montanajournalism Alumni Spotlight, J-School

J-School Alumni Tips: Mederios Babb

Mederios Babb is a news reporter at the CBS affiliate, KSEE/CBS47, in Fresno, California. Mederios grew up in Butte, America and graduated from the University of Montana in December of 2017. While at UM, she received the Northwest Regional College Student Award of Excellence in 2016 and the Dean’s Award.

Prior to making a major market jump to Fresno, Mederios covered breaking news, city and county government and national news events for KBZK, the CBS station in Bozeman.

Mederios has some great advice and insight from her days at the J-School to help guide students as they map out their journalism future.

Mederios Babb

At the J-School: August 2014 – December 2017

Areas of focus: broadcast journalism, investigative journalism, minor in business administration, producer of documentary unit, “Montana RX: Unintended Consequences.”

How did a J-School education affect your career path?

Mederios Babb, anchoring the evening news at KBZK, Bozeman

It definitely affected my career path by getting me a job right out of college. My last semester of college, I already had two offers on the table from Montana TV stations: KPAX in Missoula and KBZK in Bozeman. I ended up turning the offers down because I really wanted a position in Spokane that I ended up not getting. My first real job rejection took me by surprise, but it was one of the best things that ever happened to me because it made me stronger. KBZK reached back out to me in February and after a lot of thought, I made the decision to work for KBZK/KXLF. I spent a little over a year covering a little bit of everything, but mainly focusing on city and county government. It was my experience there that allowed me to grow immensely and now I am now at my second market in Fresno, California., which is a huge jump.  

What are you doing now and how did your journalism education prepare you?

I am currently a news reporter for KSEE24 and CBS47 in Fresno, California. I started in May 2019 and can already tell that I made the right move by how much I am improving. I am one of the youngest people in the newsroom, meaning I need to work extra hard for people to take me seriously and show that I do have what it takes. My education prepared me by giving me a strong foundation. The business has changed a lot over the years and now reporters are expected to know how to do it all. What I mean by that is everyone coming out of college need to know how to be an MMJ (multimedia journalist) and that includes knowing how to use the camera (iris, shutter speed, white balance, focus, exposure), shoot video, edit, write, audio track, and post digitally. It is a lot of work but that is the way the business has shifted. The University of Montana really helped me by teaching me how to shoot video well and efficiently putting me ahead of many others. Yes, it is great to be great at one skill, but it is even better to be good at many skills. It makes you more diverse and valuable to future employers.  

What do you wish you knew when you first started at UM? 

Take advantage of having weekends off. Don’t rush your education but also don’t take your degree lightly. Participate in as many activities, hobbies, events as possible. Work on creating an image and audience through social media. Learn how to use Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Snapchat to your advantage. It will help you and your station in the long run.  

What advice do you have for students considering pursuing a degree at the J-School?

I would say to make sure that you are willing to put in the hard work and are serious about pursuing a career in the field. I know so many people who have not stayed in the business because they were not cut out for it. You must be a hard worker with a lot of dedication to put in the work. If you are passionate about telling people’s stories, then it will be worth it, if not you are wasting your time.  

What tips do you have for incoming students at UM?

I have always lived by the saying “hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard,” and each day I remind myself that as long as I am working hard and improving, I will be OK. This business is not easy, and if you are looking for a 9-5 job Monday-Friday, this is not the right profession for you. However, if you love to get out and explore, tell stories, and see raw emotions, this is the right fit. You will be able to do things many don’t get to experience like reporting on a presidential visit, flying in a six-person plane, operating an excavator, and so much more. If you work hard and go to work willing to learn each day, you will be great. One last tip that I wish someone would have told me: it is OK to make mistakes as long as you learn from them and don’t let them define you. You will mess up, that is OK. You will make mistakes, that is OK. However, how you react to those mistakes and making sure not to make those mistakes again will set you apart from the rest. 

Beyond your journalism education, what were some of your favorite experiences in the community of Missoula?

I loved First Fridays and being from Butte it was always fun to go to the Mo Club on the weekends. I am a big sports fan and spent a lot of time at the Pressbox and also loved going for hikes up to the M.  Some of the best places to eat are Ciao Mambo and 5 on Black. 

Since leaving the J-School, what do you miss the most?

I do miss the football games and seeing professors like Kevin Tompkins, Ray Fanning and Ray Ekness. 

What are some key facts and personal reflections you think potential recruits would benefit from knowing about the J-School?

This degree is very hands-on and if you like to learn by doing, this would be a wise pick for you. Every day is different and you will be able to do things most people never get the opportunity to do. The J-School set me up for my career but you will honestly learn the most by getting out and doing. I learned so much after school during my first three months in the business. Each day, I feel like I am getting better and hopefully one day my hard work ethic, drive, and passion for getting news will help propel me to where I hope to be one day, which is a top-5 market. The J-School gave me the skills (especially with the camera) to make me stand out and work toward that goal each day.

 

 

Alumni Spotlight, J-School

NPR Reporter Nathan Rott: ‘… At Once The Hardest Educational Experience I’ve Ever Had. But Also Just So, So Awesome.’

By Erin Sargent

From Missoula to Antarctica and everywhere in between, University of Montana Journalism alumnus Nathan Rott has done it all: firefighting, fishing, working odd jobs across the world and eventually telling stories for National Public Radio as an on-air reporter.

Working for NPR’s National Desk, Rott covers environmental issues and says that he’s also one of the “breaking news guys,” working on stories like the Thousand Oaks shooting and the California wildfires.

He says he first tried his hand at journalism writing for Missoula Sentinel High School’s Konah newspaper. When he arrived at the University of Montana, he wasn’t sure about a journalism major. He thought about exploring theater or forestry, and eventually declared a major in anthropology.

But it was Nadia White’s reporting class that really got him hooked on journalism.

“It was at once the hardest educational experience I’ve ever had,” he says. “But also just so, so awesome.”

That reporting class set the path for the rest of Rott’s college career. He decided on a double major in anthropology and journalism. And his plans after graduation?

“I graduated in winter and I hightailed it to Nicaragua,” he says.

Rott likes to joke that he was a “pretty successful degenerate” for a while. He spent his summers fighting fires and planned to become a city firefighter, writing freelance magazine articles on the side.

And then Rott got some advice from professor Carol Van Valkenburg and took a chance, applying for the Stone and Holt Weeks Fellowship, an opportunity for non-traditional journalists to work with the Washington Post and NPR.

He got the call to interview in Washington, D.C., and immediately asked his mom to send his suit up to him in Kalispell, Montana, on a Greyhound bus.

Rott landed the fellowship and spent six months working in D.C., working for some of the best editors at the Washington Post and NPR. He says he still feels incredibly lucky.

When the fellowship ended, he took a break from journalism. He went to Antarctica for five months. He traveled through the Middle East, he worked seasonally in Alaska as a fisherman, the list goes on.

Through it all, Rott stuck with freelancing and, eventually, it paid off. On a trip to D.C. to edit a story, Rott met up with his former editor at NPR, who offered him a job.

“He basically told me, ‘if you can get to LA in seven days, you’ve got a job for two months,’” Rott says. “I turned a two-month contract into another month contract, and I got another month contract after that.”

Rott strung together month-by-month contracts with NPR for two years and was eventually offered a full-time position as a reporter. And that’s where he’s at now: driving around the country, covering stories about wildfires, grizzly bears and the occasional retiring rodeo bull. He says he owes it all to the UM J-School.

“There are a lot of people like me who came from that school and are proud to be coming from that school,” says Rott. “We are where we are today because of that school.”

Rott is currently covering the ongoing discussion of public support for the Endangered Species Act, specifically how it has been affecting the Yellowstone grizzly population for NPR. His work can be found at npr.org.

This story, which is part of a Thanksgiving week series called “Thank a J-School Grad,” was produced by the Fall 2018 Social Media and Engagement class at the Journalism School.

 

Alumni Spotlight, J-School

Be the Best and Be Kind: Wisdom from UM Journalism Grad and Nike Video Producer Thea Bergeron

By Kiana Hohman

Thea Bergeron is the action star of J-School alumni, having filmed from helicopters, private planes, trains, and speeding SUVs.

A lot of this production excitement comes courtesy of her main client, Nike. Bergeron has been producing videos with Nike as a freelance senior creative video producer for more than seven years. Her videos are used in Nike stores, online, and many other platforms.

“My job has provided me with a lifetime of unforgettable experiences,” Bergeron said.

Her career started with a bachelor’s in communication, and a minor in business, from Southern Oregon University in 1994. She then moved to Montana and got a bachelor’s in journalism in 1999.

After graduating from UM, Bergeron moved back to Oregon and interned for Oregon Public Broadcasting. She then got hired as a video production assistant, and worked her way up from there.

As a senior creative producer at Nike, Bergeron, now 47, works on projects from “concept to completion.” She deals with the budget, hiring talent, securing locations and directing shoots.

“My favorite part of the job is telling a story,” she said.  

Although based in Portland, Bergeron’s job takes her all over the world from Dubai to Japan and Uruguay.

Bergeron said college helped expand her knowledge and worldview. It is important to understand what the goal is and go after it, she said.

“It just takes passion, hard work, tenacity, lots of late nights and long days,” said Bergeron. “There are a lot of people that do this job, so you have to be the best at what you do and be kind to everyone because it all comes back around.”

This story, which is part of a Thanksgiving week series called “Thank a J-School Grad,” was produced by the Fall 2018 Social Media and Engagement class at the Journalism School.