NBC News correspondent Kevin Corke will return to his alma mater, the University of Colorado at Boulder, next week to give a lecture at Old Main Chapel.
Corke will give the fourth annual John E. Holden Journalism Lecture, sponsored by the CU-Boulder School of Journalism and Mass Communication, on Tuesday, Nov. 6, at 5 p.m. His lecture, titled "Saints, Scoundrels and Scribes: Covering the 2008 Presidential Campaign," will be followed by a reception in the Heritage Center on the third floor of Old Main.
Corke has traveled extensively with the White House press corps, covering the Bush administration for NBC News since the 2004 presidential campaign. He has reported on a wide variety of complex issues, including President Bush's responses to terrorism, Hurricane Katrina and border security.
Now based in Washington, D.C., Corke looks forward to returning to Colorado. "Boulder is, without a doubt, one of my favorite places on earth, and it will be an absolute thrill to return. Just looking up at the Flatirons and feeling the breeze roll off the Front Range makes the trip worth it," he said.
Despite the sweeping transformation of American journalism in the Internet era, Corke said he would still encourage CU-Boulder students to take up the calling.
"The field has changed, but not all of the change is negative. There is room for you if you can write, if you're willing to dig and if you believe in democracy. Few things are more important to the survival of this country than a free and open press, so carry the banner with pride," he said.
Paul Voakes, dean of the CU-Boulder School of Journalism and Mass Communication, said the annual Holden lecture gives students the opportunity to hear accomplished journalists discuss contemporary issues. During his visit, Corke also will talk to students, faculty and staff in three classes.
"Many faculty members recall Kevin with great fondness," Voakes said. "He was the kind of bright, inquisitive and polished student who prompted predictions like, 'This young man is going places' - and Kevin has borne that out."
Corke is familiar to many in the Denver area as a former KUSA-TV and ESPN sports reporter. He graduated from CU-Boulder in 1988 with a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism and earned a master's degree from the university's journalism school in 2002.
He also has a master's degree from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, where he received the Littauer Fellow citation for academic excellence, leadership and commitment to work in the public interest.
Over the course of his career, Corke has won multiple reporting awards, including regional and national Emmys.
For more information about the CU-Boulder School of Journalism and Mass Communication, visit www.colorado.edu/journalism/. To learn more about Corke, go to www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6835137/.