Polly Irungu taking photos during a rainy 2020 New York Fashion Week
Recent UO graduates taking flight, creating bright futures, and defining success on their own terms
Polly Irungu
BA ’17 (journalism)
Digital Content Editor, New York Public Radio
Freelance photographer
Multimedia journalist
OkayAfrica’s 100 Women 2020 list
What’s it like to live in Brooklyn and work for The Takeaway, a morning radio news program carried by more than 250 stations nationwide?
“It’s a lot of moving parts,” says journalism graduate Polly Irungu.
Irungu’s day starts at 8:00 a.m., when she catches up on world events and checks social media. Throughout a bustling workday, she keeps productions moving, finds ways to engage listeners, and searches for the next great story.
Above all, says Irungu, being a digital content editor requires “a keen sense of news judgment. You have to be able to pick out stories and make sure you’re not just adding noise—that you’re adding value to the conversation.”
“I see journalism as a public service. Right now, there’s a lot of mistrust in the media, and we should focus on doing our work and doing it well. The trust will come back. I’m going to do my part.”
Off the Job Experience
“Each internship experience played a pivotal role in shaping my career.”
As an undergraduate in the UO’s School of Journalism and Communication, Irungu made the most of the opportunities to learn beyond the classroom:
- Social Media Desk Intern, National Public Radio
- National Association of Black Journalists conferences—Why conferences like NABJ are vital to media diversity
- Online News Association—I found my tribe in the 2016 Online News Association Student Newsroom
- Super-J trip to NYC
- Track Town USA—Communications and Social Media Undergraduate Intern
- Social Media Producer and Digital Content Creator, School of Journalism and Communication