Autumn Billings has been a writer and commentator at Young Voices, and most recently participated in the Social Mobility Fellowship. During her time in this fellowship, Autumn also secured a position as an assistant editor at Reason Magazine.
Autumn Billings’ Success Story Interview:
You recently participated in Young Voices' Social Mobility Fellowship. How did your time in that fellowship impact your career in journalism?
Being new to the world of journalism, I didn’t quite know what to expect out of the Young Voices’ Social Mobility Fellowship. While I was comfortable with writing op-eds, reporting was a whole new beast. But the Fellowship not only demystified journalistic reporting practices, it also gave me the confidence to jump into reporting headfirst. Meeting the other writers in the fellowship was also a major benefit. Everyone had such different backgrounds, but were excited to tell the stories of people looking to make a difference or fulfill their potential—and that excitement was contagious. The fellowship experience showed me that there is no single path to a career in journalism, and the more I learned throughout the program, the more seriously I considered a career pivot. Without the Young Voices’ Social Mobility Fellowship, I don’t think I would’ve made the pivot as quickly or as successfully as I did.
What topic do you think is the least talked about within mainstream media or opinion journalism that deserves more attention?
I think mainstream media and opinion journalism suffer from a lack of steelmanning the opposition’s arguments. Word limits are tight, and attention spans are short. Heuristics may help to quickly get a point across, but they do not necessarily move a conversation, on any topic, closer to consensus. Taking on the challenge of concisely stating your opposition’s strongest arguments will only make your position stronger and more persuasive.
How has working with Young Voices helped you as a writer and commentator?
Young Voices has helped me greatly. I’ve learned so much from the people at Young Voices, but also from the other writers in the program. No question is too small to ask, which is huge when you’re so new to something. Through Young Voices, I’ve taken on opportunities outside of my comfort zone that I may not have taken otherwise. The support and connections Young Voices provided have gotten me so much further with both my writing and commentary than I thought possible in such a short amount of time.
Which media placement that the Young Voices content team helped you place are you most proud of?
Honestly, I’m proud of all the media placements the Young Voices content team helped me place. Each one challenged me to step a little further outside of my comfort zone, whether that be through the content I covered or the medium style. One that stands out in particular is a Fox News Radio tour where I appeared on four different radio shows over a three-hour time frame. I had never done something like that before, and I was pretty nervous. But once it got started, I had so much fun talking with radio show hosts from across the country about the news of the day.
How has Young Voices impacted your career trajectory?
I started with the Young Voices Contributor Program because I always had a curiosity for journalism, along with a passion for liberty. Even while I pursued other interests, in the back of my mind, I always thought, “One day, maybe, I’ll finally give writing a try,” but kept putting it off. Starting up in a new career field was intimidating. But after meeting and talking with people who had been through the program and had great things to say, I thought Young Voices was the best opportunity to give writing—and getting my work published—a shot. Little did I know how quickly I was going to want to take on more and more writing, and even consider making it a full-time career. Young Voices certainly helped catalyze that career pivot, not only because of everything I learned during the program but also because of the helpful and passionate people I met.
With you now working at Reason, what advice would you give to young professionals aspiring to build a career in journalism?
I would say if you have an interest in journalism, go for it. For a long time, I held myself back for fear that I had missed out on some special knowledge or experience because I never studied journalism in college. Before starting in journalism, I didn’t have a well-defined “beat” like I thought you needed to be successful. But what I did know was that I had a lot of curiosity and drive to connect audiences to the ideas that interest me. Today I’m writing on and covering topics I wouldn’t have necessarily considered when I was in school, or even after graduating, and I get to learn something new every day. I’m glad I finally put myself out there despite not knowing exactly where I’d end up, and found a great community to learn from along the way.
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