JAWS CAMP 2026: The Fran Lewine Interview with Kim Godwin
JAWS CAMP 2026: Join us for the Fran Lewine Memorial Interview at CAMP on Friday, Oct. 2 at 3 p.m. PT. Award-winning journalists Callie Crossley and Edith M. Lederer will interview broadcast news executive and Emmy-award winning news producer Kim Godwin, whose 40-year career includes executive leadership roles with ABC, CBS and NBC. She was most recently the president of ABC News, the first African American to lead a national broadcast news network in history, and the first woman and first person of color to hold the position in the network’s 80-year history.
Callie Crossley is the host of Under the Radar with Callie Crossley on WGBH, 89.7 FM. Crossley is also a public speaker and television and radio commentator for national and local programs, including CNN’s Reliable Sources, the PBS NewsHour and PRI’s The Takeaway.
During a more than 55-year career with The Associated Press, Edith M. Lederer has worked on every continent except Antarctica covering wars, famines, nuclear issues and political upheavals. Since 1998, she has been AP's chief correspondent at the United Nations, reporting on the diplomatic side of conflicts from Gaza and Ukraine to Syria, Iraq, Sudan and Congo as well as major global issues from the nuclear programs in Iran and North Korea to climate change, combating poverty and women's rights.
The interview memorializes the late Fran Lewine, one of the founding members of JAWS and a leader among women journalists from the 1950s onward, protesting discrimination against women in jobs and assignments. She was a White House correspondent for The Associated Press during the administrations of six presidents, from Eisenhower to Carter. After leaving the AP, she worked for Jimmy Carter’s administration as the deputy director of public affairs for the Transportation Department. In 1981, she joined CNN as a field producer and assignment editor. Lewine passed away in 2008. Read more about her groundbreaking career and legacy.
JAWS’ annual Conference and Mentoring Program (CAMP) will be held Oct. 2-4, 2026 at the Hyatt Centric Delfina in Santa Monica, California.
Registration for the conference is open! Reserve your spot now:
Stay at the CAMP meeting hotel and use the reservation link below for the discounted booking rate. Benefits include NO destination fees and discounted valet parking:
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:
KIM GODWIN
Kim Godwin recently retired after an unparalleled 40-year career in broadcast journalism. She was most recently the President of ABC News, the first African American to lead a national broadcast news network in history, and the first woman and first person of color to hold the position in the network’s 80-year history. Under her leadership, the network remained the number one news network in America, including Good Morning America, World News Tonight, the View, and 20/20. As an experienced and strategic executive, she has overseen newsgathering and managed full editorial oversight across a global portfolio of news properties. Godwin has held positions at the Vice President level or higher at all three major networks: ABC, CBS, and NBC. She is a seven-time Emmy award-winning news producer. At the network level, Godwin has executive produced top-tier specialized news programming, managed a nightly news broadcast, led successful special projects teams, created cross-digital content, and earned dozens of industry awards recognizing her leadership in programming, reporting, and inclusivity initiatives. Godwin began her career running local newsrooms in markets across the U.S., including New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Philadelphia, and Cleveland. Her leadership has been dedicated to championing excellence, promoting diversity in all its variations, and educating everyone about the vital role of journalism in a democracy. Before joining Disney in 2021, Godwin served as executive vice president of News at CBS. She directed news gathering and launched “CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell” as executive producer. A multitalented trailblazer with exceptional journalistic instinct and skills, she also previously served as vice president of News, CBS News executive director for Development and Diversity, and senior broadcast producer of the “CBS Evening News.” At CBS, she also oversaw Network News Services and 400 domestic and foreign affiliates; CBS Audio Services, including over 600 affiliates and podcasts; the National Desk and domestic bureaus; News Standards and Ethics; and Race and Culture.
Godwin is a fierce champion for inclusion and telling representative stories. In 2022, after the horrific shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, Godwin committed to a yearlong stay in Uvalde, Texas, by several dedicated ABC News teams, documenting the parents’ stories of turning their pain into purpose. The coverage resulted in a book, documentary, and award-winning network programming. In 2020, she helped develop and oversaw the CBS News Race and Culture Unit and CBS Village, a multiplatform franchise highlighting content about diverse groups. At NBC, she was Vice President of News in Dallas and Los Angeles and Vice President of News Operations for all the owned and operated stations. Among her many awards spanning her career, in November 2020, the National Association of Black Journalists and the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University recognized her with the Ida B. Wells Award for her work advocating for coverage of communities of color, building a diverse newsroom, and championing young journalists throughout their careers.
Before joining the national networks, Godwin honed her journalistic and leadership skills for 20 years at top local stations in the United States. She was the acting news director and assistant news director at WCBS-TV, New York City; vice president and news director at KNBC-TV, Los Angeles; vice president of News Operations, NBC Television Stations; vice president and news director at KXAS-TV, Dallas/Fort Worth; and news director at the duopoly WOIO/WUAB in Cleveland. Godwin is a proud graduate of Florida A&M University, where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in broadcast journalism. FAMU was the first historically Black university to have an accredited journalism program. She is currently the chair of the board of visitors at her alma mater’s journalism school. Godwin has received two honorary doctorate degrees from Florida A&M University and Morgan State University, recognizing her continuing contributions to community and inclusive leadership. Godwin is currently the chair of the New York City Leadership Council of UNCF, a founding board member of the Meharry College School of Global Health, and vice president and co-founder of the Winning Foundation, which provides housing scholarships to students at HBCUs. Godwin is married to the recently retired assistant superintendent of Clayton County Schools and has a wonderful, blended family of two daughters and two stepchildren.
CALLIE CROSSLEY
Callie Crossley is the host of Under the Radar with Callie Crossley, which airs on Sunday evenings from 6:00 to 7 p.m. on WGBH, 89.7 FM. Her weekly commentaries air Mondays during WGBH’s Morning Edition. Crossley is also a public speaker and television and radio commentator for national and local programs, including CNN’s Reliable Sources, the PBS NewsHour and PRI’s The Takeaway. She also appears weekly on WGBH-TV’s Beat the Press, examining local and national media coverage, Basic Black, focusing on current events concerning communities of color, and Fox 25 Boston’s Morning Show. A former producer for ABC News 20/20, Ms. Crossley is a Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow, guest-lecturing at colleges and universities about media literacy, media and politics and the intersection of race, gender and media. She has two Harvard Fellowships--from the Nieman Foundation for Journalism and the Institute of Politics at the John F. Kennedy School of Government. Crossley was a producer for Blackside Inc.’s “Eyes on the Prize: America’s Civil Rights Years,” which earned her an Oscar® nomination, a National Emmy, and the Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia Award (Gold Baton). For Boston Public Radio, Crossley has earned the AP, Edward R. Murrow and Clarion awards. For Boston Public Radio, Crossley has earned the 2014 Associated Press, Edward R. Murrow, and Clarion awards for writing, producing and co-hosting the hour radio documentary, “Witness to History: WGBH’s 1963 Coverage of the March on Washington.”
EDITH M. ‘EDIE’ LEDERER
During a more than 55-year career with The Associated Press, Edith M. Lederer has worked on every continent except Antarctica covering wars, famines, nuclear issues and political upheavals. The first woman assigned full-time to the AP staff reporting the Vietnam War, Lederer also covered the 1973 Middle East war, the war in Afghanistan, the first Gulf War, the conflict in Northern Ireland, the end of the war in Bosnia, the civil war in Somalia and the aftermath of the genocide in Rwanda. She was also AP's first female bureau chief overseas, based in Lima, Peru. In addition to wars, she helped cover the downfall of communism and the break-up of the Soviet Union, and the Romanian revolution. While based in London from 1982-98, Lederer also wrote about military and international security issues and global problems ranging from population growth to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Since 1998, she has been AP's chief correspondent at the United Nations, reporting on the diplomatic side of conflicts from Gaza and Ukraine to Syria, Iraq, Sudan and Congo as well as major global issues from the nuclear programs in Iran and North Korea to climate change, combating poverty and women's rights. She is the recipient of numerous awards including six lifetime achievement awards. Last year, she was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Society for Professional Journalists’ New York Chapter, the Deadline Club. She is a co-author of "War Torn," a book by nine women who covered the Vietnam War.
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FAQs
Where is Conference and Mentoring Program (CAMP) 2026? CAMP 2026 will be held October 2-4 at The Hyatt Centric Delfina, located at 530 Pico Blvdin sunny Santa Monica, CA. The hotel is steps from the world-famous Santa Monica pier along with restaurants, shops and entertainment.
The CAMP Site Selection Committee chose Santa Monica based on feedback from members urging a balance between an urban setting allowing easier travel with access to a get-away-from-it-all vibe. The committee also took into account the venue’s capacity, support for conferences, cost and location. We chose this location intentionally for its walkability, safety and convenience, prioritizing an environment where attendees can focus on community, learning and connection without added logistical stress.
What happens at CAMP? This will be JAWS’ 41st CAMP. While the format and size have varied over the years, the goal has not: to bring women* journalists together from different specialties, beats, demographics and geographies to share with, learn from and empower each other. There will be structured presentations and workshops, planned social events and free time for unstructured relationship-building and city exploration. The current, rough agenda is as follows:
Oct. 1: Self-organized social activities for early arrivals
Oct. 2: Daytime workshops, evening welcome reception at Ms. Magazine offices
Oct. 3: Morning plenaries, lunch provided, afternoon sessions, Books & Browse evening reception
Oct. 4: Morning member meeting, morning sessions, lunch provided, afternoon sessions
Oct. 5: Self-organized social activities for late departures
Will meals be provided? Yes! Lunch will be provided Saturday and Sunday. Other provided meals and receptions will be announced. Meals not on the official schedule will be unstructured, allowing attendees to explore nearby eateries and spend time together away from the venue.
What is the CAMP refund policy? CAMP registration at the Early Bird rate is non-refundable and non-transferable. Regular registration can be transferred before September 1, 2026 upon written request to hello@jaws.org.
Is conference sponsorship available? Yes! CAMP sponsors support programming and other CAMP activities, making it possible to keep the conference affordable for participants. More information is available below.