- Hey, folks, that's Jacqui Tricarico.

Jacqui is Senior Correspondent for "One-on-One."

She's executive producer of "Think Tank."

She's also the executive producer and co-anchor of "Remember Them," our series.

Jacqui, how you doing?

- Doing great, Steve.

Happy to be here with you today.

- You got it.

Hey, this is part of a series we're doing called "Media Matters" on media leaders, media leadership, done in cooperation with the newly-established Adubato Center for Media Leadership.

Why does all that matter?

Because Jacqui Tricarico, I first met you at Montclair State University.

I was teaching a course in journalism and media.

You were not Jacqui Tricarico then, were you?

- (chuckles) No, Jacqui Cooke back then.

(laughs) - What you studied, along with the other Jackie, Jackie Heyer, who was not Jackie Heyer then, Jackie Velez.

Quick question.

What you studied in media journalism, at the time, compared to what being in media is today, two different worlds?

- Definitely, and it's hard to even think back to that time.

It feels so long ago that I was sitting in the classroom there, at Montclair State, introduced to you and it was- - Was that like 15, 16 years ago or do I have that wrong?

- A little bit longer than that.

(laughs) - I'd say more.

Longer than that?

- We're not saying how old we are, Steve.

- Okay, go ahead.

- But sitting in that classroom, learning from so many different professors, and then visiting professors like yourself, nothing really prepares you for the job until you're in it and you're doing it.

And I've had the privilege of doing this with you for over 15 years now, Steve.

And my role here in the organization has shifted and evolved so much over the years.

And I've had such a great opportunity to be able to do so much behind the scenes, but also now so much in front of the camera, which really means so much to me on so many different levels because when people ask me what I do and what our organization is all about, it's hard to explain it all 'cause I wear a lot of hats here.

We do a lot of different things, but at the core of it, I say we really offer reliable, important, trustworthy information to people across the state and across the tri-state area that might not impact you, which a lot of it does impact you, the viewer, but impacts your neighbors, and just information that you need to know and is important for you to know about what's going on around you.

And I always say me being in front of the camera, when I'm interviewing people, it's not about me whatsoever.

I'm just a vessel.

I'm there to help facilitate a conversation, to help that person on the other end deliver their message and get the important information out that our viewers need to know.

- And it's very well said, Jacqui.

And Jacqui is one of the few people who was a behind-the-scenes, was and is, a behind-the-scenes senior and then executive producer who also happens to have exceptional on-camera skills.

But this is what's fascinating to me.

That one of the things about you, which is tied to media leadership, and you know this well, newspapers folding, media organizations struggling, our partners in public broadcasting from a financial point of view, we know about public funding, about public media, all that.

Why is this relevant?

Jacqui, did you ever think when you were a student studying journalism and media with me and other much better professors at the university, did you ever think that you'd have to be that aware of the economics and the business of- - No, I mean, not really.

(laughs) Because we- - Not really, and even- - That wasn't in the curriculum.

- No, not so much.

And even looking back, even two years ago, yeah, we're being a nonprofit, right?

The people who are supporting us, the organizations and corporations who are supporting us is the backbone of our organization.

It's really important for us.

But even just in the last two years, and even, we're coming up on a year that public broadcasting was defunded, federal government is no longer funding PBS stations and NPR and it's just- - Through the Corporation of Public Broadcasting.

But go ahead.

- Exactly, that's gone.

That's gone.

Right?

- Yep, doesn't exist.

- So there's just this huge shift in public media right now.

And as much as it's been really hard on so many organizations, especially small organizations and people delivering news in news deserts across the state and across the country, it's opening up an opportunity to really look at how we can evolve and change the way public broadcasting is delivered and how we're able to get the support that is needed.

I just saw NPR just said and released a statement a few days ago, actually, about the fact that they were able to raise $113 million recently in philanthropic gifts to help continue NPR because, of course, they were really impacted by all of this too.

And which is a huge statement to saying people know this matters.

This needs to be funded.

We need to support this.

So I'm hoping that helps continue the conversation and continue to move in the right path to support public broadcasting across the spectrum, across New Jersey, across the nation.

But there's a lot of shifting, a lot of things that are going to continue to change, going into the summer here in New Jersey, especially.

- But here's the funny, interesting thing about this, really interesting, is that Jacqui and, by the way, many of our producers and leaders in our organization come out of Montclair State University, and I'm an alum at MSU as well.

We have a long history with them as well.

What's fascinating to me is that the media leaders of tomorrow, and that's why we established this Center for Media Leadership.

If the media leaders of tomorrow, and I won't get on my soapbox, but Jacqui knows this is true.

If they only say, "I just wanna be involved in journalism and I don't wanna know about the business.

I don't care about the economics.

That's not my thing.

The old expression, no money, no mission, is relevant here.

I don't love raising money.

Jacqui doesn't love being involved in it.

But the last time I checked, if we don't work at that as hard as we do, you can't do this.

You just can't.

- Exactly, it's- - Final words, Jacqui, go ahead.

- I mean, the reason the money- - Do you have any regrets going into media?

- No, definitely not.

I love what I do.

- With all the challenges?

- No, I love what I do.

I'm passionate about it.

When I am interviewing someone that their story is so impactful and they're doing something that's really, truly, we throw the phrase around, making a difference, a lot.

- That's right.

- But they're truly doing things in their communities to try to make a difference.

There's so much bad going on in the world around us.

There really is.

And now that we have access to nonstop news cycles and social media and all these things feeding us all the worst things that are happening around us, to be able to use our platform, Steve, to showcase people who are actually making a difference and doing things in their communities that we can look up to as role models is really something that I love so much about this job.

- Jacqui Tricarico makes a difference every day as a media leader.

I'm Steve Adubato, that's Jacqui Tricarico.

I'm predicting she has a very bright future in this business.

We'll see you next time.

- [Narrator] Think Tank with Steve Adubato is a production of the Caucus Educational Corporation.

Funding has been provided by The Fund for New Jersey.

The Turrell Fund, a foundation serving children.

The Burke Foundation The Adubado Center for Media Leadership.

New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.

RWJBarnabas Health.

Learn More at RWJBH.org.

New Jersey Sharing Network.

Valley Bank.

And by NJ Transit.

Promotional support provided by NJBIA.

And by ROI-NJ.

- Next, please.

Okay, we need a neutral expression.

Sir, you're smiling.

- Oh, am I?

- [Narrator] Over 1 million lives in the US have been saved by organ donations.

So when you choose to become a donor, you're doing something good, which can make you feel really good.

- Next.

(woman sighs) - [Narrator] Register today at NJSN.org.