Asian American Journalists Assoc. holds camp

Aspiring young journalists from across the country converged on Emerson to participate in the Asian American Journalists Association’s annual JCamp from July 29 to August 3.

JCamp participants Daniel Nguyen of Springfield, Missouri; Bobby Calvan, longtime Washington, D.C.-based reporter; and Thomas Oide, of Davis, California. (Photo by Dan O'Brien)

The multicultural journalism program brought high school students face to face with prominent journalists from outlets including the Washington Post, Bloomberg News, CBS News, MSNBC, NPR, Al Jazeera America, and others, including Emerson Journalism Department faculty members Paul Niwa and Cindy Rodriguez.

Rodriguez, who specialized in reporting on race relations and cultural affairs at the Detroit News and other outlets before joining Emerson, held a seminar for JCamp students on social media. She spoke with students about the pros and cons of social media, and how it can work to a journalist’s advantage if used correctly.

MSNBC anchor Richard Lui with a JCamp student on Boston Common. (Photo by Paul Niwa)

Students also recorded on-air “stand ups” in front of a camera in Boston Common with MSNBC anchor Richard Lui and Jonathan Satriale, technology director and videographer for Emerson’s School of Communication, who has worked in television news.

Jonathan Satriale of the School of Communication helps JCamp students practice on-camera reporting with MSNBC anchor Richard Lui in Boston Common. (Photo by Paul Niwa)

Students made several site visits during their stay in Boston, including to Bloomberg News’s local office, the Boston Globe, and the Hynes Convention Center for a talk with NPR media critic Eric Deggans.

Other JCamp sessions included a discussion with Al Jazeera anchor Joie Chen on the role diversity plays in newsrooms; a talk with Kim Carpenter, corporate communication strategist for General Motors, on developing tips to work with corporations when crafting news stories; and a discussion with Josh Freedom du Lac of the Washington Post on how to “keep your cool” while conducting an interview.