montanajournalism Alumni Spotlight, J-School

Alumni Spotlight: KREM 2 News’ Leilah Langley

Graduates of the University of Montana School of Journalism go on to do great things, in journalism and beyond. They direct newsrooms, report on international issues, photograph history, inform the public on air, start their own businesses, influence public policy, publish books and become leaders in their communities. Here, we spotlight some of our alumni who showcase just how powerful, and versatile, a journalism degree from UM can be. (If you are a graduate who would like to share your experience or know of someone we should spotlight, email Courtney Cowgill.)

This installment spotlights Leilah Langley, 2002, the assistant news director for KREM 2 News in Spokane, Wash.

(This Q&A has been edited slightly.)

Question: Was this the type of work you thought you’d be doing when you went to school?

Answer: I joined the program thinking I would be a reporter and/or anchor. I went through most of the program thinking that. However I started to notice I was a better fit for producing when I took a producing class taught by Denise Dowling my last semester. Then I took a producing internship at KREM. I’m very detail oriented. I like to be in control and quite frankly, I’m shy. So a career in producing and then management was much better fit than being on the air.

Can you describe an average day on the job?

I manage the day-to-day operations in the newsroom. I help assign the content for daily shows and digital platforms. I help the staff brainstorm new and innovative storytelling techniques to help make the audience experience at KREM memorable. I approve and critique scripts and articles. I react quickly with staffing and content decisions in breaking news and severe weather situations. I plan big stories and even coverage.

What experiences at the J-School were notable in preparing you for your work?

I had all the basics and a working knowledge of how to get newscasts on the air, which helped me transition easily into an intense producing training internship. I also had a realistic expectation of what to expect. I knew the workload would be big, I knew the hours would be bad, and I knew the pay wouldn’t be high. That all sounds rather negative, but as a news manager now I’m shocked at how many people come out of college not getting any advice about what the “real world” will be like.

What are the skills you learned in J-School that you use on a daily basis? In your work? In your life?

Broadcast writing skills. I learned a lot of good grammar basics my sophomore and junior years.

What do you think makes the J-School special? 

My fondest memories are of the old 730 Eddy house. Sure, I’m a little jealous of the new building, but there was something about that cute little basement newsroom. We left the Journalism School with character, and that comes in handy in the scrappy news business.

 

What advice would you give a student just starting out in journalism school? Or, what advice would you give to someone considering journalism school?

You have to have a passion for learning and you have to be naturally curious. If those things don’t come naturally to you it may not be a good fit. It’s also a difficult political climate to be a journalist. Don’t let that scare you. I believe in keeping my head held high and working for the people of my community. Don’t engage the haters, just do your job.

Where do you see yourself career-wise in the future?

I see myself helping to transform local news into a more fun to watch and engaging product for the audience. I’m proud to be part of a generation that gets to rewrite the way we do things. No one wants to watch a newscast straight out of 1995. We are changing and it’s fun to be part of it.

 

montanajournalism Alumni Spotlight

Alumni Spotlight: Kellyn Brown, Editor in Chief, Flathead Beacon

Graduates of the University of Montana School of Journalism go on to do great things, in journalism and beyond. They direct newsrooms, report on international issues, photograph history, inform the public on air, start their own businesses, influence public policy, publish books and become leaders in their communities. Here, we spotlight some of our alumni who showcase just how powerful, and versatile, a journalism degree from UM can be. 

This installment spotlights Kellyn Brown, 2002, who founded and runs the award-winning Flathead Beacon.

 

Question: Where do you work, how long have you been there and what is your job title?

Answer: Editor and chief at the Flathead Beacon since its inception in 2007.

Flathead Beacon: Our Story from Flathead Beacon Productions on Vimeo.

From the Beacon: “The Montana Newspaper Association has named the Flathead Beacon the state’s best large weekly six times since 2009 and the best website four times while also frequently recognizing the publication’s advertising and design excellence. The Columbia Journalism Review highlighted the newspaper and its tradition of excellence in a 2016 feature titled, “Why a Weekly Tabloid Owned by Maury Povich Might Have ‘The Best Newsroom in Montana.’” In 2014, Outside Magazine named the Flathead Beacon one of the “Best Places to Work” in the U.S.”

Was this the type of work you thought you’d be doing when you went to school?

I followed a traditional trajectory: statehouse reporter, cops and courts reporter, city editor, then editor in chief.

Can you describe an average day on the job?

Mostly managing production and sales and coordinating the various departments to get our products out the door in a timely fashion.

What experiences at the J-School were notable in preparing you for your work?

Kaimin. No question. I learned the most by working my beat and pounding the pavement for the school newspaper. I already had a photography degree before I earned a degree in print journalism. That helped on the visual end.

What are the skills you learned in J-School that you use on a daily basis? In your work? In your life?

Editing and working fast under deadline. Being at once skeptical and a critical thinker.

What do you think makes the J-School special? Do you have an fond memories of your time at the J-School?

The best part about the school are the incredible students who attend it. When I was there it was always a competition to write the next best story. My advisors were also very helpful and steered me to quality internships and my first job out of college.

What do you wish you would have learned at the J-School?

For me, more general coding. I can run the back end of websites, but I wish I understood the platforms a little better coming out of school.

What advice would you give a student just starting out in journalism school? Or, what advice would you give to someone considering journalism school?

The degree still has a lot of value. However, once you write a great story, you need to learn how to deliver it to an ever-changing audience. You have to adapt.

Where do you see yourself career-wise in the future?

Perhaps involved in media. Perhaps not. Working in a newsroom is like bootcamp for life. Everything else looks a little easier after working under the pressure of endless and vigorous deadlines for so many years.

Anything else you’d like to add?

Journalism matters now more than ever in my lifetime.

If you are a graduate who would like to share your experience or know of someone we should spotlight, email Visiting Professor Courtney Cowgill.

 

Tate Samata Alumni Spotlight, J-School

Alumni Spotlight: Olivia Vanni, Photojournalist, The Victoria Advocate and the Naples Daily News

Graduates of the University of Montana School of Journalism go on to do great things, in journalism and beyond. They direct newsrooms, report on international issues, photograph history, inform the public on air, start their own businesses, influence public policy, publish books and become leaders in their communities. Here, we spotlight some of our alumni who showcase just how powerful, and versatile, a journalism degree from UM can be. 

This installment spotlights Olivia Vanni, who interned at the The Victoria Advocate in Texas after graduation in 2017 and now works at the Naples Daily News in Florida. (This Q&A was done during her time at the Victoria Advocate.)

See some of her recent work below:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Question: Can you describe an average day on the job and your current responsibilities?

Answer: I normally have three to five daily assignments ranging from sports games to local profiles to event coverage. I’m also responsible for producing one photo story/photo essay a month for our Your Life section in the Sunday paper. I photograph, write and produce a short video for that.

A recent piece by Olivia Vanni in The Victoria Advocate. Screenshot.

What journalistic experiences at the J-School were notable in preparing you for your transition into a real-world journalism environment?

I think requiring all of the students to complete an internship before graduating is incredibly important. Without having had prior experience in a newsroom I would not have been competitive when applying to other internships or jobs. Also being able to go to Standing Rock and report on a national news story helped a lot. I think the best way for students to be able to transition into a real-world journalism environment is to actually get them out into the real world, which the J-School does.

Can you explain the process of your job search senior year?

I honestly applied to about every internship that I could. I think I sent out over 30 applications and ended up only getting two interviews and one job offer. It was tough getting so many rejections or no response back but all it takes is for one person to say yes and you’ve got a job.

How do you feel about journalism now that you’re out of school and immersed in the industry? How does reality compare to your hopes and expectations?

In college I didn’t quite understand how tough a career it is to pursue and how incredibly competitive it is but I still love it. Some days I feel like a chicken with my head cut off running from assignment to assignment but I get to tell people’s stories every day which is exactly what I want to be doing.

What are your favorite and least favorite parts of your job?

My favorite part of my job is being able to go out and meet new people everyday. I’m always fascinated by how many different stories are out there and am humbled that people allow me into their lives to tell them.

How does the work load compare to college?

It is so nice to not have to juggle schoolwork on top of assignments. It’s so much easier to take the time to pursue stories you want to tell and not have to worry about a test or getting homework done.

What advice would you give to someone considering a journalism degree?

Make sure it is a career you actually want to pursue. Take some of the beginning courses to figure out if you like it. As a career, it doesn’t pay well and it’s a lot of hard work but it’s all worth it if it’s something that you love to do.

Did you feel that your education prepared you for your job? In hindsight, is there anything you would’ve liked to focus on more than you did?

I think it did. I received a solid base of skills from my education that I was able to build off of once I transitioned into the real world. This applies more to photojournalism but I wish that there had been an entire class in the J-School that focused on how to tell multiple in-depth photo stories/essays from start to finish. That is one skill that I’ve had to develop on my own through my internships that I wish I could have learned in school early on. It’s also where I was lacking most in my portfolio when I graduated.

Where do you see yourself career-wise in the future?

Ideally I’d like to land a staff photographer job at a daily newspaper that is west of the Rockies or in the Pacific Northwest. That’s the career goal for at least the next few years.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Work at your student paper! It made me realize photojournalism at a daily paper is what I wanted to do. Whether you end up loving it or hating it, it can help you figure out what avenue of journalism you want to pursue. Plus, it’s not a bad thing to have on your resume.

Tate Samata is finishing her fifth and final year at the UM School of Journalism, and will graduate this spring with a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and psychology minor. Tate’s journalistic focus is primarily photo and multimedia, but she is also passionate about writing, copy editing and social media.