September 22, 2010

Karen Curry is the new Executive Director of the Kal and Lucille Rudman Institute for Entertainment Industry Studies. Karen brings to this position extensive experience in network broadcast journalism as an executive and producer.  She created award- winning programs from around the world for NBC’s Today Show and was NBC News London Bureau Chief.  As Bureau Chief, she managed the largest bureau outside the United States and directed its coverage of the United Kingdom, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.  She was responsible for covering major stories, including the break-up of the Soviet Union, the Gulf War, the wars in Bosnia and Kosovo, the Rwandan genocide and the death of Princess Diana.  Karen was also Executive Director of Morning News Programming at NBC News where she launched Weekend Today, the first Saturday/Sunday edition of a network morning news broadcast.

Karen joined CNN as Vice President and New York Bureau Chief, where she directed the New York Bureau’s newsgathering efforts throughout the Northeast and was responsible for the production needs of CNN programs based in New York.  She ran the bureau’s coverage of 9/11 and its aftermath, including serving the needs of several new shows that were launched in the midst of that coverage. After CNN, Karen joined the American Civil Liberties Union as national Director of Communications with responsibility for media relations, the website, publications, youth communications, entertainment outreach, opinion research and advertising. Her strategy helped make the ACLU a leader among advocacy groups in the use of new media.