12/11/2023
Dane Golden, the eighth winner of the Don Walker Memorial Scholarship, caught the journalism bug while going to high school in Monterey, Calif.
“I worked for KION 1460 radio as a live radio color commentator and was promoted to play-by-play announcer for my varsity high-school basketball team,” Dane said in an online interview with the Don Walker Memorial Scholarship Committee. “While I was doing this, I learned how to operate live radio equipment, receive audio cues from a producer, and how to handle crazy situations. That is what got my journalism journey started.”
Dane, 21, of Monterey, is a senior at Marquette University and studying for a major in Journalism with minors in Digital Media and History.
He recently spoke with the Walker committee about how he chose Marquette, what goals he has for finding work after graduation and what the future of journalism looks like.
Q. You were raised in California. What made you decide to attend Marquette University?
A. I originally visited Marquette on an official visit for the track and field team in March of 2020. I was here a mere week before the pandemic hit, and after my high school senior track and field season got canceled, I decided to commit here. I knew that there was a chance that I wouldn’t be able to run due to the other athletes getting an extra year of NCAA eligibility, but I was so in love with the campus and the city that I decided it would be worth it.
Q. How did you decide to make journalism your major?
A. Initially, I wanted to be a full-time play-by-play announcer. I am an avid Sacramento Kings fan, and I wanted nothing more than to be the home announcer for them, but as I grew as a journalist, my passions changed. Eventually, I wanted to be a beat writer for a team, or something related to sports, but I learned not to pigeonhole myself into a narrow genre. Nowadays, I just crave anything related to the news, but specifically I love anything sports related.
Q. Looks like you've taken classes both in broadcast journalism and print journalism. Is there one you prefer over the other?
A. I prefer broadcast journalism over print journalism. I am an avid writer and have nothing against print, but there is a certain allure to being in front of the camera or behind a microphone and having a recognizable face or voice to an audience. Whether that be as a local news reporter or in the sports field, I don’t think there is a better feeling than when someone tells you that they recognize you from somewhere like that and that your delivery of the story was meaningful to them.
Q. Have you had any internships along the way? If so, tell us about them and what you learned.
A. I worked as a field reporter for a radio show about minor league sports when I was back in Monterey in 2022. I specifically focused on the local soccer team Monterey Bay FC. Because they play in the USL Championship League, they are a dignified professional team. I would take notes on the game and interview the players at the press conference afterward. That’s where I got my first press pass, and it was a lot of fun.
Q. What will you be doing journalistically during the next school year?
A. This year I hope to bolster my reel by working more for MUTV as a working multimedia journalist and potentially working up the ladder by improving my editing and filming skills. I’m also open to opportunities in the Milwaukee market.
Q. What's been your experience so far in TV and radio broadcasting? Do you favor one over the other? Have you been on the air in either?
A. In high school, I was a live play-by-play announcer for our basketball team, and I would have to prepare before every game to make sure I had as many statistics as possible. I would also conduct the postgame interviews for the show. I had a live radio show called Inner Sleeve with Dane Golden when I was a freshman here. In it, I would pick an album from rock history and play songs from it, detail the production and equipment used in its recording, and discuss its impact on the music history. Last year, I made my debut as a weatherman as well as making news packages for Marquette Now, our very own news broadcast.
I would say that if I had to pick one that I preferred, it would be television. I love being on screen and the pressure that it brings. Pressure forms diamonds, and one day I would like to be a recognizable and confident figure in the media.
Q. You are getting versed in multimedia journalism. What's the future look like for that type of journalism, and journalism in general?
A. I believe that, especially with Generation Z, the future lies entirely within social media, and I would like to be part of a changing news culture. While older generations have grown accustomed to using local news on television to learn about what’s going on in their communities, Generation Z is watching cable and local news less than ever. With many news packages sitting at 90 seconds, I would like to bridge that gap by learning television and bringing local news into the social media realm more fully.
Q. You also have experience as a sound engineer. What's it like being in the studio?
A. Sound Engineering is a lot of fun, but you must be a real perfectionist to do it properly, and you can’t be afraid to give someone criticism. I have worked in the studio and for a touring band, and working in a live venue is a million times harder. The hardest part, besides working the soundboard, was making sure that everything on stage has clean power and enough power. As a bassist myself, I must resist the urge to just turn up the bass and make sure that everything fits into the mix the way it’s supposed to.
Q. What would be your ideal starting point in a job after graduation?
A. My ideal starting point after I graduate would be a local news reporter because local news is one of the most impactful positions a journalist can have in their community. One day down the line, I would like to do my own freelance documentaries, but for now I would like to do multimedia for local news.
Q. Do you like living in Milwaukee? Would you stay here if you had a job offer here, or do you prefer to go back to California for media work?
A. I have grown to love Milwaukee for a lot of reasons. I love the weather here despite what people say, and there is a lot more to do here than there was in Monterey. At this point in my career, I would accept a job anywhere, and Milwaukee would certainly be a great place to work. I will always have a soft spot in my heart for California, however: you can take the reporter out of Monterey, but you can never take the Monterey out of the reporter.
Q. Anything you'd like to add?
A. Journalism is my way of giving back to the community—not just Milwaukee, not just Monterey, and not just anywhere I may live in the future, but to the world. If it weren’t for journalists, governments would go unchecked and would walk all over the common man. It’s up to us to stop that from happening.
Plus, sports are pretty cool.
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