UNLV alumna wins Emmy

June 29, 2009 by Renata Follmann 

She glowed with excitement and sparkles gleamed from her eyes. 24-year-old Lindsay Johnson was awe-struck when she found out she won an Emmy Award.

The tenacity of Johnson, a UNLV alumna, helped her achieve the highest standard of excellence broadcast journalism.

“A lot of it is being in the right place at the right time,” Johnson said of her Emmy win.

Despite her success, modesty seems to come through her every word and Johnson still gives credit to the professors who helped her dream become reality.

Johnson graduated in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and media studies, with an emphasis in broadcast journalism and a minor in film. From the desks of The Rebel Yell, where she was features editor, to small gigs and internships, Johnson said turning down opportunities was not an option.

She accepted an internship at Fox5 in August 2005 and was promoted to assignment desk editor. After taking a paid internship at Channel 8, Johnson went back to Fox5, this time as an associate producer for “The More Show,” of which she eventually became full-time producer.

In 2008, she became producer for the NASCAR show “Speedway Saturday Night:” the show that eventually won her an Emmy.

“I didn’t know anything about NASCAR,” Johnson confessed.

Despite her lack of knowledge on the subject, she overcame that challenge with long hours of preparation. Johnson eventually fell in love with the vivacious sport.

A sports lover and former softball player, Johnson had what her bosses thought was necessary to produce a NASCAR show, and they were right.

Johnson won the Emmy for “Best Production in a Live Sportscast.”

Her winning team included Johnson’s former teacher and now technical director of the show, Jasmine Garcia, who won an Emmy for “Best Technical Director.” The show aired on March 1, 2008.

“Speedway Saturday Night” annually documents all the NASCAR action at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Johnson is optimistic about the 2009 show, which aired in March. After the show aired, NASCAR president Mike Helton called the station to congratulate them on their great work this year.

Johnson said that reassured her that their hard work is continuing to make the show better. The team is hopeful for another Emmy win in 2010.

People who knew Johnson before the Emmy said that she could achieve anything she put her mind to.

“[Johnson] didn’t cut corners,” said Gary Larson said, who taught Johnson while at UNLV. “It was obvious that she always wanted to see a project through.”

Larson said that UNLV had something to do with her success.
“By implication, it says that we are doing something right and we have been lucky,” he said.

Larson added that Johnson’s accomplishment comes from her ability to challenge authority and to produce her own way. He described her as a gregarious person who gets what she can from any situation.

Johnson is proof that with success comes responsibility and more hard work. She said that one should be willing to work long hours and miss a few dates in order to achieve a better result.