As stories come across his desk from all areas of life—and of the world—Jon Dougherty ‘07, a news anchor and reporter, relies on his liberal arts education to help him identify and share the news that appeals and matters to his audiences. Reporting from the Albany/ Capital Region, some of Jon’s biggest stories to date include the resignation of Governor Eliot Spitzer, many visits from President Barack Obama, and Pope Francis’s election and U.S. tour. With an influx of breaking news coming his way, for Jon, a typical day is never predictable.
Why did you choose Le Moyne College? What stuck out most to you in that selection process?
Le Moyne wasn't even on my radar. In fact, I didn't even know Le Moyne was a college. So it's fate that I actually ended up going there. My family and I drove to Syracuse to visit Syracuse University… The priest at my church growing up knew a recruiter at Le Moyne and suggested we make a stop there "if only for lunch." We agreed and the rest is history.
From the moment we arrived on campus, I got the sense of "community," compared to SU which was a city. Le Moyne was small, felt like everyone knew each other, and most importantly you weren't just a number, you were a person. Yes, the TV station and communications equipment was out-of-date, but the professors made up for that. I knew with the small class sizes and personal care, Le Moyne was the perfect place to begin my journey into the television industry.
How has a liberal arts education helped you in your career path?
I didn't realize it at the time, but a liberal arts education has helped my career tremendously. While I didn't get to take as many communications courses as I would have liked, turns out those psychology, geology, and other non-communications related courses actually helped in a career with news. News is ever-changing, and covers a vast amount of topics. With the help of a liberal arts education, I was prepared to speak on TV about topics I would have never known otherwise. Those religion classes definitely came in handy when we were wall-to-wall live for Pope Francis's election in 2013 and covering Pope Francis during his trip to the U.S. in 2015 where I spent several days in Philadelphia.
What were you involved in on campus that meant the most to you?
There were a number of clubs and activities that can help a communications major, including Communications Club and WLMU Radio. I was active in both and enjoyed learning from both experiences. WLMU was a great experience and can really prepare a student for what it's like on live television or radio. I also worked in the Sports Information Office in the Athletics Department which allowed me to be the "Voice of the Dolphins." I was the public address announcer for sporting events like soccer and basketball and I was also the emcee for Midnight Madness.
What does a "typical" day look like for you in your current job?
Simply, there is no typical day in news. Every day is different and there is never a repeat. Since I'm an anchor and reporter I have two different types of days. When I anchor I come in and put my "war paint" on. That's a more manly way of saying I wear makeup. I read over the scripts in the show and then get on the anchor desk and read them. Since we are a 24 hour news station I can spend hours on the news desk and no day is the same. Reporting days are similar. I come in with story pitches and I am assigned a story for the day. It's my job to set up interviews and edit the story together. We are given deadlines and told if they need a live shot in the field. It seems simple but a lot of days can be very, very hectic.
Do you have any advice for current students?
My advice would be to never let go of your dreams. No dream is too big or too small. I had a dream to be on television and with the help of a Le Moyne education I was able to accomplish that. The most important thing you'll do in your professional life, in any career, is networking. Never stop meeting people and never stop learning.
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