Journalism Workshops

Jan. 29, 2009

Transcript:

Jose Cardenas:
Arizona high school students interested in a career in Journalism can find out more information about the field at The Arizona Latino Media Association's Alma 12th Annual Journalism Workshop. Joining me to talk about this and other programs is Anita Luera, Director for the High School Journalism Institute for the Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. And Anita, people know you from many fields that you've have been involved in that relate to journalism. You were in the media here and most recently with Valle Del Sol in terms of their media relations. And now you are at A.S.U. Tell us a little bit about your position there.

Anita Luera:
What I am doing there is high School journalism outreach. I run the High School Journalism Institute. But I get out to a lot of schools, high schools and talk about journalism, talk about media career. What that means these days as our technology changes, how we do the job --

Jose Cardenas:
And what does that mean these days? You hear about layoffs and newspapers possibly going out of business. So what is journalism these days? What do you tell the kids?

Anita Luera:
There's always a need for information. And when we look at the high tech nature of our information delivery, that need is even greater now. So, yes, it's changed from what I learned and how I had my career in television news. Now a lot of it is online. A lot of it is is instantaneous. A lot of it is corporate communications newsletters. It may not be the huge newspapers that we had in the past. And that's where we are seeing the biggest impact now. But it certainly is, there is a Need for trained journalists to be able to still dig for the stories, to get the people the information, and that's what I Really try to emphasize to the students. But they have the technology in their hands now of our new digital media world. And once they master that, how they use that will be in their hands to determine how the creativity of using those tools for future communications.

Jose Cardenas:
And what kind of response are you getting from the students when you go on campus? Do they seem to be as interested in journalism as a career as perhaps they once were a few years ago?

Anita Luera:
I was a little bit skeptical when I first started but then as I meet the students and we talk about it, they get a better understanding, and I think it's -- there's more of an interest these days from young people. Once they understand, hey, I can do this, I am doing this, I can communicate in the future. How do you want to come to a journalism school to be a well-trained journalist? That's what we want you there for. So that's the fun part is to see that energy developing out there when I go visit the high schools. I have been to over 60 high schools in the last year. Talked to nearly 4,000 students in one way or another, whether it is through my high school visits, being in several classes or to workshops, conferences, conventions. I have done quite a few presentations. And the energy when you see kids working on their school newspaper, and how they say, oh, what's the future? And I say, well, you come to Conkrite School of Journalism and we have the premier facility to teach journalism today.

Jose Cardenas:
And it is brand new. Tell us a little bit about the facility. Then I want to talk about the workshop.

Anita Luera:
Ok. The facility is tremendous. $71 million building, built in the heart of downtown Phoenix. The center of media in Phoenix and our state. And now our journalism school is operating down there. Our students are doing internships at media organizations all throughout the valley. And we're doing a lot of professional programs with, from -- which we do ABC news on Campus where one of several schools that provide the content for ABC news on campus.

Jose Cadenas:
And this is where the multimedia workshop is going to take place? Tell us about that. What will the students be doing in terms of using these marvelous facilities?

Anita Luera:
We have seven digital computer labs that our students, with the workshop will be able to utilize. We will teach them, we will give them really hands on experience. They will come in and they will have to work. It's not just a day away from school. If they have an idea of what they think journalism will be we hope to give them that taste. We have 20 Latino media professionals who come in and do their teaching throughout this workshop. And that's been what's so cool about it because these are Latino working journalists, media professionals, who giving of their time. It's a passion for them to come and talk to young students about why it's important that they get interested and go into the field of journalism.

Jose Cardenas:
Of course, one of the concerns has been the under representation of Latinos In the media.

Anita Luera:
Yes.

Jose Cardenas:
Do you think this program is having an impact?

Anita Luera:
Yes, I think so. You know, I mean, when I am going through school and I see students there and I go you look familiar? Where have I met you? Well, several years ago they were going through the Alma Workshop. And now they are a Cronkite students or they might be doing something else and they still Say, oh, I want to now, I wish I had gone into journalism, now they come and see the facility on our downtown campus. And to give our students, this is the exciting part this year, is that they get to use our premier facility downtown and to get that experience, that maybe now, ok, I am going to go really think about applying to get into The Cronkite school.

Jose Cardenas:
Anita we have about 30 seconds left. And I do want to at least get in a mention of the Summer Journalism Institute.

Anita Luera:
Ok, well, on the screen they should put on the information about the workshop. It's February 27th and you can apply and get in touch with me. [email protected]. And then Summer Journalism Institute, we do two-week boot camp for print and broadcast students. They come. It's free. If they are accepted, and they live on campus. And they produce a newscast. They produce a newspaper. It's real work.

Jose Cardenas:
Pretty intensive workshop?

Anita Luera:
Yes, but great fun. The things that they take back to their school are tremendous. We look for sophomores and juniors in particular so they can take the skills they learn back to school

Jose Cardenas:
We have to wrap it up with that but thank you for joining us on Horizonte.

Anita Luera:
Thank you.

Jose Cardenas:
The Alma and A.S.U. multi-media high School workshop will be February 27th from 7:30 to 3:00 at the Cronkite School of journalism. To register, email Anita, at [email protected] or call 602-496-5477. Registration deadline is February 13th. You can also contact her about any programs the Journalism Institute offers.