Portrait of a Servant Leader
Josh Redden
Hometown: Portsmouth Ohio
Class: Senior
Major: Communications/TV Broadcasting
Minor: Photography
Josh Redden is somewhat of a famous face around the campus of Milligan College. He has become an acclaimed news reporter and even has his own show on television!
Josh is a member of the student broadcasting staff at Milligan College that has developed Wired, a weekly television news show reporting various activities around campus. Wired reports on Milligan athletics, faculty spotlights, entertainment, and campus events. Josh can be watched weekly on television on Channel 98, the Wired channel.
Josh has always been interested in television broadcasting and has made every attempt to be involved in every opportunity that will develop his talents as a reporter. During the spring semester of 2007 Josh completed an internship with WJHL Channel 11, the local Johnson City news channel. He did a variety of tasks, from shadowing other news reporters as they followed stories, to working with the camera.
The experience at WJHL was invaluable, and Josh went from the internship desiring to work at an even larger television station to gain further knowledge.
Josh applied at various stations with glowing recommendations from his contacts at WJHL and NBC Channel 4 of Columbus, Ohio wasted no time in hiring Josh as in intern for the summer of 2007.
I went in somewhat scared. I did not want to simply file paperwork or sit bored at a desk all day as an intern. I wanted to experience a larger station and be involved as much as possible.
Much to Josh's appreciation, he was thrown right into the action at NBC and was given the opportunity to participate in a variety of tasks. He worked a grueling shift from four in the morning until noon four days a week. Further, Josh never missed a day of being at work at least ten minutes early to his morning shift, which gained him a tremendous amount of respect from the staff.
Josh was actually given the option to pick his duties for each day, therefore, some days he was in the office working with cameras, and other days he was sharpening his editing skills. However, his favorite and most frequent days were spent following news reporter, Barb Hannigan, and learn from her expertise outside the office as they pursued reports and stories.
Barb was a veteran reporter of over twenty years and she took Josh under her wing and let him accompany her on interviews to watch her techniques.
She was great. She really helped me develop as a reporter. The experience was invaluable. She also will be a great contact for reference in the future.
When Josh accompanied Barb on interviews, he did not merely sit back and observe. Josh asked his own questions to their interviewees and developed his own opinions and viewpoints. After the interviews, he would write his own personal report separate from Barb. Afterwards, Josh and Barb would collaborate on their different versions of the story and Josh would explain his story perspective and Barb would offer critiques.
I definitely learned from watching a veteran reporter because she greatly sharpened my reporting skills. I became a much better reporter because she worked with me one-on-one. It was such a blessing because I had gone into the internship expecting to be a paperboy for the station.
Following graduation in May of 2008, Josh hopes to become a news reporter for a television station. He wants to pursue the latest news and be available to be sent anywhere for a story. However, none of his dreams and talents would have been possible without the experience he gained at Milligan College.
Josh first learned to be a reporter in Carrie Swanay's classes, who also served as Josh's advisor.
I would not have been prepared without her. She is a definite role model in my life and I give her all my respect for what I have learned and what I have been able to do as a reporter.
Josh's talents and ambitions as a news reporter are not only well known throughout the campus of Milligan, but he also has been recognized in his hometown of Portsmouth Ohio. Portsmouth has a giant floodwall that was built in 1909 to protect the city from floods from the Ohio River. In the mid 1990s, the city of Portsmouth, Ohio, commissioned artists to paint murals on its floodwall. These murals depict individuals, scenes, industries, and other items of interest from the city's history.
Josh has been selected to be on the floodwall and a giant life-sized painting on him on his bike will be painted shortly. He will be depicted on his bike, as bicycling has been a passion of his since childhood.
Josh Redden is an amazing individual who is extremely lovable and talented and will continue to do great things in his future. Look for him in the near future as he reports the latest news all over the world!
Josh's internship was made possible in part by the Institute for Servant Leadership, a spiritual program at Milligan College, helping students to discover their call in servant leadership and to discern their own vocation path through leadership, service, and faith.
|
