Fundamentals of Interactive Journalism

“I want to share a story with you about how I got to where I am today,” I said. “I hid under my bed crying, terrified of the military helicopters thundering outside. It was December 1989 in Panama. My country was under attack. I crept out of my hiding place to find my family huddled around the television set. A news anchor told us nervously that the United States was knocking down the country’s door to capture our leader, General Manuel Noriega.”

“That morning, Panama began crumbling into the haven of drug trafficking, poverty and corruption that exists today. That morning also planted the seed for my dream to become a journalist. The United States media and history books reported that Noriega was a tyrant to almost three million Panamanians. But to some Panamanians, Noriega was a leader who lowered crime and created jobs. This is one of the stories I have wanted to tell.”

“After I arrived to the United States in December 1996, I worked hard to overcome the language barrier by teaching myself how to read and write English. I have come a long way since then. Now, I attend the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism and expect to graduate with a Master’s degree in broadcast journalism. As I tried to pursue my career as a journalism reporter, I was faced with another major challenge: the lack of money for graduate school. My mother, a home attendant, could not afford any of the private universities that accepted me like Northwestern or Syracuse. But with the help of a scholarship from the New York Women in Communications Foundation, I was able to afford to attend the best journalism school in New York City, the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism.”  

“The first time I met the 2008 scholarship winners, minutes before we went on the NBC Today Show, I couldn’t help to think that one day I would be welcoming the future NYWICI scholarship winners on my news show and I hope that might be some of you in the crowd. One of the best parts of being a scholarship winner was receiving a $400 gift certificate and 20 percent off from The Limited Stores. I was able to buy three of the best business suits I have ever owned, including the one I am wearing now.”

“After receiving the scholarship, I immediately joined the Student Affairs Committee of NYWICI, which helped organized the Student Career Conference today. I felt that I needed to show my sincere gratitude for all the help that I received from the organization and for all the great friends I have made along the way. The Student Affairs Committee understands the importance of reaching out the New York City youth. It has started a High School Initiative Program to introduce young women to NYWICI and all of its great programs. As an alumna at HarlemLIVE, a non-profit youth media organization, I understand first-hand how important it is to get teens involved in the media.” 

“My mother and grandmother have been supportive of my career goals and aspirations from the very beginning. My mother was extremely excited to attend the scholarship dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria back in April because that’s when she realized how hard I work and how this organization is bringing me closer to my goal to be a television reporter. My grandmother cries when I tell her about my accomplishments and prays that she will see me graduate in December 2009. I was the first in my family to graduate with a bachelor’s degree and I will be the first to graduate with a master’s degree.”

“As an Afro-Latina, I know journalists, like me, play a major role in changing the news industry by breaking down stereotypes about minorities and promote the fair treatment of minorities by the media. In a multicultural world where globalization is rendering one-sided approaches and outdated ways of thinking, I want to help report the world’s story accurately. I’ve come a long way since I hid under my bed crying.”

After I finished giving my speech, students continued to approach me throughout the day giving me compliments about its impact. To think that I was scared about how the audience would react to my speech. I had never even thought about the fact that they actually would love what I said. I left that day feeling like I might have motivated some in the room to strive to succeed.