Mark Lukasiewicz
Dean, The Lawrence Herbert School of Communication | Hofstra University
Hempstead, NY, UNITED STATES
Dean Lukasiewicz is a veteran producer, journalist, and media executive. Before joining Hofstra, he was SVP of specials at NBC News.
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Biography
Mark Lukasiewicz is a veteran producer, journalist, and media executive who has spent his professional career telling important stories to worldwide audiences and helping media organizations deal with transformational change.
Most recently, he was senior vice president of specials at NBC News, planning and supervising coverage of major breaking news events such as the death of Osama bin Laden, the visit of Pope Francis to the United States, and presidential elections and debates from 2004 to 2016. Also at NBC, he served as NBC News? first vice president of digital media, and later as executive-in-charge of the NBC News Group Transformation Project, a multiyear redesign and reimagining of technology, workspace, and workflow across NBCUniversal?s news platforms.
Before NBC, Lukasiewicz spent 11 years at ABC News where he was executive producer of Good Morning America, senior producer of World News Tonight with Peter Jennings, and senior producer of Primetime Live with Diane Sawyer and Sam Donaldson. In his decades-long career, he has produced numerous live and long-form programs, winning 10 Emmys, two Peabody Awards, and the Grand Prize of the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Awards, among other journalism and international film festival awards. He has also taught video storytelling at the Columbia Journalism School, and has been a featured speaker at professional conferences in the United States and abroad.
A native of Canada, Lukasiewicz began his career as a reporter and columnist with The Globe and Mail and later as a senior producer with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). He earned a BA in economics (with honours) from the University of Toronto.
Industry Expertise (4)
Writing and Editing
Media - Broadcast
Education/Learning
Print Media
Areas of Expertise (7)
news platforms
news industry
Broadcast News
Digital Media
Media Ethics
Breaking News
media markets
Accomplishments (8)
News & Documentary Emmy Awards (10) (professional)
National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
Peabody Award (2) (professional)
University of Georgia
Grand Prize - Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Journalism Awards (professional)
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial
Investigative Reporters & Editors Award (professional)
Investigative Reporters & Editors
Citation of Excellence (professional)
Overseas Press Club
Gold Hugo (professional)
Chicago Film Festival
Chris Award (professional)
Columbus International Film & Video Festival
Webby Award (professional)
International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences
Education (1)
University of Toronto: BA, Economics
1979
Languages (2)
- English
- Polish
Media Appearances (31)
Biden, Trump to Debate Earlier Than Normal
Scripps Morning News online
2024-05-16
Dean of the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication Mark Lukasiewicz was interviewed by Scripps Morning News about President Biden and former President Trump agreeing to debates on June 27 (CNN) and September 10 (ABC), to connect with voters ahead of traditional timelines.
NBC News Acted Fast to Land Ronna McDaniel. Her Tenure Lasted Just Days.
Wall Street Journal print
2024-03-27
Mark Lukasiewicz, dean of the Herbert School of Communication, was interviewed by the Wall Street Journal about NBC’s hiring and then firing former RNC chief Ronna McDaniel, who they had brought on to serve as a political contributor, representing the GOP perspective.
Tucker Carlson’s Trump Interview Starts Tough Fight to Take on Fox and Cable News
Wall Street Journal print
2023-08-24
Dean Lukasiewicz spoke to the Wall Street Journal about Tucker Carlson’s interview with Donald Trump on X, which took place in direct competition with Fox News’ GOP debate. The article explored whether social-media platforms can mount a serious challenge to TV news.
CNN town hall highlights media’s struggle with how to cover Trump and his lies
PBS News Hour tv
2023-05-11
A debate over how journalists should cover former President Trump is underway as he seeks another term. It comes after an unruly CNN town hall where Trump spouted lies about the 2020 election, mocked the woman he was found liable of sexually abusing and dodged policy questions all before a supportive audience in New Hampshire.
National Media Coverage Of Gabby Petito Case Raises Questions About Attention For Missing People Of Color
WCBS-TV News tv
2021-09-22
Mark Lukasiewicz, dean of the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication, was interviewed by WCBS-TV News regarding the media coverage of the ongoing investigation into the death of Gabby Petito and why the same kind of attention is typically not given to missing people of color.
Here’s How TV Networks Deliberately Misspell Their Shows To Boost Ratings
Forbes online
2021-06-05
Mark Lukasiewicz, dean of the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication and previously senior vice president of specials at NBC News, was interviewed for a Forbes article that examined how TV networks misspell the names of their shows to affect ratings. He explains how networks have used retitling for years to prevent low-rated news broadcasts and other shows from skewing overall Nielsen ratings.
Can cable news win over young viewers? At MSNBC, a 40-year-old new president is going to try.
Washington Post print
2021-05-24
Mark Lukasiewicz, dean of the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication, was interviewed for a Washington Post article that disussed the hiring of millennial Rashida Jones as MSNBC’s new president and the challenges of attracting younger viewers to cable news.
The media can’t ignore Marjorie Taylor Greene. Can they figure out how to cover her?
Washington Post print
2021-02-05
Mark Lukasiewicz, dean of the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication, was featured in a Washington Post article about the challenges of covering figures such as Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has made national news for supporting the execution of Congressional leaders, posting racist videos, and spreading conspiracy theories.
Analysis: TV news is realigning, with Fox's ratings sagging and CNN's soaring
CNN.com online
2021-01-16
Mark Lukasiewicz, dean of the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication, was interviewed by CNN‘s Brian Stelter about the recent changes in cable news ratings and the challenges ahead in a post-Trump era.
Shepard Smith was a big catch for CNBC. But the viewers haven’t followed him from Fox.
Washington Post print
2020-12-03
Mark Lukasiewicz, dean of the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication, was interviewed by the Washington Post for an article about viewer response to former Fox News host Shepard Smith’s move to CNBC. He also discusses how Smith’s situation compares to that of Megyn Kelly, another Fox News star who was recruited by NBC a few years earlier.
NBC schedules Trump town hall at the same time as Biden's on ABC, sparking outrage
CNN.com online
2020-10-14
"This is a bad result for American voters, who should not be forced to choose which to watch," said Mark Lukasiewicz, dean of Hofstra University's communications school, and previously the senior vice president of specials at NBC News. "So much is still going wrong with how TV journalism copes, or still fails to cope, with @realDonaldTrump."
What to expect from debate moderator Chris Wallace
"Reliable Sources," CNN tv
2020-09-27
Mark Lukasiewicz, dean of the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication, was a guest on CNN’s “Reliable Sources” program to discuss the challenges of fact-checking President Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden during a live debate. The candidates will face off in their first debate on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020
Networks’ Challenge: Covering a Live Convention When Falsehoods Fly
The New York Times print
2020-08-24
“There are certain speeches in the political life of the country that the news networks treat as events the audience deserves to see: the State of the Union, an inaugural address, and convention speeches by the nominee and the running mate,” said Mark Lukasiewicz, who was an executive producer for coverage of six conventions at NBC News. “These are singular events,” Mr. Lukasiewicz, now the dean of Hofstra University’s school of communications, added.“But the networks are going to struggle. How do you maintain an appearance of fairness and equity between the two parties’ political events, but deal with the fact that one candidate, you have every reason to believe, will not tell the truth?”
Joe Biden’s VP Pick: Reporters Scramble To Get A Scoop That Carries High Risk and Reward
Deadline online
2020-08-08
“It’s a dangerous game,” said Mark Lukasiewicz, who [served at] NBC News as senior vice president of specials. Now the dean of the Lawerence Herbert School of Communication at Hoftra University, he said that the risk is “you will end up with egg on your face, but for a lot of political journalists it is kind of an irresistible story.”
Trump wants to use reporters as props. We don’t have to let him.
Columbia Journalism Review
2020-06-09
Mark Lukasiewicz, a former senior vice president at NBC News who is now dean of Hofstra University’s School of Communication, noted in an interview that White House reporters have hard jobs, particularly given their dependence on access to limited sources. But he also said they missed an opportunity. “The White House press corps needs to understand that this White House isn’t playing by the old rules. That means you have to behave differently. What bothered me about Karl’s tweet was that it implied the press had no options. That’s not true. They had several options. They didn’t have to sit down.… They could turn around and leave.”
‘If It’s Not True, Don’t Put It on TV’: A Former TV Exec on How to Save Live News in the Trump Era
Rolling Stone online
2020-04-10
Mark Lukasiewicz, dean of the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication, spoke at length with Rolling Stone about his career as a network news executive and his recent op-ed in the Columbia Journalism Review about the need to rethink how much live coverage should be given to the president’s often-misinformed daily coronavirus briefings. He also discusses the state of TV news and “how broadcast news can get back to its roots as a profession focused on facts
Can Live TV Become Journalism Again?
Columbia Journalism Review online
2020-04-01
In this op-ed, Mark Lukasiewicz discusses a growing movement among television news outlets to delay live broadcast of President Trump's daily COVID-19 briefings to minimize falsehoods and politicizing. He writes: "In recent years, 'live' and 'breaking' have become even more dominant, and somewhat devalued, buzzwords of the business. And that has marked a substantial further surrender of journalism and journalistic values in television news."
No Audience? No Problem. A TV Debate Like Few Others Gets High Marks.
The New York Times print
2020-03-16
Mark Lukasiewicz, who produced 10 debates for NBC News and MSNBC from 2004 to 2016, said that he never proposed — and NBC News never considered — hosting a presidential debate without a live audience during his tenure there. “All of us — the networks, the parties and the candidates — became invested over the years in making debates bigger and splashier every cycle,” Mr. Lukasiewicz, who now teaches at Hofstra University, said in an interview on Sunday night. “There’s no question that we let substance and content suffer.” “It would be nice,” he added, if the audience-less CNN debate “showed us all there’s a better, simpler, older way.”
Rough debate performance by moderators a blow to CBS News
Associated Press online
2020-02-26
“These are good journalists, every one of them,” said Mark Lukasiewicz, who produced debates at NBC News and is now dean of the communication school at Hofstra University. “But being a journalist and being a debate moderator are different functions. And they did not do a good job.”
Fox News Ditches Impeachment Trial Coverage In Favor Of Prime Time Shows
NPR radio
2020-01-26
LUKASIEWICZ: "I think Uncle Walter would be shocked at the changes in his business since he was in that chair. There are just dramatically more platforms in which to absorb this content live and on tape but particularly live. And it's leading the broadcast networks to make different decisions. And the fact is the broadcast networks are no longer the lead players when it comes to live news delivery in this country."
CBS’ Early Exit Shows Decisions Networks Face on Impeachment
Associated Press online
2020-01-21
“These decisions are difficult and they’re not always solely in the hands of the news divisions,” said Mark Lukasiewicz, a former NBC News executive and now dean of Hofstra University’s School of Communication. Sticking with news coverage becomes more difficult for the networks in the prime-time hours of 8 to 11 p.m., because that means a more significant loss of advertising revenue, Lukasiewicz said.
‘Stunning piece of propaganda’: Journalists blast One America News series
Politico online
2019-12-19
Mark Lukasiewicz, dean of the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication at Hofstra University, said “the advocate is in the driver’s seat” in the OAN series, with Giuliani bringing forth documents on screen and helping conduct interviews. “The role typically played by an investigative journalist is played by Rudy Giuliani,” he said.
Lukasiewicz: Conspiracies Are a 'Deliberate Deception'
CNN's "Reliable Sources" tv
2019-12-15
Former NBC News executive Mark Lukasiewicz argues that the conspiracy theories tied to the Ukraine scandal are really "a disinformation campaign. It's deliberate deception. It's fabrication." He says the media does "a disservice" by repeating false narratives.
The fifth Democratic presidential primary debate scores 6.6 million viewers, the lowest so far
Los Angeles Times online
2019-11-21
“It was a substantive debate, but it was, in every way, a sideshow to the existential presidential drama unfolding in Washington even as the candidates were arriving to debate,” said Mark Lukasiewicz, dean of the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication at Hofstra University. “I imagine there were many viewers exhausted from tracking the impeachment hearings.”
The Rise and Fall of Michael Avenatti
Associated Press online
2019-03-28
[Avenatti's] brash, trash-talking style appealed in particular to those who wanted “to see someone engage with the Republican base on that kind of street-fighter level,” said Mark Lukasiewicz, dean of Hofstra University’s Lawrence Herbert School of Communication. Plus, he was good at it. “He is articulate. He is telegenic,” said Lukasiewicz, a former executive with NBC and ABC. “He knows how to be provocative in a cable-news landscape where how you speak can become as important as what you know.”
Examining the State of Journalism
Talkers Magazine online
2019-03-19
Michael Harrison chats with Mark Lukasiewicz, Dean of Hofstra University's Lawrence Herbert School of Communication, about the state of journalism in America.
Should networks air Trump's speeches live?
CNN's "Reliable Sources" tv
2019-01-13
President Trump's record of deception has some media critics questioning whether the broadcast networks should have granted his recent request for air time. Will the networks think twice the next time he asks? Indira Lakshmanan and Mark Lukasiewicz discuss the issue with Brian Stelter.
Facing pressure, networks fact-check Trump speech
Associated Press
2019-01-08
By airing the rebuttal from Pelosi and Schumer, the networks did something that is seldom done for presidential speeches, except for events like the State of the Union address, said former NBC News executive Mark Lukasiewicz, now dean of the Hofstra University communications school. That sets a precedent that may be tough for them to back away from in future events, he said. Lukasiewicz argued that for the networks, it was an awkward night that would not please either side of the debate over border security. “The president made no news and no new proposals,” he said. “It is hard to argue this night was about anything other than pure politics — and the networks interrupted programming to accommodate it.”
Bad headlines for Trump also means ratings slump for Hannity
Associated Press online
2018-12-26
Maddow has been beating Hannity outright in December, a turnaround from October. During that month, when Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation drama dominated the news, Hannity’s audience routinely exceeded Maddow’s by about a million people each night, Nielsen said. “I think it’s a reflection of the mood of his audience,” said Mark Lukasiewicz, dean of Hofstra University’s communications school and a longtime NBC executive. “They can’t be happy with what is coming out of Washington every day.”
Hofstra Names Former NBC News Executive as Communications School Dean
Newsday online
2018-03-27
Mark Lukasiewicz has supervised news coverage of global events such as the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, the death of Osama bin Laden and the visit of Pope Francis to the United States. And on July 1, the Emmy Award-winning NBC News executive will add the job of dean of Hofstra University’s Lawrence Herbert School of Communication to his resume.
Mark Lukasiewicz Named Dean of Hofstra’s School of Communication
TVNewser online
2018-03-27
Former NBC News executive Mark Lukasiewicz has been appointed dean of the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication at Hofstra University. Lukasiewicz left NBC News last year after 16 years at the network. His roles included executive-in-charge of the NBC News Group Transformation Project, svp of NBC News Specials, and he was the news division’s first vp of digital media.
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