Jamie Clarkson was on track to graduate with a degree in strategic communication from Ohio University. But after a change of interest during her final year of her undergrad, Clarkson shifted her focus to news and information, and sought to tell the stories of her community authentically.
Lacking the experience and internships she felt many of her classmates had, Clarkson began a search for any position that would give her more insight into the world of news and information journalism. Clarkson learned of opportunities at Ohio Today via connections she had through the Margaret Boyd Scholars Program.
After an interview with Kelee Garrison Riesbeck, the then-editor of Ohio Today, Clarkson secured a position as a student writer for the publication.
“It was kind of like a saving grace that she was able to give me this opportunity,” Clarkson, who used to write for The Post, said. “I mean, in what other universe would you be selected to write for a publication that sends out to hundreds of thousands of people internationally when you have no experience of any other publication?”
As Clarkson worked with Ohio Today, from August 2019 to May 2020, she gained skills in copywriting, creating infographics and connecting with interview subjects.
“It really shaped the way that I write and [helped me understand] the different styles of writing that exist,” Clarkson said.
Beyond journalistic skills, Clarkson discovered that Ohio Today’s mission resonated with her.
“Ohio Today informs and engages alumni, donors and friends and celebrates the achievements of all members of the OU community and the impact of the University,” Angela Woodward, publications editor at OU Communications and Marketing, said in an email.
Clarkson’s role as a student writer allowed her to engage with alumni in a special way.
“I was in a very unique position at Ohio Today,” Clarkson said. “I could be talking to somebody who is 70 years older than me, but we have this crucial thing in common, and that is our love of OU and our love of Athens, Ohio. So I was in a unique position where, even though I was reporting on this community, it almost felt like I was collaborating with my audience.”
Through this collaboration, Clarkson told a range of alumni stories. Toward the beginning of her work with Ohio Today, she assisted in the production of “class notes,” which are small blurbs that highlight alumni accomplishments. As Clarkson gained experience, she worked on more labor-intensive projects, from an infographic about unique materials in the OU archives, to, most recently, a timeline titled “Countdown to the 1970 closing.”
Explaining the events surrounding the 1970 closure of OU, following the Kent State shooting, this piece connected the experiences of Bobcats from two distinct years: 1970 and 2020.
“It drew parallels to the University today, most notably how student activism continues to be a hallmark of the OHIO experience and, sadly, how exactly 50 years later our 2020 spring graduates, like their Class of 1970 peers, were unable to celebrate Commencement, albeit for very different reasons,” Woodward said in an email.
Beyond on-campus news and reflections, the fall 2020 Ohio Today magazine features a number of alumni success stories. OU alumna and executive director of communications at OU Communications and Marketing Carly Leatherwood enjoyed learning what her fellow alumni have been up to.
“I would say, as an alumna of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism (BSJ ’96), the feature on Ken Ehrlich’s career trajectory really resonated with me,” Leatherwood said in an email. “It was really meaningful to be able to cover his final Grammy’s production, and I loved the tie-in with our amazing OHIO-in-LA program.”
OU is home to a rich history, which has been documented and honored through decades of alumni publications. The earliest alumni publications at OU date back to the 19th century. Ohio Today was first published in 1999.
“While I can’t speak to the previous publications, I have to believe that each of them served a similar mission to Ohio Today and were created as a means of continuing to connect OU graduates to their alma mater and one another,” Woodward said in an email.
Although alumni are the target audiences of these publications, current students can also gain information and connections by reading Ohio Today.
“I think that as an alumni, it's satisfying to look back and say, ‘Wow, look at what the current students are doing right now,’” Clarkson said. “‘Look at how OU is still doing wonderful, even after my time has come and gone.’ But then as a student, you can look at this and say, ‘Look at all of these wonderful things that the alumni are doing.’”
As both an alumna of OU and a current student working toward her master’s in journalism, Clarkson is able to relate to both of these perspectives.
“Every time that I look at Ohio Today, I feel this immense sense of pride in my university and these people that I have this wonderful thing in common with,” Clarkson said.
Ohio Today publishes print editions of its magazine three times a year. Recently, the fall 2020 magazine was released on Issuu and sent to subscribers’ houses.
