Photo/Claire Holt

Michele Montas '69

Spokesperson,United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon;
formerly with Radio Haiti

What I really learned from Columbia was not so much how to write good articles or the formal techniques of journalism, but how to be a principled journalist. Exposed to ethical issues and values, I learned to question traditional journalism. I acquired a frame of mind and gained a sense of commitment, which taught me what my responsibilities were as a reporter. Shortly after graduating from the journalism school, I realized that my calling was radio. I went back to Haiti where radio is a lifeline for the majority of the population. Not only do people listen to it everyday, they do not even go out in the streets without first listening to the radio. Being a radio journalist may not be exactly like being a print journalist, yet investigative reporting for radio can be just as dangerous. My husband who worked with me at Radio Haiti was assassinated, and there were several attempts on my life.

Years later, when I received the Maria Moors Cabot Prize for courage in journalism in 2002, I felt that my experiences at the journalism school, and the kind of journalism I have practiced ever since, are intertwined and linked together, and are symbolized by that award.

About the School

Michele Montas '69