Biography

During more than 35 years as a professional journalist at The Dallas Morning News. Ms. Barta specialized in state and national politics, covering Texas and presidential elections and national political conventions. As a national correspondent, Ms. Barta had datelines from across the country and, as a senior writer, her work appeared in all sections of the newspaper, from travel to books. For 10 years, she was a member of The News editorial board. Her stories and columns were widely reprinted from the Knight-Ridder wire. She has appeared on national and local TV and radio as an elections commentator.  At SMU, she has been adviser to student interns covering the 2004 national political conventions for The Dallas Morning News, the 2008 New Hampshire presidential primary for Dallas’ Fox 4, and accompanied Hilltop on the Hill student trips to Washington D.C. She serves on the board of trustees of the SMU Student Media Company, which oversees the student newspaper and yearbook.