Michelle Smawley

Michelle Smawley is an award-winning audio and television Executive Producer, Director, writer, educator, and media consultant. A master storyteller, she has created, directed, and produced work and most recently, Michelle served as Director for the AMERICAN EXPERIENCE/PBS two-hour historical documentary Forgotten Hero: Walter White and the NAACP, exploring the life and legacy of a little-known but pivotal civil rights leader and the early years of the NAACP.

Michelle is also the creator and Executive Producer of TRAX, the first podcast network for preteens funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, where she led the editorial and creative strategy for youth-focused audio storytelling. Her broader credits include work with ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, PBS, NPR, Sundance, HBO, NowThis, SONY, National Geographic, and numerous independent production partners. She previously worked as a TV and radio reporter in the Midwest, bringing on-the-ground reporting experience to her later producing and teaching.

As an educator, Michelle has taught in the Graduate Program in Social Documentary at the School of Visual Arts, Fordham University, Department of Communication and Media Studies and at the Missouri School of Journalism. She attended the graduate journalism program at the University of Missouri and earned a Bachelor of Arts from New York University.