Megan Dougherty | Writer
October 3, 2025
KTLA 5 is a Los Angeles-based news station that covers stories on the local, national, and international level. The channel keeps its viewers informed on all the latest news, reporting on anything from pop culture to politics.
KTLA gives its watchers the unique opportunity to submit their local high school to an on-screen QR code for the chance to be featured in their segment: School Spirit Spotlight. On the segment, taking place every Friday morning, reporter Megan Telles travels to the selected school to interview staff and students and immerse the audience in the school’s culture. By doing so, the station highlights the electric atmosphere of the modern high school lifestyle and integrates with its community on a deeper level.
This past Friday’s school spotlight was SCHS. A small team of reporters and their camera crew came down to San Clemente to film clips of our school’s cheer team, football team, and ASB as they prepared for both the Homecoming game and the parade later in the day.
San Clemente’s spotlight consisted of three different air times, 6am, 8am, and 10am, each being around five minutes long.
The 6am segment showcased our school’s loud crowd and cheer culture on the football field sideline. Reese Tremper, senior at SCHS and ASB Leader, was part of the sample student section in the clip and saw the news channel function in-person. She explained that the KTLA crew “wanted the students to cheer as loud as they could during filming.”
Airing at 8am were clips showing the behind-the-scenes work on the class floats for the Homecoming parade. In this section, Telles interviewed our principal, Dr. Brad Baker, as well as two ASB Leaders, Allie Borgerding and Annie Owen. Borgerding described the preparation process before going live, sharing that Telles would ask the students “questions about [their] traditions” and then “form her questions based on what [they] told her about the school.”
During the last time slot, Telles spoke with head football coach Jaime Ortiz and players Jesse Ewell and Scotty Johnson, getting the inside scoop on the team’s dynamic heading into their biggest game of the season.
Thanks to KTLA’s broadcasting, the lively and spirited environment of San Clemente was shared with all of Southern California.
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