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The CNS-TV Bureau - Spring 2007

Their broadcast will air at 7:30 p.m. on UMTV beginning Feb. 6. UMTV is Channel 72 in Prince George's County; Channel 2 in Montgomery County. CNS-TV reporters are reachable at umtvdesk@jmail.umd.edu.

The TV crew, spring 2007.
From left: Director Cassandra Clayton, Karen Kiley, Sylvie Safren, Jackie Cutler, George Jackson, Linh Bui, Madeline Chase, Laquasha Bivens, Valerie Town, Matilda Bode, Aliza Krichevsky, Executive Producer Sue Kopen-Katcef and Technical Manager Kevin Swift. (Newsline photo by Diego Mantilla)

About the bureau chief:

Cassandra Clayton oversees production of UMTV’s nightly newscast, "Maryland Newsline." Hired as an NBC News correspondent in 1983, over the next two decades she reported from their Atlanta, Chicago, New York and Washington, D.C., bureaus. She co-anchored a nightly news and talk program on CNBC called "The Real Story," and substitute anchored "Nightly News," "Weekend Edition," "Sunrise" and the "Today" news segment. She most recently reported and anchored for MSNBC and taught broadcast journalism at Howard University.

The grad students:

Laquasha Bivens, 23, is the military affairs/homeland security reporter for Maryland Newsline.  She received her B.A. degree in Telecommunications:  Broadcast Journalism from Morgan State University in 2005.  Bivens has interned at WEAA 88.9 FM (an NPR affiliate) and WMAR-TV ABC2 News in Baltimore.  She has also covered stories for the Baltimore Chronicle online newspaper.  She plans to receive her master’s degree this spring and is looking forward to working as a producer or reporter in a television newsroom.  After that, she hopes to earn her Ph.D. and become a communications professor.  She can be reached at lcbivens@hotmail.com.

Matilda Bode, 29, covers education and Gov. Martin O’Malley for Maryland Newsline.  She will earn her master’s degree in May 2007 and aspires to be a documentary producer.  Bode received a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1999 from Kenyon College in Ohio.  She has more than six years of experience producing documentaries for PBS FRONTLINE, Bill Moyers Reports and The History Channel about topics ranging from the U.S. chemical industry to NAFTA and to biographies of Presidents Richard Nixon and Franklin D. Roosevelt.  She is from Washington, D.C., and can be reached at matildabode@hotmail.com.

George Jackson, 30, 25, is covering ethnic and religious affairs for Maryland Newsline. He will earn his master’s degree in May and aspires to be a producer or an investigative reporter. George earned a bachelor’s degree in English from The Ohio State University in 2003 and worked in Denver for two years before returning to school. This academic year he directed and co-produced a 30-minute documentary entitled “Growing Virginia Wine,” wrote freelance articles for The Gazette newspapers, volunteered for the BBC, and produced a 30-minute live newscast for “Decision 2006” covering Maryland’s state and local elections. Jackson was born in Toledo, Ohio. He can be reached at gjackson@umd.edu.

Aliza Krichevsky, 24, is a graduate student covering transportation issues, Comptroller Peter Franchot and the Board of Public Works for Maryland Newsline. She will graduate in May with her master’s degree in broadcast journalism. Krichevsky received a Bachelor of Science in film and television and a Bachelor of Arts in international relations from Boston University in 2004. She held internships at Voice of America's London Bureau, Modern Rock WHFS 99.1 FM and the press office of a senator. She also worked at the State Department. This fall, she produced a 30-minute documentary called “Growing Virginia Wine” with two other classmates. She hopes to produce or direct national and international news. Krichevsky is from Potomac, Md., and can be reached at aliza@alum.bu.edu.

Sylvie Safren, 25, is a broadcast journalism graduate student covering Baltimore City for Maryland Newsline. She will earn her master’s degree in May and plans to pursue a career in reporting and producing. Sylvie graduated from St. Mary’s College of Maryland in May 2003 with a B.A. in Political Science. She has worked for several years as a paralegal for a Due Diligence Practice in Howard County. In the fall of 2006, she completed a 30-minute documentary with two partners titled “Growing Virginia Wine,” which focused on the Virginia wine industry. Sylvie is from Columbia, Md., and can be reached at sksaffren@yahoo.com.

The undergrads:

Linh Bui, 21, is covering Montgomery County for Maryland Newsline. She will earn her bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism in May and aspires to be a news reporter. She has reported for WMUC's Terp Weekly Edition, the College Park Edition of Maryland Newsline, Unwind Magazine, the PublicAsian and McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. She was also a production assistant for Edelman Productions in Washington, D.C. Linh can be reached at linh.y.bui@gmail.com.

Madeline Chase, 22, is a broadcast journalism undergraduate student covering health and medicine for Maryland Newsline.  She will earn her bachelor of arts in broadcasting from the University of Maryland in the fall of 2007. Madeline aspires to be a morning news anchor specializing in health reports. She interned at WJLA ABC 7 News in Washington, D.C., and worked exclusively with the medical reporter there. She is from Bethesda, Md., and can be reached at madelinechase@gmail.com.

Jackie Cutler, 25, covers the environment for CNS-TV.  She first became interested in journalism after co-producing a radio musical history series in New York City. Cutler covered Capitol Hill as a summer intern for the Washington Bureau. Last fall she interned as a reporter for GTV, a Howard County Government station. She currently does freelance photography for Next Door News, a Maryland community paper. Cutler, who was awarded the RTNDA’s 2006 Ed Bradley Scholarship, hopes to work as a local news reporter before becoming a network correspondent or producer. She will graduate in May 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism. Cutler is a native Washingtonian and can be reached by e-mail at jackiecutler@gmail.com.

Karen Kiley, 21, is a senior undergraduate covering crime and justice throughout the state for Maryland Newsline. She has previous experience in broadcast reporting with internships at WBAL-TV in Baltimore and Tribune Broadcasting in Washington, D.C. She is graduating in May with a degree in Broadcast Journalism. Kiley is originally from Gaithersburg, Md., and can be reached at kkiley@umd.edu.

Valerie Town, 21, covers Prince George's County for Maryland Newsline.  She will earn her bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism in May and aspires to be a reporter. She worked for WMAL Radio in Washington, D.C., as a morning desk assistant and still freelances as an assignment editor for the local CBS station, WUSA9 News. She will graduate in May and plans to continue reporting for other television stations. She can be reached at valtown@gmail.com.

Copyright © 2007 University of Maryland Philip Merrill College of Journalism


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