Rising
to the
Challenge
ournalism alumna Andria Moore ’16 thrives on a challenge. From the cutthroat entertainment industry to the California startup scene, Moore shows how a College of Liberal Arts degree helps you follow your passion and define success along the way.
Moore grew up in Auburn, and despite knowing the city her whole life, experienced a new world on the campus of Auburn University.
During her freshman year, Moore took a career placement test that indicated journalism would be a career she could thrive in. Sports journalism wasn’t her style and politics never quite fit. But after taking a magazine feature writing course and writing profiles for the Auburn Plainsman, her lifelong love of pop culture and talking to people culminated in her ultimate decision to pursue entertainment journalism.
“I would steal my dad’s laptop and watch all these celebrity interviews—usually the Harry Potter cast—with MTV, or the Today Show, or Oprah,” Moore said. “So, it was like all of the interests I had before, when I was younger, just meshed into this ‘ah-ha’ moment. I thought, ‘This is what I could do for my career. This is really powerful; this is something that I could really see myself doing the rest of my life.’”
Moore said Auburn gave her the freedom to explore her passions, the time to define her own career path and the guidance she needed to leave with a foundation for success.
After leaving the Plains, Moore first worked as the development manager for the International Center for Journalists and freelanced for outlets including The Washington Post, The Current Newspaper, Insider and the Motion Picture Association. At each position, Moore built her portfolio to establish herself as an entertainment journalist.
According to Moore, there’s no secret to navigating a competitive industry. It comes down to hard work, networking and dedication.
“If you want to do entertainment, it’s really intense. It’s super cutthroat,” Moore said. “If you know what you want, don’t be afraid to ask for it. There were so many times I wasn’t qualified for a certain job or didn’t have very much experience, but I did everything I had to do to get there. I constantly networked with people, I pitched to everyone and their mom and I applied to a million jobs. I just really, really wanted it.”
That hard work, combined with her writing skill, resulted in Moore’s positioning for opportunities that advanced her career in entertainment journalism and placed her work in major publications.
Across her career, Moore’s work is driven by her passion for connecting people through storytelling. From the latest films and literature to the people behind the screen, Moore’s writing stood out.
Even after making a name for herself in her dream career, Moore grew into new challenges. She left Buzzfeed to find a new avenue where she could cover new subjects and have editorial control over her work.
Moore now serves as the social and engagement editor for dot.LA, a tech media company in Los Angeles, California, that covers the booming technology industries on the West Coast. The growing publication, founded in 2016, tapped reporters from major news outlets and magazines to chronicle the future of startups and tech companies across California.
In this role, Moore brings a wealth of experience in entertainment journalism and expertise in digital marketing, connecting two highly competitive industries into a new challenge she approaches with big goals and a strategic mindset.
“Although most of my professional experience has been in entertainment, culture and news, tech intersects with almost every industry and form of media. This position will definitely challenge me, but I think that’s what I need right now in my career,” Moore said. “This feels like the next stepping stone in my life where I can grow professionally and learn a variety of new skills. I am excited to dive into a role where I have a lot of autonomy as the decision maker and can serve as a creative strategist behind a growing brand.”