Oklahoma Christian alumnus Reese Gorman attends press briefing at the White House

On July 16, Oklahoma Christian alumnus Reese Gorman participated in a press briefing at the White House two months after his graduation. Gorman covered the congressional delegation while in Washington, D.C.

Gorman graduated in May 2021, with a bachelor’s in journalism. Gorman started his career as an intern for the Norman Transcript and is now a staff writer. 

Gorman emailed the White House communications director for Oklahoma and the South, asking to participate in the press briefing. The response was positive, allowing him to also ask one question at the event. 

“I was going to D.C. to write a story about [James] Lankford and cover the capitol,” Gorman said. “The next thing you know I was at the White House. It was super cool.” 

Gorman said during his time there, he went straight to the press briefing room but walked around in the White House afterward. 

“I saw Biden take off in the Marine One. I was right there watching the helicopter take off,” Gorman said. “I saw the Rose Garden and walked by the West Wing. It was definitely the highlight of my life.” 

Gorman said his colleagues at the Norman Transcript enjoyed the success of his trip. 

“They loved it,” Gorman said. “The story got a lot of reads; it was great.”  

Caleb Brown worked with Gorman throughout their time at Oklahoma Christian. Brown was the editor-in-chief for the Talon, while Gorman was the features editor. Brown said he was not shocked when he heard Gorman went all the way to the White House to report a story. 

“If you know Reese you know he is passionate and not scared to show it,” Brown said. “When I heard he was going to the White House it didn’t surprise me in the slightest. He has always been driven and wanted to be a meaningful reporter so I think this is just the fruition of his hard work.”

Gorman said he did not expect to go to the White House so early in his journalistic career. 

“I did not expect it to happen literally two months after graduation,” Gorman said. “Just being there and talking to Mitt Romney, Bernie Sanders, Jon Ossoff, James Lankford, Chris Coons, Kevin Cramer, it was so amazing. Just being around those people who are much more powerful than I ever will be, it was great.” 

Brian Simmons, program chair for communication at Oklahoma Christian, said Gorman has all the traits a good journalist should have. 

“He is determined and he is savvy, he is smart and I think he will go very far as a journalist,” Simmons said. 

Gorman said he always wanted to do politics in journalism, and his time at Oklahoma Christian helped him with that path.

“I kind of forced myself that way because I wanted to do that stuff,” Gorman said. “Everything I learned in the journalism department, from Patterson, from Jurney’s classes, from Simmons’s classes to just learning how to build connections and write stories. Even Orndorff classes to learn about politics. All that really helped me a lot.” 

Brown said Gorman wrote some of the most important stories at the Talon during their time working together. 

“Reese was awesome to work with at the Talon,” Brown said. “From another writer’s perspective Reese has always had a natural talent for finding good stories most people don’t. … I always knew I could rely on him.”

Simmons said the communications department at Oklahoma Christian gave Gorman experiences to go into the work environment. 

“I think that to be able to show the newspaper in Norman the specific experiences with the Talon really helped him,” Simmons said. “He was a good example for other journalists that are being trained by the Talon. I think he was a good example of someone who had the traits I mentioned earlier and if other students can develop the same traits, I think they would be successful just as Reese has been successful.”