Journalism student Bayla Orton parlayed a journalism internship into a seat on a gubernatorial debate panel.
Bayla Orton was writing for The Summit Pinnacle at Summit High School in Bend when she realized she wanted a career as a journalist.
But it wasn’t until her third year in the UO School of Journalism and Communication (SOJC) that her dream started becoming a reality.
“Once I got into junior year, I just felt like everything happened all at once,” Orton said.
She learned magazine writing working on Ascend, the SOJC’s award-winning sports and outdoors magazine. That experience helped her earn an internship at The Register-Guard in Eugene over the summer through the competitive Charles Snowden Program for Excellence in Journalism. And that opportunity led to another one: She was chosen as the student panelist at the first Oregon gubernatorial debate of 2026, held on the UO campus in October.
Ascend magazine gave her professional-level writing experience
Orton spent her first year at Ascend learning the ropes of magazine writing from Ivan Miller, SOJC visiting professor of practice in sports journalism and Ascend’s advisor.
“He gave me a lot of opportunities these past two years where I’ve been able to take charge and take the lead in my own stories,” Orton said.
Orton’s first Ascend story explored the adventures of SOJC alum Daniel Teitelbaum (BS ’24, MA ’25). The profile, “First Ascent,” focused on the expedition photographer and storyteller as he hiked, climbed and photographed landscapes in South America with friends.
Her second story, “Life in Color,” profiled Stefini Ma’ake, a Ducks softball player and explosive hitter who won over fans and teammates with her joyful spirit in the dugout.
Snowden internship allowed her to work among professional reporters
During her summer internship at The Register-Guard, Orton worked in a fast-paced daily newsroom. As a general assignment reporter, she covered a range of stories and developed a deeper understanding of Eugene beyond the university campus.
One story that stood out was an obituary she wrote about Eugene activist Ibrahim Coulibaly, “Remembering Ibrahim Coulibaly's indelible mark on Eugene.” A union member and civil rights activist, Coulibaly was dedicated to making Eugene better for Black people. Orton said it was her first time reporting on the death of a beloved local figure. Learning about Coulibaly’s life and discovering a side of Eugene she hadn't known about meant a lot to Orton.
She said the challenging story helped her grow as a reporter.
“I’m really proud of the story I wrote, and I’m proud of how I navigated it,” Orton said, adding that she earned the trust of those closest to Coulibaly. “I got to sit down with two really good friends of his … as well as his nephew.”
Her reporting experience drove home the importance of trustworthiness, a responsibility she takes seriously.
“I think that there's sometimes a lack of trust in journalists,” Orton said. “And I never want anyone to distrust me.”
Gubernatorial debate presented a unique opportunity for student journalist
Orton was just finishing her internship at The Register-Guard when SOJC journalism director Nicole Dahmen offered her a chance to be a student panelist for the gubernatorial debate between Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek and state Sen. Christine Drazan.
During the debate, Orton sat on a panel with two other journalists, Ben Botkin from Lookout Eugene-Springfield and Pulitzer Prize winner Nigel Jaquiss from the Oregon Journalism Project. There was no live audience, but several SOJC students worked on the technical team. Orton said it was really special to share that moment with her peers and former professors.
Serving on the debate panel pushed her outside her comfort zone. She had no prior television or debate experience, but she said she took the opportunity to learn as she went.
“Formulating the questions was difficult,” Orton said.
Orton learned about debate structure and the politics behind it. She also came to appreciate the skills that she had developed as a journalist.
“I think journalism gave me an outlet that allowed me to break out from what I thought I was and be more of who I wanted to be,” Orton said.
Asked what advice she would give her freshman self, Orton said, “I would tell myself not to worry and continue being myself and trust that it'll take me places.”
Orton hopes to continue in journalism, possibly beyond Eugene.
She remains focused on the responsibility that drew her to journalism: “I want to hold people accountable and keep people informed. I want to share people’s stories in a way where they can trust someone to do that.”
And she is grateful for the opportunities she’s had at the SOJC.
“All it took was just me saying yes and walking in and doing it,” Orton said.
Helen Bouchard is a fourth-year journalism major with a minor in global studies. She is passionate about editorial work, storytelling, disability awareness and working as a news production assistant for KVAL/KMTR. You can find her work in The Daily Emerald and Align magazine.
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