Profile

Gillian Smith is The GroundTruth Project's Director of Brand and Communications. Smith is a strategic communications leader with over 15 years of experience shaping brand narratives, leading media relations, and driving content strategy across mission-driven organizations. She began her career in local newsrooms and has remained deeply connected to local journalism, bringing that lens to her work in higher education, nonprofit media, and women-focused platforms. Smith combines storytelling, equity, and public engagement to amplify underrepresented voices and drive meaningful impact.

‘Use This Power Well’: Wisdom from Report for America’s 2026 Corps Member Graduation

Gillian Smith|

https://d11c61iuuht6ew.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/AlissaZhu_Keynotebyte.mp4 “It is the great power and responsibility that we wield as local journalists that we can touch people so profoundly, and I want each and every one of you to think of a time that your work has changed someone’s life.” That was Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Alissa Zhu’s message to the 52 Report for