Andrew Mollenbeck
Though many who meet him assume he was destined from birth for a career in news, Biola alum Andrew Mollenbeck came to Biola without even considering journalism. At the time, improving his Spanish and his baseball swing seemed more important. But Mollenbeck had gotten his foot into news during a part-time job at a local radio station during high school, and, though he didn't know then, it would lead him to major in journalism — and, in a remarkably short time, to secure a job as a full-time reporter in one of the nation's largest media markets.
During Mollenbeck's first semester at Biola, he jumped into campus life, expecting to major in communications or Spanish and enjoy the warm California weather on the baseball diamond with the Biola Eagles. What he didn't expect was that he'd miss his old job as much as he did. By the end of the semester, Mollenbeck was itching to be back on the air. Reporting for his old radio station during the winter break clinched the deal: journalism would be his focus for his remaining three and a half years at Biola.
Mollenbeck made it his goal to become a reporter at a Los Angeles radio station as soon as possible after graduation. He planned his strategy of moving from the small station in his native Hampton, Iowa to larger and larger stations each summer. As it turned out, he actually achieved his goal before graduation, being hired on by CBS's Los Angeles affiliate, KNX 1070-AM news radio, three months before he received his diploma. On the way, he also gained experience at jobs and internships with WHO in Des Moines, Iowa; KOGO in San Diego; and WTOP/WFED in Washington, D.C.
Mollenbeck also took full advantage of opportunities in campus media, working with Biola Radio, the campus TV news show EagleVision, The Chimes newspaper and The Point magazine. This has helped him in his career as a radio reporter because, he says, “you end up working with all forms of media. At KNX, I've written print articles and taken photos for the web site. Probably later I'll be filing TV reports for the site as well.”
Another opportunity Mollenbeck took advantage of during college was the Washington Institute on Political Journalism. Mollenbeck gleaned a lot from the summer program. “We didn't have a single class on journalism — it was just things journalists should know. It hit on areas that we need to be good at and often miss, like economics and politics,” he remembers.
Back at Biola, Mollenbeck wisely decided to supplement his journalism major with several political science classes — a decision which, while it left an already-busy college student even more sleep deprived, he's never regretted. Even during such a short time at KNX, Mollenbeck has already interviewed such prominent political figures as California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, as well as several Congressmen.
The job isn't all glitz and glamour, though. Every weekday, Mollenbeck is up at 2 a.m. to get to the newsroom and pick up his assignments for the day — something he's only able to do with the aid of a big cup of strong coffee. During the first few hours at work, he's on the air with a story at least twice every hour, and sometimes as often as four times, rehashing stories to bring out fresh angles and discussing the finer points of new story developments with anchors back in the studio.
With all the internships and jobs he's had, Mollenbeck is no newcomer to the jaded attitudes he encounters among his fellow journalists. But thanks to faithfully-maintained daily Bible reading and prayer, he is able to stay grounded and not succumb to cynicism.
“If you only deal with the material you have to cover, it can be a depressing job. Journalists can develop a very twisted view of life, and some get quite bitter. Only through understanding that there is a process of redemption — a future hope — can you really make sense of what you cover,” he explains.
It's not just his radically different outlook that sets Mollenbeck apart from his colleagues — it's also his unwavering determination to be the best he can be. “As Christian journalists, our standards are excellence. I go above and beyond, and people notice that,” he says. It normally doesn't take his colleagues long to figure out that he's a Christian — but he's never been looked down upon for it. In fact, he believes that Christians actually fare better in the newsroom than others; being such hard workers, he says, they get better stories and faster promotions.
Even though he's already made it to the country's number two market, Mollenbeck still has aspirations; if the opportunity presents itself, he'd love to return to Washington, or have a position that would allow him to travel. “I've attained my goal, and I don't know what the next step is,” he says.
But for the time being, he's enjoying his job to the fullest. “I'm absolutely content right now, and I love what I do,” Mollenbeck says.