Major: Journalism with a focus in broadcast news
Years at IU: 2014-2018
What she did at IU: In terms of getting involved in student media, I participated in IUSTV and had opportunities through Galen’s class, like being a BTN sideline reporter for a baseball game. I also reported for IUNewsNet through Anne Ryder’s class. But I also had amazing opportunities outside the media school, including being the public relations chair for my sorority, Alpha Sigma Alpha. I was on ASA’s Little 500 bike team and eventually made it on to Riders Council where I was on the communications/social media team. And I had a fantastic internship with WISH-TV in Indianapolis over the summer of 2017 where I got hands-on experience and walked away with a really solid reel.
What she does now: I got my first job in TV news at WLFI in Lafayette, IN as the weekend anchor/MMJ. After three years there, I moved to Fayetteville, Arkansas where I currently am the weekend anchor/MMJ.
What advice she has for sports media students: Take advantage of every opportunity you can through the Media School and through other extra curricular activities! The professors at the Media School are amazingly well connected in this industry, so take advantage of their knowledge and their connections. Always be looking for ways to improve and build upon your social media presence and your reel in college. And, when you graduate, don’t be afraid to take that leap of faith and take that random job across the country. That’s what moving to Arkansas was for me and I have been able to grow so much and meet amazing people because of it. We are lucky enough to work in an industry that allows us to work in any state, any city and in any part of the country for a few years, and then we can move on to the next adventure. Take advantage of it!
Try and ignore the pressure you may feel to get to a top market right out of the gate. It’s ok to take that job in a lower market. You are going to make mistakes and you are going to have to learn from them, and those smaller markets are great places to do that and really prepare yourself to enter those bigger markets with tougher newsrooms. Stay humble and open to learning in your first job!
Lastly, this job can be extremely stressful, comes with little pay and few ‘thank yous’ from the communities you serve. So always keep your mental health in check, don’t be afraid to ask for what you are worth and know that you have a whole community of fellow journalists to lean on!