The National Press Club Journalism Institute is spotlighting the next generation of journalists, students who graduated from college or Master’s programs this spring into a challenging job market. We hope they’ll meet future bosses and colleagues here, who will reach out and support them in building journalism’s future together.
Name: Brady Vernon
School: Arizona State University
Location: Tempe, AZ
Student media: Cronkite News
Journalism hero: Sports reporter Jeff Darlington
What have you learned from your involvement with student media on your campus?
Vernon: I have worked as an editor for a student-run sports website and learned that teamwork and the human connections you make as a journalist are so important.
What have you learned from your internship experience(s)?
Vernon: I’ve learned from internships to have fun with your job and that an interviewee is also a person. Just talk to them like it’s any type of conversation, and it provides great stories.
What’s been your best moment in journalism?
Vernon: As a sports journalist, my best moment is any time I see an athlete achieve a goal of theirs and they light up when talking about it.
What’s the wackiest story you’ve worked on? (Include a link, if you can.)
Vernon: I want to include this story about breaking, not breakdancing as I learned, because I ended up in a lot of unique places and rooms that I never knew existed even at a school I go to.
What do you want to accomplish in your journalism career?
Vernon: I want to accomplish a long, happy career of storytelling.
If you could meet any journalist and ask for her/his advice, who would it be and why?
Vernon: I would meet Jeff Darlington, an NFL reporter, and ask him just why he presents himself in such a friendly and modest way in everything he does?
What do you want potential employers to know about you?
Vernon: I want them to know that I want to be the hardest working person in a building but also known as the kindest. And letting them know I’ll talk to someone if they need it.
When you aren’t practicing journalism, how do you spend your time?
Vernon: I watch sports, read about sports and either indulge in video games or something Star Wars-related.
To support journalism students, contribute here to scholarships.
Tags: Class of 2020