The following is a reflection of my second week at Annenberg, diving into specifics of the two courses I’m taking: Journalism 101 and Communication and Civic Engagement.
It feels surreal to say the second week of AYA is already behind us. Now that we’re officially past the halfway point, I’m filled with a whirlwind of emotions. Excitement, inspiration, nervousness, and bittersweet feelings are just a few words that come to mind when I think about my time at Annenberg. I’m excited for the remaining days and all the lessons and skills they’ll bring, but also can’t help not wanting to leave. Although it’s not over yet, I’ve already gained so much valuable insight and firsthand experience. This has varied from working with our groups to collaborate on projects, to writing and creating a newscast with all the students in the program. Along with learning new things this week, we also got to see new parts of the campus, including Wallis Annenberg Hall!
Week 2 has been entirely different from Week 1, focusing on writing, producing, and exploring the intricate details of both podcasts and broadcasts.
In Profesor Rogelios class, Journalism 101, we focused and dove deep into podcasting and how it can be a powerful way to share stories and bring attention to important issues. We explored how the tone of your voice, the use of sound, and the structure of a podcast all work together to pull listeners in and make them feel connected to what they’re listening to. I learned that storytelling isn’t just about sharing facts, but rather about making people care. We also talked about the responsibility that comes with telling real stories and the importance of being honest and respectful. This all showed me how podcasts can be a tool for connection, impact, and real social change. Learning how to effectively tell stories through podcasts helped me realize how powerful my voice can be, as well as others. Through one of our readings, Create to Learn: Introduction to Media Literacy by Renée Hobbs, I was able to understand this even more. It explains how the human voice, sound, and structure bring listeners into a “magic circle” that creates emotion and meaning. It made me see that good podcasting is more than just talking, it’s a form of storytelling that can inspire action. Before coming to AYA, I wasn’t much of a podcast listener. But throughout this week, after listening to the various podcasts assigned by Professor Rogelio, I began to truly understand the power they hold. Each episode had its own unique style, shaped by the way it was written, produced, and delivered. Throughout our time at AYA, we’ve been assigned two group civic media projects. The second one is a podcast that must be created, recorded, and edited by each group. My team, Team Emu, chose to focus on Trump’s new policy proposal aimed at restricting international students from studying in the United States. During our remaining time at AYA, we will continue to make this project the best we can.
This week in Journalism 101, we went a similar route with Professor Allan. We continued to explore podcasting while also incorporating broadcasting. On Wednesday, we weren’t in our normal location, but rather using the studios in the Wallis Annenberg Hall. We wrote and recorded introductions to a previous assignment, the VoxPops. Being in a professional environment and working with such expensive equipment was intimidating at first, but it opened my eyes to the possibility of pursuing this as a career path. Then on Thursday, we spent class filming the broadcast that we had all written together. The stories we filmed were the ones the class had come up with earlier, along with their short descriptions. I was able to follow along with the script as the anchors did their jobs. After we finished filming the broadcast, I got to read off the teleprompter like a real anchor which was definitely the highlight of my day. The time spent gaining hands-on experience was by far my favorite part. Being able to learn not only by watching others, but also trying it myself was a very valuable experience I wouldn’t have had without AYA.
To end off the week on a good note, we visited the Natural History Museum on Thursday. It’s been many years since I’ve been there so going back was definitely nostalgic but still so much fun. Taking my time and walking through the unique exhibits gave me time to reflect on the city of Los Angeles, and how incredible it is. Seeing its history and how it has evolved over time was really eye-opening. I was truly able to see what Professor Rogelio was talking about, and how stories of “place” are told through everything.
Leaving week 2 has been filled with not only new experiences, but new connections with my professors and fellow classmates. Being able to see everyone interested and engaged in the same things as me motivates me to keep pushing myself and ,make the most out of my remaining time at AYA.
Works Cited:
Hobbs, R. (2017). Digital Audio and Podcasting
Communicating Change 