Jaci Clement

Considered to be the most influential media scholar in the world, Jaci Clement is noted for her visionary leadership of the Fair Media Council, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has been transformed into the leading platform in the United States for cutting-edge thought leadership in news and media. The Fair Media Council advocates for quality news and works to create a media-savvy society.

Clement is sought-after for interviews on media consolidation, acquisitions and mergers; news trends, and the importance of a healthy local news ecosystem to strengthen national news coverage and America's democracy. She also provides tips and advice to news consumers on how to navigate today's complicated media landscape with confidence.

Having worked in newsrooms as a reporter and editor, as well as on the business side of media outlets as a news executive, Clement is uniquely qualified as an advocate and educator on the important role news plays in our society.

She regularly writes commentary on the media's impact on culture. Her filings with the FCC, public service commissions, and media leaders, as well as amicus briefs in media court cases have proven notable for influencing outcomes to protect the public interest.

As host of the award-winning FMC Fast Chat podcast, Clement regularly interviews notables in news, media, and business in 30-minute talks that emphasize putting issues into perspective. Her interviewees often note they get to answer questions they’ve never been asked before.

Named one of the most powerful Long Islanders by Long Island Business News, she has spoken throughout the country at business events and colleges and has facilitated discussions focusing on news issues. She holds the title of Executive Communicator, the highest rank of distinction bestowed by the Association of Women in Communications, and is a member of New York Women in Communications, Women’s Media Group, Women’s Media Center, and the Alliance for Women in Media. She has served as an adjunct professor of journalism at Hofstra University and is a former member of the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana’s Media Ethics Magazine advisory board. She was an invited participant in a project to shape the newsroom of the future sponsored by the Media Giraffe Project, a research initiative housed within the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, journalism program. She is a former member of the National Press Club, the London-based Media Society, and the New York State Communication Association.

She earned her first byline in a daily newspaper when she was in the fourth grade. She's been working for and with the media since then.

A native of Youngstown, Ohio, Clement attended Hofstra University, where she earned a B.A. in communications/journalism. While in college she reported for Long Island local news outlets and was a stringer for The New York Times’ education section. She made national headlines when, as a student journalist, she wrote an investigative story for the Hofstra Chronicle which forced the resignation of a tenured professor.

Today, she lives on the North Shore of Long Island, drives a small car, owns a large dog, and has competed around the country as a champion ballroom dancer. She is currently writing a novel on the experience.

Sub-specialties:
Journalism trends impacting the public's right to know
Media Literacy
Media Ethics
Nonprofit Leadership