A 1998 grad with a degree in Liberal Arts with a concentration in Journalism, Stacey
got her start as a print reporter with the Associated Press in 1999. But as the digital
age took shape, her job training and responsibilities expanded to include video production.
Stacey’s primary role at AP is shooting, editing and producing video news stories
for television and online clients across the globe, and the audio is used by AP radio
service clients across the globe.
Honestly, it was affordable, close enough to New Orleans that I could still visit
friends and family on weekends, but most importantly, Southeastern offered me a paying
job at the college newspaper, The Lion’s Roar, upon my being accepted. LSU didn’t
offer paid positions for incoming freshmen at their newspaper. I checked! But I did
have previous reporting experience, both with my high school newspaper and the community
section of The Times-Picayune.
Hands-down the newspaper office under the bleachers at Strawberry Stadium is the most
iconic place for probably any student who worked for The Lion’s Roar or the Le Souvenir
yearbook. Offices for both publications were located in the stadium, and countless
sleepless nights were spent there working under deadline to get stories written and
the newspaper published. Back then, we had a light table where the pages were laid
out and stories and photos manually “glued” with a spray glue to the spreadsheets
and then delivered to the office of the Hammond newspaper, The Daily Star, where it
was published.
This will hands-down be Dr. Joe Mirando! He was that teacher who challenged me and
many of us to be better, do better. Every day the school newspapers hit newsstands
around campus, Dr. Mirando was not without the occasional compliment, but he was more
known to point out – to the entire journalism class – what we did wrong or could have
done better. There was no room for “feelings” in his classroom. You can check your
feelings at the door. This is the news business, and he taught us to put feelings
aside, do what we think is right, even when it’s hard, and for God’s sake tell the
story and tell it right. Nobody pushed me like he did, and I’m all the better for
it.
My degree and the professors, teachers and leaders in the field at Southeastern all
contributed to my successful career by giving me that early, hands-on experience in
conducting interviews, building my confidence to go on and interview famous people
and people in positions of power without being intimidated. My college experience
also made me more excited about my field – more willing to learn, eventually leading
to me expanding my journalism interest from just print and radio to video and television.
Hurricane Katrina certainly changed the trajectory of my career. I was on a print-based
path before Katrina, but when the storm’s destruction brought so much world-wide attention
to New Orleans, the AP offered me the opportunity for training in video journalism.
I jumped at the opportunity and haven’t looked back.
I guess the only thing about my education is that I wasn’t sure what kind of job I’d
get after college – how long I’d make it in the business – but the roots instilled
at Southeastern have allowed me to flourish for decades in this industry.
The only thing that’s consistent is change, so be willing to adapt. This industry
isn’t the same as it was when I was in college, but I’ve allowed myself to grow and
change with it. That’s how you make it in this business and probably most others
That journalists are the enemy of the people. Those who do their jobs accurately and
well are public servants, vital public servants.
I love spending time with my family in New Orleans and the surrounding area. Whether
we’re walking nature trails or walking the French Quarter, I’m grateful to have the
family I do and live in the thick of this beautifully flawed city.
Just that I believe in leaving this world a better place. That’s one of the reasons
why my husband and I bought a more than century-old historic New Orleans home. We
knew it was going to be a lifelong labor of love to renovate and maintain, but we’re
in the thick of renovating now and can’t wait to see this beautiful old gal shine
bright again. Our little way of preserving a piece of the history of the city we love
and call home.
