Alumna Profile: Margaret Sullivan

Elizabeth Dodman '22 ~ January 2022

As a senior at Nardin Academy, Margaret Sullivan was in the running to become captain of the basketball team. One of her best friends, Sheila Rooney, was too. The pair already worked together on Kaleidoscope, the paper of which Sullivan had recently been named editor. After a team vote, Rooney received one more vote than Sullivan. Instead of taking the position for herself, however, Rooney decided that she and Sullivan would be co-captains together.

Margaret Sullivan, media columnist for the Washington Post, has carried that moment with her ever since she graduated from Nardin in 1975. When I asked what she had learned from Nardin that has stuck with her, her friend’s gracious act came to mind.

Sullivan also reflected on her relationship with then English teacher and Kaleidoscope advisor, Joanne Langan, and head of school, Michael Langan. Joanne Langan helped expand Sullivan’s scope of literary influences and improved her writing skills, while Michael Langan helped her understand what she could accomplish out in the world. Both were instrumental in helping Sullivan and her peers discover how they could use their talents in the future.

“The relationships…last and endure and are really important to me still because of the things that they taught me, that it is important to mentor people, it’s important to be generous of spirit,” Sullivan said.

These mentors have remained with her throughout her career, and the Nardin spirit has stayed in Sullivan’s family through her daughter, Grace, and her niece, Kathleen, who graduated in 2010 and 2008, respectively.

After graduation, Sullivan continued her studies at Georgetown University, and continued on to receive a masters degree from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.

Sullivan first became interested in journalism by reading the Washington Post’s reports during the Watergate scandal, fascinated with the Post’s ability to hold the Nixon administration accountable.

Sullivan completed an internship at the Buffalo News and was later offered a job there. She accepted and made her way up the ranks to become the first female chief editor of the Buffalo News, a position that she held for thirteen years. Being the editor of a newsroom did come with challenges and could be stressful, but for Sullivan, it was also a valuable experience.

“It was a great privilege to be able to do that job for a good, long time at the paper that was one of the two newspapers that came to the door when I was a kid living in Lackawanna,” Sullivan said. “It felt like it was really important work and always very interesting work as well.”

After her time at the Buffalo News, Sullivan continued her career at the New York Times, where she served as the public editor, before moving to her current position at the Washington Post.

While in New York City, Sullivan had the opportunity to teach at Columbia University and the City University of New York. She taught at the University at Buffalo, Buffalo State College, and Duke University as well. Throughout her time teaching, the students not only learned from Sullivan, but she learned from them. The students kept her up to date with their values, which Sullivan notes are important to know in order to teach in accordance with the times.

“I have always felt that you learn as much as you teach,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan has not just limited herself to journalistic writing and teaching. In 2020, she published her book, Ghosting the News: Local Journalism and the Crisis of American Democracy. Her book focuses on the decline of local newspapers and the effect that this decline has on American democracy.

Throughout her career, Sullivan has been the recipient of multiple awards and has served in many honorable positions in addition to the Buffalo News, the New York Times, and the Washington Post. She was inducted into the Medill School of Journalism’s Hall of Achievement, and she received the Charging Buffalo Award, an honor given to people that connect Buffalo to Washington D.C. through their careers. She also served on the Pulitzer Prize board from 2011 to 2012, and was elected two times as a director of the American Society of Newspaper Editors.

When I asked which accomplishment she is most proud of, Sullivan responded with the work she achieved right here in Buffalo. Throughout her time at the Buffalo News, she focused on making the paper appeal to the public and hired dozens of new people, creating a younger and racially diverse newsroom.

“The young journalists who you’re able to offer a job to and facilitate their growth and their work– that’s really the most fulfilling thing that you can do,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan defines journalism as “the effort to seek the truth and present it in a way that serves the public interest.”

In terms of whether journalism lives up to that definition, Sullivan explained that while it sometimes does not, it can be a “glorious thing” when it does. She strongly believes that the field of journalism is necessary and in need of young, enthusiastic people now and in the future.

“We need journalism to function as a democracy, so it couldn’t be more important,” Sullivan said. “Even though the business model is in flux, I still think that if you’re passionate and dedicated, it can still be a very useful field and always, always interesting.”

As of today, Margaret Sullivan continues to practice what she learned at Nardin–to mentor others and have a generous spirit–evident through her willingness to speak with me about the field of journalism and her career. She is an inspiration to young journalists who strive to uncover truths and impact others through writing, as Sullivan herself has done.

Title Photo: Margaret Sullivan