Humor Journalist Returns to UWM

Students of the Journalism, Advertising and Media Studies Living Learning Community (JAMS LLC) were introduced to humor journalism when Matt Wild, the city editor for the AV Club in Milwaukee, came to speak to them.

Wild, an alum of UWM, explained his background to students in the LLC last month, as well as some of his AV Club columns. Among these, a column describing an urban legend of a town occupied entirely by little people, and another detailing the notorious “Milverine” of Milwaukee.

According to the LLC website, Living Learning Communities intend to create “community within a community” by grouping students with similar interest together. The JAMS LLC introduces students to different media career opportunities, which include activities such as visiting places like the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and guest speakers that work in media careers like Wild.

Wild told the students how he had graduated from UWM in 2002 with a major in film, but he later decided to pursue a career in journalism at Vital Source, where he wrote a monthly column out of River West.

“I knew I wanted to work in journalism when I got my first paycheck,” he joked. After contacting the Onion/AV Club in 2010, Wild was offered the job that gained him the title of city editor.

“It was great to hear from a younger journalist who has already accomplished a lot and will hopefully continue to accomplish much more,” said Bo Bayerl, a student in the JAMS LLC interested in a journalism major.

Wild emphasized to the JAMS LLC students how important it is for anyone interested in media careers to seek out internships and put themselves out there, which is how he was hired for the AV Club.