Name: Thomas Fleming
Degree: Sports Media
Expected Graduation Date: May 2019
I was looking for schools with a good sports media program, and OSU was the best place for me; it happened to be 60 miles from where I lived.
Ever since Thomas Fleming was in high school, sports have been his passion.
“I first knew that I wanted to do something in sports journalism in high school,” Fleming said. “I started to do the public address for the football games.”
As a generational cowboy, Fleming knew that he could have the best opportunities because he was introduced to Oklahoma State’s sports media program in high school.
“I was fortunate enough to get to go where my parents went,” Fleming said. “I did the sports media camp for three years before my freshman year in college, so I knew the department was a natural fit.”
In the School of Media & Strategic Communications, class projects keep students busy throughout the semester. In his field production class, Fleming works on script writing, talent search and field production for The Poke Report and Behind the Lines, two weekly football broadcasts run by students.
“The major kind of fits well with giving you things to do,” Fleming said.
He takes advantage of every opportunity as an undergraduate student, even in the summertime.
Fleming has interned at the Oklahoma City All-Sports Association, where he wrote press releases, helped with website design and created campaigns. He also did digital marketing and digital audits for Smurk Media in Oklahoma City.
“I usually take the time in the summer to do more marketing and PR internships since that’s not really my focus during the school year,” Fleming said.
His focus is usually on sports media content during the school year, but his ultimate goal is a career in broadcast journalism.
“There was something about broadcast journalism that seemed exciting to me, especially coming from a performance background,” Fleming said. “As someone who did music and theatre throughout high school, I think it was a natural fit because broadcast journalism is very similar to performing.”
Fleming’s favorite memory in SMSC is when he did a feature story on an international student from Nigeria, Muwanika Jdiobe. The video was featured on The Oklahoman’s website. A donor saw the story and donated money toward Muwanika’s tuition, which allowed him to continue attending school.
“Whether we had a role in that doesn’t really matter to me,” Fleming said. “It’s just good that we had a role in spreading his story, and now he gets to stay here and make a difference.”
Making a difference is exactly what Fleming is doing on campus. From the many hours of work he puts into broadcasting OSU sports for students to enjoy to helping with high school sports in his hometown, Fleming is creating memorable experiences for students and families that will carry on in their lives forever.