WSJ reporter to share Murdaugh story at annual USC Buchheit lecture
April 9, 2026
Wall Street Journal reporter, Valerie Bauerlein, will discuss her new book about the Murdaugh family, “Alex Murdaugh and the Fall of the Murdaugh Dynasty” at the annual Buchheit lecture on 4/22 at 6:30 p.m. In the Campus Room at the Capstone Building. The topic remains intriguing to those who have followed the Murdaugh story.
The event is free and open to the public but tickets are required.
A full release follows and a graphic is attached for your use. We welcome your attendance at the event.
WSJ reporter Valerie Bauerlein to speak at Buchheit Lecture April 22nd
Columbia, SC — The University of South Carolina College of Information and Communications has announced that Wall Street Journal reporter and author Valerie Bauerlein will speak at the annual Buchheit Family Lecture on Wednesday, April 22 at 6:30 p.m. The event will take place at the Campus Room at Capstone, 902 Barnwell Street. Her topic will be “Alex Murdaugh and the Fall of the Murdaugh Dynasty: A Distinctly South Carolina Story.” Please note that while this event is free and open to the public, tickets are required to attend and seating is limited.
Bauerlein is the author of “The Devil at His Elbow,” an account of the Murdaugh murders in South Carolina. While a national reporter for the Wall Street Journal, she is known for her writings on small-town America and Southern politics, economics and culture.
The Buchheit Lecture is sponsored by the Buchheit Family Endowment, which provides undergraduate scholarships and graduate and doctoral fellowships to students at the University’s School of Journalism and Mass Communications. The Buchheit Family Lecture Series was created in 2000 in honor of the late Phil Buchheit, the former president and chairman of Mid-South Management Company and the former publisher of the Spartanburg Herald-Journal.
About the College of Information and Communication
The CIC is a community of scholars, teachers, practitioners and staff who provide inclusive transformative experiences, cutting-edge research, and interdisciplinary learning that produces real-world-ready graduates. We do this by embracing change, adopting emerging technologies, collaborating with academic and industry partners, and bridging the fields of communication and information science.
