Journalist Callie Crossley ’73 Received National Honors for her Story Marking the 10th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina

Callie Crossley '73, of WGBH news, was recognized with top honors in the Commentary category at the Public Radio News Directors Incorporated (PRNDI) Conference in July. The annual awards recognize the best of local public radio news in a wide array of categories. Crossley, host of WGBH News' Under the Radar, won first place for her story marking the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, "Tomorrow is Not Promised: Life After Hurricane Katrina," in which she chronicled lessons learned from her late father after the storm.  

"I am thrilled to have won the Best Commentary award from the Public Radio News Directors Inc. organization. It was tough to pick just one of my commentaries for submission," Crossley said. "But, in the end, I thought “Tomorrow Is Not Promised: Life After Katrina” might best represent the head and heart perspectives which I strive to make my signature of these weekly observations."

She added, "This is also a tribute to my Dad whom I miss so much. Daddy was a Wellesley cheerleader from the start. He knew that Wellesley was not only a four year college experience, but also a foundation for life long learning."

A former producer for ABC News' 20/20, Crossley is a Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow, guest-lecturing at colleges and universities about media, politics and the intersection of race, gender and media. She also holds two fellowships at Harvard University. Crossley was a producer for Blackside Inc.'s Eyes on the Prize: America's Civil Rights Years, which earned her an Oscar nomination, a National Emmy and the Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia Award. Crossley has earned the Associated Press, Edward R. Murrow and Clarion Awards for writing, producing and hosting.

In addition to hosting Under the Radar, which features stories that are often overlooked by traditional media outlets, Crossley appears weekly on WGBH's Beat the Press, examining local and national media coverage, and Basic Black, focusing on current events concerning communities of color. She also contributes to national programs including CNN's Reliable Sources, PBS's NewsHour and PRI's The Takeaway.

Crossley, who majored in English while at Wellesley, was a recipient of a Wellesley College Alumnae Achievement Award in 2013. She said, "I came to Wellesley with a feisty spirit and curious intellect and Wellesley helped me to hone my voice. Yes, there is a Wellesley effect—and it is real and powerful."