Silvia Gambardella
Silvia Gambardella is an Emmy Award–winning producer and veteran journalist with a distinguished career spanning more than four decades in news and documentary storytelling. A graduate of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, she has built a reputation for excellence in investigative reporting, combining sharp interviewing skills with a deep commitment to uncovering truth. Her work has reached wide audiences across major networks, including ABC, NBC, CBS, MSNBC, CNN, and National Geographic, where she has produced compelling stories that inform, engage, and inspire.
Throughout her career, Silvia has focused on in-depth reporting centered on social justice, public safety, and human interest stories. She has covered major historical events such as the Iran hostage crisis and Hurricane Katrina, demonstrating resilience and dedication in high-pressure environments. Her Emmy-winning work on “The Opioid Epidemic: Carolina in Crisis” highlights her ability to tackle complex issues with sensitivity and impact. Beyond recognition, she takes pride in producing stories that lead to tangible change, including investigative reporting that contributed to safety reforms in consumer products and influenced public policy.
Currently based in Raleigh, North Carolina, Silvia continues her work as an independent producer and documentarian, developing a feature film adaptation of the memoir Dining in the Dark. This project reflects her passion for meaningful storytelling, as it explores mental health and aims to raise awareness about bipolar disorder. Driven by both professional purpose and personal experience, Silvia remains committed to using media as a platform for advocacy, education, and lasting societal impact.
• Columbia University-Graduate School of Journalism - M.S.
• Emmy Award
• Wake County Democratic Party
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to persistence, passion, and being a risk taker. I'm a survivor and I never give up. Over my 50 years as a journalist, I've tried to stay true to my values, and that wasn't always easy, thanks to corporate buyouts and advertiser pressure. I had a situation where I was fired at CBS for basically telling the truth, but it was censorship of the press. We were losing advertisers as a result of some of the true stories that I reported. It's the old story that's happening today, like you see with Stephen Colbert - if you piss off the people who are sponsoring or advertising at your media outlet, you find yourself out without a job. But I got resurrected after that through much fighting within my own colleagues in my newsroom, who would not go on the air in protest. I was in a very good newsroom in Minneapolis, and they were all journalists who really believed in integrity and telling the truth, and not being compromised. I've learned that integrity and gratitude are values that are really important, and being just but also diplomatic. Diplomacy is what I learned after I got out of the corporate business. I still get hired for various places, but I don't want to work under a corporation ever again.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice I ever received came from Seymour Hersh when he spoke at Columbia Journalism School while I was a student there. He told us, and I'm paraphrasing here, don't be results-oriented and don't expect that things will change overnight, because they don't. He covered the My Lai Massacre, and that was an incredible story, but nothing happened at first. You still go after the story, you plant that seed, and you wait. And eventually, things change. I've seen that over and over again with my stories and all the investigative work. You literally spend hours, days, months working on something, and then it goes on the air and nothing happens. There's not a public outcry, but you still have to do it. And eventually, it may be years, but things change. That persistence has stayed with me throughout my entire career.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I encourage young women entering this industry to stay persistent, remain passionate, and never compromise their values. It’s important to tell the truth—even when it’s difficult—and to stand firm in the face of pressure.
I also believe in taking risks, trusting your voice, and committing to meaningful storytelling that has the power to make a difference.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges in journalism today is navigating corporate influence, advertiser pressure, and censorship, all of which can compromise the integrity of reporting. I’ve experienced this firsthand, including being let go from a role for pursuing truthful stories that conflicted with advertiser interests.
Despite these challenges, I see meaningful opportunities in continuing to produce impactful, purpose-driven content—especially through documentaries and film, where deeper storytelling can still thrive. I believe there remains a strong need—and a real opportunity—for journalism that upholds the truth and drives meaningful change.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me are integrity, gratitude, truth-telling, and being just but also diplomatic. Throughout my 50 years in journalism, I've tried to stay true to my values, even when it wasn't easy due to corporate buyouts and advertiser pressure. I believe in telling the truth and not being compromised, which is something I learned from working in a very good newsroom in Minneapolis where all the journalists really believed in integrity. I've also learned the importance of persistence and never giving up. In my personal life, I'm deeply committed to helping people and making a difference. That's why I'm making this film about bipolar disorder - I'm not doing it for the money, I'm doing it to help people and in honor of my sister. I also believe strongly in maintaining democracy, which is why I volunteer as a precinct official and election official for Wake County. I've been doing that for 10 years now because I think it's really important that we maintain democracy, now more than ever. I enjoy doing work that's helpful and meaningful, whether that's through my journalism, my film work, or my civic engagement.