By Noah Bryan, Gaylord College Class of 2025
Strategy and an eye for creativity on News9 and News On 6 comes from Ryan Welton, director of digital content for Griffin Media. Welton graduated from Gaylord in 1992 with a bachelor’s in Journalism and Public Relations and a minor in Spanish. Recently we heard about Welton’s journey after graduation, advice for graduates and current students, and his association with JayMac.
What years did you attend Gaylord College?
Technically, I graduated from the H.H. Herbert School of Journalism and Mass Communication. However, I'm delighted even to be considered a Gaylord grad, if that's allowed. I was at OU from 1988-1993, four years for undergrad and a very, very underwhelming two semesters of grad school. ;-)
What degree did you receive?
My degree was in Journalism/Public Relations. I started as a Radio/TV/Film major and then did some switching around until I landed upon Public Relations. I earned a minor in Spanish.
What is your current job position?
I'm the director of digital content for Griffin Media. I oversee digital editorial, content and strategy for both News9 in Oklahoma City and News On 6 in Tulsa. In layperson speak, I oversee the content on our website and apps.
What did the journey look like from graduation to where you are now in your career?
What's kind of funny is the length to which I efforted getting a PR degree only to go back to my first love, newspaper. I worked on the OU Daily, and my first gig was as a general assignment reporter and editor for the Hugo Daily News. The dot-com era of 1998-2001 led me from journalism to business to digital, and then by 2005 I found a digital news opening at KOCO in Oklahoma City and somehow convinced them to give me the job! However, it was by far the right move for me.
How has your degree from Gaylord College prepared you for what you have experienced during your career?
The practical experience. I told one of our candidates the other day (and she's a Gaylord grad) that I honestly believe that the Daily during my time at OU was a Top 3 paper in the state. It was real experience. We were covering big, big stories, national stories even -- national stories emanating from Oklahoma (e.g., the OU football rape case, Anita Hill, etc.) I remember our adviser, Andy Rieger, and how instrumental he was to all of us. However, even the students who were 1-2 years ahead of me who were editors for the paper; they were extraordinarily helpful in growing my skills.
How have you benefited, post graduation, by your connection to Gaylord?
This has been the serendipitous part of the journey, getting connected to Lee Reynolds back in 2015-16. The introduction to JayMac was what started to bring my career full circle. Becoming part of the association allowed me to get introduced to students, faculty and administration. Those introductions have led me to key hires for my digital team but also to opportunities to take part in big projects like the one Griffin Media executed with Gaylord in 2018, called “Unfiltered.” Together we covered the 2018 Oklahoma teacher walkout among other stories. Most gratifying, however, has been the opportunity to give back to my alma mater through JayMac and helping connect talented Gaylord graduates to opportunities.
Tell us about your association to JayMac.
When I first started with JayMac, it was a group that was glad to be back together. However, it has turned into a group that serves as a key connector between Gaylord students and alumni. Our quest is to serve students through their Gaylord journey, help connect them to opportunities right out of school, and to continue those connections throughout their careers. This is a group producing tangible results for Gaylord College students and graduates, and I'm extraordinarily proud to be part of it.
If you could give a piece of advice to your past college self, what would that be?
For good or for bad, you are essentially the average of your five closest friends. Intentionally developing friendships with smart, good, ambitious people is a life hack. Likewise, knowing when to let go of friendships that don't move the needle is, too. This is a big, big deal.
What is something Gaylord offers today that you wish existed when you were on campus?
Aside from the beautiful building and world-class administration, faculty, facilities and equipment? I'd say OU Nightly. I was at OU from 1988 to 1992 undergrad, and the most prestigious place to be was the Oklahoma Daily, as it was called at the time. It was a very active newsroom. However, I was a radio/TV/film major, and I don't recall having that newscast equivalent. Students who get the chance to work on OU Nightly should be super grateful for that opportunity. It is a terrific operation.
What is one organization/project you are connected with (or have been in the past) that you have loved and why? How has that benefitted you (personally or professionally)?
Aside from JayMac? I'd say it would be my first board experience, which was with the Redbud Classic in Oklahoma City. The Redbud Classic is Oklahoma City's oldest bicycle ride and run, and it happens each April with all the proceeds going to a carefully picked local charity. I got the opportunity to serve on that board for three years thanks to my boss, Kyla Turner, while I worked at Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores. Not only did serving on that board teach me some of the basics about serving on a board, which has been helpful for my time with JayMac, but it also kickstarted my love of running.
Anything else you would like to say?
You'll hear a lot of people give you the advice to start developing your personal brand, but it will be couched within the ecosystem of social media, specifically Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn. However, the notion of developing a personal brand has existed long before social media -- and there is evidence that we're entering a new era of social, a Social 2.0, if you will, driven by the already popular podcasts, newsletters, and more recently, AI-driven tools like ChatGPT.
Connect your interests and your passions with your favorites among these platforms and tools and get to work now. Do not wait until you're 30. Your personal brand begins today! It's you taking control of your own narrative, and it's powerful.
