Brigham Young University Alum Kim Farah Shares How Her Studies at BYU Served Her Well in Her Communications Career
When Kim Farah reflects on her career, she returns to one constant: the foundational role that Brigham Young University’s communications program played in shaping her career. From student journalist to international public affairs leader, Farah’s journey is a testament to the value of the hands-on experience that the School of Communications provides.
Farah graduated from BYU with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism, launching her into a decade in television news where she worked as an anchor, producer and reporter. Her early broadcast career included roles at ABC and NBC affiliates in Oregon, where she served as a weekend anchor and producer before becoming a main anchor.
At a personal crossroads in her life, Farah decided to return to BYU to pursue a master’s degree in mass communications. This graduate work, which included research in China related to the One Child Policy, expanded her knowledge of global communications that would later serve her as she took a position in China. “Working in China gave me an international worldview that I would not have had, and allowed me to develop critical thinking,” said Farah. “Both my undergraduate and graduate degrees were invaluable with my last two areas in Asia, and when I worked with Asia during the first Olympics.”
It was during this period that Farah reconnected with mentors from her BYU years, who encouraged her to interview with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Public Affairs Department. Her subsequent hire as a church spokesperson was a historic step at a time when that position had primarily been filled by men.
Over a long and distinguished tenure with the Church’s public affairs organization, Farah became a trusted spokesperson, working with national and international media on some of the most significant stories affecting the Church and its members. One of which was covering the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster.
Farah was writing for The Daily Universe when the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster occurred in 1986, and she learned that the failed O-ring seals were manufactured in Utah. Farah discussed how BYU’s student newsroom functioned as a real newsroom, where students were sent to cover breaking events and treated like working journalists, sharing, “When news broke, it was all hands on deck. We were treated as if we were already working professionals.”
During her undergraduate studies and between reporting major events, Farah learned day-to-day skills applicable to her career. “We did a nightly newscast, so we had a lot of experience in producing, which translated to my career in broadcasting,” said Farah. “One of the fundamental things was writing, and I was writing a lot. So not only did I have experience broadcasting the news, but I also had a really good foundation in writing and a good ethical foundation coming from BYU.”
When asked about the impact her studies had on her career, Farah said, "My education within the College of Fine Arts and Communications and my time in the School of Communications 'anchor factory' was absolutely invaluable to my career." Kim Farah is a testament to the extraordinary work that can come as a result of the hands-on education offered by the College of Fine Arts and Communications.