CNN Chief National Affairs Correspondent Jeff Zeleny and Nebraska Examiner Editor-in-Chief Aaron Sanderford will headline this year’s Seline Memorial Lecture, discussing the foundational intersections between local and national news coverage.
Their free public talk, "A memo from Washington: Why all politics are local," will take place on March 27 from 11 a.m. to noon in the Nebraska Union's Swanson Auditorium. A Q&A session will follow the lecture.
With a combined 50+ years in the news media industry, Zeleny and Sanderford bring a wealth of experience covering politics at both national and local levels. Zeleny, a CNN veteran, has covered seven presidential campaigns, multiple administrations, and Congress, while Sanderford has spent more than 25 years reporting on politics, government, and business for Nebraska news outlets.
The Seline Memorial Lecture Series, which began in 1992, engages journalism innovators and thought leaders to discuss, explore and debate challenges facing the industry. Zeleny and Sanderford were invited by Shari Veil, Jane T. Olson Endowed Dean of the college.
“We're honored to welcome two journalists who have built their careers on covering politics with integrity,” Veil said. “This year’s speakers offer a timely and critical discussion that aims to inspire fellow journalists to keep asking tough questions and telling impactful stories.”
As CNN’s chief national affairs correspondent, Zeleny covers President Donald Trump and his new administration from the White House as well as the influence and impact of its policies and politics across the country.
He led the network’s coverage of the 2024 campaign, his seventh presidential race, closely following the candidates and the issues, while listening to voters as he traveled extensively across the country. He reports for CNN’s television, digital and streaming platforms.
Over the last decade at CNN, Zeleny also covered the administration of Joe Biden and served as senior White House correspondent. He joined the network in 2015 from ABC News, where he covered Congress and national politics as senior Washington correspondent.
Before making a leap to television, Zeleny spent nearly seven years at the New York Times, covering Barack Obama’s presidential race in 2008 and his re-election in 2012. He also covered Congress for the newspaper.
Zeleny came to Washington as the national political correspondent for the Chicago Tribune, covering the George W. Bush administration and the long aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. He began his time at the Tribune as a reporter on the Metropolitan desk in Chicago, where he was a member of the team that won a Pulitzer Prize in explanatory journalism for documenting gridlock in the nation’s air traffic system.
Zeleny started his journalism career at the Des Moines Register, covering courts, politics and the state legislature. A 1996 graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Zeleny was editor of the Daily Nebraskan and worked at the Associated Press and Lincoln Journal Star. He is a native of Exeter, Nebraska, and lives in Washington.
“What a privilege it is to have a front-row seat to history in a career that wouldn’t have been possible without Nebraska,” Zeleny said. “Our craft of journalism is constantly evolving – as it has since storytelling began – but the fundamentals remain the same. I look forward to joining Aaron to compare notes on this important moment in American history.”
Sanderford has spent more than 25 years reporting and editing politics, crime, courts, government and business for the Examiner, Omaha World-Herald and Lincoln Journal Star. He also was an investigative reporter at KMTV, Omaha’s CBS affiliate.
A North Carolina native, Sanderford also spent several years as an assignment editor and worked two stints as an editorial writer. From 2005 to 2007, he served as communications director for then-Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Kentucky and holds a Master of Arts degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in professional journalism.
“I’m grateful to have the opportunity to discuss a unique moment in American journalism with Jeff, who sees things unfold in Washington with a Nebraskan’s lens,” Sanderford said. “It will be fun to hear from students getting the same great practical education that we did.”
The lecture series was established in honor of S. Allen and Kathleen D. Seline, who were dedicated to helping future generations of Nebraskans and who were devoted to their children, Steve, Nancy and Rex. Rex graduated in 1978 from the college, where he also met his wife, Becky Brugman Seline. Steve’s daughter Libby graduated from the college in 2021.
"The Seline family legacy continues to inspire the next generation of communicators by encouraging meaningful conversations about the challenges and opportunities impacting the news industry,” Veil said.
