UC alumna kicks off new career at The Cincinnati Enquirer
Kelsey Conway breaks ground as Bengals first female lead reporter
By Rebecca Schweitzer
When Kelsey Conway came to visit the University of Cincinnati before her freshman year, she had no clue that she would be returning to the same city seven years after her graduation to work for The Cincinnati Enquirer and to break ground as the first female lead reporter for the Bengals.
“The fact that I am now back in the same city where it all started for me essentially in my journey to being a sports reporter is just incredible on so many levels,” Conway said.
Conway’s interest in sports coverage, along with her own skills as a lacrosse player, guided her to UC and into the College of Arts and Sciences Journalism Department. Conway graduated with a degree in journalism and minor in electronic media in 2014.
A&S Journalism alumna and lead Bengals reporter Kelsey Conway
During her time at UC, Conway funneled her love of sports into the women's lacross team, for whom she played for four years, and internships within the athletic department and for GoBearcats.com.
“The internships I had were very beneficial to me in terms of learning on the fly,” Conway said. “But you have to have a foundation from somewhere, and I got that from the UC Journalism Department.”
Conway has covered two NFL teams since her graduation. She now joins the staff at the Enquirer as its Cincinnati Bengals beat reporter.
“This job at The Enquirer is everything I wanted and more,” Conway said. “The priority that the Enquirer puts Bengals coverage means so much to me because I know that my reporting is going to be read by passionate Bengals fans that have been reading the Bengals coverage for years.”
In addition to writing articles covering the Bengals, Conway has joined the Enquirer’s podcast, Bengals Beat, co-hosting alongside fellow Bengals reporter Charlie Goldsmith. Through this form of media, they are able to connect with fans that don’t have time to read about the updates happening with the team.
“People consume news in all different ways,” Conway said. “Podcasts allow more freedom. They are supposed to be conversational. They are supposed to be fun and engaging and give you information in a conversation that you enjoy listening to. The podcast just allows you to connect with the audience on a more personal, engaging level.”
As Conway begins this new chapter of her career, she is thankful to be back in the city that she grew to love so much as a student.
“I know how big a position it is and to come to work every day and know that people depend on my reporting to connect them to their favorite team is such a cool feeling,” Conway said. “It motivates me every day.”
Featured photo at top: A&S Journalism alumna and lead Bengals reporter Kelsey Conway playing lacross for UC.
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