Award-winning sports journalist Malcolm Moran will be among the panelists discussing the impact of the digital age on sports journalism at DePaul University on May 6.

Titled “Sports Journalism in the Digital Age: How Playing Fields Have Changed,” the panel will be held at 7 p.m. in the lower level auditorium of DePaul’s College of Communication, 14 E. Jackson Blvd., Chicago. The event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited.

Other panelists include Peggy Kusinski, sports journalist at NBC5 Chicago; Scott Reifert, vice president of communications for the Chicago White Sox; and Jean Lenti Ponsetto, DePaul athletic director.

“New technology and social media have profoundly changed the way news is reported and disseminated,” said Mike Conklin, journalism instructor in DePaul’s College of Communication and event organizer. “Our panelists will look at how these changes have impacted sports journalism on all fronts.”

Moran brings more than 30 years of experience as an award-winning sports journalist at USA Today, The New York Times, Newsday and the Chicago Tribune. A professor at Penn State University, he is the inaugural Knight Chair in Sports Journalism and Society and maintains connections with professional sports journalism constituencies as well as students across the nation.

Kusinski joined the NBC5 sports team in 2000 as a sports reporter, anchor and contributor to “Sports Sunday.” She worked as a SportsCenter anchor on ESPN Radio WMVP-AM 1000 and host of “The Point After” on Saturday mornings. Prior to joining the station, Kusinski was the first woman to host a sports talk show in Chicago, as co-host of WMAQ-AM (670)’s “Sports Huddle.”

As vice president of communications for the Chicago White Sox, Reifert is responsible for all club communications with fans. He oversees strategic efforts, media services, mass communications, branding, public relations, community relations initiatives and the team’s website, www.whitesox.com. At the 2008 major league baseball winter meetings, Reifert received the prestigious Robert O. Fishel Award for public relations excellence.

Ponsetto is one of the nation’s most widely respected leaders in intercollegiate athletics and a driving force behind the development of DePaul’s athletics program. In seven of her eight years as athletics director at DePaul, 14 of the 15 sports programs have represented the school in NCAA championships. In spring 2009, Ponsetto was named Athletic Director of the Year for the NCAA Division I Central Region for the second time in her career.    

To reserve a seat, please e-mail Aisha Pulido in the College of Communication at apulido2@depaul.edu or call (312) 362-7197. For more information about the lecture, please contact Mike Conklin at (312) 362-7645 or mconkli2@depaul.edu.