Journalism student Stuart McClave (B.A. Broadcast Journalism/Cinema-Television Production '10) wrote a May 19 Los Angeles Times article about the racial discrepancy between the politicians and residents of Compton, Calif.
"For decades, African Americans have dominated Compton's power structure and held most of the elected offices," McClave wrote. "Every member of the City Council is black, as is the mayor, the clerk, the treasurer and the city attorney. So when I was assigned to report stories in Compton each week for my USC journalism class last semester, I expected to find a predominantly African American city.
"My initial research, on the city's official website, didn't challenge that assumption," he continued. "I found images of African American council members out in the black community, determined to change their city's image. They even had a slogan: 'Birthing a New Compton.' Once I began spending time in the city, I did find a new Compton, but not the one the website suggested. Because, although the city's power structure remains overwhelmingly African American, the city itself is now nearly two-thirds Latino."
McClave, a rising senior from Northridge, Calif., said he developed an interest in journalism and film early on when he saw what an impact both fields have on so many different people. He said the two fields combined can potentially reach out to mass audiences around the world to better expose unseen or disregarded issues affecting not only certain populations, but also every member of the human race.
"I could not have published the story in the LA Times without the experiences I had while reporting in Compton throughout the semester and without the encouragement from my professor, Sara Catania," McClave said. "The skills and values I have learned through Annenberg have propelled me forward to actively and persistently pursue such opportunities as working on an op-ed piece for the LA Times. It was exhilarating to see my name and story published in the paper I used to fetch from my front yard as far back as I can remember."
McClave has a strong interest in documentary journalism, and hopes to work for an organization such as National Geographic or the Discovery Channel — or to start a similar organization.
