Natalie Morales speaks to Annenberg class about global experience in journalism

“Reinvention” was the word of the hour in journalist Natalie Morales’ conversation with professor Mary Murphy Thursday. Morales shared her professional history — from her origins as a local reporter to her current television development endeavors — and gave advice to students in Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism as part of Murphy’s “Reporting on Entertainment and Popular Culture” class.

Morales gave students professional advice and insight from her 25 years as an anchor and reporter for various news outlets.

“It’s not a business for shy people,” Morales said. “I was shy as a kid, but when you’re out there, you’ve got a job to do. You’ve got to quickly figure out the pieces of the puzzle and learn how to operate.”

Morales started as a local reporter in The Bronx and then became a morning anchor in Hartford, Conn. On her first day at MSNBC, she was tasked with reporting breaking news on a suicide bombing in the Middle East.

“I can just remember the whole time thinking ‘Oh my God, I’m so in over my head,’” Morales said. “It was sink or swim, and thank goodness, I kept swimming, doggy-paddling and just trying to keep my head afloat.”

Both Morales and Murphy acknowledged the transformation of the media industry in the digital age.

“There’s no such thing anymore as just an anchor,” Murphy said. “You need to be able to write, shoot and all that.”

Morales does it all — she currently works as the “Today Show” West Coast anchor and has been featured on “Dateline” and “NBC Nightly News.”

“I still get in at two, three o’clock in the morning when I do ‘Today Show’ West Coast hits,” Morales said. “I’ve always felt like I have to keep proving myself in this business. That never goes away.”

After working as a reporter for over two decades, Morales recently developed a television show that was picked up by NBC. She is optimistic about pursuing a new path in production.

“I hope my next five years are about producing and being more on the creative side because as we see with Netflix, Amazon and Hulu, the opportunities are endless,” Morales said. “With the digital streaming world, everybody is hungry for content. If you’re smart and creative and if you have a great idea, this is an incredible time to be where you are right now.”

A self-proclaimed air force brat, she was born in Taiwan during the Vietnam War and has lived in countries such as Panama, Brazil and Spain. She is Puerto Rican and Brazilian and is also trilingual. Morales said her global multi-ethnic background and upbringing in several different countries sparked her interest in reporting from the field internationally.

Morales said her favorite event coverage to date was the Chilean mine rescue in 2010. She has also covered multiple Olympic Games. At the 2016 games in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, she reported in Portuguese, one of the languages she is fluent in.

Alexander Woods, a graduate student studying digital social media, said he appreciated hearing about Morales’ career changes and receiving professional advice.

“I think that it was so special that she came to talk to us, especially since she’s working in the field,” he said. “Seeing someone who is in the field but still has the same sentiments as us — like reinventing yourself, working hard and presenting yourself the best you can in your workplace — is so important.”

Lauren Sowa, a doctoral candidate studying communication, said Morales’ career advice can be translated to other fields.

“I think it was very interesting and eye-opening how so many careers are very similar across different fields,” she said. “I come from an acting background. Now, I’m in academia looking into journalism and I feel like a lot of the practical advice, especially for women in the industry, is very much the same.”

Morales ended the conversation on a positive note for students soon entering the workforce.

“Even if you don’t get that dream job out of the gate, don’t let that derail you,” Morales said. “It’s a stepping stone. You’ve got it all here. You’ve got the most incredible facility, truly, I think, in the country to learn [from], so your opportunities are here.”

Andrea Klick contributed to this report.