By Brianna Thorpe and Kayli Garcia
The recently-launched Central Valley Stories podcast is an extensive behind-the-scenes look into the history, trends, challenges and changes of the public relations and advertising industries in the Central Valley. In each episode, Public Relations Professor Betsy Hays interviews a different industry leader, veteran practitioner or agency owner, all with different experiences and approaches in the field.
Find Central Valley Stories on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or search “Central Valley Stories wherever you get your podcasts.
To promote the podcast, Hays enlisted the help of her students in the media, communications and journalism (MCJ) 157 practicum course nicknamed “TALK.” The course is set up as an advertising and public relations firm where students work with and promote various events and organizations on- and off-campus. Hays and the group of students chosen to promote Central Valley Stories hope that the podcast reaches and aids students and professionals on their journeys into the MCJ fields.
Two students shared their experiences in the course.
Brianna Thorpe
My name is Brianna Thorpe, and I’m one of the students working to promote the Central Valley Stories podcast. I’m a first-generation college student and an MCJ, advertising and public relations major. Like many others, I started attending college immediately after graduating high school but didn’t have a clear picture of what I wanted to do. It took me quite some time to figure out my path.
At first, I aimed to complete an AA degree in art but didn’t have long-term plans. I later realized I could couple it with an AA in English and move on to complete a BA in MCJ at Fresno State. The MCJ department was the perfect niche for me to express both my creativity and passion for organization management, critical thinking and communication.
On the cusp of entering such a competitive field, tips and advice from those who have experience are always welcome. That is why listening to Central Valley Stories has been such a great help along the way.
To hear the various exploits and advice from those who have found success in the industry, such as advertising agency founders Mark Astone and Jane Olvera Majors, Public Affairs Officer and Yosemite Ranger Scott Gediman and Crisis Communicator Jill Wagner, has instilled in me a preparedness and confidence that I might not have known without their shared stories to guide me in my own endeavors.
To promote this podcast, I’ve attended a formal reception to commemorate its launch and connected with the Media, Communications and Journalism department’s social media. Each week, I post to their various platforms upon every episode release. I helped write the current running promotional video for the podcast and together with a small group of TALK students, I will be attending the High Impact Practices Student Symposium to further advocate for the course and the podcast.
Kayli Garcia
I’m Kayli Garcia, another student working to promote this podcast. I also am a first generation student here at Fresno State University majoring in advertising and public relations. Much like Brianna, I was curious about where my educational career would take me, but I knew I had a passion for telling a story and finding the best people to tell it to. It led me down the path of journalism, and then ultimately found Advertising and Public Relations as an area of focus. Transferring from community college, I was nervous about navigating my educational plan, but the faculty and staff have been very supportive and helpful.
When first introduced to Central Valley Stories podcast pre-promotion I was excited to listen and learn about advertising and public relations professionals within the Valley. As podcasts have become a favorite source of entertainment that keeps everyone’s attention, I knew this would be good. Being able to listen to advice from people in the industry and help promote the podcast has been a learning experience as I am also trying to navigate my own professional career.
With episodes releasing weekly, it gives me something to look forward to that combines education and entertainment. As a senior getting ready to graduate, I have been figuring out my plan after college. Listening each week to successful professionals share their pathways has given me perspective on how far you can really go in advertising and public relations.
My team and I used our creative minds to come up with things such as logos, copy and social media content to help promote the project. Communicating with our client, Professor Hays, to make sure things are approved by deadlines gave me my first experience with using effective communication to make sure we both benefit from our work. Overall, the experience of being able to be a part of a team that promotes a client’s work was the best experience coming from MCJ 157.
Thorpe and Garcia’s experiences with the podcast are just two unique views, and they are hopeful and confident that every MCJ student who listens to it will resonate and find the stories of each guest intriguing and helpful. They believe every person on this path has something special to give and a different tale to tell. The wisdom of those who have climbed the mountain before is sure to inspire everyone still working their way up.
The College of Arts and Humanities at Fresno State 