About
Ryan Lytle is currently a producer, reporter, and social media strategist with U.S. News & World Report, working primarily with the Education channel. Before that, he was one of 20 candidates who competed in MTV’s first-ever national Twitter Jockey competition. He ultimately finished fourth.
A 2010 graduate of Ohio University’s E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, he was recognized as the top graduating Online Journalism senior. During his college career, he had the opportunity to attain professional skills in a variety of internships: a video internship with Cincinnati.com, a multimedia internship with The Washington Post, and a television production internship with The TODAY Show.
Outside of journalism, you can find him on the golf course, in a movie theater, or out exploring our nation’s capital. He is a native Ohioan, having grown up in Cincinnati, and he is a diehard Cincinnati Bengals and Cincinnati Reds fan.
Disclaimer: If you do meet Ryan, you will notice he does not actually speak in third person. Ryan says this style will be limited to his About page.
IN THE NEWS:
5/3/11: “More and more universities will use social media” Association for Social Media & Higher Education
8/2/10: Scripps alumnus among top five in MTV Twitter jockey contest Ohio.edu
7/29/10: MTV TJ Finalist Ryan Lytle Sets Sights On New York City MTV.com
7/2/10: Former TODAY intern seeking help from fans! Today.com
7/1/10: Amelia’s Ryan Lytle on Today Show Friday Cincinnati.com
6/30/10: Recent journalism alumnus up for MTV Twitter jockey job Ohio.edu
6/10/10: Top jschool graduates for 2010 ScrippsJSchool.org
5/19/10: A memorable chest-bump with Matt Lauer Today.com
MTV TWITTER JOCKEY COMPETITION:
From MTV.com: He’s interviewed Sarah Silverman, chest-bumped TODAY Show host Matt Lauer on national TV, and was voted one of the most outstanding seniors at Ohio University. Just don’t ask him to dance. Well, you can ask, but it might not be pretty. Apparent lack of coordination aside, his accomplishments even at such a young age make him a no brainer for our top 20. See if you think he deserves to be #1…check out his bio below in his own words.
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The MTV Twitter Jockey competition was an amazing experience from beginning to end. When I was first sought out to be a part of the journey, I never imagined it would be as big as it became. Not only was I fortunate enough to be one of the 20 candidates chosen, I was also chosen as a top-5 candidate and competed in a week of challenges in New York City. Although I did not win the competition, I had one of the best times of my life and had the opportunity to produce some great content all at the same time. Here are just a few samples of my content during the competition:
MTV TJ Tweet-Up Meet-Up: During the challenges in New York, I had the opportunity to throw a Tweet-Up for my NYC followers at Roger Smith Hotel. Although the event was thrown for the MTV TJ challenges, I was also able to use this time to collect money ($270, that is) for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. This amazing event was held for only 30 minutes and it was up to us to make sure people were there during that time. Check out the video below!
During my promotion of the MTV TJ Top-20 competition, I had a great deal of help from my hometown of Cincinnati. With the city’s help, I not only had the opportunity to make multiple local media appearances but I also was the honorary captain at a Cincinnati Reds game and had a city park renamed for me. Oh, and don’t forget about my appearance on The TODAY Show! Check out my most memorable appearances below:
Honorary Captain of the Cincinnati Reds!
Lytle Park Becomes @RLytle Park For the Day
TODAY Show Appearance, Maroon 5 Endorsement and More
One of the things that I am most proud of during this entire MTV TJ competition was my performance during the band promotion challenge. I was tasked with breaking and promoting a local band in my city. I chose the band Bottom Line and it was the most amazing experience. From getting their name on radio and television, I was also able to promote them in Fountain Square – one of the busiest social areas in Cincinnati. With the amazing support from Patrick McCue, Peter Weisgerber and Bottom Line, we created an amazing interview video to top off the challenge. Links to videos below:
Bottom Line Promo on Fountain Square
Bottom Line: The Most Epic Interview Ever!
The last sample piece I will share from the MTV TJ competition is the celebrity interview I had with Mississippi rapper David Banner. This was the challenge I had been most excited for and I was even more pumped once I heard I would be interviewing someone with such great thoughts and opinions. I had 10 minutes to interview Mr. Banner. Check it out and let me know what you think.