In the Season 3 premiere of PrincipalED, Principal Grace McCallum sits down with Elizabeth DIAS’04—national religion correspondent for The New York Times and co-author of The Fall of Roe: The Rise of a New America. 

Recorded on campus on the same day as Branksome Hall’s 2026 Installation ceremony, where Elizabeth served as keynote speaker, this captivating conversation explores her journey from student writer to award-winning journalist and the foundational role her Branksome education played in shaping her career.

Grace and Elizabeth dive deep into the complexities of reporting on faith, power and politics in an increasingly polarized world. Elizabeth shares her approach to impartial storytelling, offering key insights on how to foster constructive dialogue across deep divides through active listening and intellectual curiosity. She reflects on the courage needed to navigate frontline journalism, reporting from challenging environments where she has confronted perpetrators of atrocities, endured political hostility and covered high-stakes national events.

In the episode, Elizabeth also discusses her latest reporting on the intersection of artificial intelligence and faith, reflecting on how religious leaders are prompting us to re-examine what it means to be human in an era of rapid technological change. She pays tribute to the women who shaped her perspective and speaks to the vital power of solidarity and support among the ‘sisterhood’ of women journalists.

Tune in for an inspiring exploration of truth, journalism and the enduring strength of community.

Listeners can follow along on Instagram at @principalEDpod for behind-the-scenes updates and exclusive content. The PrincipalED podcast is available for streaming on Apple and Spotify, where the official podcast music playlist is also available.

Branksome Hall’s YouTube channel features a full video version of this discussion, which can be viewed here.