The journalism and communication job market places steep competition between those who are trying to get into this field, they must continually improve themselves and network with people for not only job opportunities but stories as well.
Jeremy Maskel and Maggie Cunningham were the guest speakers during last Monday’s media storytelling class. Jeremy and Maggie had previously worked at KETV channel 7 for several years but left after wanting a different form of communication. They both now work in communications for Omaha Public School district.
Keeping students, teachers, and faculty in communication and keeping morale up has been an ongoing fight for these two as the pandemic continues to impact our everyday life. A constant and consistent flow of content must continue in different forms from physical print material to digital, which as seen a lot more engagement during the pandemic said Maggie.
Social media has become especially useful to get messages out in a short time frame. Maggie worked on many digital pieces that notified students and parents of resources available such as laptops or food drives to help continue education during the pandemic.
“Reporters use twitter constantly because it has the fastest information,” said Maggie.
Over the past few months, Jeremy has received hundreds of requests for information especially from news outlets, and stressed how important it is for someone in a communication position to build relationships with reporters.
“It’s important to understand the perspective of people in different positions,” said Jeremy.
Building a relationship with them and showing that the reporter can trust you and be honest and authentic with them will mean for clearer understanding and better message transmission. Networking with people also very important as it can prove as a valuable resource when trying to find the proper answers and inform an audience.
“I have huge admiration for the storytellers,” said Jeremy.
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MAV Research 