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 Alumni:
Lisa Salters,
Sideline Reporter,
ABC/ESPN for College Football, NBA
 1. As the Penn State record holder for being the shortest basketball player (5’2’) in school history, what inspired you to try out for the team?
I thought I was good enough to play. And for the record, Suzie Mc Connell and I were exactly the same height!
2. Can you describe what it was like to be a student at Penn State in 1986 when the football team won a national championship?
Awesome. We watched the game together as a team (the women’s basketball team) and I remember us yelling at the TV screen during every play. Incredible to watch!!
3. Are you surprised JoePa is still coaching?
Yes.
4. What do you think of JoePa’s will and determination to continue to coach Penn State football?
He’s a remarkable man, but all good things must eventually come to an end. He should do what’s best for the team, whatever that is – I don’t pretend to know what that is.
5. What is your dream job?
What I am doing right now. How many other people get to hang out with athletes, cover sports for a living, and travel all over the world at the same time?
6. What factors played a roll in your decision to leave your job as a bureau correspondent in Los Angeles at ABC to become a general assignment reporter for ESPN?
In network news, I was always covering very deep, often tragic stories (i.e. the crash of TWA flight 800, the Matthew Shepard murder, the Oklahoma City bombing). Making the move to ESPN gave me the opportunity to smile at work.
7. Can you describe some of the first stories you covered for ESPN that made you smile?
Because I came from a hard-news background, ESPN initially had me doing a lot of heavy stuff. I covered the Ray Lewis trial, the Rae Carruth trial, and the Marty Mcsorley trial – all in that first year, I think. Eventually, my assignments lightened up and I got to do some fun stuff like the World Cup in Korea and the NBA playoffs.
8. When you graduated Penn State in 1988, did you know you wanted to cover sports at some point in your career?
No. never thought about sports. I always thought only news reporters were true journalists. I was wrong.
9. Why did you think only news reporters were true journalists?
Because you never hear about sports reporters winning Pulitzer prizes. And let’s face it, Woodward and Bernstein weren’t worried about the Super Bowl.
10. What eventually changed your mind?
I realized that the only thing that matter was my happiness. I didn’t enjoy going to work when I was a network news correspondent. Yet, to this day, my work at ESPN couldn’t be any more fun.
11. You played basketball, but what made you decide to become a sideline reporter for college football?
I was asked by my bosses to do it and said ‘yes.’ Not really a tough decision, though, huh?
12. Can you describe your experience of covering sports-related stories near the U.S. Central Command in Qatar at a time when war seemed to be right around the corner in the Middle East?
Scary, but meaningful. Many of our soldiers have sports backgrounds – high school, college, and some even pro – so hearing their stories and giving them something to talk about other than the imminent possibility of war, was a unique diversion for them. Once the war started, however, and I got to see the bombs being dropped firsthand, I was ready to go home. We stayed in the war zone for six weeks.
13. When you were listening to soldiers (who had sports backgrounds) when you were near the U.S. Central Command in Qatar, were there any stories that really stood out to you?
One of the troops onboard a naval destroyer was a champion rower. His job on the ship, however, was to launch missiles at Iraq.
14. What was it like doing SportsCenter from Kuwait?
Scary, but meaningful. Just seeing the way our presence in the region brightened the days of our troops over there made a tough assignment incredibly worthwhile. It was very hot and very dusty but, believe it or not, a lot of fun at the same time. Unlike my first trip to the war zone, we were on an army base, Camp Arifjan, most of the time. So I always felt very safe.
15. Was there a difference in the way you covered the 1998 Olympics for ABC versus the 2004 Olympics for ESPN?
Not really. In both cases, I covered a variety of stories for different broadcasts. At the winter game in Nagano, Japan, in 1998, my work appeared mostly on Good Morning America. At the summer games in Athens in 1994, I filed reports for SportsCenter. I did, however, have a unique opportunity in 2006 when ESPN sent me to Torino to be the host of ESPN’s coverage of the Winter Games there. Being the face of ESPN’s coverage for the Olympics was a tremendous honor, and I was quite nervous before I left. It ended up being a great experience.
16. Do you enjoy the traveling aspect of your job?
I like to travel, but sometimes it can get to be too much.
17. Sometimes reporters have to cover stories they don’t necessarily want to cover. Have you ever covered a story that you were not interested in covering and had the end result be a positive experience for you?
I had to do that with the Parkour story for e:60. I never thought it wouldn’t be a positive experience, I simply was not interested in doing the story – and while I respect those who do like Parkour, I am still not interested in it.
18. Did any of your views on Parkour change after you covered a story on Ryan Ford for ESPN’s E:60?
Nope. Ryan was a very nice kid, though. I enjoyed my interview with him.
19. Out of all the events you have covered throughout your entire career, is there one that really stands out in your mind for one reason or another?
The famine in Somalia. Literally watching people die was difficult – especially coming from America, where we take food for granted.
20. Did you ever cover a story that was emotionally hard for you to report?
The death of University of North Carolina mascot, Jason Ray. Though his story was an inspirational one, it was difficult to interview his parents and to get them to open up about their loss.
21. Are there any do’s and don’t’s to consider when conducting an interview?
Don’t put words in people’s mouths. Don’t ask yes/no questions. And remember, the interview isn’t about you, it’s about the person you are interviewing. So don’t waste time rambling when you ask a question. We want to hear from the interviewee, not you.
22. Have you ever been surprised or thrown off by a response you have gotten from an athlete or a coach during an interview?
During a live interview, I asked the owner of the Philadelphia 76ers if Allen Iverson had asked to be traded. I expected him to give me a non-answer since other team officials wouldn’t answer the question. Snider, however, was quite candid and said “yes.” Not expecting that answer, I had to quickly regroup and ask him a series of follow-up questions about what he had told Iverson and what Iverson’s future in Philadelphia was going to be. It turned out to be a very compelling interview during a live telecast.
23. Are there any reporters that you admire or that have inspired you throughout your career?
My first professional idol was Philadelphia anchor Lisa Thomas-Laury at WPVI. I am also a fan of Robin Roberts, Pam Oliver, Michele Tafoya, and Suzy Kolber. But the person who has had the most influence on my career is WBAL-TV reporter (and PSU alum) Jayne Miller.
24. Why do you idolize Lisa Thomas-Laury?
She was the premier local anchor woman in town when I was growing up outside of Philadelphia. Her work was always outstanding.
25. How has Jayne Miller influenced your career?
Jayne taught me EVERYTHING I know about being a journalist. Like veteran athletes take rookies under their wing, Jayne did that with me when I joined the staff of WBAL-TV. She taught me how to fine-tune my writing, how to conduct better interviews – and most importantly, she taught me to except nothing but the best from myself while working.
26. As technology advances, it seems as though employers want to hire people who are skilled in more than one area—writing, shooting video, taking pictures. Have you seen or experienced this in the field of sports journalism?
Thankfully, I came along before all that happened. I don’t have any of those other skills – I am a reporter – I can write – that’s it.
27. Do you have a favorite Penn State memory?
10-cent wing night at the Gingerbread Man.
28. What advice would you give to students who want to follow in your footsteps?
Develop your writing skills and be ready to learn from anyone who will take the time to teach you.
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