executive producer of Dateline, Shapiro worked at ABC. He has produced ABC's PrimeTime Live newsmagazine, Nightline, and worked in the company's Chicago bureau. A former Observer editor-in-chief, Shapiro graduated magna cum laude with degrees in history and political science.
Shapiro has retained close ties to Tufts since his graduation, and he is currently chairman of the Communications and Media Studies Alumni Advisory Board. His visit to Tufts today will coincide with a Communication and Media Studies lecture.
