Wright State students learn about a day in the life of a journalist at Cox Media Career Day

Wright State students Tiara Bullock, left, and Corrine Tew learned about what a day in the life looks like for someone working in the media at the annual Cox Media Career Day.

Students in Wright State University’s communication studies program spent a day shadowing journalists, photographers and other professionals at WHIO Radio and News Center 7 during the annual Cox Media Career Day.

This year, media studies students Paige Benson and Tiara Bullock and communication studies student Corinne Tew were accepted to attend the event.

Throughout the day-long experience, the students attended employee panels; toured the radio room, television studios, newsroom, and marketing and human resources departments; and got hands-on experience about what a day in the life looks like for someone working in the media.

Tew said she appreciated how willing the employees were to spend a day talking to students about their careers and what they do.

“I was surprised how many people were so willing to take time out of their busy workday to talk to us about their careers,” Tew said.

Benson said her favorite portion of the day was the lunch break because she spent more time talking individually with Cox Media employees and students from other colleges who attended the event.

“It wasn’t for the reason you might think. I enjoyed lunch because I got to have more one-on-one conversations with people you wished,” Benson said. “I had a great conversation with Rachel Teed, a media sales representative who just recently started at Cox.”

Benson also said she was incredibly happy to talk to students from other universities.

“As an introvert, I was intimidated by all the well-educated students from other schools. I quickly realized how supportive everyone is,” she said. “I gained connections to multiple other students in different fields that go to different universities.”

Following the lunch break, students got a chance to get more hands-on experience. Tew got to practice going on the air by reading a news story and going onto the scene of a news story with a news van.

Tew said that she enjoyed performing as a newscaster.

“The segment was filmed, and we got to sit in the same studio and chair as the real news anchors,” she said. “That was my favorite part of the day.”

“I was surprised at how hands-on the activities throughout the day were,” Benson said. “I had in my head that it would be more of a lecture day, I had no idea I would be practicing my own newscast.”

Benson said she would like to work as a digital media specialist after graduation. She was inspired to pursue media and communications by a high school teacher who gave her a lot of creative freedom.

Tew also plans to work in digital media, but she would like to focus her career on marketing and public relations.