Mary Anne Sharkey spent her career asking tough questions…even when the answers came with consequences.
Host Nan Whaley sits down with longtime Ohio political journalist Mary Anne Sharkey to reflect on a career spanning decades of reporting, leadership, and change in the media industry.
A Dayton native and University of Dayton graduate, Sharkey began at the Dayton Journal Herald while still in college, covering courts and cops before becoming the paper’s sole Statehouse reporter, and eventually the first woman to serve as print bureau chief in Columbus. She later joined The Cleveland Plain Dealer, where she stepped into unexpected leadership as acting editorial page editor, helping guide a major opinion team through consequential political moments.
In this candid conversation, Sharkey shares what it was like to learn journalism on the job, navigate male-dominated spaces, and report high-stakes political stories, including the challenges and consequences of holding power to account.
Their conversation covers:
- Building a journalism career from the ground up
- The evolution - and erosion - of traditional newsroom culture
- Breaking barriers as a woman in the Statehouse press corps
- Leadership inside a major editorial board
- Reporting on Gov. Dick Celeste’s presidential ambitions, and how one press conference denial became the hook for a high-risk story that brought legal pressure and political fallout
- Navigating pressure, access, and accountability in political journalism
- The importance of saying “yes” and mentoring the next generation
Resources Mentioned:
About Our Guest: Mary Anne Sharkey is a veteran Ohio political journalist with a career spanning reporting and editorial leadership. She began her career at the Dayton Journal Herald, rising from courts and cops reporter to Statehouse bureau chief, one of the first women to lead in that space.
She later held key roles at The Cleveland Plain Dealer, including acting editorial page director, where she helped shape political opinion coverage in one of Ohio’s largest media markets. She is widely respected for her commitment to accountability journalism and mentorship.
About the Host: Nan Whaley is a longtime community leader and public servant. She’s currently the CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio. She served as Mayor of Dayton, Ohio, from 2014 - 2022. Nan has also presided over the United Conference of Mayors. She’s a feminist, daughter, aunt, sister, and friend.
About the Show: Carry As You Climb focuses on elevating the voices of women in leadership from Ohio and across the United States. The podcast features guests who give special attention to not only busting through doors to lead but also hold the door open for more women behind them. In other words, they carry as they climb. We focus on leadership development and leadership lessons. Plus, we share personal experiences to inspire the inclusion of more diverse leaders in business, government and the
nonprofit sector.
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Produced by: Collective Change Communications - Kelly Sakalas & Jeni Keeler
Note: The opinions expressed by host Nan Whaley on this podcast are hers alone and not those of any organization with which she is affiliated.
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