About me
Jesús Ayala is one of the most distinguished and decorated broadcast journalism professors in the country and brings over 20 years of professional journalism experience into the classroom. As a veteran news producer, Ayala has won 5 national Emmys and 7 Edward R. Murrow awards. Prior to transitioning into academia, he covered breaking news stories from around the world as a Producer for all ABC News broadcasts including World News Tonight, Good Morning America, Nightline and 20/20. He excelled as an expert covering Latin America and South America and covered the devastating earthquake in Haiti, the Pope’s visits to Cuba, civil disturbances in Venezuela, and the rescue of 33 trapped miners in Chile. In 2008, he covered Barack Obama's historic presidential campaign. Moreover, he has also covered all major natural disasters— from earthquakes, wildfires, and floods to tornadoes, tsunamis, and hurricanes, including Hurricane Katrina. Ayala is now a leading expert on mental health, burnout, and trauma exposure in the journalism industry. As a TV news veteran who was diagnosed with PTSD after reporting from many hostile environments, he is passionate about sharing his knowledge of what he calls “trauma-informed newsgathering.”
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