Francesca Regalado, a 2017 graduate of Seton Hall University, is currently working as a reporter for The New York Times in Seoul, South Korea. She is part of the newspaper’s breaking news hub and collaborates with teams in New York and London to cover events as they happen worldwide.
Her daily responsibilities include covering a wide range of topics such as government actions in Washington, severe weather incidents in the United States, protests in Asia, and natural disasters that may trigger tsunami warnings. Regalado’s work requires her to respond quickly to new developments, verify information from multiple sources, and meet tight deadlines.
In addition to breaking news coverage, Regalado pitches feature stories on international subjects. Some of her recent work includes an article about an art exhibit in Bangkok reportedly censored by Chinese authorities, a photo essay on red lightning in New Zealand, and cultural explainers that explore connections between diplomacy and fashion or analyze global impacts of U.S. trade policies.
Regalado began her academic journey at Seton Hall University’s School of Diplomacy and International Relations with plans for a diplomatic career. An internship at the Philippine Consulate General made her reconsider this path. Later internships at the Council on Foreign Relations and The New York Times led her toward journalism instead.
After graduating from Seton Hall, she earned a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University. She then moved to Japan to report for Nikkei Asia before becoming a foreign correspondent based in Bangkok. Eventually she joined The New York Times team in Seoul.
Reflecting on her education at Seton Hall, Regalado said it gave her skills needed for a demanding career: “Diplos aren’t meant to sit still,” she said — describing an attitude that has shaped both her professional journey across Asia and her approach within one of the world’s busiest newsrooms.
