UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The global sports editor of The Associated Press, who oversees coverage of major sporting events for the media organization that serves clients across the world, will participate in a free public session sponsored by the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at Penn State.
“A Conversation with Michael Giarrusso” is scheduled for 7 p.m. Feb. 27 in 73 Willard Building on the University Park campus. The event is part of the Curley Center’s ongoing Conversation Series that features some of the biggest names in sports and sports media discussing timely matters of interest.
John Affleck, the Knight Chair in Sports Journalism and Society and director of the Curley Center, will serve as moderator for the session. The Q&A format encourages questions from the audience as well as the host.
"I may be biased, but I see The Associated Press as the gold standard for comprehensive and fair sports coverage around the world," said Affleck, a 22-year veteran of the AP before joining the Penn State faculty. "To have Michael here is a great moment for Curley Center, and a terrific engagement opportunity for our students."
Giarrusso was promoted to his position in October 2013. Along with major sporting events, he is responsible for many of AP’s other core sports products and services, including the AP Top 25 college football and basketball polls, the NFL Awards, the AP All-America college teams and coach of the year award, and sports agate and box scores used by thousands of news outlets.
Giarrusso began his AP career in 1992 as an intern in the Atlanta bureau. He worked as a reporter in Atlanta and then became correspondent in State College, Pennsylvania, where he covered Penn State sports and the Little League World Series.
He later served as an editor on the AP’s national editing desk in New York and was news editor for Georgia. He worked as an editor at the 2002 Winter Olympics and helped with coverage of sports events in Georgia, including the Super Bowl, the Final Four and the MLB All-Star Game. He has also served as a news editor and state news executive who was instrumental in transforming the news agency’s operations.