Scripps Legacy Week (June 5-11) honors OHIO alumni
About this series: The Scripps College of Communication is recognizing prominent Scripps College of Communication alumni. Look for a new entry each day, June 6-10.
The Scripps College of Communication will salute the history-making legacy of five alumni:
- An athlete who became a network correspondent
- A D-Day reporter who founded Ohio University’s College of Communication
- A Hollywood producer who delivered music to America
- A photographer who documented Robert Kennedy’s funeral train
- A reporter who covered the Civil Rights Movement
Scripps Legacy Week begins with Jericka Duncan of CBS News.
History: On this weekend in 1998, the last state track and field championship was held at Ohio’s famous “Horseshoe” Stadium in Columbus. In that meet, Aurora High School qualified five girls. One was a freshman: Jericka Duncan, who set five records at Aurora High. By 2020, she was a weekend anchor at CBS News.
Jericka Duncan personifies Scripps Legacy because she:
- Learned her craft at Ohio University: “WOUB and Ohio University gave me the hands-on experience. While overwhelming at times, I got to work with and learn how to use equipment and understand that this is how you get things on television,” Duncan said. “I really got the training I needed at Ohio University.”
- Is a role model: Duncan was captain of Ohio University’s track team, receiving the NAACP Image Award (Athletics) in 2005, the year she graduated with a communications degree.
- Took a stand: Duncan revealed threatening texts from a network executive, expanding the #MeToo movement to reporting and leading to the creation of the hashtag #reportingMeToo.
- Excelled in broadcast journalism: Starting her career in Elmira, New York, Duncan became a national correspondent for CBS News in 2013. Her work has been honored by the New York State Broadcasters Association, The Associated Press, Edward R. Murrow Awards, Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, and more.
Among the big stories she covered was the 70th anniversary of D-Day.
The next Scripps Legacy: D-Day (June 6, 1944) reporter John R. Wilhelm, the founding dean of Ohio University’s College of Communication.