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Meet New Board Member: Christine Hatfield

1 day ago

Christine was elected to the INBA Board of Directors in October 2025. She’ll serve a 2-year term. She offered these responses to help INBA get to know her.

Name, employer, title: Christine Hatfield, Illinois Public Media in Urbana, Producer of “The 21st Show”

Education: Bachelor’s in News (Journalism/TCOM dual major) at Ball State University ’20, Master’s in Public Affairs Reporting at UIS ’21

Previous journalism-related jobs: Second Century news fellowship at Wisconsin Public Radio in Milwaukee (2021-22), reporting for WGLT and WCBU while in PAR (2021), student reporting at Indiana Public Radio in Muncie, IN (2018-20), internship at WNIJ (2019)

Favorite thing about your job: Getting to really dive deep into these stories and conversations that make a difference in the lives of Illinoisans. There’s a place for short-form news, of course, but there’s something to be said for being able to slow down and talk about something for a full hour if it’s needed!

A favorite story you’ve covered recently: Education’s always a hot topic, and our show’s no exception. I put together a full hour on school start times in Illinois. We talked to doctors who think schools should start later, and then we opened up a dialogue with educators across the state on why these start times are what they are, and why they think they should or shouldn’t change. It was a nuanced discussion, and everyone engaged so thoughtfully with each other’s points, even when there were differences in opinion. That’s really the essence of what we try to do: give people the opportunity to engage with each other’s perspectives (not just guests, but also the people who call in!) and hopefully come away having learned something.

Favorite activity outside of work: As past president Jenna would attest to, I’m an avid board gamer! There’s something to be said for sitting down with a bunch of friends and enjoying a fun game together. My absolute favorite would have to be “Sushi Go Party!”

Why you’re a member of INBA: In this time of continued change and evolution in the world of news, I think it’s so important that those of us in this field are able to stick together, work as a community to improve what we do (and how we do it!), and build a better future for journalism.

Mike Miletich

Capitol Bureau Reporter, WAND-TV, Decatur

Joining the INBA was one of my best life decisions. I met some of the best broadcast journalists while I was still a college student. Plus, I ended up getting a job through the connections I made!

Andrew Tanielian

Freelance Video Journalist

INBA taught me how to network in a meaningful way. The scholarship process taught me how to endure a hard job interview and thrive.

Michelle Eccles McLaughlin

Public Relations Account Manager; Horace Mann Insurance

INBA is an organization that really caters to continuing education for professionals. It offers a relatively inexpensive way to learn new things, reinforce best practices and network.

Brian O'Keefe

News Director (Retired), WDCB radio, Glen Ellyn

One of the greatest benefits for me has been getting to see and know other parts of the state. I’m not from Illinois and traveling to spring and fall conventions over the years has transformed dots on a map to memories of places that enhance my story telling process.

Bob Roberts

Retired, WBBM-AM, Chicago

INBA is as much about friendship and as it is about achieving common goals. It provides two things individual newsrooms cannot: in-service training, and the ability to speak out on issues affecting the profession. But most of all, it brings newspeople together.

Ryan Denham

Digital Content Director, WGLT (Normal)

I recently attended my first INBA conference—and it won’t be my last. The combination of professional and student journalists learning together is electric. Everyone learns from each other and walks away with new friends (and LinkedIn connections). I know I did.

Aaron Eades

Director of Partnerships, Marketing and Communications for The College of Optics and Photonics at UCF, former Executive Producer at Spectrum News, Orlando; former Morning Anchor at WCIA-TV, Champaign

As a student, it's often difficult to picture what working in the real world will be like. For me, the INBA bridged that gap by giving me the chance to talk to professionals who used to be in the same shoes I'm in now.

Nora Baldner

Professor; Quincy University

The support INBA gives to student journalists is vitally important as we all discover how technology is changing news dissemination, INBA monitors and actively encourages truth, transparency and accountability from students and their universities.

Jeff Bossert

Morning Edition Host; WVTF, Roanoke, Virginia

When I was working in radio for the first time, I had no idea whether I could truly handle the demands. But INBA made me curious and want to improve. Even now, when I’ve maybe worked a lot of hours or planned some stories that didn’t come together for one reason or another, what I learn from an INBA conference gets me re-invigorated about the business.

Molly Jirasek

News Director, ABC57, South Bend, IN

One of my top goals in my career was to get to Chicago. Thanks to INBA I met Margaret Larkin. She remembered our great conversations about Chicago and first alerted me to a job opening in the city I might be interested in. Lo and behold, I got that job! INBA helped me reach my dream.

Alexis McAdams

Fox News National Correspondent

INBA played a huge part in preparing me for my broadcasting career. The INBA conventions connect students with on-air talent and news directors who give feedback on now to improve your work. Through relationships I made at those conventions, I was able to obtain my first on air reporting job.