My Work
As WCTV's Digital Executive Producer, I am responsible for ensuring all of our on-air content is on the website and social media pages. I also lead the charge in creating original digital content, especially using our OTT livestreaming desk. At KCEN-TV, I wrote and copy edited original web stories covering a wide range of issues, using robust digital elements along the way to keep audiences engaged. During my time at the Missouri School of Journalism, I produced packages for an NBC-affiliated local news station, shot sports micro-documentaries for the local paper's website and wrote fact-checks for PolitiFact Missouri. Scroll to see what I've done -- and be sure to click a link or two along the way!
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WCTV Digital Content
One of the biggest stories I've covered in my career was the death of Florida State Football legend Bobby Bowden. Doak Campbell Stadium is colloquially referred to as "the house that Bobby" built. And build he did: His impact on the Tallahassee community extended well beyond the football field; the Capital City would be a mere fraction of what it is today without his influence.
I created the "Remembering Bobby Bowden" landing page to organize our stories as we continued our breakout coverage, making our content easily accessible for viewers.
Advanced analytics indicate FSU alumni and college football fans from coast to coast perused through our articles and watched our hour-long special report to remember Bowden, not just for his accomplishments on the gridiron, but also for his character and service to the community.
I created the "Remembering Bobby Bowden" landing page to organize our stories as we continued our breakout coverage, making our content easily accessible for viewers.
Advanced analytics indicate FSU alumni and college football fans from coast to coast perused through our articles and watched our hour-long special report to remember Bowden, not just for his accomplishments on the gridiron, but also for his character and service to the community.
Another major story for the WCTV news team in 2021 was the trial of a local deputy accused of planting drugs on unsuspecting motorists during traffic stops. Zachary Wester was ultimately found guilty on 19 out of the 67 charges against him, and our livestream of his sentencing garnered major interest from an audience well outside our DMA.
That livestream, which you can view below, collected nearly 4 million minutes viewed alone, and the post reached 1.9 million people. Furthermore, people from England, Canada and Australia watched the video in troves, showing that our content resonates with viewers beyond North Florida and South Georgia.
That livestream, which you can view below, collected nearly 4 million minutes viewed alone, and the post reached 1.9 million people. Furthermore, people from England, Canada and Australia watched the video in troves, showing that our content resonates with viewers beyond North Florida and South Georgia.
BREAKING: Former Jackson County deputy sentenced to 12+ years in jail for planting drugs at traffic stops https://t.co/428kI2vFhA
— WCTV Eyewitness News (@WCTV) July 13, 2021
Stories about vaccine rollout, debate over which policies are best and the spread of new variants were the highlights of WCTV's COVID-19 coverage as the pandemic continued to rage on in 2021. With our station headquartered in the state capital, we were often among the first media outlets to break news regarding updated COVID-19 policies, such as the ban of mask mandates in schools and the codification of executive orders barring vaccine passports into state law.
From a national perspective, Florida was a black sheep (or trailblazer, depending on what color ties your favorite politician wears) for pushing against those scientifically-backed policies. Our content benefitted as a result, collecting pageviews from the rest of the state and markets well outside of it.
From a national perspective, Florida was a black sheep (or trailblazer, depending on what color ties your favorite politician wears) for pushing against those scientifically-backed policies. Our content benefitted as a result, collecting pageviews from the rest of the state and markets well outside of it.
#BREAKING All adults in Florida eligible for COVID-19 vaccine beginning April 5 https://t.co/YTcGjD798u
— WCTV Eyewitness News (@WCTV) March 25, 2021
NEW THIS MORNING | "We're going to court. I'm not going to be bullied by the governor." - LCS Superintendent Rocky Hanna https://t.co/JOYQlpVcQR pic.twitter.com/uLVJfHLAqO
— WCTV Eyewitness News (@WCTV) August 11, 2021
#BREAKING Judge says Florida school districts may impose mask mandates; rules Gov. Ron DeSantis overstepped his authority https://t.co/RoVhKpb6bL
— WCTV Eyewitness News (@WCTV) August 27, 2021
KCEN-TV Digital Content
In my role as digital content producer, I used different techniques to connect readers and viewers to our content. I would consider what platform would work best for a story (e.g. Instagram, Twitter, Facebook). For instance, I used Instagram stories and posts to the feed to tell viewers about a boy with a brain tumor who got Chick-Fil-A on a Sunday while he was at the hospital. Twitter threads with video and links back to our website made our engagement numbers explode during our coverage of the Shawn Oakman trial. I also thought about how our station could dip its toes, then dive in, to emerging aspects of social media. So, the Channel 6 Check-In on IGTV was born. My strategy for success in storytelling is asking myself this: What's next?
WATCH: Shawn Oakman reacts after a jury found him not guilty of sexual assault. pic.twitter.com/JwmWyDnbhx
— KCEN News (@KCENNews) March 1, 2019
This story was one that was brewing since the 2016 Baylor Football sexual assault scandal, which ultimately led to their head coach getting canned. Since our station had our pulse on it, our digital team brainstormed and decided threads on Twitter would be the best way to tell it. Reporters tweeted, and we typed. Video is king, so this short clip showing Shawn Oakman's emotion after the not guilty verdict was a perfect hook at the start of the thread to capture our audience. The tweet with the video had more than 15,000 retweets and 55,000 likes. The video got more than 4 million views. Read the full web story here.
Our evening anchors discovered a great story while touring the local children's hospital. Turns out, one of the NICU nurses used to be a NICU baby herself! She went from being the smallest baby in Texas at the time (according to the doctors there), to working alongside the staff that made sure she survived. The headline and Facebook post I wrote were so effective, CNN, Good Morning America and People all picked up the story! Full web story.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by KCEN (@kcennews) on
Typically, my role in the Channel 6 Check-In was behind the scenes. I helped with choosing the stories, writing and shooting and editing video. Every now and then, I'd fill in as the host. Anyway, the Check-In has evolved ever since we started it in November 2018. It takes a team to get a project like this to get off the ground. I definitely couldn't have done it without my co-workers. Watch more of our Check-Ins here.
I mentioned it briefly above, but anything involving the 2016 Baylor Football sexual assault scandal is a huge story in our market. So, when Mount Vernon ISD announced it hired former Baylor head coach Art Briles about 30 minutes before graduation on the Friday night of Memorial Day weekend, our newsroom was buzzing. I immediately typed up a web story based off the press release, sent out a push notification and shared it to all our social media platforms. Our sports department managed to land an interview with the superintendent who made the hire, so we shared a video of the interview on Facebook. They fed us back information, and they tweeted out a bunch of clips as well. Our coverage definitely was head and shoulders above the competition. Check out the full web story here.
Sports Micro-docs
These videos are from the Multimedia Sports class I took while at Mizzou. The goal of the course was to find non-traditional sports stories, and to focus on the passion for the game, rather than X's and O's or stats. All video was shot with a Nikon D7000 DSLR camera and edited in Adobe Premiere Pro. I even used a boom mic to collect natural sound. Overall, this class helped me think about stories in a different way, and sharpened my technical skills immensely. The Columbia Missourian published these stories on its website.
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Mizzou's newest club sport shreds on the water. I traveled with the wakeboard team to the Kansas City Open, where 20 colleges competed. Shooting this was super challenging, since riders flew by at rapid speed. The team ended up placing third. Not bad for a bunch of newbies. |
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Columbia's men's rugby team, The Outlaws, has an unlikely leader: Coach Annalise Evans. Evans served as an assistant coach for Lindenwood University women's rugby squad, which consistently ranks in the top 10. The Outlaws had a coaching vacancy two years ago, and Evans decided to jump on the opportunity. The ruggers brought her in with open arms. |
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Zach Wybert and Nathan Weaver met while working together at a YMCA in Moberly, Missouri, in 2011. Five years later, the duo opened up a powerlifting gym in Columbia. The two had a successful first year, and seek to grow the powerlifting scene in Mid Missouri. |
KOMU 8 Work
KOMU 8 is the local NBC-affiliate in Columbia. Through my coursework, I pitched, shot and edited original stories for daily newscasts. Additionally, I produced socially-optimized videos for the station's Facebook page, including a 360-degree video.
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Eddie Hedrick first started collecting authentic Americana in the '80s. Today, the loot littering his basement is valued between $75,000 to $100,000. Considering how compact his basement is, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to use the 360° camera to tell the story in a unique, immersive way. Read the full web story here. |
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For the first time ever, the General Assembly called a special session. Both chambers had to reach a three-fourths vote in order to approve it. The purpose of calling the session was to review the special investigative committee's findings on Governor Greitens. This live hit, which led the show, came after the House reported it had approved the session. I stayed at the capitol the rest of the evening for the shows at nine and 10. My hit at 10 that night is in my reel on the homepage. Witnessing the unfolding of the Greitens saga (investigated for invasion of privacy and illegal use of a donor list) firsthand as a reporter was an excellent real-world-experience.
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A breakthrough revolving around a gene that is an indicator for Alzheimer's could lead to drug treatment for the disease. A team in California managed to prevent the apoE4 gene from damaging brain cells. I interviewed a neurologist about the study, and he said it's one piece of a complex, giant puzzle. He pointed out that the crux of the issue with Alzheimer's is the huge need in taking care of people with the disease. His point? Treatment may be a reality one day, but love and care is what we can provide today. |
PolitiFact Missouri
PolitiFact Missouri is a partnership of the University of Missouri School of Journalism and PolitiFact.com, a Pulitzer Prize-winning Web site of the Tampa Bay Times, to help readers find the truth in politics. The process for these stories involved thorough research. I reported on a wide array of topics: tax law, infrastructure and state regulations. My story on Missouri's potential Hyperloop bid was featured on PolitiFact's national site.