Center for Broadcast Journalism

We are incredibly grateful to Old National Bank, who has awarded us a generous $15,000 grant to support our mission of mobilizing emerging journalists and promoting diversity in media. This grant will play a pivotal role in helping us continue our summer programs and continue advancing our vision of a more inclusive journalism landscape. Thank you, Old National Bank, for believing in our mission and helping to create a more just and equitable media environment. Your partnership is invaluable, and we look forward to the positive change we can make together.

We’re celebrating a huge milestone for one of our former NextGen journalists Aaliyah Demry. After graduating college this summer she landed a TV reporter position in Rochester, MN! Aaliyah’s hard work and commitment have already earned her the opportunity to fill in as an anchor. Her journey is a perfect example of the power of mentorship and community investment in journalism opportunities for young people. Keep shining, Aaliyah—we are so proud of you!

We are proud to share that our very own Marianne Combs has been honored with the Mentor of the Year award from TeamWomen! Marianne’s unwavering dedication to emerging journalists and media makers has made a profound impact on our community. Please join us in congratulating her on this well-deserved recognition!

We are excited to announce that we have updated our mission to better reflect our commitment to our work. Our new mission is: *Mobilizing the next generation of journalists to advance representation in media.* This refinement emphasizes our dedication to fostering diverse voices and perspectives within the industry, ensuring all journalists are given the same opportunities to amplify stories from their communities. ? In less than two years, our 501c3 has made significant strides with emerging media makers and journalists using our community station Power 104.7 as a platform for this work. In August we celebrated the impact of our Summer Journalism Cohort which was made possible through strategic partnerships with Ramsey County Workforce Solutions, SPNN and newsrooms like the Star Tribune, Spokesman Recorder and Pioneer Press. ? We believe that refining our focus will allow us to be more effective in serving our community, emerging journalists and local newsrooms eventually leading us to a day when our media can authentically reflect and serve diverse communities.

Congratulations to Angeline Patrick Pacheco for her byline on the lead story in Sunday’s Pioneer Press! Angeline participated in CBJ’s Summer Journalism Intensive earlier this summer and, as a part of it, was offered an internship with the Pioneer Press. Working with reporter Fred Melo, Angeline interviewed people working and living at the intersection of University and Snelling Avenues, and wrote a section of the article. It’s just one of several stories she’s worked on over the past month. Not bad for a rising high school senior! Many thanks to the Pioneer Press for providing her with an excellent work experience and being such a fabulous partner to CBJ.

Look out world! Presenting the graduates of CBJ and SPNN's Summer Journalism Intensive. These folks have spent the last month working hard with us at Center for Broadcast Journalism and @myspnn learning to report stories for print, audio and video. This week they've sat in on a @sahanjournal editorial meeting, met with @heverettcolbert, the head of the Minnesota chapter of the @NABJ (@nabjmn), learned from @samhoanglong how to write a compelling cover letter and negotiate for a raise, and chatted with Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist @wesleylowery. They also connected with their supervisors at @startribune, @pioneerpress, and @mnspokesmanrecorder to talk about their internships, which start next week. So grateful to @ramseycountymn for its transformative support! #changingthenarrative #diversityinjournalism #narrativeshift

Here's the latest story from our Summer Journalism Intensive cohort - take a look! *** Mohannad Ghawanmeh is drawing on his Arab-American Muslim background as he serves as the first POC President and Executive Director of Public Art St. Paul, an organization whose principal interest is the creation of public art. Ghawanmeh was born in Palestine; his family immigrated to Minnesota when he was 17. He says his ethnic status helps position PASP closer to the interests and concerns of underrepresented communities. “It's one thing to show concern for people who've just moved to the United States, the challenges that they will be facing, in terms of a social network that lends you access to opportunities, but it's another to hire somebody who's likely gone through those experiences as I have. I know what it's like to be on the outside. I still feel like I'm on the outside.” Reporter Gloria Ngwa has the story: https://lnkd.in/gArY7t3v

Nia Rasavong remembers the day she landed on Minnesota soil. “It was March 16, we got off the plane, we were given jackets and coats and went outside. There was a snowstorm which I've never seen, it was beautiful. We were slipping and sliding – there's not really any words – but I do remember that day clearly.” Nia is the co-owner of downtown St.Paul’s Ruam Mit Thai + Lao Cuisine, located on Wabasha Street North. From a refugee to the owner of a successful restaurant, Nia’s story demonstrates the power of family, culture, and perseverance. Check out student Selah Jacoway's story that she reported as part of our Summer Journalism Intensive: https://lnkd.in/g786M-ny

Q: How do you change the racial narrative in media? A: You change who's telling the stories. Our 2024 Summer Journalism Intensive is underway. Thanks to generous support from Ramsey County Workforce Solutions, we were able to provide these young people with the tools they need to get ahead. On Monday they learned about photography and community storytelling from North News Reporter Azhae'la Hanson; MPR's Derek Ramirez taught them how to use their audio recording equipment. Then on Tuesday we sent them out to interview people for their first stories. Now it's crunch time - they are crafting their stories, editing and reworking. This group is filled with so much talent! We believe that in order to change the narrative, we just need to provide training and opportunities to young people from historically marginalized communities, so that they can be the ones to tell their own stories. This week we're focusing on writing for print/online publications. Next week they will produce their first radio stories, and the week after that we're moving on to video/television. Then we'll focus on job readiness, and place them into Twin Cities newsrooms for some real world work experience. More to come!

Our team had a great time at the MN SPJ Page One awards last night. Our Executive Director Georgia Fort won First Place for a TV interview, and was a finalist for Journalist of the Year. While we saw some great talent get recognized, we also noted that there's still so much work to do to truly diversify journalism. We are committed to showing young people of color they belong in these spaces, and to empowering them to tell the stories of their communities.