With the support of an Oswego education, 2021 graduate Corey Cesare, who double majored in journalism and cinema and screen studies, has built a unique career in media and journalism after landing a job as a YouTube host and article writer with The Recap Group.

“I was scrolling through LinkedIn or Indeed the week of my graduation in 2021, and I saw this job listing,” Cesare said. “I thought, well, I know how to write articles, I have internship experience in journalism and I’ve acted on screen before.”

The Recap Group, known more widely as Talent Recap, creates promotional and commentary content for many entertainment industry clients, including reality competition shows such as “America’s Got Talent,” “The Voice” and “The Masked Singer.” It was an opportunity post-grad that immediately caught Cesare’s eye.

“All my friends from Oswego will tell you that on Tuesday nights, I used to make them watch ‘America’s Got Talent,’” Cesare joked. “I first saw the listing, and it was all about ‘America’s Got Talent,’ which is our primary partner. Our whole thing is by the fans, for the fans, so everyone I work with, including myself, loves the shows.”

The company partners with the production crews of the shows, receiving high-resolution footage to distribute on their YouTube channel and information for articles on their website, TalentRecap.com. Cesare is currently the managing editor of the website and was previously a channel manager and on-screen talent for YouTube.

“As managing editor, every article is an idea I’ve come up with, pitched to my team or written,” Cesare said. “On YouTube, our primary focus was compilation-based videos.”

When asked what she loves about her position, Cesare said there’s never a dull moment.

“There’s never a day that’s the same,” Cesare said. “Some days it’s crazy with ‘AGT’ news, other days with ‘The Voice,’ the next day ‘Dancing with the Stars.’ Every day is completely different, which I love.”

Opportunities and support at Oswego

Cesare said she chose Oswego largely because of the proximity to home, as well as a sense of belonging the moment she set foot on campus. She also heard about Oswego’s Hollywood POV program, where students visit production studios, network with alumni and more in Los Angeles.

“I looked around, saw the other students and thought, yeah, I belong here,” Cesare said. “I didn’t want to be too far from home, but I also didn’t want to be too close to home, and I really liked Oswego.”

Cesare credits her internships during her time at Oswego as a key part of her success post-grad, receiving résumé help from the Experiential Learning office.

“I had three internships at Oswego,” Cesare said. “I wrote for Lux Curves Magazine in 2020. In 2019, I worked with the Rochester Red Wings community baseball team as their video production intern, and in 2021 I worked with Immortal Cinema International.”

She said all of these internships gave her insight into different paths she could take and helped her make the right decision for herself.

“For the scriptwriting internship, I realized I really like script reading and screenwriting,” Cesare said. “I don’t like the film industry, so all of those experiences helped me decide which avenue I wanted to take. All three internships were totally different.”

When looking back on her Oswego experience, Cesare credits her professors for teaching her everything she uses in her day-to-day work as a media professional.

“There are still things from Eileen Gilligan’s copy editing class that I use to this day,” Cesare said. “Another class I couldn’t have a career without is Mass Media and the Law with Jason Zenor. It’s difficult, but without what I learned in that class, we would get sued. The film department has amazing opportunities, amazing professors like Juliet Giglio and Josh Adams who know important people.”

Endless career options

For those skeptical about the value of a college degree, Cesare encourages them to think of their education as a way to gain the tools necessary to shape the career they want.

“College teaches you the basics, and what you learn gets you to a point where you can, in the workforce, mold it into what you want it to be,” Cesare said. “I never really saw myself in a normal news cycle. On the entertainment side of news is where I prefer.”

Cesare’s partner, fellow 2021 graduate Ben Seligson, whom she met while at Oswego, is also working in a new-media role as lead content creator for Priority Bicycles. She said neither of them knew exactly what they wanted to do while in school.

“It’s OK not to know right away in Oswego,” Cesare said. “Many people don’t, and it’s completely normal. But if you can, finding your passion or niche early really helps you get résumé experience in college.”

As the media industry progresses, with many choosing to “cord-cut,” or move on from cable TV, as well as the implementation of artificial intelligence, Cesare reassures students that there are still plenty of opportunities out there.

“Journalism has always evolved, and it’s still evolving today,” Cesare said. “A lot of entertainment media is about human connection, and there will always be consumers for movies and TV. It’s more in the realm of opinion, and that’s something AI can’t do.”

Cesare encourages young people to follow their intuition and let their passions guide them in their careers.

“Don’t give up on your passion,” she said. “If you don’t want to work at a news station, that’s OK. There is such a thing as an entertainment-based newsroom; it’s just a matter of getting your foot in the door.”