A Journalist, Activist and Researcher.
Multimedia
In the age of new technology, multimedia broadcast is the new wave of journalism. It holds great promise in helping reports do their job more effectively and in engaging readers. This potential partly lies in multimedia journalism's ability to generate more direct interaction, discussion, exploration and analysis of issues - which is what El Estoque's Multimedia Design class focuses on.
Video and Audio Stories
As the Features editor for Multimedia Design last year, I worked with my co-editor to publish monthly packages, or collection of stories using different multimedia tools. To pay homage to this transition that traditional journalism was experiencing in going from print to online, we made sure to incorporate video stories as much as possible. The following packages include at least one video.
1. Let's talk about money from the package "On the money"explores student's spending habits
2. Where they belong from the package "To build a home"explores Muslim high school students' perspectives of their faith
3. Hear us: the students from the package "Liberty: an exploration of free speech and expression" exploring students' views on free speech at MVHS
Over the course of my time at El Estoque, I myself have published several video and audio stories on various subjects. Coming from a traditional writing background, shooting a video or penning my thoughts down in an audio format was intially a daunting task for me. However, the videos and audio stories attached below are an indication of my growth as a journalist, one who recognizes that in this age of technology and digitalization, it is imperative that reporters learn to utilize various multimedia broadcast mediums.
Apathy at MVHS: This video explores Monta Vista HS students' views on apathy - what it means, what their position on apathy is, how apathy differs from generation to generation, and the importance of student activism. My co-reporter and I chose not to do a written story on this subject because we felt that this is a relevant topic to our school community, and it'd be more impactful if our viewers heard for themselves the passion our sources feel for apathy, or lack thereof. With a written story, this emotional connection would not have come across. Furthermore, the video's B-roll, specifically shots of Women's March, Climate Change Rally, and Andrew Yang campaign efforts, were taken by me.
50 Questions with Bonnie Belshe: Based on Vogue's 73 Questions segment, this video is part of a recurring Features video series on different teachers at Monta Vista HS. For this story, in particular, my co-reporter and I interviewed a history teacher about her love of holidays and family traditions. The resulting video is a synthesis of the teacher's experiences made more powerful by the medium of video telling, as it captures our source - their humor, views, and personality - in the most authentic way possible.
Not so easy: being a feminist in today's age: This was originally going to be a written column story about my experiences dealing with the pushback I sometimes receive for being a proud and loud feminist, and how overused platitudes of empowerment oversimplify what it means to be an empowered young woman. However, while writing this story, I found myself getting teary-eyed and emotional, and I recognized that if my story was to truly impact people, then merely reading words would not be enough. Thus, I changed my original to an audio column, which I believe helps my message, emotions, and views come across in a far more powerful way.
Uncensored: This audio story was part of a larger package on free speech. As the Features editor managing the direction of this project, I decided to include one audio-based article on student journalists' views on the First Amendment, free speech and press, and democracy. As such, everyone in the section, including myself, prepared a moving speech on why we so strongly believe in the power of words and freedom to speak and think as we wish. As a free press activist, this was a very important story to me, and the audio above is my interpretation, perspective and belief on free speech.