Development Committee
Jenna Flanagan is a writer, reporter, journalist, producer, and current on-screen host for WNET Thirteen’s MetroFocus. Ms. Flanagan grew up in New Paltz where her 
interest in journalism began after attending a journalism camp at SUNY New Paltz at age 12. She went on to study communications and journalism at Seton Hall University in South Orange, NJ where she was on the staff of the college newspaper, The Setonian.
After graduating with a B.A. in communications in 1999, she took her first job in the business as a news production assistant and Engineer for 1010 WINS in New York City, eventually working her way up to assistant editor. Working in a busy New York newsroom, she quickly learned what it takes to churn out a factual, engaging and newsworthy story on deadline. From there she took her first on-air position as a reporter for the WBGO news and won a Garden State Association of Black Journalists award. After WBGO, she spent over six years writing, reporting and producing All Things Considered for WNYC in New York City. Her work has aired nationally on NPR.
In 2013, Ms. Flanagan left NYC to do statewide public radio and television reporting for the Innovation Trail. She also covered state politics for New York NOW, the award-winning public affairs show, which airs on Albany’s PBS stations WMHT. In 2015, she began contributing her statewide reports to WNET Thirteen’s news magazine MetroFocus. In 2016, Flanagan joined the MetroFocus team as a fulltime journalist and host.
In 2021, the SUNY New Paltz Women’s Leadership Summit featured her as their keynote speaker. She is eager to use her 20 plus years of experience to help guide SUNY New Paltz journalism students through an ever-changing and reinventing industry.
