Work samples

Honors contract- book review podcast

For my honors contract in the Fall of 2025, I recorded a review of Oliva Nuzzi's book American Canto. This work was a continuation of coursework for Jennifer Price Mahoney's English W318 course, Finding Your E-Voice. I produced a podcast episode about the media attention surrounding Nuzzi's memoir. This book review serves as the podcast's second episode.

Podcasting booth at IU Indianapolis

skills

Creating this podcast episode developed my skills in research, writing, communication, and audio production. In order to create a thorough background knowledge for script writing, I had to immerse myself in both Nuzzi's book, American Canto, and the media circus surrounding it. My research was both very traditional, in reading a physical book and writing a review, and contemporary, as I read journalistic pieces online and hundreds of social media posts. This work is very similar to the research I do while writing scripts as a news producer.

This project helped me develop my understanding of what it means to write. Much of my coursework in W318 concerned this concept. My outputs were not essays or research papers, but pieces of multi-modal online content. My technical writing skills improved, as I learned to write scripts and audio outlines, but my metacognitive understanding of the practice of writing also changed. This has allowed me to think of my researching, writing, and editing practices at work as cohesive parts of a whole.

American Canto author Olivia Nuzzi (Vaniety Fair)

Adobe Audition

Most practically, this project allowed me to develop and hone my fluency in audio production. I recorded this episode using a RodeCaster Pro II Integrated Audio Production Studio and a Rode XLR PodMic. I edited it in Adobe Audition. I learned to use these tools in David Plough's Journalism J360 Audio Production and Podcasting course. This podcast episode gave me a space to showcase my skills with this equipment. Podcasting is increasingly relevant in the broadcast news industry, and I now have the technical skills to use the equipment at my station.

Reflection

My work on my honors contract for W318 developed my skills as a writer and producer. Both of these skillsets are directly applicable to my line of work. In my career as a news producer, I consistently employ the abilities in script writing and audio production I honed while creating this podcast episode.

The NACE career readiness competencies of communication and technology. Like any honors contract, the podcast episode required a constant dialogue and communication of expectations between myself and my supervising professor. As this was for a class on web writing, I gained the experience of hearing and applying feedback as one would with a digital editor. My project also primarily concerned communication, as I communicated the expository information an audience would need to understand and enjoy my review.

I used audio production technology to translate my research and written word into a podcast episode, an increasingly relevant format in newsrooms across the country. The work I have completed as an honors student in my Journalism and English courses translates directly to my developing career.

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