Name: Jessica Morrey
Degree: Sports Media-Journalism
Company: KCEN-TV
Jessica Morrey was the first person in the nation to break the news about Baylor University football coach Art Briles’ termination.
For Morrey, passion and courage brought her to many places, including landing her dream job as the Weekend Sports Anchor and Sports Reporter at KCEN-TV.
Working hard has helped Morrey make big accomplishments. So far, being the first to report the breaking news during the Baylor football sexual assault scandal is Morrey’s most astounding achievement.
“The big thing for me was getting a text that Art Briles sent to his players when he thought he was getting fired, and that went all over the national news,” Morrey said.
Shortly after breaking the news, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, The Washington Post, USA Today and many others cited Morrey. Staying on top of the scandal from the beginning until the end while serving as a reliable source is one of her career highlights.
Morrey is not shy about the challenges she has faced as a female sports journalist in a male-dominated industry.
“I think you just have to keep pushing through and trying to improve yourself as best as you can, and let your work speak for itself,” Morrey said.
Thinking back on her college experience, Morrey said having the chance to host a radio show on OSU’s KXZY with one of her classmates is one of favorite memories from the Paul Miller Building. She said the whole experience was fun, but the opportunity to interview Jemele Hill, a famous sports journalist, was the best part.
Morrey suggests underclassmen intern as much as they can, especially for large stations while always doing extra to get ahead of competition. For seniors, she encourages them to keep their heads up when looking for a job after graduation.
“Don’t worry about not having a job right after the college, it will come,” Morrey said.