Alumna Highlight; Faithanna Olsson

Faithanna Olsson graduated from Oklahoma Christian University in May 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism. During her time at Oklahoma Christian, she served as editor-in-chief of Talon News, where she sharpened her reporting and editorial skills while mentoring younger journalists.

When reflecting on her passion for writing and the decision to pursue journalism, Olsson explained that before entering the field of investigative reporting, she had considered other career paths that also aligned with her interest in problem-solving.

“For a while I considered pursuing the criminal justice realm, I even thought about forensic science for a little bit. I always liked the idea that you have to collect all this evidence then you have this case that you would solve at the end of it,” Olsson said. When I was talking to my mom, she thought I could look at journalism, and I did. I learned that there is investigative journalism. You talk to people, collect documents, find evidence, put it together and solve a mystery”.

Olsson reflects on her experience as editor-in-chief, noting that reviewing the flaws in others’ writing helped her recognize areas for improvement in her own work, a skill that has proven valuable in her current role.

“The thing that I look back to from being editor-in-chief is the actual editing skills, and that I am now better at editing my own copies,” Olsson said. “Looking at other people’s and catching mistakes when it wasn’t something that I had produced made me better at viewing it in my own writing.”

Today, she continues her career in public service journalism with NonDoc as part of Edmond’s Civic Reporting Project, contributing to informed community dialogue and civic engagement.

“At NonDoc, we’re a non-profit, non-partisan newsroom based in Oklahoma City. My specific position was created to fill the void after the Edmond Sun closed down,” Olsson said. “We do a lot mainly with civic and government stuff, we tend to tackle a lot of issues that other outlets aren’t looking at.”

Olsson shares her perspective on the qualities that define strong journalism, emphasizing the skills and characteristics she believes every good writer should develop in order to succeed in the field.

“I think curiosity has to be the biggest thing. There are so many things that you can just look at and wonder ‘why is this there’ or ‘oh, this is different’. But if you stop there then it never becomes anything”, Olsson said. “You have to let your curiosity be put into action. If you have a story to tell, you have got to go after it, even if it does ruffle some feathers around town”.Faithanna Olsson’s journey from leading Talon News at Oklahoma Christian to her current role with NonDoc’s Edmond Civic Reporting Project highlights her commitment to journalism and community-focused reporting. Her work continues to reflect a dedication to storytelling that informs and engages the public.