They attended their last classes and took their final exams in December. Now, these School of Journalism and New Media graduates have fully launched their careers and are ready to offer advice to this semester’s seniors.

Annie Mapp

Annie Mapp is a December graduate now serving as a news reporter at WBTW News 13 in Mrytle Beach, South Carolina.

Mapp began her career at WBTW News 13 in January. A few months before graduating, she began applying to several news outlets throughout the southeast.

“There are so many outlets you can work for,” Mapp said. “I just made a list and started going to each website and applying for the jobs that seemed most interesting.”

Mapp’s advice for future graduates is to have a great resume and maintain strong relationships with professors.

“I sent my resume to several of my professors in the School of Journalism, and they helped me with the job search and choosing which career path to take,” Mapp said. “They were a great resource for me.”

Annie describes her typical day as a news reporter as different and exciting, with new ideas always circulating and several opportunities for live broadcasting.

“This career has been great so far because I have gotten experience in reacting and speaking in the moment,” Mapp said.

Brianna Bynum

Brianna Bynum is a multimedia journalist for WTOK-TV in Meridian, Mississippi.

Bynum said she knew she wanted to jump right into her career upon graduating, so she began applying for jobs in October. She believes the key to finding a job so soon after graduating is consistency.

“I took time every day to reach out to employers and apply to jobs,” Bynum said.

Bynum describes a day in her career as busy and rewarding.

“As a multimedia journalist, I do all of the shooting, editing, writing and reporting for my stories on my own,” Bynum said. “So many different factors play into the story and writing scripts.

Though still in the training process, Brianna is already participating in editorial meetings and gathering her own stories. She credits much of her success to the School of Journalism and New Media.

“The School of Journalism and New Media really prepared me for this job,” she said. “A lot of the things that I am being told to do here are things that I have already been taught at Ole Miss. The news reporting experience I gained at NewsWatch Ole Miss and in my broadcast classes have played a large role in my confidence and reporting abilities.”

Sam Farris

Sam Farris is the public address announcer for Itawamba Community College Athletics, a sports writer for the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal/Itawamba Times, and a fundraising partner with St. Jude Children’s Hospital and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Farris credits his achievements to networking with former employers and colleagues.

“I worked my entire college career as a sports writer, public address announcer, and frequent radio personality,” Farris said. “The relationships I have developed have really helped give my career a great start.”

Farris has been working closely with local ESPN 95.1 The Fan in Tupelo, Mississippi, and has future aspirations to own his own business.

This story was written by Abby Adcock. For more information about the University of Mississippi School of Journalism’s programs, email jour-imc@olemiss.edu.