Featured Speakers:

Ruta Ulcinaite, KMTV 3 News Now
Ruta Ulcinaite joined the KMTV 3 News Now team in June 2019. She graduated Michigan State University in May 2019 with a major in broadcast journalism and political science. In her time at Michigan State, she worked for the student newscast, Focal Point News, as an assignment editor, producer, reporter and anchor. She has been an intern at HOMTV in Okemos, Michigan, NBC affiliate WDIV in Detroit and The State News, Michigan State’s student newspaper.

Her experience has propelled her into an enriching career as a full time reporter. With her focus being in politics, she has already helped cover important stories at KMTV on illegal immigration and the 2020 presidential race. Ruta moved to the United States when she was a little girl. Born in Siauliai, Lithuania, Ruta loves to travel back to her home country and visit new ones as often as she can.

Tony Black, CNYCentral
Tony Black joined the CNYCentral team in January 2020 as a multimedia journalist, covering central New York for the Syracuse-based NBC, CBS and CW affiliates.

Tony graduated in December 2019 with a degree in broadcast journalism from Michigan State University, where his love for storytelling began. During his time at MSU, he worked for the Emmy award-winning college newscast, Focal Point News. Starting as a producer, he worked his way up to senior producer before becoming a reporter and anchor. He is honored to have received awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, the Broadcast Education Association, the Michigan Association of Broadcasters as well as the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for his work as a producer and reporter.

Tony has held internships at FOX 2 News in Detroit, WOOD-TV 8 in Grand Rapids and HOMTV in Meridian Township, Michigan.

Mike Castellucci, Michigan State University School of Journalism
Michael Castellucci says he’s been known to “phone it in.” His innovative work with his iPhone has netted him worldwide attention and acknowledgement as a pioneer in mobile journalism.

While working in broadcast TV in Dallas, Castellucci shot an entire half hour special on his iPhone. “Phoning It In” — which he also produced, wrote and edited — captured popular acclaim and high-profile industry recognition, including Emmy and Edward R. Murrow Awards. Castellucci followed-up with a sequel and thereby set the stage for additional awards and speaking invitations regarding the ground-breaking show. He has worked in Dallas at WFAA-TV, in San Diego at KUSI-TV and in Los Angeles at KCBS-TV.

Bob Gould, Michigan State University School of Journalism
Bob Gould is an award-winning broadcast journalist who has spent nearly three decades in the industry first working in local news and then teaching students the craft of visual storytelling.

Bob started his career as a TV news photojournalist in 1990, shooting and editing stories daily at WILX-TV in Lansing, but after a couple of years, moved to WZZM-TV in Grand Rapids. In 1995, he became the Chief Photojournalist, overseeing a staff of nearly a dozen photojournalists and editors, continuing to produce TV news stories every day.

In 2007, he left the news business for a dream job—to teach broadcast journalism at his alma mater, Michigan State University in the School of Journalism.

Moderated by Jeremy Steele, Michigan Interscholastic Press Association
Jeremy Steele is executive director of the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association and a specialist in the School of Journalism at Michigan State University, where he teaches various reporting courses. Steele is an award-winning journalist who has also worked for one of Michigan’s largest independent public relations firms.