Category: Journalism

Get to know some of our College of Media alumni. Rosie Powers (BS ‘12, journalism) is a self-employed consultant. Powers also participated in a Media Career Night alumni panel on “Nonprofits” in Spring 2022. Watch a recording of the session here.

How did the College of Media prepare you for your future?
The college had great courses that addressed the changing media landscape. Pairing that with traditional journalism skills of writing and copy editing felt like a good mix. I took a multimedia journalism course at the beginning of social media, and the idea of being a multimedia reporter was new and cutting-edge. You’d be someone reporting live on the field rather than solely writing in the newsroom, and it helped me think of myself as more than a writer. The College of Media also provided a well-connected alumni network, so it was easier for students like me to apply for internships and jobs after we were introduced to those who came before us.

During and right after college, how did you go about getting internships and jobs?
I applied everywhere in Chicago because I was an overachiever, but between my freshman and sophomore years, I had an internship at Lake County Journal, where I wrote a couple of stories a week. The following summer, I interned as a digital producer at WGN, then I interned at NBC, and later The Washington Post. I knew I wanted to do digital production, and even though my background was in newspapers, I applied to television stations. I realized early on that I could re-envision my skill set, so my advice would be don’t be afraid to apply for everything, even if you fear not having the skill set or experience required. Just try it because I think places are eager to teach people, and I had great experiences with all my internships.

What has your career path looked like since graduation?
I graduated from the College of Media in 2012 as a news-editorial journalism major with a minor in environmental science. After graduation I had an internship with The Washington Post; then I moved on to work for the Chicago Sun-Times, specifically for Oak Park and River Forest—those suburban publications—for a few years, and then I worked as a digital producer at ABC 7 Chicago. I liked my journalism career, and I’m proud of it, but in my mid-20s, I was ready for a change. I realized I could take my writing and storytelling skills from journalism and apply them to help nonprofits and further causes that are important to me, and it’s been about eight or nine years now down this new path. I totally pivoted my career.

What does your career look like now after this pivotal moment?
I work for myself, so I’m like a self-employed contractor. I used to work full-time, but I discovered advertising and branding agencies specific to the nonprofit space. I thought that was cool and I could be a consultant; now, I work with three different consultancies, and Mission Minded, a branding agency, is one of them. I do brand and website strategy for them while working with Column & Row, a consultancy that does web strategy and SEO with nonprofits and foundations, and I’m a consultant with Tiny Windows Consulting in Chicago, doing digital communications work. I do different types of strategy depending on who I’m working with, whether it’s brand, web, or digital communications.

What are you most proud of?
My career transition. I thought during high school that I would be in journalism forever and also because of my parents—my dad worked the same job for 30 years. When I was growing up, I thought, “I’m going to pick my job, and the path is always the same.” I was proud of my journalism career; it was rewarding, but I felt I achieved what I wanted there and wanted what was next. That pivot was freeing, exciting, and scary because I’d never thought about doing anything else professionally. But I knew I wanted something else and went for that, even though it was terrifying, having to relearn how to do other things. I think there’s a full circle—maybe this is what I wanted to do all the time but didn’t know it existed. I was able to do that, do journalism for a few years, and get a great experience.

What’s one piece of advice you would give students?
College is four of the greatest years, and—this is stereotypical to say—it goes by fast, especially after freshman year. Remember to enjoy it, even with all the stress about internships and questioning what you’re doing over the summer. Remember to try new things to broaden your horizons and envision your skill set. Don’t put yourself in one box because you’re not going to know what you want to do in 10 years or 15; for me, it totally changed, and there’s no way you can know that when you’re a freshman.

—Interview by Chloe Barbarise, New Voices Intern

Get to know some of our College of Media alumni. Bianca Flowers (BS ’13, journalism) is a global race and justice correspondent at Reuters.

What experiences motivated you to choose Illinois?
Growing up on the west side of Chicago, I took inspiration from my favorite news anchors and I had always had an affinity for storytelling. As I got older, my love for storytelling, creative writing, and hearing the stories of others continued. Additionally, I enjoyed sports, and I knew Illinois could help me expand on that area of focus in journalism. My sister always told great stories about the professors here, and I knew Illinois had such a great reputation, but what sold me was my campus visit in high school. Overall, it felt like home, and I knew I wanted to maintain my family’s bloodline connection to Illinois as the second person in my family to graduate from the institution.

What opportunities did you take advantage of to explore your passion for sports journalism?
I worked for Fighting Illini Productions early in my college career, which refined my media editing skills. Not only did I receive a high-caliber experience by being able to tell the exclusive stories of athletes, but I also became a great producer, editor, and videographer through my work. Overall, Fighting Illini Productions gave me a taste of what the broadcast media industry is like, and many students don’t get these types of experiential learning opportunities, like partnering with the Big Ten Network, until their junior or senior year. Additionally, I created my own blog, which I maintained during my undergraduate years, which helped me build journalistic storytelling skills in a digital-based format. This experience allowed me to become more independent in my work and was instrumental in preparing me for a career in journalism.

Who guided you to excel in a professional media career at Illinois?
I pursued business journalism because of Lynn Holley. She was a business journalist who lectured at Illinois, and I would pop into her office as she had an open-door policy. I remember she said that if you specialize in a particular media area, you make yourself much more marketable, and you can build your brand and identity. At the time, there weren’t any business journalism courses, but Holley’s advice encouraged me to pursue this style of journalism and take every opportunity I saw. In the media industry, I often didn’t see other people who looked like me doing business journalism, meaning Black students or reporters. However, Holley helped me create that opportunity for myself. Business journalism still plays a role in my current position at Reuters as a global race and justice correspondent, as money is often involved in every type of reporting. I include this connection in the tapestry that helped me progress more in my career.

In your current role as a global race and justice correspondent at Reuters, how do you use your platform to advocate for others?
I use my platform to initiate conversations within my community and at groups within my organization about how we should consider covering race and justice. When I’m talking to emerging journalists or students, I think it’s essential for them to know that if you identify as a minority, there are opportunities for you to pursue areas of reporting that you are interested in while advocating for yourself and others. As you continue to grow in your career, lifting others as you climb up is essential. I want to be known as someone who is constantly advocating for young girls to open doors that they may be scared to open because they probably don’t see folks like myself at media organizations. At Reuters, we always have those conversations within our walls to keep in mind how we’re interviewing and hiring journalists of all backgrounds. We focus on where we need to improve our diversity and inclusion initiatives to lift those voices up. Advocacy work is extremely important to me, and it always will be.

—Interview by Mallory Miller, New Voices Intern