Name: Gerald Tracy
Degree: Sports Media, Broadcast Journalism
Expected Graduation Date: 2016
Company: 107.7 The Franchise
When Gerald Tracy graduated from the Sports Media Broadcast Journalism program, he never expected to cover murders.
After Tracy graduated from Oklahoma State University, he moved to Midland, Texas, to be a multimedia journalist at News West 9. He covered a variety of stories, but a girl who attended his high school who had gone missing particularly affect him. Later, she was found murdered.
“You’re more than just sitting here being on TV, or you’re more than just writing stories,” Tracy said. “You’re really helping people get awareness.”
Tracy cherished being able to give closure to the victim’s loved ones.
Covering more than sports, Tracy was able to gain experience as a journalist and see the bigger picture.
“I’m able to look at every sports story and see that it’s more than just sports,” Tracy said.
Tracy loved studying at the School of Media & Strategic Communications because of the hands-on curriculum. He was the vice president of the Sports Media Club, a member of the Association of Women in Sports Media and a contributor for OState TV. He remembers staying at the Paul MillerJournalism Building until midnight every night editing videos and creating stories.
Tracy would like to see the SMSC program obtain financing for new equipment. He would also like to see the Sports Media program offer more diverse courses such as graphic design. With the media field developing and changing, Tracy has seen a need for advanced knowledge in digital media.
Tracy encourages students to get as many internships as possible. He landed his second job because of an internship he had in college.
Tracy also encouraged college students to develop relationships with their professors. His professor, Andy Wallace, persuaded him to get involved with TV and helped develop his skills.
“[The professors] weren’t just teaching from a book, they were teaching from experience,” Tracy said.