IUPUI Journalism Alumna Diamond Nunnally

In November, Diamond Nunnally, B.A.J. ’18, started a new job as a multimedia journalist at ABC 33/40 in Birmingham, Ala. With this move, Nunnally jumped from market 105 in Nebraska, to a market 45 station — with less than two years’ experience under her belt.

“Some people will tell you not to think big but to settle for less,” she said of her career journey. “You never know what doors will open. What’s meant for you, will be for you and nobody can change that.”

We asked Nunnally about her recent job change:

1. How did you hear about this job? What was the hiring process like?

“Believe it or not, I posted my reporter reel in a Facebook group for journalists and the assistant news director at my current station sent me an email to do a preliminary interview. The interesting part about it was I had interviewed with him back when I was searching for my first job and he was the news director in Montana. I ended up turning that job down and going with another station but this industry is so small, you never know who you’ll run into again throughout your career. That’s why it’s important to make good first impressions and never burn bridges in this business.

After my interview with him, I interviewed with the news director. Then they flew me down to visit the team and interview with some of the staff in the newsroom. A week later, they called me with an offer. I was on cloud nine from the moment I heard [I got the job].”

2. Why do you think you landed this job?

“I worked hard in my first job to grow and learn to create a portfolio that helped me get to the next level. I also put my portfolio on Facebook and YouTube. Out of the three stations I interviewed with before coming to my current job, all of them found me on those platforms. I didn’t apply for any of them.”

3. How was the transition to Birmingham?

“It was rough. Moving is always stressful. If you’re wanting to work at a station make sure to ask for moving costs and don’t be afraid to ask for funds upfront. I’m loving the city, though, my co-workers, and just being in a bigger market with more resources.”

4. What kinds of stories have you been covering so far?

“I recently did a story on a woman I found on Facebook who took it upon herself to clean up a polluted lake before reaching out to the community for a clean-up. Another story was about the best places for first-time homebuyers to find affordable starter homes during this time of inflation.”

5. Overall, how is the new job going?

“They do things differently than my last station but I’m adjusting. I know how to do this job and I think that’s the most comforting part. I’ve done it before and I can do it again. Even when I doubt myself, my previous experience has proven to be helpful in this new job.”