WOUB helps college students land media jobs before they graduate

Approximately 90% of the Ohio University graduates who worked at WOUB over the last two years and were looking to find jobs in the media industry accepted full-time positions before graduation. The hands-on career training that students get at a professional station is something industry employers value.

“WOUB gives students the opportunity to take what they learn in the college classroom and apply it in a real-world setting at a professional media outlet,” said WOUB General Manager Mark Brewer. “The students work at a PBS and NPR member station that provides important educational, news, information and entertainment services to a 55-county, three-state region. Having the opportunity to hone their craft with professional guidance, using professional equipment, while gaining experience is invaluable as they start their careers.”

Twenty students who worked at WOUB graduated in May of 2023. Many of them were placed in full-time jobs thanks to the WOUB Job Connection Program. The program was created by two former WOUB students, Doug Drew, BSC ‘78 and Mike Rausch, a non-degree journalism alumnus. It leverages the relationships of former WOUB students in the media industry to build partnerships between WOUB and media companies looking for graduating college students to fill journalism and media production positions at their stations across the country. As a result, recruiters from TEGNA, Gray Television, the E.W. Scripps Company, NBC4 TV in Columbus and ESPN Digital visited campus during Spring Semester to interview students for paid internships and full-time positions.

Students can start working at WOUB as freshmen and explore all facets of the media industry.

“Prospective students, high school teachers with whom we work, and hiring managers are always impressed with the opportunity that our students have in the Scripps College of Communication to gain hands-on experiences at WOUB Public Media their first day of classes and throughout first semester,” said Scott Titsworth, Dean of the Scripps College of Communication. “There are many colleges and universities that offer production experience, but they limit those opportunities to upperclassmen.”

WOUB Public Media students also have the opportunity to learn from and be mentored by alumni who also worked at WOUB when they were in college.

“Having WOUB/Bobcat connections established in the media industry is very helpful to students as they figure out exactly what they want to do and look for internship and job opportunities,” said Brewer. “Alumni provide valuable insight and guidance to current students.”

Lexi Lepof ’23, a journalism news and information major, accepted a position as a multimedia journalist at WVLT in Knoxville, Tennessee, which is owned by Gray Television.

“Over the past two years I’ve gained connections with the Gray Television recruiters, which definitely helped me get my job in Knoxville since Gray knew who I was,” said Lepof. “I am very fortunate for my first job out of school to be in DMA 60.”

Matthew Gebhart ‘23, a media arts production major, accepted a position as a technical media producer at WAVE 3 in Louisville, Kentucky, which is also a Gray station.

“The WOUB Job Connection interviews helped me understand what stations want in an interviewee/employee,” said Gebhart. “They also helped me learn where I should be looking for jobs.” 

About WOUB Public Media

As a member station of both NPR and PBS, WOUB Public Media is a trusted source of news, local content and educational resources that have proven to be worthy of the time, effort and support of our users. WOUB, an experiential-learning unit of the Scripps College of Communication at Ohio University, is a non-profit, community-supported multimedia organization which provides online and broadcast services, along with non-broadcast educational services and student professional development. WOUB serves 55 counties throughout southeastern Ohio, western West Virginia and eastern Kentucky with its broadcast signals. WOUB Radio’s FM Network has transmitters in Athens, Chillicothe, Ironton, Zanesville and Cambridge, while WOUB AM serves the immediate Athens area. WOUB TV is made up of seven television channels (WOUB HD, WOUB Classic, WOUB World, WOUB Create, WOUB Ohio, WOUB Kids and WOUB Voicecorps Reading Service) which are broadcast from two transmitters.

Through its support of public service, teaching, research and administrative missions, along with its high-quality local content and programming, WOUB enriches, enhances and expands the lives and horizons of the people in the communities it serves, as well as Ohio University faculty, staff and students.