Next Generation Leaders

School of Journalism and Communication, University of Oregon

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Next Generation Leaders celebrates the achievements of young alumni of the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication (SOJC). This podcast is hosted by Damian Radcliffe, Professor of Practice and Carolyn S. Chambers Professor in Journalism at the SOJC.

09/24/2025

#37 Next Generation Leaders: Q&A with Julia Mueller

Next Generation Leaders celebrates the achievements of young alumni of the University of Oregon's School of Journalism and Communication. In this episode, we talked to Julia Mueller, a political reporter and journalist who has contributed to several publications around the country. Mueller received her Bachelor's degree at the University of Oregon before attending Northwestern University's Medill School's Masters Program, where she specialized in politics, policy, and foreign affairs. Julia detailed her day-to-day responsibilities, including covering breaking news and enterprise stories, and emphasized the importance of social media in her work. She shared insights on maintaining objectivity, managing personal information, the value of networking and attending grad school, and discussed the fulfillment she gets from uncovering significant stories in her work. Find Julia Mueller Online LinkedIn X/Twitter Muck Rack Website White House Correspondence Association Show Notes 01:24: Introduction 03:56: A day in the life at The Hill 06:01: Balancing Enterprise and Breaking News 7:19: The role of social media in modern journalism 11:09: Personal privacy ub the digital age 13:52: Grad school considerations 15:29: Personal biases and social media 19:27: Day to day and workplace environment 20:46: Working at the White House 22:23: Advice for early career journalists 24:13: Fulfilling work 25:58: Skills and mindsets to develop outside of school Read the transcript for this episode This podcast was produced by Isaac Dubey; check out their portfolio to find out more about them: Isaac Dubey Want to listen to this interview a different way? Find us wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts Spotify

30 min
09/17/2025

#36 Next Generation Leaders: Q&A with Connor Kwiecien

Next Generation Leaders celebrates the achievements of young alumni of the University of Oregon's School of Journalism and Communication. In this episode, we talked to Connor Kwiecien who was a news director at KWVA and a reporter at the Daily Emerald during his time at the University of Oregon. Connor graduated from the SOJC in 2018 and landed an internship at Oregon Public Broadcasting right out of college. He now runs a podcast studo in Brooklyn, NY. He highlighted the importance of clear podcast concepts, technical setup like RSS feeds, and cover art, and emphasized the value of genuine curiosity and building relationships. Connor shared insights on overcoming challenges, such as discoverability and managing guest dynamics, and advised on the significance of niche audiences and video integration. He also stressed the importance of networking and transferable skills in the audio industry. Find Connor Kwiecien Online: LinkedIn My Friend's Basement Personal Website Instagram Show Notes 00:52: Guest Introduction 06:05: Advice for Podcast Rookies 11:43: Difficulties of making a profit in podcasting 16:55: How to make interviewees comfortable 18:38: Pre-interview process 21:49: Comedian and podcasting skills crossover 25:37: Importance of having the right equipment 28:08: Handling tense and uncomfortable situations 31:01: Landing the OPB Internship 34:12: Setting your podcast apart from the rest 36:41: Final Thoughts Read the transcript for this episode This podcast was produced by Isaac Dubey; check out their portfolio to find out more about them: Sports Journalism Portfolio Want to listen to this interview a different way? Find us wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts Spotify

39 min
09/16/2025

#35 Next Generation Leaders: Q&A with Tara Mendenhall

Next Generation Leaders celebrates the achievements of young alumni of the University of Oregon's School of Journalism and Communication. In this episode, we talked to Tara Mendenhall, who graduated from the University of Oregon's SOJC in 2020. Tara is now the morning show co-host at U93 in South Bend, Indiana and she shared her long post-grad journey to landing her current role. Tara emphasized the importance of networking, adaptability, and reliability. She discussed her transition from the West Coast to the Midwest, the challenges of maintaining energy for early morning shows, and the necessity of understanding and adapting to different audiences. Tara also highlighted the significance of creating a strong demo reel and balancing public persona with personal life, especially in a smaller market. Find Tara Mendenhall Online: LinkedIn Facebook Instagram U93 Show Notes 01:10: Guest Introduction 01:50: Tara's Career Journey 12:02: Networking Experiences 19:20: Daily Schedule and avoiding News Burnout 23:50: On-air vs everyday personality 26:12: Stories of making mistakes and how to remedy them 30:22: Catering to a conservative audience 32:51: Being energizedearly in the morning 34:55: Demo Reel Advice 36:53: Balance between public and private life 40:02: What do you wish you knew as a student Read the transcript for this episode This podcast was produced by Isaac Dubey; check out their portfolio to find out more about them: Sports Journalism Portfolio Want to listen to this interview a different way? Find us wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts Spotify

43 min
07/01/2025

#34 Next Generation Leaders: Q&A with Allison Barr

About Our Guest Allison Barr is a visual journalist and social media producer from Portland, Oregon. She is passionate about arts & culture, and social issue stories. She is currently a photographer, videographer and social media producer for The Oregonian. Before working at The Oregonian, she did freelance photojournalism for The Willamette Week, The Columbian and Street Roots. She served as the Editor-in-Chief for the University of Oregon's "Align" magazine for two years before graduating in 2020. Find Allison Barr Online: Website Instagram LinkedIn The Oregonian Show Notes 00:07: Guest Introduction 01:17: Allison's background in photography and freelancing 04:08: Building and maintaining a strong personal brand 6:52: Allison's proudest project 8:25: Creating niche content while making money 11:20: Balancing a schedule as a freelancer 12:42: How photography projects come about 14:22: Advice for future freelancers and social media producers 16:07: How much work comes from networking vs. clients 17:22: Balancing personal projects vs. commercial work 19:08: How to manage when struggling with a lack of ideas 20:20: More on Allison's social media management experience 21:42 The importance of video for social media work 23:05 Experiencing and fighting burnout 24:47: Wrap-up Read the transcript for this episode This podcast was produced by Julia Boboc; check out their portfolios to find out more about them: Julia's Website Want to listen to this interview a different way? Find us wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts Spotify

26 min
06/30/2025

#33 Next Generation Leaders: Q&A with Destiny Moore

Next Generation Leaders celebrates the achievements of young alumni of the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication. In this episode, we talked to Destiny Moore, a 2019 graduate of the University of Oregon's journalism masters program. She discussed her career journey from journalism to corporate communications at the Weir Group. She highlighted her role as a global communication specialist, which involves strategic communications, employee engagement, and social media management. Destiny emphasized the importance of understanding brand values, audience segmentation, and platform-specific strategies. She shared her experience of applying for 87 jobs before securing her current role, stressing the need for resilience and adaptability, and also touched on the use of AI in her work and the importance of balancing personal and professional life online. Find Destiny Moore Online LinkedIn X Show Notes 1:08 Introduction 2:49 Experience at UO 6:01 Position at WEIR ESCO 16:00 Social Media Tips & Tricks 22:50 Career Advice 28:09 Transition from Journalism to Global Communciations 31:38 Job Search Struggles 35:15 Utilization of AI 38:38 Important Takeaways 41:27 Masters Program Thoughts View the Slides Destiny presented to the class Download the transcript for this episode Want to listen to this interview in a different way? Find us wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts Spotify

45 min
06/27/2025

#32 Next Generation Leaders: Q&A with Marc Grandi

Next Generation Leaders celebrates the achievements of young alumni of the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication. In this episode, we talk to Marc Grandi a technical producer and talkshow host at 95.7 The Game in San Francisco covering the Golden State Warriors, San Francisco 49ers, and the San Francisco Giants. Marc began his career at the University of Oregon's student radio station broadcasting and producing Oregon football, softball, volleyball and other high school sports. Directly out of college, he became the sports director at KLGA/KLGZ, a radio station in Algona, Iowa, covering high school sports in the area, before eventually landing his job at 95.7 The Game in San Francisco. Marc discusses his experiences at the SOJC and KWVA, his packed schedule during crossover athletic season, and the passion that's required to make it in sports journalism. Find Marc Grandi Online: Website LinkedIn X Instagram Show Notes: 1:53 Introduction 5:48 Journey since Graduation 10:40 Time Management 13:04 Developing Technical Skills at the SOJC 15:57 Transition from Play-by-Play to Talkshow Host 19:33 49ers & Warriors Talkshow Differences 24:26 Landing Out of College 30:28 Important Personality Traits 35:03 What You Wish You Knew as a Student 39:07 Bay Area Sports Teams Predictions Download the transcript for this episode Want to listen to this interview a different way? Find us wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts Spotify The music used in this episode is "Intro" by Nangdo, retrieved under a Creative Commons license from Free Music Archive. Interested in more podcast content from the SOJC? Check out the Hearst Demystifying Media Podcast, where Damian Radcliffe gets the industry scoop from media experts.

41 min
06/26/2025

#31 Next Generation Leaders: Q&A with Alec Cowan

Next Generation Leaders celebrates the achievements of young alumni of the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication. In this episode, we talk to Alec Cowan '18, a radio and Podcast Producer based in Seattle who works for NPR member station KUOW. Originally from Grand Junction, Colorado, Alec graduated with an English degree from the University of Oregon and has since worked as a Snowden intern at KLCC, interned at NPR headquarters, and produced a six-episode documentary series on uranium mining that garnered 100,000 listens and was featured by Apple Podcasts. In this conversation, Alec discusses his journey from founding the podcast desk at the Daily Emerald to his current role as Senior Podcast Producer at KUOW, offering insights into the evolving podcast landscape, the importance of creating passion projects, and practical advice for breaking into audio journalism. Find Alec online: LinkedIn https://www.aleccowan.com/ Show notes: 0:00 Introduction and career overview2:58 Career journey since graduation and new senior producer role4:32 What inspired pursuit of audio journalism career6:53 The resilience of audio as a medium7:27 Staying updated with technology and audio journalism trends10:50 Advice for aspiring audio journalists12:52 Experience hiring interns and working with newcomers15:57 Case study: Uranium mining documentary project18:44 Monetization challenges and audience reach21:11 Using journalism to explore personal stories23:09 Finding your path in audio production26:40 Learning on the job vs. prior experience28:39 Podcast discovery and industry challengesDownload the transcript for this episode: The music used in this episode is "Intro" by Nangdo, retrieved under a Creative Commons license from Free Music Archive. Interested in more podcast content from the SOJC? Check out the Hearst Demystifying Media Podcast, where Damian Radcliffe gets the industry scoop from media experts. To view hyperlinks, view this episode in Simplecast, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Listen via Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

30 min
05/29/2024

#30 Next Generation Leaders: Q&A with Nathan Stevens

Next Generation Leaders celebrates the achievements of young alumni of the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication. In this episode, we talk to Nathan Stevens '16, the Communications Specialist at the Briscoe Center for American History in Austin, Texas, and Editor in Chief of the Woodhouse. In his role at the Briscoe Center, he combines his affinity for journalistic writing and editing with his knowledge of audio storytelling and podcast production that he gained in his time at the SOJC. During his time as an undergrad, he got his start with music journalism at KWVA 88.1 FM, the student radio station of the University of Oregon. Find Nathan Stevens online: Nathan's LinkedIn The Woodhouse Show notes: 0:46 Intro/career post-graduation 2:56 Communications Director position at the Briscoe Center 3:50 What tools from your time at the UO have you used throughout your professional career? 4:45 Thoughts on the current journalism landscape 7:13 How do you navigate some of the issues within the journalism world? 8:58 Navigating increasingly specific reporting 10:25 Role of Generative Al in the journalism world 12:52 An exploitative workplace and maintaining mental health 17:28 Collaboration and "objectivity" in journalism 19:43 How do you find a role that works for you? 23:03 How do we improve the condition of journalism? 24:18 What work do you do now that sparks joy for you? 26:15 Thank yous/outro Download the transcript for this episode The music used in this episode is "Intro" by Nangdo, retrieved under a Creative Commons license from Free Music Archive. Interested in more podcast content from the SOJC? Check out the Hearst Demystifying Media Podcast, where Damian Radcliffe gets the industry scoop from media experts.

27 min

5

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Next Generation Leaders celebrates the achievements of young alumni of the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication (SOJC). This podcast is hosted by Damian Radcliffe, Professor of Practice and Carolyn S. Chambers Professor in Journalism at the SOJC.

Creator

School of Journalism and Communication, University of Oregon
Years Active

2022 - 2025
Episodes

37
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© All rights reserved
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Next Generation Leaders