Singapore American School alumni have achieved notable success in the fields of print and broadcast journalism. From morning show producers to data analysts, our amazing Eagles share what it is like to be part of the media world!
Kathleen Kelley Rushlow (Class of 1976) senior producer at National Public Radio In February of 1972, when I was an eighth grade student at SAS, our English teacher assigned the class a newspaper unit as a way to boost our writing skills. The timing of this writing project could not have been better. Queen Elizabeth II was making her first state visit to Singapore and I was assigned to write about it. I sometimes wonder if that is how the spark of journalism was planted in me. I attended the University of Maryland at College Park where I received my bachelor’s degree in radio, television, and film. I worked for multiple radio news stations after graduating—WTOP radio, NBC-MUTUAL Radio Networks, Unistar Radio Network, and finally National Public Radio (NPR). I have been at NPR for over 25 years. My job is to program the news for the top and bottomof-the-hour newscasts that air during NPR’s Morning Edition. I decide the stories, the reporters, and all the sound. I also direct anchors who read the news to help ensure that breaking stories are included, and I guide the editor and audio producer as they help prepare the twice-an-hour news program. Due to the pandemic, I’m currently doing this from my dining room table. The newscasts that I produce have been rebranded as NPR NEWS NOW. We are now rated the number one podcast in the United States. It is a bit of a shock to learn how popular we are, especially as we now have a younger audience. At NPR we pride ourselves on
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always double-checking our facts. We are fast, but not at the expense of accuracy. We’ve always worked this way, and it seems more important now than ever. My advice to aspiring journalists is to ensure you are working with people who only want facts. Avoid getting yourself involved with organizations that prefer some bias in their news coverage. We need truth in this world, especially now.
