Profiles in Success  Submit a Profile In-depth looks at life after J-School. Class Notes  Submit a Class Note Shorter updates and recent alumni photos. Sort by Decade Sort by Name/Emphasis Show All 2000-Present 1990-1999 1980-1989 1970-1979 1960-1969 1950-1959 1940-1949 1930-1939 1920-1929 Show All: List by Last Name Graduate Degree Magazine Newspaper Photojournalism Radio-Television Strategic Communication Sort by Decade More Alumni Resources 2000-Present 1990-1999 1980-1989 1970-1979 1960-1969 1950-1959 1940-1949 1930-1939 1920-1929 @mizzou For All We Call Mizzou Mizzou Alumni Association MizzouNet

Kevin Worley, BJ '94

What made you decide to go into the journalism field?
My fascination with the media began in grade school when - being a child who frequently forgot his house key - I found myself repeatedly locked outside with nothing to do but read the afternoon newspaper. Soon, I became a fifth-grader hooked on the Kansas City Star and the morning Kansas City Times. By reading two newspapers every day, I inherently developed a sense for news-and learned Associated Press style, to boot.

Where has your degree in magazine journalism taken you?
Since graduating, I have worked as editor-in-chief of Missouri Restaurant magazine, national communications coordinator for Camp Fire USA, senior editor for Andrews McMeel Publishing and senior account executive specializing in video production for Fleishman-Hillard International Communications. Currently, I am a writer, producer and publicist for Wide Awake Films in the historic River Market district of downtown Kansas City, Mo.

What do you do in your job?
Our company specializes in museum interpretive videos, historical documentaries and general corporate video. As a writer and producer, I serve as a sort of project coordinator and scriptwriter; as a publicist, I manage media relations, client and customer relations and marketing communications.

How did you get started in this career path?
Although I now work in video and television, I'm actually a magazine journalism grad. The fundamental communication skills I learned in the magazine sequence allowed me to work as a magazine editor, corporate communications manager, publishing editor and public relations executive before moving to full-time video work in 2002. In a perfect world I would produce videos and publish magazines; perhaps that's in the future.

What do you enjoy about your job?
I enjoy that I often get to pursue those topics that have interested me ever since I was a child. For instance, I'm currently writing and producing a documentary on Jesse James. A shortened version of the video will be shown at the James Farm and Museum in Kearney, Mo.; a longer feature will be sold to consumers, and perhaps to a broadcast outlet. On the publicity side, it's always fun to see information about our company published or broadcast in the news.

What was the best professional lesson you learned at the J-School?
Besides "Show, don't tell?" I pride myself on accuracy, and I am pleased that the School of Journalism placed such an emphasis on accuracy checks. In working with the media, I am surprised at how often (non-Mizzou) reporters neglect to double-check spellings of names, titles of features and such. I've never forgotten the Journalism School's insistence on accuracy.

Do you have any advice for current students?
I often suggest working for a not-for-profit or smaller for-profit company when a graduate is first starting out. This allows a "rookie" employee the chance to work on a wider range of projects and skills than they might at a larger corporation. I also suggest pursuing passion first, money second. If you make a career out of that for which you hold a genuine passion, you will do well and money will be a byproduct.