Morgan Mcmullen

About

Sports writing and news reporting have key elements in common with one another. Attention to fine details and care for overarching narratives drive both modes of storytelling to the point where it’s impossible to succeed without both. I’m fortunate to have received training in both news and sports over my short career. I’m also lucky to have started down the path of journalism when I did. I took my first plunge into the industry at the age of 25. I’d dropped out of Auburn University four years prior because I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do with my life. I majored in everything from music education to psychology to English. Every change brought more uncertainty until I couldn’t cope. I spent the next few years waiting tables and bartending in South Florida before going back for my associate’s degree at Broward College. It was there I fell in love with local journalists’ work and began writing and editing for the school paper, reporting on the college’s police training program, alumni functions and other matters relevant to the students. My plan after being admitted to the University of Florida was to keep my head down and work diligently on my bachelor’s degree. But I kept reading the student newspaper - The Independent Florida Alligator - and couldn’t help but feel I could contribute to its coverage. I signed on as a sports reporter covering the women’s golf team and turned that beat into my passion, driving to the team’s opening event two hours away in the “frigid” 60-degree weather. I worked my way up the ladder at The Alligator toward becoming the online sports editor, a responsibility that often resulted in sleepless nights editing and posting stories, photos and videos on our website. The result of my hard work netted me recognition from the paper’s board of directors when they recommended I take over as the editor-in-chief for the summer 2018 semester. I learned to work more closely with young reporters to develop stories that impacted not just students but the Gainesville community as a whole. I also had the pleasure to intern at WUSF-FM in Tampa during my time at UF, which afforded me additional training in both hard news and features. This experience - along with that at WUFT-FM - gave me the opportunity to experiment with audio stories that I deeply appreciated. Whether it’s audio, video or print; whether it’s sports or news; whether it’s as an editor or reporter; I believe I can handle anything our evolving industry throws at us. I’m honored to be a part of this grand science and meticulous art we call journalism.