Mission Driven

 “Local news is one of the few places left where people can come together to talk about real things happening in their world.  I really believe in the mission.”  

Journalism is a calling to Xavier alumnus P.J. O’Keefe.

“Journalism has the power to unite and connect—to find those little moments everyone can feel together.  The core of what we do is meaningful and necessary,” he says.  “Yes, we uncover wrongdoing and hold people accountable,  but we also find those little moments everyone can feel together.”

Throughout his 17 years in local newsrooms across the country, PJ has led the charge in reshaping how a local newsroom connects with its community.  After four years as Senior Manager of Digital and Sports at WCPO 9 News he recently took on a new role to further that mission with the EW Scripps Company as a Lead Product Manager for the entire media company's digital products.  

“It will be my responsibility to set strategy and drive value across the entire company, not just one station.”

A Start in the Studio 

That sense of connection began for P.J. inside Xavier University’s TV Center, a hub of blinking monitors, glowing edit bays, and laughter that echoed late into the night.

“There were a lot of late nights of filming and post work,” remembered classmate Reggie Ford, “especially when we were prepping for Xavier News and Time Well Spent. PJ was really fun to collaborate with.  He made graphics for the student newscast.  It was just a really creative, fun environment.”

While majoring in Electronic Media, now DIFT — Digital Innovation, Film and Television — P.J. learned to do a little of everything; directing, graphics, and producing.  The Boston native would also co-host Extreme Close Up, a sports show, with a “boisterous Texan,” Will Marmonti.  

“First guy I met in Brockman Hall freshman year,” P.J. laughs. “We’ve been best friends ever since—I was his best man, and he was mine.”

The two became fixtures in the TV  Center, especially Friday afternoons when Extreme Close Up hit the campus airwaves.   

“We had a ton of fun with it,” P.J. says. “But honestly, that’s where I learned how to think on my feet and talk through stories in real time.”

Ben Rife directed the newscast that year.  “P.J. was great.  I trusted him enough to never even review that segment.  What went to air was all P.J. and Will (and maybe a little Blue Gibbon, too).”

The O’Keefe-Marmonti weekly routine was more a ritual:  Thursday nights at the Lodge Bar, Fridays fueled by takeout from the Blue Gibbon in the Gallagher Student Center. 

“We’d stink up the TV studio with Chinese food, but we didn’t care. It was home.”

Crafting A Career 

“I realized journalism aligned with my values. The Jesuit tradition—open-mindedness, social responsibility, truth-seeking—it all fit.”

That rediscovery led him to a life-changing internship at WCPO-TV, where he joined the station’s first-ever digital team.

“They had me in at 5 a.m. helping lay out stories for the website like a newspaper front page,” he says. “It was right as newsrooms were figuring out how to exist online. I was there at exactly the right time.”

Chatbots, Deepfakes, Synthetic Models, Virtual Reality, Generative A.I., and more.

Whatever tomorrow brings, students in Xavier's DIFT program will be ready.

Are you ready to help?   Click TEDI  The Endowment for Digital Innovation

When he graduated into the 2009 recession, jobs were scarce. 

“I went back home to Boston and freelanced for the Boston Herald. Then out of nowhere, I emailed WCPO—and they happened to be hiring for a digital producer. They flew me back and offered me the job on the spot.”

That leap launched a career that would take him through Scripps stations in Indianapolis and Washington D.C., where he rose to lead digital content and ultimately direct entire newsrooms.

“I’ve been lucky to grow alongside the industry,” he says. “Each stop has taught me something new about how people consume stories—and what still moves them.”

After years in Washington, P.J. and his wife, Nicole—a physical therapist and fellow college graduate— wanted to return to Cincinnati and raise a family.   His return to WCPO completed his professional move.   The births of Teagan and Ewan completed his personal goal.

“Now I get to do what I love, in the community I care about most.”

Lessons from Xavier

Looking back, P.J. credits Xavier’s hands-on approach and close-knit media community for preparing him for everything that followed.

“Blis (Devault) pushed us to think beyond what was comfortable,” he says of his professor. “She made our senior projects come alive and gave me tools I still use.”

“It didn’t take an industry insider to see that P.J. had the work ethic and skill to go pro,” said Ben.  “I’m grateful for the credibility alumni like P.J. give to Xavier’s DIFT program and proud to have gotten to see him work up close.”

As P.J. steps into a new leadership role with Scripps, he reminded his team at WCPO 9 News of their mission.   

“You all are changing local news, for the better. Keep it up. Don't stop. Grow, try new things, fail, get feedback and start all over again.   It takes a special kind of person to do what we do.  Don't take it for granted. It's important and privileged work.  And, when you can, be positive. Celebrate someone. Thank them.”

His advice to Xavier’s DIFT students is both practical and passionate:

“Intern everywhere. As many as you can. Try every corner of the industry, because the

experience and the relationships will shape your career more than anything.”