This week, the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ)—the two largest journalism organizations for minorities—will be hosting a joint conference that welcomes industry leaders and students alike for five days of development and networking events.
The annual convention will also include a multimedia project created by students from across the country, and, this year, USC Annenberg will be sending Sebastian Vega (B.A. Broadcast and Digital Journalism ’18), to participate.
Vega, the president of the USC chapter of NAHJ, will learn from industry professionals and work alongside other NABJ and NAHJ student members to produce stories about the conference and the host city, Washington D.C.
He expressed excitement over the potential learning opportunities at the conference.
“Being selected to participate in this year’s student projects is not only an honor, but also a huge privilege because I’ll get the chance to work with media professionals and project peers to refine my skills,” Vega said.
Other USC Annenberg students will also be at the convention this year. Jordyn Holman (B.A. Print and Digital Journalism ’16), said she's looking forward to being in Washington, D.C. in the midst of one of the most unpredictable presidential elections in recent history. She was the 2015-2016 president of the USC Chapter of NABJ.
Vega is also following in the footsteps of USC Annenberg professor Robert Hernandez. When he was in college, he worked on one of NAHJ’s student projects and eventually served as an organizer for a number of years, so he was thrilled to see two USC Annenberg students selected this year.
“The program that shaped me is shaping them,” Hernandez said. “We train them to be digital journalists, but we also train them to be aware of diversity issues in our industry and encourage them to help even be involved.”
Vega echoed this sentiment, thanking NAHJ for “a world of opportunities.”
“I couldn’t be more appreciative of their resources and guidance,” he added.
