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: Kane Mitten
School: Northern Kentucky University
Location: Highland Heights, KY
Student media: The Northerner
Internship: Cincinnati Magazine
What have you learned from your involvement with student media on your campus?
Mitten: Student media taught me everything I know about journalism. It has been such an incredible experience to work with talented peers and advisors who helped me every step of the way. I learned so many skills (editing, photography, videography) and went from a scared newbie to a confident jack-of-all-trades.
What have you learned from your internship experience(s)?
Mitten: My internship was a fantastic experience. It showed me the ins and outs of working at a real publication and taught me how to thrive in a real newsroom environment. I was able to do several stories about local points of interest, and working on those really reinforced the idea that journalism is what I want to do with my life.
What’s been your best moment in journalism?
Mitten: I think my most impactful moment as a journalist so far was pushing out several stories to our student body about how to stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was important information that reached a lot of people and helped them avoid being infected.
What’s the wackiest story you’ve worked on?
Mitten: I think the wackiest story I wrote was about the time that a 2,000-year-old mummy made a pit-stop at our campus to be sent through a state-of-the-art X-ray machine in our new medical building. It’s not every day you get to see an artifact from the year 100 A.D.
What do you want to accomplish in your journalism career?
Mitten: I’m a journalist because I love telling other people’s stories. As long as I’m writing and people are reading, I’m happy.
If you could meet any journalist and ask for her/his advice, who would it be and why?
Mitten: I’d go with Jason Schreier. In a niche field that a lot of people wouldn’t take seriously, he’s done some of the best investigative reporting I’ve ever seen. Reading his work emphasizes to me that there’s always a story to tell in every field.
What do you want potential employers to know about you?
Mitten: I have a real passion for local communities—especially the arts—and I’m a versatile reporter with skills in every area who’s ready to work!
When you aren’t practicing journalism, how do you spend your time?
Mitten: I’m a huge film buff. I’ve spent a lot of my time in quarantine watching old film classics on the Criterion Channel.
To support journalism students, contribute here to scholarships.
Tags: Class of 2020