Front – Chandler Morgan, Dr. Nancy Dupont, Jac Bedrossian
December graduates will soon leave the University of Mississippi with their bachelor’s degrees, ready to venture out into the real world.
Students of the Meek School of Journalism and New Media and NewsWatch alums Sudu Upadhyay, Chandler Morgan, Jac Bedrossian and Payton Green are all ready to enter the journalism field and begin their careers. All four have jobs lined up with respected news outlets across the South. Dr. Nancy Dupont, director of NewsWatch, watched these students grow and thrive during their time with the student-led news outlet.
“I’ve taught all of them, but I really got to know them through their work at NewsWatch,” Dupont said. “I’m the adviser to NewsWatch, so I’m with them every day. They’ve all done numerous internships, and they’ve done well in their classes, but I believe work at the Student Media Center is also a giant step toward a job. These students learn about deadline pressure, working in a team, technical skills, etc., but the most important thing they learn is how to get better every day. These four students have worked very hard. They deserve the great opportunities they’ve been given.”
Sudu Upadhyay
Sudu Upadhyay has accepted a job as a sports anchor/reporter with WMC Action News in Memphis and is set to begin on January 4, 2017. As an Oxford native, Upadhyay wasn’t sure what to expect from life in a big city, but after a few trips to learn the lay of the land, he came to a reassuring realization.
“At first, I was nervous about fighting traffic and things like that after growing up in a small town like Oxford, but I found out that Memphis is a big city with a small city vibe to it,” Upadhyay said.
Upadhyay grew up like many, hoping to be the QB for the Rebels, but after that didn’t quite pan out, he had a back-up plan ready to go and has followed it ever since.
“I wanted to be the next Eli Manning, but I was undersized and not as athletic as I wanted to be. So, that didn’t work out. I decided that journalism was an opportunity to be close to the sports that I loved, and I could always talk; so, that definitely helped,” Upadhyay said.
To set himself apart, Upadhyay had a very simple way of separating himself from the field in a difficult business to break into and credited the university’s resources for giving him the tools to do so.
“I really wanted my work to speak for itself… building a strong portfolio during my years in college was important. So, I didn’t have to scramble to put one together,” Upadhyay said. “The beautiful thing about Ole Miss is that you are what you make yourself here. They give you the Student Media Center, which is a playground for journalists, and give you the chance to be on TV, radio, behind the scenes to work on becoming a better journalist.”
Chandler Morgan
Chandler Morgan has accepted a job at WTVM in Columbus, Georgia. Morgan will be a reporter during the week and an anchor on the weekends. While she is from Atlanta originally, being close to home was simply a perk rather than the reason she chose to accept her offer with the station. Morgan had received offers in Myrtle Beach, Chattanooga, Panama City among others, but when it came time to decide it was all about feel and opportunity.
“It’s so important to visit places that you can see yourself working because being there in person as opposed to talking to someone on the phone really allows you to get a feel for the atmosphere of the station,” Morgan said. “The way they do operate is similar to the way I like to do things, and combined with the opportunities they were offering… really made it the right place for me.”
Morgan has worked to develop her style during her college career and noted that the most important thing to her is connecting with her audience and digging to find the whole story.
“I’m an active person, and I wanted to show that I am taking the time to go the extra step. Being able to put out content that’s not just the facts is important,” Morgan said. “Really communicating the fact that you’re telling a story and not just giving facts makes a reporter much more personable; so, that’s something I’ve always tried to do.”
Morgan feels that she has a quality that every journalist needs, and that helped fuel her desire to become a reporter.
“Anyone in this field has to be a little bit nosey, and I definitely fall into that category,” Morgan said. “I’ve always been a person who wants to know more about the world and people, and I’ve always had a passion for performing. Journalism allows me to combine these different aspects, and it’s something I have a great passion for.”
Jac Bedrossian
HottyToddy.com’s own Jac Bedrossian accepted a job as a reporter for WDAM 7 with in Hattiesburg. Working with social media, breaking news and video packages for Sunrise 7, the station’s morning show, Bedrossian will have numerous responsibilities as she begins her career. Bedrossian is a self-described morning person, which will certainly come in handy with her new hours.
“My hours are 4 a.m to 1 p.m, but I am a morning person, so it won’t be that bad,” Bedrossian said. “I originally interviewed for a reporter job, but after the interview, they offered me this role, which is great because mornings fit my personality so much better.”
After being diagnosed with scoliosis in the 7th grade, Bedrossian began an unlikely road to becoming a journalist. She was chosen to be a spokesmodel for a fundraising race for Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, and after making numerous media appearances to promote the race, Bedrossian found her passion for journalism. After moving from Texas to Louisiana, Bedrossian began to work with FOX 8 and began to pursue her goal of becoming a journalist.
“My high school didn’t have any journalism program; so I went out and shadowed at all of the news outlets, and FOX 8 let me stick around, and that’s when I fell in love with journalism,” Bedrossian said. “I genuinely enjoy talking to people, and that’s my favorite part of journalism… learning more about others.”
Bedrossian has lived in eight states throughout her life, so moving won’t be an issue. She has made a name for herself in each place she’s been, and Oxford was no exception. Working with HottyToddy.com, Newswatch and Pizza TV, Bedrossian has plenty of experience to draw from as she begins her new job.
“I’ve lived in so many places and went to other colleges, but everyone that I’ve worked with in Oxford is passionate,” Bedrossian said. “It’s so nice to be around other people that are willing to work hard and go the extra mile to produce a quality product. I’ve made so many contacts and friends here that I will always keep in touch with, and maybe someday we’ll get to work together again.”
Payton Green
Moving behind the scenes, Payton Green has accepted an offer KGBTV in Harlingen, Texas, just 10 minutes from the Mexican border. Green will be a producer for the 6 and 10 o’clock newscasts. While mulling over an offer he received in Knoxville, Green decided to take an interview with KGBTV. A missed flight and a delayed connecting flight later, Green traveled 14 hours to make it to his interview, which finished much better than it began.
“This is not somewhere that I ever expected to end up, but I decided that I was going to cast my net wide, and I was interested in anyone who was interested in me,” Green said. “I got there and vibed with them so well. I didn’t expect for them to be so gung-ho about me, and after mulling it over, I accepted their offer, and I think I made the right choice.”
While many focus on being in front of the camera, Green has always enjoyed being behind the scenes. Green said that although reporters generally focus on one story at time, producing gives him a different sense of accomplishment.
“When you’re a producer you get to see every element of a show come together, and when it does, that feeling of pride is amplified,” Green said. “Working on a show top to bottom is a great feeling, and there’s something about the totality of putting an entire show together that presents a challenge to making it creative and enjoyable… that seeing it all pay off is a great feeling.”
Even though he began his college years as a journalism major, Green didn’t know exactly what he wanted to do when he started at Ole Miss. After working with NewsWatch every year, Green learned a variety of skills, but settled into his role as a producer, eventually becoming the manager of the show for his final semester.
“I’ve always enjoyed being part of a production and had an interest in current events. A lot of people hate on journalists, but I think it’s a very noble profession to be in,” Green said. “NewsWatch taught me the value of teamwork; nobody can do everything, and even if your good at a number of things, you’ll always need help. You have to get a good team going and allow them to work together to create the best product, and that’s what I’ll take with me as I start my career.”
Steven Gagliano is a writer for HottyToddy.com. He can be reached at steven.gagliano@hottytoddy.com.
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