By Christian Mosqueda
Staff Writer
On Dec. 2, the Society of Independent Student Journalists attended Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) JournCamp in Las Vegas, where more than 50 students and professionals came together to network and gain insight on new and evolving methods in the media industry.
The camp showed students how media is rapidly evolving and how emerging journalists can embrace and adapt to these changing times. Workshops focused on improving narrative storytelling skills as well as how to use the latest technological and social media tools to conduct research, verify facts, and reach out to potential sources.
The JournCamp included presentations by industry professionals. Among them was Victor Hernandez, director of media innovation, who was named on SPJ’s “”20 Journalists/Industry Thinkers You Should Know” list, as well as Frank Bi, editorial engineer for The Verge/Vox Media, Kim Bui, deputy managing editor at Reported.ly, and award-winning broadcaster at KARE-TV, Boyd Huppert, writer of the heartwarming “Land of 10,000 Stories.”
Jasmine Gibson, a communications major, says she has SISJ to thank for getting a chance to learn from top media professionals while attending JournCamp.
“Joining SISJ has opened my eyes to opportunities and information around me that I would have never considered or have any concern for before joining,” she said.
As a communications student, Gibson has learned the basics of journalism, however, JournCamp gave her insight from a professional perspective on how to become a better journalist and thrive in the industry as technology and society continues to evolve.
Gibson, alongside her colleagues learned how to effectively use social media sites such as Twitter to conduct research and verify facts while “weeding out the fakes.” They also learned that it is OK to make a mistake and address it openly to create transparency for readers in Kim Bui’s presentation.
“I learned how to get away from the inverted pyramid to become a storyteller instead of a reporter,” Gibson said. “I have learned the importance of having a niche, and being a ‘jack of all trades’ to excel in the communications/media industry.”
The most important skill that she learned from JournCamp was the value of networking. Gibson who is in her junior year at CSUDH never networked prior to JournCamp, and the thought of speaking with media professionals made her nervous. Despite this, she knew it was a chance to practice her people skills. She had the opportunity to speak with students from other college campuses, SPJ staff, editors from respected publications, and industry journalists.
“I found that networking is not hard or painful,” she said. “It’s quite easy when you are speaking with individuals who are as passionate as you are.”