My name is Kyler Lanning, and I am a reporter for The Independent View. I became a member of The Indy when the idea was originally sparked in August. I currently specialize in coverage of campus events at the University of Central Oklahoma, as well as occasional broader events in Edmond. I have this beat to make sure students hear about events they may be interested in.
In March of 2024, I was on UCO’s campus shadowing Jake Ramsey, the former editor-in-chief of The Vista, when a protester was seen spreading controversial messages by the Nigh University Center. It was then that I had the opportunity to see a real news team work on such an unexpected story. That day will always stick with me as the first time I knew I wanted to be a reporter.
During my senior year at Yukon High School, I worked on the student newspaper, The Insight, and enjoyed my time there. Even though my time working there was short, that small paper gave me a big insight (har har) into what the journalism world looks like. With most of my previous understanding of journalism coming from characters like Clark Kent or Peter Parker, I had no idea what it was actually like. While I cannot catch a falling building like they can, I like to think that my work can still help people.
When I am not at my desk writing stories for The Indy, I play video games or Dungeons and Dragons with my friends, watch YouTube, read comics or bake.
My past with superheroes truly helped shape me and point me toward journalism. The first reason I considered journalism as a potential profession was because of Spider-Man, and once I finally got old enough to understand what a journalist could do, I knew it was something I wanted to be. Especially once I found out I would not be getting bitten by any radioactive spiders anytime soon.
I enjoy creating D&D campaigns for friends and making short films for school projects that tend to drift from the rubric. Being a reporter allows me to do what I love while helping others, and that is what I am most proud of.
