UNL Students Take a Pulse on Nebraska

Focusing on community. That’s the goal of the latest addition to the Experience Lab at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s College of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Heartland Pulse, a student-run content marketing project, helps Nebraskans form deeper connections with their state through unexpected stories.

Students, mainly underclassmen experiencing their first taste of journalism, public relations and community relations, are tasked with uncovering stories behind geographical places, physical environments and the people who interact with them–and each other.

From across the state, students work on finding interesting businesses and groups supporting a cause, and the interesting people doing the things uniquely Nebraska. The primary purpose is to show young people in our state and beyond that Nebraska is truly a one-of-a-kind place to live, work and play.

I have had the privilege to guide these talented young people through the storytelling process and building a lifestyle brand from the ground up these past two years. We’re just now hitting our stride. Our group grew from six people the first semester to 40 this spring.

“Do from day one” is the mantra of the Experience Lab and these young students live up to that. Heartland Pulse allows students to choose their subjects and the medium in which best conveys their stories, from long-form journalism to TikTok videos and practically anything in between.

One student group chose primarily a video to tell Sapahn’s story. You can find developing stories in the ever-growing library on Heartland Pulse website.

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I can’t wait to see how this project develops.