Award winning journalist to discuss the power of media inciting societal change

Award-winning journalist Nicole Noren has been chosen to speak at the Lauren McCluskey Foundation’s Safety at Sunset: Washington event in September.

Noren is an acclaimed director, producer and journalist for ESPN. She’s won six Emmys, two Edward R. Murrow awards and a Peabody, according to a Tuesday news release from the foundation.

She’s been on a pursuit of truth and justice throughout her extensive career, producing more than 50 investigative reports and short documentaries for ESPN focusing on gender-based violence, education and social issues, according to the news release.

Her work as an investigative reporter has illustrated the impact media has in shaping public discourse and promoting societal change, according to the news release.

Noren and investigative reporter T.J. Quinn won the 2023 National Award for Education Reporting for their documentary film “LISTEN,” exploring the response to Lauren McCluskey’s murder, according to the news release.

Her keynote address will highlight the transformative power media has in enacting change. She will discuss the pivotal role the press has in advocating for safety and justice, according to the news release.

Safety at Sunset will bring awareness to dating violence and stalking. The event will be held from 5-9 p.m. Sept. 28 at Round Top Public House in Pullman and will include dinner and an auction, according to the foundation’s website.

The Lauren McCluskey Foundation is a nonprofit organization established in honor of Lauren McCluskey, a University of Utah student-athlete and Pullman High School graduate. McCluskey was shot and killed in October 2018 by Melvin Shawn Rowland, after she had been stalked and harassed by him for weeks, according to authorities. Rowland was found dead hours later after killing himself inside a church.

The foundation’s goal is to empower students, athletes and institutions to address relationship violence on college campuses, according to its website. It provides resources and education to students and universities, advocates for campus safety-related policy changes and supports research toward solutions to better manage campus violence issues, according to its website.

More information about the event can be found at secure.qgiv.com/events/safetyatsunsetwashington.

Pearce can be reached at epearce@dnews.com.