From reporter to researcher: How a journalist’s career inspired her to study leadership at Binghamton

As a reporter for one of South Korea’s major newspaper companies, Yeunkyung Cho chased the latest developments affecting the entertainment, real estate, retail and startup industries.

She dove in headfirst. She used each byline to connect her audience to the hottest topics – from the eccentricities of popular culture to the nuances surrounding the business world. Throughout her six-year journalism career, she thrived by “keeping her finger on the pulse.”

“When covering a story about the entertainment industry, I was a bridge for consumers and producers. I could be a bridge for entrepreneurs and investors when covering startup stories,” Cho said. “I’ve always loved the power of communication; It goes back to my early interest in studying literature and how I felt connected to authors of different backgrounds or studying the way artists use paintings to communicate their ideas.”

Cho’s years covering the business world also cultivated a personal fascination that inspired her to embark on a new career challenge. It brought her to Binghamton University to earn her PhD from the School of Management (SOM), where she hopes to use her journalistic experience to create her own niche in academia by focusing on leadership studies.

“When I was a journalist, anytime I talked to people in real estate, retail or startups, it was obvious to most of them how to make a profit, but they were struggling to maintain a good workplace,” Cho said. “Part of the strategy behind successful people is having the right kind of influence through good communication, so I feel those skills are important for good leadership.”

But Cho’s decision to change careers wasn’t easy. It involved debating big questions like why she would pivot from a lucrative job and if she did so, what she would study. Some colleagues and friends tried to convince her to reconsider switching career paths, but Cho was determined to follow her passion.

On a more practical level, to qualify for a doctoral program, she had to strike a delicate balance between her newsroom schedule and her Master of Business Administration courses during the day. In the evenings, she’d catch up by writing her news articles.

The more Cho read through various academic business articles while earning her MBA, the more the concept of studying leadership resonated with her. Like reporting, academic research was another opportunity to effect change in the world.

Cho chose Binghamton University for its strong leadership studies program within SOM. As an international student, she also had to learn how to work her way “from the ground up” by overcoming social, cultural and language hurdles in a country that operated differently than where she’d called home for the past 30 years.

But she also knew she’d regret it if she didn’t take this challenge of exploring her new interest to its finish line.

Still, she looks back fondly on past reporting assignments, especially one in 2017 that took her to California for a spotlight on how Hollywood’s successes could be useful in giving a boost to South Korea’s entertainment industry.

As part of her reporting, she met with a screenwriter who helped her grasp the systematic way Hollywood dramas are pieced together, starting with the script. She learned that it was a system with many more layers than what at the time existed in South Korea. Her series of articles on that subject was among the most impactful of her journalism career.

Cho speaks with pride about how she could always stay at the forefront of issues impacting her readers. Wherever her career goes next, that’s not likely to change.

“I hope to be a researcher who always keeps an eye on that lively world out there.”