Jessica Benson was Born For This Life
By: Tripp Vistica
March 29, 2020
Jessica Benson was born into the world of sports, so don’t let her love for Broadway Musicals fool you. Benson’s love for musicals does not mean that she does not know sports, because Benson knows more about sports and the sports world than you can imagine. Afterall, she was born into a household that centered around the sports world and was taught by her father one of the most important aspects of being a sports journalist and reporter, do not be a fan!
Benson was born in Colorado and is an only child. She grew up learning a lot about sports from her father, former Commissioner of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) and the Sun Belt Conference. Benson’s grandfather was a football coach at many universities and in the NFL, so it is easy to see how Benson was drawn into the sports world at an early age. Since the day Benson was born, she has had great learning tools in front of her which has led to her to become arguably the best sports anchor in Memphis.
Benson played four sports in high school. She played volleyball in the Fall, basketball in the Winter, and soccer and golf in the Spring. So, despite her background and knowledge of sports and the sports world, Benson was also a great athlete in high school.
In May of 2014, Benson graduated Summa Cum Laude in broadcast media journalism from the University of Southern California (USC). Benson was not a student at USC when Head Football Coach, Pete Carrol, resigned and USC was given multiple sanctions from the NCAA. However, Benson was a student the following Fall Semester after USC hired Lane Kiffin to be their football team’s new Head Coach.
This was a time of turmoil for the USC athletic department, and Benson was now a journalism student at USC while their football team was hit heavily with sanctions from the NCAA and was all-over national news. This made for a great learning experience for Benson to learn a lot about the cheating that goes on in the sports world and what happens when you get caught, so this was a great time to be a journalism student at USC. Especially, for the journalism students like Benson that were focused on sports.
While earning her degree from USC, Benson was approached with another great opportunity that would provide an even greater learning experience. During her internship with NBC Nightly News, Benson got the opportunity to cover 2012 Olympic Games in London where she coincidentally met her future husband.
After Benson graduated from USC, she spent two months panicking about her future. Benson describes those months as, “bleak,” before she got her first job with SWX in the Tri-Cities, Washington. However, the job only paid $22,000 a year, but Benson knew that was a common starting salary for a sports anchor.
Benson was prepared for the low annual salary, and she started watching dogs for Rover as a side job for extra cash. Benson explained that many journalists fresh out of college get a side job, because they know they are going to need more money than their annual salary pays.
University of Memphis (UofM) Assistant Director for softball and women’s basketball, Jen Hannah, believes Benson is special, because she strives to be the best sports anchor she can be. Also, Benson refuses to let being a female in a male dominated profession get in her way, and that is a testament to Benson’s determination and courage.
“She’s a very amiable, knowledgeable, spunky and engaging person,” said Hannah. “She’s constantly breaking the glass ceiling and knows she will go places. I wish I was as brave as she appears to be.”
Hannah believes Benson has the ability to do whatever it takes, and Benson is planning on helping Memphis Local 24 with the news. However, Hannah thinks the change in Benson’s work hours will be the hardest obstacle to overcome.
Professor Otis Sanford, UofM Hardin Chair of Excellence in Economic and Managerial Journalism, admires the warmth Benson brings to television, her friendliness and willingness to mentor students.
“Not only is Jessica knowledgeable about sports, she has a great personality for television,” said Sanford. “She speaks the sports language well without clichés and trite phrases.”
Sanford believes Benson could cover more than sports, because she is a good interviewer. “I see her becoming a national sports reporter someday,” said Sanford.
In April 2016, Benson signed her contract to work for Memphis Local 24 News, the Mid-South’s ABC local affiliate, at the Memphis Restaurant, Huey’s. Earlier this year, Benson signed an extension on her contract with Memphis Local 24 News.
Benson admitted that her current job is not her dream job. Benson said, “My dream job does not exist yet, because the industry is constantly changing and evolving.”
Professor Jay Gilmore, UofM Sports Journalism Professor, agrees with most that Benson is well received, and he said it simply.
Gilmore said, “She’s well received, because she’s amazing!”
Tripp Vistica 