Katy Andersen's JFresh Application :)

Katelyn (“Katy”) Andersen
Journalism 1010
University of You!

            News shows nowadays are incredibly boring, usually featuring one or more anchors reading a teleprompter, reciting the days’ events.  College-age students generally do not watch the evening news shows in that their interests and concerns are not addressed and their questions are not being answered.  In order to produce a top-rated news show for college-age students, it should be interactive, exciting, and engaging, leaving students wanting more.

            Imagine a weekly, one-hour interactive news show, dedicated to college students called University of You (#UofYou), and produced live on a different college campus every week.  College students would write in via social media to state why the newscast should be brought to their school.   The live newscast would include approximately 2 or more college-age anchors interacting with a live audience, as well as a staff of roving reporters all over campus recording events and gathering comments and feedback from the students.  In the live show, the anchors would introduce each segment of the news, followed by short pre-recorded stories and interviews in regards to world events, politics, environmental issues, business, health, travel, and more as they relate to the college-age adults.  In addition, during the week, anchors/producers and their support teams would gather information for the show, including but not limited to current events on campus, local celebrities, events throughout the community, students that make a difference, celebrating the successes of students, fashion trends on campus, music, art, theater, what sets this campus apart from others, and more.   Meanwhile, an edited live feed from Twitter, Google trends and/or other social media would be streaming on the bottom of the television screen.  The anchors would highlight and respond to comments from social media in addition to interacting with the audience and reporters.  Since college students get much of their news from the internet and social media such as Google and Twitter, trends for the week would influence choices for stories of the week.  I think this would be an awesome show on MTV or a channel targeted to teenagers and young adults.  There is no other show like it!

            In order to keep the college students informed, feeling connected and wanting more, the show should have a continuously updated web domain, Facebook page, Twitter account (#UofYou), and YouTube account.  In addition, there should be ongoing fun contests and giveaways for viewers and fans.  I would like to see a U of You Traveling Mascot (like a gnome) that is sent a week in advance to the campus that the crew would be filming at next.  On the U of You website, there would be clues as to where the mascot is hidden on the campus.  Whoever finds the mascot must hold on to it and present it at the live show to win a big prize (for example: a trip for two, tickets to a concert or a championship game, etc.)

            During high school, I was fortunate enough to be a part of CAVS News, a weekly news program, produced by the Broadcasting students at Chillicothe High School in Ohio.  Chillicothe High School boasts a professional fully-equipped broadcasting studio that broadcasts a weekly news program on the local cable network to Ross County residents.  I have four years’ experience writing scripts, developing shows, interviewing people (including local celebrities, professionals, and state and local politicians), filming shows and b-roll with professional cameras (Panasonic), anchoring shows, editing on Final Cut Pro, along with directing and producing.  I love the creativity involved in writing, producing and anchoring a show, participating in the heart of what’s happening now, and talking with people from all walks of life.  I am excited about this project and I appreciate your consideration