Rich Landesberg

Rich Landesberg started in broadcast journalism as an undergraduate at The American University in Washington, DC. Although a Political Science major, he spent most of his time at the college radio station and earned money working at the University’s public radio station. Landesberg’s first commercial broadcast journalism job was at a small radio station in Brunswick, Maine. From there he went to the Mutual Broadcasting System in Washington, DC where he worked as a radio news editor and manager. Landesberg was next assigned to be Western Bureau Chief for Mutual/NBC Radio news based in Los Angeles. After that, he was off to London with similar responsibilities. Landesberg left London for Atlanta where he worked for CNN.

He resigned from CNN to take a fellowship at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he earned a Master’s and PhD in Mass Communication. Landesberg taught at UNC before joining the Communications faculty at Elon in 2004. Along the way in his roughly quarter-century journalism career Landesberg produced a number of award-winning radio documentaries; covered earthquakes, fires and other disasters; at one time or another covered every president from Carter to Clinton; covered three political conventions; and covered overseas summits with George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

At Elon, Landesberg teaches the introductory communications class, broadcast news writing, television reporting, politics and media, and is adviser to Phoenix14News. He says that one of his greatest joys is seeing his students become happy, fulfilled adults who are successful at whatever they do.

E-mail: rlandesberg@elon.edu