Testimonials

“Becky’s reporting during the war has been outstanding. Her heroic work and tremendous efforts have brought distinction to CNN and represent the finest standards of excellence in journalism.”

– Jim Walton, (Former) CNN President, Operation Iraqi Freedom

Becky Diamond has a wealth of experience in journalism from covering breaking news, to war, and politics. She has a unique way of making people care about these profound issues through her nuanced, character-driven, and sound-rich way of storytelling. But as an educator, knowledge only gets you so far with students. The true mark of a good teacher is their ability to show what is possible and then make those pupils believe that they are capable of achieving that too. Becky Diamond is someone who meets students at their skill level and then gently guides them to their full potential. The lessons I’ve learned from her throughout the years have been fundamental in my success as a journalist and I would not be where I am today without having taken her class. 

– Priscilla Thompson, MSNBC and NBC Reporter

As a student journalist, I didn’t have the confidence to tell the stories it turned out I was capable of telling. When I met Becky in 2016, that all changed. She instilled a tenacity and determination in me to seek out the difficult questions and try to answer them. She taught me to see myself as a “real” journalist before I even had a press pass! Her teachings became mantras that are still stuck in my head more than four years later. I’ve been lucky enough to continue learning from her as a working journalist, which has helped me learn how to fine-tune pitches, showcase the tension in a story, write more concisely and always look at the big picture. I believe that every journalist — new or seasoned — would be lucky to have the chance to learn from Becky.

– Samara Abramson, Video Journalist, Business Insider

Becky enters a classroom energized and ready to go and motivates students to push to do their best work. She explains key concepts clearly and with excellent examples, often of her own work as a one-woman band. She’s focused, organized and able to meet students where they are and pivot as needed if they’ve hit a roadblock. Any student would be lucky to work with Becky.

– Amy Singer, Adjunct Professor, Columbia University, Graduate School of Journalism

It was a genuine pleasure to have Becky on the U.S.S. Milius to cover Operation Iraqi Freedom. Her professionalism and grace set a standard that I have never seen before.

– Jeff Harley, Commanding Officer, USS Milius (DDG69), Northern Persian Gulf

I saw Becky in action when she was reporting for CNN on the U.S. military effort to stabilize and rebuild Afghanistan. What impressed me most, was her determination to go beyond the headlines and tell real stories about real people.

– Colonel Alan McKewan, United States Army