My experience with my first real in-depth reporting class is one of mixed feelings. I cannot deny the fact that I have learned a great deal about journalism in general because of this class. Furthermore, the class gave me a glimpse into the “real world”–basically preparing me for the workforce. This class was the most challenging class I’ve ever taken in my four years of undergraduate education. It was not because the writing was particularly hard, but rather because of the demand on my time out of the classroom. This is where I came to see how journalists really work–whenever there’s a source that needs to be interviewed, you go and that’s it. More specific to this class, we were instructed to cover immigrant communities in Miami and how they relate to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. Here’s were some problems arose. My community was the Venezuelan community in Miami. After much research and countless interviews, I came to see that the Venezuelan community does not fit into many of the UN MDGs. Although the community has many events, people, etc. that are newsworthy, it was difficult to tie them back to those goals. Nevertheless, I know that many of the things I’ve learned this semester in CNJ 445 will stay with me for the rest of my life.
My last story for my in-depth reporting class is on Fundacion La Ventana de los Cielos, or the Window of the Heavens Foundation. As I mentioned in my previous blog, this foundation provides alternative therapies to children with disabilities. The child that I focused on was Alejandro Osorio. While interviewing his parents to get the full story, I realized that I was about to cry several times. Some of things that these parents will tell you can make a reporter overwhelmingly emotional. They expressed how happy they were to have a son like Alejandro, when at the beginning their frustrations made them doubt themselves as parents. Nevertheless, I did not shed a tear because I was not sure if it would look unprofessional. My partner told me it wouldn’t, because at the end of the day, reporters are still human–we have emotions, and we react to what we hear. I guess I really don’t know what the “right” way to act is exactly, but it was a wonderful experience that I will cherish.
My fourth story for my in-depth reporting class will be about a foundation called “La Ventana de los Cielos,” or The Window to the Heavens. This foundation was founded by a famous Venezuelan singer by the name of Ricardo Montaner. Through this foundation, children with disabilities receive therapies for free. It is a donor-funded organization, and the therapies provided involve farm animals. According to Gustavo Osorio, the father of a child who receives therapies from the foundation, the animals on the farm help the children develop incredibly. Osorio also explained that through these therapies, his son has gained a kind of confidence that he previously did not have. The foundation also gives the parents of these children a kind of confidence in themselves as parents, and in their children. At first, Osorio said he was frustrated with his son’s disability. With time, however, the support groups in the foundation helped him see that his son was truly a blessing.
Estudiantes por la Democracia
For a story on Cuba-Venezuela relations, I interviewed several Venezuelan UM students to get their opinions. The students were part of a recently formed group called Estudiantes por la Democracia, or Students for Democracy. I was so surprised to see how passionate these students felt about the relationship that their home country had with Cuba. They expressed their deep concerns for future cooperation between the two countries. Even more interesting was the fact that students were coming together to become activists. They wanted to inform the Venezuelan community, and the general public, in Miami about how their native country could eventually end up. By organizing forums/panels, and discussions with community leaders, the student group plans on spreading the word about the situation in Venezuela.
It should be noted that the student group is not affiliated with the University of Miami, although many of its members are UM students. The group is also open to students from other colleges/universities.
CEVES
Today I’m going to interview the director of CEVES in Miami. CEVES stands for Centro Venezolano de Espanol. It is a Spanish-learning center, originally founded in Venezuela. There are currently three centers: one in Caracas, one in Puerto La Cruz (a Caribbean Venezuelan city), and one in Miami, Fla. If you visit the website at http://www.ceves.org.ve/, you can read student testimonials. The center’s students come from all over the world, and “occupy different fields of knowledge: such as business, diplomatic jobs, economics, education, law, military, science, physics, etc” (CEVES website). With this program, students are also offered a lodging option. Many of the students who took advantage of this option have said that the director, Cristina Nino, made their experience worthwhile.
My interview with her will be geared towards the education aspect of CEVES and generally why it’s important to learn Spanish in a community like Miami (from Venezuelans). I hope that the interview brings out some interesting information.
Recently, I read an article in New York Magazine titled “Columbia J-School’s Existential Crisis.” This article discusses the impact of new media on Columbia University’s Journalism School. Basically, the school is having some problems adjusting its traditional curriculum to the new media environment. With a new dean of academic affairs on board, however, the school is tweaking some core courses in order to better prepare its students for the future of journalism.
An interesting point raised in the article deals with those who deny the importance of new media. The most important part of being a good journalist, in my opinion, has to do with knowing the basics. With this in mind, though, it is undeniable that these basics will have to be applied to new media now and in the future. If journalism schools do not teach students how to develop their multimedia skills (and arguably their social media skills), they may not be able to succeed as journalists in the 21st century.
If you’d like to read the article, visit:
http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2009/03/columbia_j-schools_existential.html
Giving Back
Yesterday I went to watch Melissa Guerra, a female Venezuelan soccer player, coach her team of 9- and 10-year-old girls. As mentioned previously, Guerra always wanted to play soccer but was not given the opportunity until she came to the United States. She believes that Venezuela’s male-dominated culture is to blame for her not being able to play as a young child. Once she started playing, she feels that it was a constant struggle–with her parents, mostly, who held on to traditional Venezuelan views. As the years went on, she realized that she wanted to give young girls the opportunities that she did not have as a child. Now, she can be seen coaching at the Miami Lakes Soccer Club in Miami Lakes, Fla.
Neil Henry’s American Carnival
I recently read chapter five of Neil Henry’s American Carnival. Henry discusses how the news media, after the War in Iraq, were acting as an extension of the government. Sometimes, the media outlets endeavored “to rally the American people behind the administration’s war, instead of serving as an independent watchdog for the truth” (Henry, 206). The author firmly believes that this should not be the case. The media should serve the interests of the public because the public has a right to know. According to the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics (which Henry believes should be a crucial document guiding journalistic ideals), journalists should seek truth and report it, minimize harm, act independently, and be accountable. With this in mind, he goes over what journalism should be and what it should not be. He explains that “professional journalism offers the most valuable vehicle for communicating enlightenment, truth, and clarity for holding our elected leaders accountable” (Henry, 215). If there should be a decline in journalistic professionalism, societal dysfunction could occur. One of the most interesting parts of the chapter involves his previous mistakes as a young journalist. He goes over the things he did wrong, on a practical level and on an ethical level. From these mistakes, a journalist must learn to verify all facts and remain loyal to what one knows to be true.
With new media emerging, a kind of fresh content is provided to the public. By using cell phones, high-quality digital photos, video capabilities, emails, and blogs, media outlets can go beyond the traditional. Now, there is a diversity of information at our disposal. This new media can be used “to investigate, to learn, to communicate” (Henry, 233). And while these elements are so helpful for researching and portraying a particular story to the public, it is of utmost importance to stay true to journalistic professional standards–independence, accuracy, balance, and public service.
Venezuelan-American Brotherhood
Last week, as a new media element for my story on Ernesto Ackerman, a Venezuelan community leader in Miami, I visited “Clinica Venamher.” Venamher is a combination of the words Venezuelan, American, and Hermandad–or brotherhood. This clinic caters to low-income families in Doral, Fla., particularly those that are Venezuelan. It is primarily funded through donations, and services cost very little when compared to the prices in a hospital.
The purpose of the new media piece was to visually show the clinic, while having the clinic’s administrator tell listeners important aspects of “Clinica Venamher.” While I was getting a tour of the clinic, I saw pictures of celebrities on the wall. These celebrities were not all Venezuelan. However, they did believe in the care given at “Clinica Venamher.” According to Raul Salas, the clinic administrator, many people were grateful for the services they received there.
Interview with community leader
Yesterday, I interviewed Ernesto Ackerman. He runs a non-profit group called Independent Venezuelan-American Citizens that aims to get Venezuelans in Miami involved in local politics. In addition to IVAC, Ackerman is vice-president of a non-profit low-cost medical clinic in Doral called Clinica Venamher. Venamher is a combination of Venezuelan, American, and Hermandad (which means brotherhood in Spanish). This clinic provides medical care to poor Venezuelans in the area. With his infinite passion for Venezuela and its people, Ackerman was more than willing to talk to me. He expressed his deep concerns for the future of his country. However, his hopes for the community in Miami were endless.
Today, I will be visiting Clinica Venamher. I’ll update my blog soon.
