Though junior Pierce Gentry has a good bit of journalism experience under his belt, he was still a bit surprised to be put on air the very first week of his practicum at WUOT 91.9 FM.
“Day one we were writing scripts for the afternoon newscast to be read on air. So literally the first day my words were read on air, which was amazing. That very first week I was given the opportunity to have my voice on air,” he said.
Not all students have the strong journalism skills Gentry brought with him to his practicum, which is a requirement for all School of Journalism and Media majors to complete. But the aspiring reporter got his first taste of journalism via The Bobcat Times at Knoxville’s Central High School—which is also one of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s flagship schools.
Gentry said writing has always been one of his favorite things to do, but that course paired his love of writing with real purpose.
“People learn what they know about the world around them based on the news and someone has to do that…I sort of just fell in love with that idea,” he said.
Gentry said he strongly believes in news outlets serving communities by providing quality news about the issues affecting it. Between having a grandfather who worked at a local newspaper and having his eye set on writing the news, he didn’t think much about broadcast news options until he saw the WUOT practicum opportunity advertised.
“It was a dream come true to work for the station I grew up listening to,” he said, recalling how his parents always had WUOT playing in the car or living room throughout his childhood.
Though working for radio was a new medium for him, Gentry took to it right away, said WUOT Interim News Director Melanie Faizer. The junior had Faizer, who is a professor of practice for the School of Journalism and Media, for a class his freshman year. She encouraged him then to get hands-on experience in the field right away and recommended him for an investigative reporter role at the Daily Beacon, which he got.
“So here I was as a freshman applying for the role of investigative reporter—and I think that it was a lack of other candidates—but thanks to Melanie, that’s how I got my foot in the door and cut my teeth on writing news for a real audience,” he said. “I’ve taken several of her courses and she’s just been a wonderful source of knowledge and inspiration and has taught me almost everything I know about professional news writing from a classroom, theoretical standpoint. I learned my real-world experience at the Beacon and here at WUOT, but Melanie laid the foundation for that, and I’m grateful.”
Faizer said adding the students’ voices to the station is a benefit to everyone: students get an opportunity to build skills and a portfolio for their future careers, and the station gets a more robust news team.
“It’s great because we’re getting the students who have a really keen interest in hard news and local news, so they’re doing original reporting. In pretty much all cases we’ve been able to put them on the air soon after they get here, which is really gratifying for them, but it’s also great for us to mix up our voices on the air so it’s not just the same person delivering the newscast every day,” she said, noting that the students have particularly helped WUOT stay on top of Tennessee legislature news.
But it was hyperlocal news coverage at the Farragut Chamber of Commerce meeting that turned into a surprise opportunity for the young reporter to land his biggest interview to date. U.S. Representative Tim Burchett happened to pop into the meeting to discuss some points, and he brought up the issue of gun control. Gentry decided to interview him about the topic.
“I was able to pull him aside and ask him some questions and they aired that interview later that day. Most local student news opportunities don’t really give you that,” he said.
Reporting on politics is his dream career, regardless of the medium. Now that he’s experienced the world of public radio, Gentry said it’s broadened his perspective and options for the type of job he wants to do.
“[WUOT] opened up that door that previously hadn’t even been built for me, and I’m interested in pursuing that. A lot of newspapers are starting to think about doing podcasts, and during my time here we started piloting a podcast news program here at WUOT that we’re really excited to unveil,” he said.
The journalism student also pointed out that none of this would have been possible if he hadn’t attended one of UT’s flagship high schools. Students who graduate from flagship schools and are accepted to UT qualify for the Tri-Star Scholarship program, which covers the cost of tuition.
Born and raised in Knoxville, Gentry grew up in a household of UT fans and he was always aware of the university’s role as part of the city’s identity. He wasn’t sure it could be part of his, though, due to financial constraints. But he started at Central High School just after it was added to the list of flagship schools in the state.
“That secured my ride to UT, and I probably would not be here talking to you under these circumstances without that scholarship; it shaped my academic career,” he said.
Gentry didn’t take the opportunity for granted. Getting the experience at both WUOT and the Beacon has been invaluable for his future, he said. His resume and portfolio are full of examples he can use to show employers he’s serious about the profession. He has also grown from a shy reporter into one he confidently says is bold and professional.
Besides honing his skills, working at a public radio station has also reinforced a core value of Gentry’s: news should be an accessible public service to the community.
“We embody the Volunteer spirit in providing this service to the community, and I really, really enjoy doing that, and a large part of me wants to move forward into a similar environment—news as a public service. Not everyone wants to get past that paywall,” he said. “I think the idea of news as a public service is going to be really important moving forward and I’m excited to continue that. Bringing information to people is my way of volunteering.”
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