SMPA Alumni Named to the CBS News 2020 Campaign Team


January 26, 2019

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Four SMPA alumni have been named to the CBS News 2020 Campaign Team. These alumni include Musadiq Bidar, Bo Erickson and Cara Korte, who will become embeds and Ellee Watson who will be an associate producer. They will join the political unit to expand coverage of the historic 2020 presidential election.

 

CBS News announced that the news division will increase political reporting across-the-board by expanding its political embed unit, adding new political beats and enhancing in-depth nationwide reporting across all platforms, including the successful “Local Matters” series on CBSN which brings the insight of local political reporters and experts to national audiences.

“We are embracing political reporting now more than ever on every program and every platform,” said Christopher Isham, Vice President and Washington Bureau Chief for CBS News.

Caitlin Conant, CBS News political director expanded upon this point, when she said, “With 2020 poised to be the most historic election of our lifetime, we were thrilled to see unprecedented interest in joining the political unit this cycle.”

Here are the SMPA alumni named to the presidential campaign team: 


Musadiq Bidar, BA ’15, majored in Journalism and Mass Communication and is currently an associate producer for “CBS This Morning.” Prior to this position, Bidar was a news associate in the CBS News Washington bureau and a broadcast associate for “CBS This Morning.” Bidar will be a campaign reporter for the 2020 presidential campaign. 

Twitter: @Bidar411


Bo Erickson, BA ’17, majored in Journalism and Mass Communication and is a reporter with the Capitol Hill team for CBS News. Erickson was previously on the “Face the Nation” editorial team, worked on the Washington desk for “Weekend Evening News” and was an assistant to “Face the Nation” Moderator John Dickerson. As a student, he interned at NBC's “Meet the Press,” “CBS Evening News,” the investigative unit at CBS News and NPR’s investigations unit. Erickson will be a campaign reporter for the 2020 presidential campaign. 

Twitter: @BoKnowsNews


Cara Korte, BA ’15, majored in Journalism and Mass Communication and is currently an associate producer for “CBS This Morning” co-anchor John Dickerson. Korte previously was an editorial assistant to “Face the Nation” Moderator and Senior Washington Correspondent John Dickerson and interned with “CBS Evening News” while a student at SMPA. She will be a campaign reporter for the 2020 presidential campaign. 

Twitter: @CaraKorte


Ellee Watson, BA ’17, minored in Journalism and Mass Communication and majored in International Affairs. She is the executive assistant for CBS News Washington Bureau Chief Christopher Isham. At GW, she was an investigative unit intern for CBS News and a “CBS Evening News” intern. She will be an associate producer for the 2020 presidential campaign. 

Twitter: @ellee_watson