Olivia Smith

Olivia Smith, born in La Jolla, California, in 1988, is an American journalist with over two decades of experience in print, broadcast, multimedia, and digital journalism. She graduated from New York University in May 2011 and subsequently earned her Master’s degree in broadcast journalism from Columbia University in 2012, where she received honors for her reporting. During her studies, Smith interned at CNN and 60 Minutes, gaining early exposure to major news operations. Following her master’s, she was awarded a fellowship to rotate through CNN’s New York bureau and received a Fulbright grant in 2012, which allowed her to explore media in Berlin.

Smith’s career progressed with roles as a television correspondent at NY1 in 2012 and later at Al Jazeera America. In 2015, she joined ABC News as a reporter/producer in New York City, contributing to Good Morning America. She relocated to Los Angeles with ABC News in 2016 and, by 2020, became the first-ever Executive Producer of Next Generation Storytelling for KABC-TV Channel 7. In 2024, Smith transitioned to Meta, joining the GenAI Content Engineering team. Throughout her career, she has received significant recognition, including her first National Emmy Award in 2016 for the documentary “Dead Horse Bay: New York’s Hidden Treasure Trove of Trash,” and another Emmy Award in 2017 as part of the Good Morning America team. She was also nominated for an Emmy Award in 2018 for ABC’s special report “The Great American Eclipse.” Her accolades also include multiple Edward R. Murrow Awards and Golden Mike Awards with her news teams. Since 2018, Smith has served as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Southern California, teaching journalism, innovative storytelling, and AI, where she focuses on empowering content creators to utilize technology ethically.

Beyond her journalistic and academic roles, Smith is a co-founder and CEO of Media Consulting Coaches, a firm specializing in media training, public speaking, content creation, and AI strategy. She also founded Get Savvy with Social, a media, tech, and lifestyle company and blog. In 2023, she authored the children’s book series “Dog Detectives Jacob and Bricks,” inspired by childhood stories. Smith is also a published poet. In 2024, she was selected for Poynter’s Leadership Academy for Women in Media. Married to Michael P. Murray since August 2019, Smith is a mother and also holds a Certified Nutrition credential through NASM.