Diplomacy Graduate Brings Global Stories to Life for 'The New York Times'

Francesca Regalado ’17 is reporting from the front lines of global news as a reporter for The New York Times, based in the paper’s breaking news hub in Seoul, South Korea. Working alongside teams in New York and London, she helps cover breaking news around the clock, often shifting rapidly between stories unfolding across continents.

On any given day, her reporting may span executive or Congressional action in Washington, extreme weather events in the United States, mass protests in South and Southeast Asia or earthquakes in remote regions powerful enough to trigger tsunami warnings. The work requires speed, accuracy and constant coordination, from making dozens of phone calls and tracking witnesses to verifying images and social media and filing clean copy under tight deadlines.

When the news cycle slows, Regalado also pitches creative international features that bring readers into lesser-seen corners of the world. Her work has included stories on a Bangkok art exhibit allegedly censored by the Chinese government, a photo-driven piece on red lightning in New Zealand and lighter explainers that blend diplomacy and culture, from European leaders’ fashion at Davos to the global ripple effects of U.S. trade policy.

Her path to journalism began at Seton Hall University’s School of Diplomacy and International Relations, where she initially planned a career in diplomacy. Her first internship, at the Philippine Consulate General in New York, helped her realize that foreign service was not the right fit. Subsequent internships at the Council on Foreign Relations and, later, The New York Times — secured through the Dow Jones News Fund — opened the door to a career in reporting, despite not being a journalism major.

After earning a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University, she moved to Japan to report for Nikkei Asia, later becoming a foreign correspondent in Bangkok before joining The Times in Seoul.

She credits Seton Hall with preparing her for a career that demands curiosity, adaptability and global awareness. Majoring in Diplomacy and Modern Languages, with minors in Economics and Asian Studies, she continues to draw daily on the interdisciplinary foundation she built as a student. For current and prospective Diplomacy students, she emphasizes the value of trial and error, openness to mobility and the willingness to take risks. “Diplos aren’t meant to sit still,” she said — a mindset that has taken her across Asia and into one of the world’s most demanding newsrooms.

Categories: Alumni, Nation and World