Janelle Richards
Janelle Richards’ path to becoming a journalist began in the ninth grade, when she got her first hands-on experience in a high school television production class. Her high school experience was the beginning of what she hopes will be a career that lands her in a network television producing and reporting role.
Richards was born in Washington, D.C. and lived in Silver Spring, Md., until she left to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in English at Spelman College in Atlanta, Ga. She graduated in May of 2009.
At 22 years old, Richards has a lot of experience for her age. In her high school television studio, she edited audio, used cameras, produced, floor directed, and anchored shows. Having had to work with tedious tape-to-tape editing in high school makes her appreciate the tapeless cameras and non-linear editing software she works with in graduate school. As an English major in college, she honed her writing skills – one of the most important aspects of being a journalist. Having television production and strong writing skills helped her obtain internships at CBS in Washington, D.C. and CNN and WSB-TV in Atlanta.
Richards knew she wanted to attend graduate school ever since the start of her undergraduate years. She is excited to earn her Master’s degree from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism in New York. Richards said she looks forward to the hands-on training she will receive, and believes New York City is the perfect place to master her broadcast journalism skills.
In her spare time, Richards enjoys traveling, reading and water sports – especially jet skiing.