Olivia Prentzel JMS’13, a breaking news and general assignment reporter at The Colorado Sun, recently covered the plight of pikas (relatives of rabbits that live at high altitudes), living in the Rocky Mountains for the story, “Volunteers are on the hunt for one of Colorado’s most adorable animals before climate change erases them.”
Prentzel said she reported on “how a cohort of volunteer scientists are helping researchers better understand how climate change is affecting one of the state’s most resilient critters,” as she described the critical role pikas play as part of Colorado’s mountain ecosystem; their vanishing habitats; and why the public needs to be more aware of and concerned by the ways climate change is impacting pikas’ health and populations.
To conduct research for the story, Prentzel said she spent a night last summer backpacking in Rocky Mountain National Park. Being a lover of nature and the outdoors, Prentzel said she views her work as an opportunity to connect her two passions: nature and writing.
“No two days at my job are the same and I love learning something new every single day,” said Prentzel. “I feel our work at The Colorado Sun has proven the power to connect people through stories and shine a light on ways we can work toward making the state a better place for everyone.”
However, as a general assignment reporter, she does not just cover topics related to the natural the environment. She also covers stories ranging from wildfires to health care behind bars to the art of broom-making, providing a platform to those whose voices are often unheard or to uncover a problem that needs to be addressed.
“No two days at my job are the same and I love learning something new every single day,” said Prentzel. “I feel our work at The Colorado Sun has proven the power to connect people through stories and shine a light on ways we can work toward making the state a better place for everyone.”
The Colorado Sun is an online, journalist-owned news outlet covering stories across Colorado, and it recently became a non-profit. Prentzel said it was launched five years ago with a mission “to provide quality, local stories that bring understanding to issues that matter to Coloradans and keep news out of the hands of hedge funds.”
Prentzel said her passion for writing and journalism stems from her undergraduate journey as a double major in Journalism and Media Studies and English. Prentzel said Rutgers “introduced me to inspiring mentors and lifelong friends and set the foundation for my journalism career.”
Considering writing as a creative outlet, she took Lecturer Bruce Reynolds’s News Writing class and realized that journalism was for her. “I still have such fond memories from his morning class where I learned the basics of journalism, like how to structure a news lede and interviewing skills. Bruce always made our whole class laugh,” said Prentzel.
Prentzel said her favorite class at SC&I was Associate Dean for Programs and JMS Professor Susan Keith’s Editing and Design course, where she said she gained valuable and practical skills she still applies to her work today.
Prentzel said her favorite class at SC&I was Associate Dean for Programs and JMS Professor Susan Keith’s Editing and Design course, where she said she gained valuable and practical skills she still applies to her work today.
Outside of the classroom, Prentzel seized the opportunity to practice journalism by reporting and editing for the The Daily Targum, Rutgers’ official student newspaper. During her junior and senior years, she said she spent countless hours inside the tiny newsroom on Mine Street working as one of the student journalists. Given the combination of this real-world training plus and hands-on classroom experiences, she said one of her best decisions was to choose to major in Journalism and Media Studies at Rutgers.
Now that she is working as a professional journalist, Prentzel said she is grateful to be able to continue to network and receive guidance from SC&I faculty members. “Professor Steve Miller is the ultimate cheerleader and mentor for all SC&I students and I will always be thankful for his guidance during my time at Rutgers and especially post-graduation during my job hunt. He helped me land my first job out of college working at The Record newspaper.”
Learn more about the Journalism and Media Studies major at the Rutgers School of Communication and Information website.
Photo Courtesy of Olivia Prentzel
