Jordan Mendoza got his start in journalism as the editor-in-chief for The Daily Titan at Cal State Fullerton, and now he’s a reporter for USA Today. His normal beat is trending content and breaking news for Universal Now, but he was on the scene for the horrific aftermath of the Lunar New Year shooting in Monterey Park. Here, he shares the lessons he learned from covering the tragedy and gives the inside scoop on how reporters gather breaking news.

Key Takeaways:

- How reporters gather trending content stories

- How social media algorithms can affect breaking news

- An inside look at the USA Today newsroom

- Lessons Jordan took from covering the Monterey Park tragedy

Episode Timeline

1:20 What’s a typical day like for a breaking news/trending content reporter at USA Today?

1:50 How do you get your trending content stories?

2:45 Where do you get the data to see what's trending?

3:25 How to get an exclusive interview

5:20 How algorithms can squash breaking news

7:20 Jordan's coverage of the tragic Monterrey Park shooting

10:00 Jordan’s most vivid memories of the tragedy

11:10 Learning from tragedy

12:50 What makes great sports writers stand out?

15:55 Obligatory Raiders question

16:35 What role do press releases play in breaking news?

18:30 What will journalism look like in 10-15 years?

This episode’s guest:

• Jordan Mendoza 

• @Jordan_Mendoza5 on Twitter            

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