Bob Doda 2011
The path to graduate school is not always the same for people. Some find themselves going straight into school after their undergrad years. Others work in their designated field for a little bit before re-entering the academic world. For Bob Doda, his road was certainly unique. After graduating from the University of Connecticut in 2004 with a major in political science, Doda discovered his passion for journalism and it led him to Hofstra.
Dan Hanson: What do you currently do for work?
Bob Doda: I am a digital producer for News 12 Networks. In my role, I create content, facilitate our talents’ on-air reports for the website and curate News12.com so it is as eye-pleasing as it is informative across our seven platforms (Long Island, New Jersey, Connecticut, Westchester, Hudson Valley, Bronx and Brooklyn.)
DH: What were your top moments from Hofstra?
BD: When I look back at my time at Hofstra, and we are talking about a decade ago, I remember being excited about being around fellow students who were focused on making it in the media industry. And just about everyone in my graduating class did go on to be show hosts, work in news. There was one assignment in our intro to feature writing class where the professor told us: “Take 20 minutes, go somewhere on campus, and come back with a story.”
So, I went to the bridge above Hempstead Turnpike that links up the campus and interviewed people about how safe they feel crossing over the busy roadway. I think this was after a bridge had just collapsed in Florida. Anyway, I came back to the classroom, and wrote up a lede and a few graphs and had to read it to the class. I looked for the piece but can’t find it. But I got a laugh for my witty lede and was able to convey some good information too.
It wasn’t a typical top moment, but writing is all about connecting with people, and I felt like I had done my job in that moment.
DH: What are some of the top moments from your career?
BD: At the time I was going to Hofstra, I was working in the Newsday library on the event calendar. I was a part time worker and bored with what was basically data entry. When my favorite band Phish came into town to Jones Beach, Newsday offered a lightweight review of the show (IMO) and I took it upon myself to reach out to the reviewer. I basically re-reviewed the show and sent it to him which eventually led to me getting a Newsday byline when their album “Joy” came out. Now I was the reviewer because I spoke up.
When I did an internship with The Queens Courier for course credit, I took it seriously. Here’s an opportunity to make my mark, I thought. So, two weeks in, Bob Sheppard passes away, the voice of Yankee Stadium. I’m reading his bio somewhere and it says he was a native of Richmond Hill, Queens and a St. John’s University Sports Hall of Famer.
Nobody asked me, I just wrote it up. And they liked it. By the end of the internship, I had a full-time position there.
Since then, I have covered the 2010 gubernatorial debate at Hofstra, helped get some street signs removed in Bayside and wrote a widely-read story on the Smith Haven Mall. I don’t have a top moment, basically. Every time my name is on a story, it’s a top moment.
DH: What are some of the differences you’ve experienced between being a student at Hofstra and working in the real world?
BD: When I was a student, I didn’t understand the formula behind smart newswriting and I made mistakes. That is where you are supposed to make your mistakes. Eventually, I began to live by the “inverted pyramid” theory I was taught and have since passed that information along to many others who come through the doors of News 12. In the real world, there are consequences for making mistakes in stories. Trust is everything. So, work out the kinks in school, then be ready to roll with all those journalism tools you were taught when you have an audience.
DH: What has the journey been like in your professional life?
BD: When I graduated from the University of Connecticut in 2004, my grades were a joke and I didn’t have much direction professionally. I became a full-time letter carrier for the United States Postal Service. Two years later, I decided I didn’t feel like a mailman anymore and started writing articles for The Times of Smithtown – our local paper. I had a pretty good background in journalism from my high school days and saw this as my path ahead. Then, by chance, I ran into an old friend who gave me an opportunity to work at News 12 in 2007 as a freelance producer for the website. From there, I did my Hofstra/Newsday/Queens Courier thing, and found myself back at News 12 in 2013 with a full-time position. I’ve been there ever since and have published thousands of hyperlocal stories.
DH: What were some projects you worked on as both a student and outside the classroom?
BD: My capstone project was about how news websites gave away all their content for free at the beginning of the Internet, then realized, “Ehhhhhh maybe we shouldn’t do that.” Basically, it was about paywalls, do they work or do people just find other ways to get their news.
I enjoyed the sports writing class very much too. We wrote recaps of games, we sat in the press box for an Islander game; it was good fun.
DH: How did Hofstra set you up to succeed?
BD: I had some great professors who cared about their students, who were working journalists and provided a solid roadmap on how to succeed. The program there was focused, and the grading was always fair, I thought. When I graduated, I had surrounded myself with a solid network of like-minded people with whom I still speak. One member of my graduating class has been my coworker at News 12 for years now. The courses were great, but it’s really about the people you meet along the way.
DH: Why did you feel you needed a master’s degree?
BD: My BA in political science was a missed opportunity in my undergrad years. If I could turn back the clock, I would have focused on journalism from the very beginning. I had the opportunity to pursue my master’s degree, thanks to my parents, and I took it.
DH: Why did you choose Hofstra?
BD: I’m a career Long Islander and Hofstra had the best program. Simple as that.
DH: What can you say about the Hofstra master’s in journalism program as a whole?
BD: You get out of it what you put into it. The journalism program at Hofstra is great place to figure out where you can be most successful. I was able to dip my toes in all types of journalism waters and I’m grateful that I did.
Dan Hanson BA’18, MBA’20 is a graduate assistant in the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication.
