Journalist Greta Van Susteren named a senior fellow at USC Annenberg

Former news anchor Greta Van Susteren will join the USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership & Policy as a non-resident senior fellow in the fall.

Van Susteren, who has been an important part of the news operations at all three major cable news networks, was a criminal defense attorney and an adjunct faculty member at Georgetown Law School before entering journalism. Her second book, Everything You Need to Know about Social Media, which serves as a step-by-step guide to the major media platforms, will be published by Simon & Schuster in November.

“As a senior fellow,” CCLP Director Geoffrey Cowan said, “Greta will be a wonderful addition to our center, working with USC Annenberg on issues relating to social media, civic discourse, broadcast news, the coverage of politics and government, and public diplomacy.”

“I enjoyed working alongside Greta at CNN years ago, and I’m delighted to be reunited with her as we continue our work here to guide the next generation of journalists,” said Willow Bay, dean of the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

Van Susteren, who was ranked the 94th most powerful woman in the world in 2016 by Forbes, will join a stellar roster of journalists, scholars and public officials currently serving as senior fellows at USC Annenberg. Senior fellows work with students, appear on USC panels and produce important books, works of journalism and academic studies. In addition to her work as an experienced news moderator and anchor, Van Susteren has reported from hot spots around the world, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, North Korea, Sudan and often conducted interviews with world leaders.

Van Susteren sits on the board of directors at the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation, and she was the 2016 recipient of the Israeli American Council Honest and Fairness award. Van Susteren, who completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Wisconsin and her Juris Doctor at Georgetown University Law School, lives in Washington, D.C.

Based at USC Annenberg, the Center on Communication Leadership & Policy conducts research, organizes courses and fosters dialogue through programs, seminars and symposia for scholars, students, policymakers and working professionals on issues covering the role of media in a democracy, communication technology and social change and communication leadership.