Communiqué
Former Student Finds Passion at WOUB
< < Back toBrooks Jarosz works as an investigative Reporter in San Francisco
ATHENS, OH – With a global pandemic and civil unrest gripping our nation, Brooks Jarosz, BSJ ’09, has been busy covering it all. And Jarosz says he learned the importance of journalism while he was a student working at WOUB.
“WOUB motivated me and made me realize that this is the career path for me and what I wanted to do,” said Jarosz.
Jarosz came to Ohio University in 2005 as a telecommunication major and was focused on learning about the technical side of broadcasting behind the camera. But after spending time working in the WOUB newsroom, he realized his true passion was journalism.
“I was very interested in the news stories at WOUB. In class, I was excited about the news writing classes, but not the classes that talked about editing movies,” said Jarosz. “I love video, but the whole news thing was my jam.”
During his sophomore year, Jarosz became a journalism major and was accepted to the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. He then dedicated most of his time at WOUB to learning how to report and anchor in front of the camera.
“I felt like I lived at WOUB during my college years, and I wouldn’t have traded that for anything. I got to do and experience so much behind the scenes and in front of the camera,” said Jarosz. “I fell in love with meaningful, in-depth, thoughtful reporting and realized my dream job was to work for 60 Minutes or Nightline.”
Jarosz’s first job after graduation was at WSAZ in Charleston/Huntington, West Virginia. He started as a reporter and then moved into the main weekend anchor position where he helped younger reporters with scripts and managed the news assignment desk. But, Jarosz realized he wanted his career to move in a different direction.
“I got to do some investigative reporting at WSAZ, but I wanted more. That’s when I moved on to WSYX in Columbus.”
Jarosz was hired in Columbus as a full-time investigative reporter where he won four regional Emmys as well as an award for best investigative reporting from the Associated Press.
Jarosz is now an investigative reporter at KTVU in San Francisco, California. He has been in that role since 2017. And he continues to be thankful to Ohio University and WOUB for putting him on this path.
“I was ready to go out and work in this industry right out of college,” said Jarosz. “WOUB gave me incredible perspective and opportunity. From television and radio newscasts, to directing and shooting for Gridiron Glory, to getting a paid opportunity at WOUB to work as a development producer and assist with pledge drives, marketing campaigns and organizing fundraising events — it gave me a true taste of all aspects of the power of public media.”