With so many games to cover each season, the young reporters at Rebel Report — UNLV’s student-run sports broadcast and social media outlet — are definitely getting their reps in. Senior Teneka Ash is one of the UNLV students who are making their mark in the world of sports journalism.
How did you find your way into sports journalism?
I’m on the swim team so sports run through my veins. I’m a film major, so I wanted to find a way to tie sports and film together, so sports journalism offers that to me.
What has been your favorite event to cover so far?
I would say the Raiders game I covered with my co-host Josh. At that game I felt that I really grew my confidence — it was just an incredible experience to be at a Raiders game at Allegiant Stadium as a student reporter, and to be among all these professionals.
What challenges have you run into while covering a game?
It’s really hard to do a perfect take on the first go, and when you’re working on a time crunch you only have a short amount of time during halftime to analyze what you’ve gotten in the first half and put it together into something that sounds articulate. You have to record it, edit it, and upload it within a 30-minute window — that’s the big obstacle of a live hit. It’s a lot of pressure, but I like it.
How does it feel being back in the field after sitting a few seasons out due to COVID-19?
It feels amazing. Especially as an athlete on UNLV’s swim team, I understand both sides, reporting on the sport and being an athlete. I think for everyone involved in having sports live again and having fans in the stands, you feel the support behind you. Coming out of the COVID era is probably the best thing to happen to me. I think it’s allowed all of us to grow our confidence and have a better understanding of what we’re doing.
What has being an athlete yourself helped inform your coverage?
I think a lot of it is empathy. Athletes go through a lot whether it’s injuries or something else, there’s a lot that happens behind the scenes. It’s important to come into interviews with empathetic questions and tell the truth of a story, rather than just looking for something that will make headlines.
What’s a favorite story you’ve worked on?
Jade Thomas and I interviewed an Olympic swimmer from Poland, and I don’t think anyone has told her story in the way that we did. And when she saw it, she messaged me saying it made her really emotional and thanked us for taking something as simple as an interview and making it into a truthful and beautiful story. It made me really appreciate what I’ve been out to achieve, and the people who have helped me get there. It’s messages like that that make me feel like this is what I am meant to do.
What are some of your future plans in sports journalism?
After I finish up my undergrad I’d love to work with sports teams, whether I run their social media or whether I go into sports broadcasting, which I would absolutely adore doing.
