Next Generation Leaders celebrates the achievements of young alumni of the University of Oregon's School of Journalism and Communication. In this episode, we talked to Tara Mendenhall, who graduated from the University of Oregon's SOJC in 2020. Tara is now the morning show co-host at U93 in South Bend, Indiana and she shared her long post-grad journey to landing her current role. Tara emphasized the importance of networking, adaptability, and reliability. She discussed her transition from the West Coast to the Midwest, the challenges of maintaining energy for early morning shows, and the necessity of understanding and adapting to different audiences. Tara also highlighted the significance of creating a strong demo reel and balancing public persona with personal life, especially in a smaller market.

Find Tara Mendenhall Online:

LinkedIn

Facebook

Instagram

U93

Show Notes
01:10: Guest Introduction

01:50: Tara's Career Journey

12:02: Networking Experiences

19:20: Daily Schedule and avoiding News Burnout

23:50: On-air vs everyday personality

26:12: Stories of making mistakes and how to remedy them

30:22: Catering to a conservative audience

32:51: Being energizedearly in the morning

34:55: Demo Reel Advice

36:53: Balance between public and private life

40:02: What do you wish you knew as a student

Read the transcript for this episode

This podcast was produced by Isaac Dubey; check out their portfolio to find out more about them:

Sports Journalism Portfolio

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