Class of 2026 grad Raniel Santos hopes to use his love of music, movies and writing to break into entertainment journalism. His career plans recently got a boost from a scholarship awarded by KTLA.
A communications major, Santos is the inaugural recipient of the Sam Rubin Memorial Scholarship. The grant is named for the late reporter who worked at KTLA for more than three decades, interviewing celebrities and entertainers.
Santos has loved television since childhood, and he discovered an aptitude for writing in high school.
While drafting a book report, he realized his style sounded like newspaper prose, he said. “So I thought, ‘if this is something I’m good at, then I should run with it.’”
He knew he wanted to study journalism, and the fact that he could minor in cinema and television arts clinched his decision to enroll at Cal State Fullerton.
At CSUF, Santos got involved with the campus newspaper, where filling a series of writing and editing roles helped him polish his journalism skills, he said. He was especially proud of an article he wrote that featured an interview with an indie actor and filmmaker he admires.
Working at the Daily Titan, Santos said, he’s written profiles, opinion pieces and reviews and covered news events. “It encourages you to explore all of them and not just settle into your niche.”
In addition to his studies and work at the paper, Santos hosts a show about music on Titan Radio. Whether on the air, in print or in person, talking about entertainment is often how Santos connects with people and makes friends — and it’s one of the ways he thinks journalistic reviews and analysis can remain relevant.
A skilled writer can help put a movie or album or artist into context and articulate something the reader might have struggled to express, he said. Santos ultimately hopes to work at an entertainment-focused publication like Variety or Pitchfork.
As Santos has advanced in his studies, his writing has leveled up, said Martina Baldwin, lecturer in cinema and television arts. During the semester she had him in class, “Raniel’s arguments became more critically succinct and his analysis improved significantly,” Baldwin shared.
Baldwin said that while recent years have been challenging for the media industry, there are now many ways for writers to share their work. She encourages aspiring journalists like Santos that “there is a path forward,” and it’s worth pursuing.
The Sam Rubin scholarship comes at an important time for Santos because his family has recently faced financial struggles, he said. But it also signals to him that he’s growing as a journalist and others recognize his potential.
“My name is out there. It’s in the minds of people who can help me be the best version of myself, and that means a lot,” he said.