CNN's Ed Lavandera Visits Journalism Classes
Ed Lavandera speaks to students during a newscast production on Dec. 4, 2025.
The University of Arizona School of Journalism welcomed CNN Senior National Correspondent Ed Lavandera to campus on Dec. 4. Lavandera offered students an inside look at the art of storytelling and the realities of reporting from the field.
Lavandera has worked for the network for more than two decades. In this time, he has covered natural disasters, armed conflicts and political unrest across the country and around the world. His work has earned numerous honors, including an Edward R. Murrow Award for breaking news coverage and a Peabody Award for the documentary “The Hidden Workforce: Undocumented in America.”
Ed Lavandera speaks to students in JOUR 150C1: News in Society on Dec. 4, 2025.
Adjunct instructor Jill Jorden Spitz hosted Lavandera in her News in Society class for a moderated discussion, in which Lavandera spoke to students about his experiences covering major breaking news stories, building trust with sources and the importance of empathy in reporting.
“At its heart, journalism is a noble calling. What you do makes a difference,” Lavandera told students.
Lavandera also visited adjunct instructor Ralph Robinson’s Beginning Television Reporting and Production class, where he spoke about life as a broadcast journalist and shared tips for pitching ideas to editors, crafting compelling multimedia stories and conducting effective on-camera interviews.
He wrapped up his visit in the School of Journalism’s broadcast studio, joining students as they produced their end-of-semester newscasts and providing feedback on their story packages.
“Our students were so incredibly lucky to cross paths with such a talented and thoughtful journalist like Ed Lavandera,” said School of Journalism Director Jan Lauren Boyles. “We were thankful for his visit, which helped us further elevate our audio and video production curriculum in the School.”