Brad Smith

Hello, my name's Brad! I'm from Bend Oregon and I'm a second year student at the University of Oregon. Being from Bend, I've always had a special place in my heart for the mountains and the outdoors. In the summer you'll usually find me camping at the lakes or indulging in all the festivities Bend has to offer. From floating the Deschutes River to carving the slopes of Mt. Bachelor, I'd definitely say I'm a true Bendite.

Long before I decided I wanted to study journalism at the UO, I took multiple graphic design and photography classes at Bend Senior High School. During my senior year, I worked for my high school's yearbook team where I developed a strong passion for computers and media that led me to discover my fascination for graphic design, photography, and all things media. It put me on the path to pursuing what I believe is my true calling and what I do best.

Since then, I've become a hip-hop music producer, graphic designer, videographer, and a die-hard fan of "The Office." Developing a love for exploring, researching, and writing about events ranging from pop culture to stories that ultimately effect us all, I felt as though there was something I could do to produce the content I knew I wanted to see and could make a positive impact. As I immersed myself in the world of journalism when I got to the University of Oregon, I was immediately surprised by the amount of biased and skewed mainstream media that's been fed to the public by various popular news outlets. I felt strongly that this wasn't how the true ideologies of journalism were supposed to be and it motivated me to want to do something about it. Knowledge is power. And by providing unbiased and factual information from all aspects of the spectrum, I recognize people can create and develop their own opinions and interpretations that can productively contribute to the various hard-hitting conversations we need to have in today's society.

This being said, I strive to bring back the significant characteristics of the ideology of journalism by doing what I can to provide content that creates conversation, inspires others, and ultimately leads to a more productive and informed world.