Trojan Marching Band

The explainer video assignment was my favourite one, easily. Besides the warm welcome, Director Jacob Vogel and the Trojan Marching Band were my first official sources as a reporter. This task taught me how to interview appropriately, and effectively. On the job I met more than a hundred students, all eager to speak about the space they hold as a historic part of the university. I also had fun directing certain visuals, like the opening scene. I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to pry, watch them hone their craft as they march along the path of their legacy.

Instagram caption from @visualnewsroom:

As the semester ends and we begin to creep into the new year, it is worth highlighting Annenberg Media, what it takes to work in the newsroom and the ‘joyful chaos’ that cements our drive to become journalists in the first place.

To be resilient as a community is to adapt to challenge, heal our wounds with wisdom, and collectively persist a new reality that ebbs and flows at the rhythm of our desired tune.

Journalists report buried truths. It is our sole responsibility to commemorate the unvoiced. With each fall, we rise and bask in the glory of conquering adversity. But not once has the journalist done it alone.

Without writers, producers, volunteers, editors, professors, technicians, and contributors to the media center, there would be no such thing as the journalist. Working at Annenberg Media is an experience one can never forget. It is a nativity scene, where seniors coddle the young, and the newsroom becomes a manger where love blooms. We are the ones who care.

To be resilient is to continue, to never contemplate hitting pause because together as a community, there is forever room to grow.

This final task was a test of resilience in itself. Before I decided to focus on Annenberg Media I had two ideas. Unfortunately, both sources who I had planned to shoot and focus on, cancelled and were unavailable. Having happened twice, I realized that journalism is a lot harder than I had imagined. In hindsight, I was not pleased. But, I realized that I cannot be a selfish journalist. A source owes a journalist nothing but the truth, and if they are unavailable, I must respect that.

I felt extremely tested. However, I eventually came up with an idea. I decided to shoot Annenberg Media because I fostered many memories, skills and relationships while working there this semester. It never felt awfully academic, but more homey and experiential - exactly how a newsroom should feel.

Although not quite on the nose, I believe my video showcased a different kind of resilience; one shared by a collective striving for an ultimate achievement together.

Annenberg Media stands as an incubator of cultivated stories, ideas, and most importantly, history. It's important to remember that it was not done alone.

For my portfolio, I took this advice and cut half the text. This way, my infographic became clearer and less wordy. I would change the layout of my design because it was difficult and time-consuming. It was a small structure for an infographic with a lot of text.

Ultimately, this assignment showed me how helpful and effective feedback is. Most importantly, it is what stands between a good piece of work, and a great piece of work.