From attending a taping of Jimmy Kimmel Live! her freshmen year to snagging a news assistant position in LA, Maren Owen (‘16 BA) made her mark within the News Media program.
Owen attended a taping of Jimmy Kimmel Live! her freshmen year at BYU and was inspired after meeting the show’s producer. She took that inspiration and applied to the award-winning BYU News Media program.
“Everything is so hands-on within the program and you’re put in a real world environment,” said Owen. “I produced the news twice a week, created weekly stories, and produced the news on election night—you’re forced into situations that happen at news stations all across the country.”
From her newsroom experience, Owen landed two internships with ABC. She first interned in Los Angeles at the Broadcast Operations & Engineering department, which introduced her to what an international network looks like. Her second internship was in New York City with The View, which gave more entertainment-based experience.
Overall, Owen felt prepared to take on the newsrooms of the real world. “The advantage of the News Media program is that you can learn how to deal with problems without the possibility of losing your job,” said Owen.
Owen has three pieces of advice for current students and soon-to-be graduates:
- Take advantage of your professors. “As cliché as it sounds, no question is dumb. It’s better to ask something than doing it wrong and having mistakes on air. “
- Work at BYU Broadcasting. “I worked there for almost four years as a student and had three different positions. Their goal is to help students learn and create a product that is heard and viewed internationally.”
- Network. “Talk to anyone you can. That’s how I heard about my new position in LA—I got referred to someone, who referred me to someone else who knew someone.”
