60 Minutes correspondent speaks to journalism students

On Feb. 12, Cecilia Vega, a correspondent for 60 Minutes, spoke with SJC’s journalism students, highlighting her experience on reporting high-stakes stories.

She advised students to say yes to opportunities even if they scare them, which is how she ended up in broadcast journalism.

Vega described her unconventional path to becoming a 60 Minutes correspondent, from starting in print to moving on to broadcast positions for ABC.

Vega also provided the students with practical advice for interviews. She highlighted the importance of being authentic in interviews; establishing trust and setting the tone to make people feel comfortable. This can mean being assertive when her high-profile subjects aren’t answering questions or moving away from a sensitive topic when interviewing regular people.

Vega concluded her talk discussing some of the challenging and exciting stories she’s covered recently, from hiking to base camp on Mt. Everest to covering ICE protests in Minneapolis and being rammed by Chinese ships in the South China Sea. She used these stories to highlight her initial advice — just say yes even if the opportunity is daunting.