Honestly, starting as a sophomore is probably a hidden advantage. You've got enough runway to let the format breathe without forcing it to be "serious" straight away.
The real strength isn't the satire itself - it's the combo of NYC college culture, student journalism, internet-native humour, and that broadcast-style packaging. That lane is surprisingly underused.
But here's the thing: don't let it feel like students trying to imitate SNL. that gets painfully unfunny fast. What works is when it feels hyper-specific, self-aware, culturally accurate, and slightly chaotic. satire thrives on recognisable truths people already feel - weird Fordham social dynamics, commuter survival, internship grind, rich kid vs broke student contrast, dating scenes, MTA suffering, fake intellectualism, campus politics, "networking" culture, media student stereotypes. that's where the shareability lives.
your retro local-news aesthetic mixed with Gen Z pacing could stand out against generic campus meme pages. One thing I'd suggest: start shorter than you think. one to three minutes is harder than it sounds solo. you'll probably grow faster with 20-45 second desk bits, fake breaking news, quick correspondent segments, man-on-the-street clips, recurring jokes. Expand once the tone clicks.
and honestly, don't overthink "how it sells" yet. The bigger risk isn't monetisation - it's consistency and format fatigue. if the tone becomes recognisable enough, people start treating it like "the NYC college news account." That's where real momentum begins.
