Communiqué
WOUB Senior Spotlight: Taylor Burnette
By: Andre Norrils
Posted on:
Burnette currently serves as the editor, host and producer of The OUtlet, a student-run podcast
Being in charge of the student-run podcast, The OUtlet, student volunteer Taylor Burnette, a senior journalism news and information major, spends plenty of time in the WOUB newsroom at Ohio University. But, back in high school, when it was time to decide where she wanted to go to college and what she wanted to study, all Burnette knew was that she wanted to stay close to home. Home was Chesapeake, Ohio, and Ohio University was just a short drive.
“I was really excited to be close to my family and still be in Appalachian Ohio.”
Burnette always knew she wanted to be a storyteller but originally thought she wanted to write books. However, she eventually realized that she likes telling the stories of the people around her. Through a recommendation from her high school English teacher, Burnette decided to major in journalism. It didn’t take long for her to realize she had made the right decision.
“After seeing all of the student publications and WOUB, I decided journalism was for me because I was able to get the hands-on experience and knowledge about what I might get to do in my future career,” said Burnette.
Starting her freshman year, Burnette wrote for The Post–the student-run campus newspaper. During her sophomore year, she heard about WOUB’s summer internship. She applied thinking she would primarily write for WOUB’s website, but ended up learning how to tell audio and video stories.
“After that summer, the former producer and host of The OUtlet introduced me to the podcast and said they would like me to continue it after they graduated,” Burnette said. “That’s when I fell in love with audio storytelling and podcasting.”
Burnette believes the biggest strength of WOUB is that it provides a mix of education, hands-on experience, and volunteerism. During her summer internship, she got to try out all types of different jobs, and following her internship, she decided to continue working at WOUB to run The OUlet.
“WOUB allows professional interactions that create an environment that is both educational and professional,” Burnette said. “For me, I learn best in a hands-on environment. WOUB was the best thing that has happened to me in my education.”
WOUB is also the place Burnette has made her best friends. Burnette graduates in May and is currently looking for jobs where she can be a storyteller. Part of the reason she loves storytelling is because of the impact local reporting has on communities.
“I want to do storytelling that matters to people,” Burnette said. “I want to write the kind of stuff that people read and say ‘oh my gosh, I’m so glad I got to see this.'”
Outside of storytelling, Burnette enjoys creative writing, rollerskating, and photography. She also has three cats.