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 Julia Mueller, a political reporter and journalist who has contributed to several publications around the country. Mueller received her Bachelor's degree at the University of Oregon before attending Northwestern University's Medill School's Masters Program, where she specialized in politics, policy, and foreign affairs. Julia detailed her day-to-day responsibilities, including covering breaking news and enterprise stories, and emphasized the importance of social media in her work. She shared insights on maintaining objectivity, managing personal information, the value of networking and attending grad school, and discussed the fulfillment she gets from uncovering significant stories in her work.

Find Julia Mueller Online
LinkedIn

X/Twitter

Muck Rack

Website

White House Correspondence Association

Show Notes
01:24: Introduction
03:56: A day in the life at The Hill
06:01: Balancing Enterprise and Breaking News
7:19: The role of social media in modern journalism
11:09: Personal privacy ub the digital age
13:52: Grad school considerations
15:29: Personal biases and social media
19:27: Day to day and workplace environment
20:46: Working at the White House

22:23: Advice for early career journalists
24:13: Fulfilling work
25:58: Skills and mindsets to develop outside of school

Read the transcript for this episode

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

Isaac Dubey

Want to listen to this interview a different way? Find us wherever you get your podcasts:

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

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 Connor Kwiecien who was a news director at KWVA and a reporter at the Daily Emerald during his time at the University of Oregon. Connor graduated from the SOJC in 2018 and landed an internship at Oregon Public Broadcasting right out of college. He now runs a podcast studo in Brooklyn, NY. He highlighted the importance of clear podcast concepts, technical setup like RSS feeds, and cover art, and emphasized the value of genuine curiosity and building relationships. Connor shared insights on overcoming challenges, such as discoverability and managing guest dynamics, and advised on the significance of niche audiences and video integration. He also stressed the importance of networking and transferable skills in the audio industry.

Find Connor Kwiecien Online:

LinkedIn

My Friend's Basement

Personal Website

Instagram

Show Notes
00:52: Guest Introduction

06:05: Advice for Podcast Rookies

11:43: Difficulties of making a profit in podcasting

16:55: How to make interviewees comfortable

18:38: Pre-interview process

21:49: Comedian and podcasting skills crossover

25:37: Importance of having the right equipment

28:08: Handling tense and uncomfortable situations

31:01: Landing the OPB Internship

34:12: Setting your podcast apart from the rest

36:41: Final Thoughts

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

Want to listen to this interview a different way? Find us wherever you get your podcasts:

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

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

Want to listen to this interview a different way? Find us wherever you get your podcasts:

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

About Our Guest

Allison Barr is a visual journalist and social media producer from Portland, Oregon. She is passionate about arts & culture, and social issue stories.

She is currently a photographer, videographer and social media producer for The Oregonian. Before working at The Oregonian, she did freelance photojournalism for The Willamette Week, The Columbian and Street Roots. She served as the Editor-in-Chief for the University of Oregon's "Align" magazine for two years before graduating in 2020.

Find Allison Barr Online:

Website

Instagram

LinkedIn

The Oregonian

Show Notes
00:07: Guest Introduction

01:17: Allison's background in photography and freelancing

04:08: Building and maintaining a strong personal brand

6:52: Allison's proudest project

8:25: Creating niche content while making money

11:20: Balancing a schedule as a freelancer

12:42: How photography projects come about

14:22: Advice for future freelancers and social media producers

16:07: How much work comes from networking vs. clients

17:22: Balancing personal projects vs. commercial work

19:08: How to manage when struggling with a lack of ideas

20:20: More on Allison's social media management experience

21:42 The importance of video for social media work

23:05 Experiencing and fighting burnout

24:47: Wrap-up

Read the transcript for this episode

This podcast was produced by Julia Boboc; check out their portfolios to find out more about them:

Julia's Website

Want to listen to this interview a different way? Find us wherever you get your podcasts:

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Next Generation Leaders celebrates the achievements of young alumni of the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication. In this episode, we talked to Destiny Moore, a 2019 graduate of the University of Oregon's journalism masters program. She discussed her career journey from journalism to corporate communications at the Weir Group. She highlighted her role as a global communication specialist, which involves strategic communications, employee engagement, and social media management. Destiny emphasized the importance of understanding brand values, audience segmentation, and platform-specific strategies. She shared her experience of applying for 87 jobs before securing her current role, stressing the need for resilience and adaptability, and also touched on the use of AI in her work and the importance of balancing personal and professional life online.

Find Destiny Moore Online

LinkedIn

X

Show Notes

1:08 Introduction

2:49 Experience at UO

6:01 Position at WEIR ESCO

16:00 Social Media Tips & Tricks

22:50 Career Advice

28:09 Transition from Journalism to Global Communciations

31:38 Job Search Struggles

35:15 Utilization of AI

38:38 Important Takeaways

41:27 Masters Program Thoughts

View the Slides Destiny presented to the class

Download the transcript for this episode

Want to listen to this interview in a different way? Find us wherever you get your podcasts:

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Next Generation Leaders celebrates the achievements of young alumni of the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication. In this episode, we talk to Marc Grandi a technical producer and talkshow host at 95.7 The Game in San Francisco covering the Golden State Warriors, San Francisco 49ers, and the San Francisco Giants. Marc began his career at the University of Oregon's student radio station broadcasting and producing Oregon football, softball, volleyball and other high school sports. Directly out of college, he became the sports director at KLGA/KLGZ, a radio station in Algona, Iowa, covering high school sports in the area, before eventually landing his job at 95.7 The Game in San Francisco. Marc discusses his experiences at the SOJC and KWVA, his packed schedule during crossover athletic season, and the passion that's required to make it in sports journalism.

Find Marc Grandi Online:

Website

LinkedIn

X

Instagram

Show Notes:

1:53 Introduction

5:48 Journey since Graduation

10:40 Time Management

13:04 Developing Technical Skills at the SOJC

15:57 Transition from Play-by-Play to Talkshow Host

19:33 49ers & Warriors Talkshow Differences

24:26 Landing Out of College

30:28 Important Personality Traits

35:03 What You Wish You Knew as a Student

39:07 Bay Area Sports Teams Predictions

Download the transcript for this episode

Want to listen to this interview a different way? Find us wherever you get your podcasts:

Apple Podcasts

Spotify (coming soon)

The music used in this episode is "Intro" by Nangdo, retrieved under a Creative Commons license from Free Music Archive.

Interested in more podcast content from the SOJC? Check out the Hearst Demystifying Media Podcast, where Damian Radcliffe gets the industry scoop from media experts.

Next Generation Leaders celebrates the achievements of young alumni of the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication. In this episode, we talk to Alec Cowan '18, a radio and Podcast Producer based in Seattle who works for NPR member station KUOW. Originally from Grand Junction, Colorado, Alec graduated with an English degree from the University of Oregon and has since worked as a Snowden intern at KLCC, interned at NPR headquarters, and produced a six-episode documentary series on uranium mining that garnered 100,000 listens and was featured by Apple Podcasts.

In this conversation, Alec discusses his journey from founding the podcast desk at the Daily Emerald to his current role as Senior Podcast Producer at KUOW, offering insights into the evolving podcast landscape, the importance of creating passion projects, and practical advice for breaking into audio journalism.

Find Alec online:
LinkedIn

https://www.aleccowan.com/

Show notes:

• 0:00 Introduction and career overview
• 2:58 Career journey since graduation and new senior producer role
• 4:32 What inspired pursuit of audio journalism career
• 6:53 The resilience of audio as a medium
• 7:27 Staying updated with technology and audio journalism trends
• 10:50 Advice for aspiring audio journalists
• 12:52 Experience hiring interns and working with newcomers
• 15:57 Case study: Uranium mining documentary project
• 18:44 Monetization challenges and audience reach
• 21:11 Using journalism to explore personal stories
• 23:09 Finding your path in audio production
• 26:40 Learning on the job vs. prior experience
• 28:39 Podcast discovery and industry challenges

Download the transcript for this episode:

The music used in this episode is "Intro" by Nangdo, retrieved under a Creative Commons license from Free Music Archive.

Interested in more podcast content from the SOJC? Check out the Hearst Demystifying Media Podcast, where Damian Radcliffe gets the industry scoop from media experts.

To view hyperlinks, view this episode in Simplecast, Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Next Generation Leaders celebrates the achievements of young alumni of the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication. In this episode, we talk to Nathan Stevens '16, the Communications Specialist at the Briscoe Center for American History in Austin, Texas, and Editor in Chief of the Woodhouse. In his role at the Briscoe Center, he combines his affinity for journalistic writing and editing with his knowledge of audio storytelling and podcast production that he gained in his time at the SOJC. During his time as an undergrad, he got his start with music journalism at KWVA 88.1 FM, the student radio station of the University of Oregon.

Find Nathan Stevens online:
Nathan's LinkedIn

The Woodhouse

Show notes:

0:46 Intro/career post-graduation

2:56 Communications Director position at the Briscoe Center

3:50 What tools from your time at the UO have you used throughout your professional career?

4:45 Thoughts on the current journalism landscape

7:13 How do you navigate some of the issues within the journalism world?

8:58 Navigating increasingly specific reporting

10:25 Role of Generative Al in the journalism world

12:52 An exploitative workplace and maintaining mental health

17:28 Collaboration and "objectivity" in journalism

19:43 How do you find a role that works for you?

23:03 How do we improve the condition of journalism?

24:18 What work do you do now that sparks joy for you?

26:15 Thank yous/outro

Download the transcript for this episode

The music used in this episode is "Intro" by Nangdo, retrieved under a Creative Commons license from Free Music Archive.

Interested in more podcast content from the SOJC? Check out the Hearst Demystifying Media Podcast, where Damian Radcliffe gets the industry scoop from media experts.