The news media shape how we see and understand the world around us. From breaking news as it happens to telling the stories of those whose voices could otherwise go unheard, newspaper and television reporters shoulder a hefty responsibility in their communities
For all the time we spend on social media, it’s difficult to see it as a tool for fact-gathering and reporting. But did you know outlets like NBC News have entire teams dedicated to scouring social media for user-generated content? Shamar Walters, a senior social newsgathering reporter, explains the process of finding content, verifying it, and putting it to use in the newsroom.
Coming next week: Mastering the Interview
How fake news is spreading in immigrant communities—and how to stop it
For many immigrant families, there exists an ideological gap between the first generations, who saw America as a beacon of hope and a promise of a better life, and their children, who often straddle two cultures—existing in the space between American ideals and that of their parents. It’s a situation Ca Dao Duong was all too familiar with. Add to that language barriers and limited options for news sources and it’s easy to see how misinformation can be spread among immigrant communities, so Duong took matters into her own hands. To combat fake news spread online among her Vietnamese community, Duong and a friend started the Interpreter, a Vietnamese-language news aggregator that translates trustworthy English articles from credible sources to make information more accessible.
You’ve probably heard “off the record,” but do you know what it means? Understanding the ground rules between you and your sources is a crucial part of being a journalist and conducting interviews. In this lesson, NBC News reporter Chuck Todd walks us through the different ways a source can provide information to a story.
Coming next week: Newsgathering using social media
One campus editor wanted to boost newsroom diversity. Her solution: Pay student reporters.
Writing for a student paper can be time-consuming and challenging work on top of an already heavy class load, but for students who need part- or full-time jobs outside of school, it becomes impossible. It’s an issue that disproportionately affects people of color, but one student journalist found a solution: She started a fund to provide stipends to students of color, and in turn, began breaking down barriers of access to newsroom jobs.
In the digital age, being a journalist means more than interviewing subjects and writing a story. For this installment of NBCU’s Career Spotlight, Tim Furlong from NBC10 Philadelphia discusses what it means to be a multimedia journalist, covering a variety of subjects for his newsroom from start to finish, and the tools he uses for the job (including his tricked-out Jeep).
To learn about other careers in the newsroom, check out the spotlights on interactive journalists, producers, directors, and more.
How are student journalists changing the industry
From high schools to college campuses across the country, student newspapers are invaluable to their school communities: They help budding journalists put the skills they learn in the classroom into practice, and they bring stories to their readers that could otherwise go untold. In this newsletter, University of Missouri graduate Taylor Blatchford developed a resource to provide tips to other student journalists nationwide. Read about the work she’s doing and how she feels student journalists are shaping the industry.
About NBCU Academy
NBCU Academy is a journalism training and development program designed to prepare college students for a career in the news and media technology industry and to help professional journalists gain new skills.
They offer free online instruction and digital content as well as hands-on training at select campuses and in NBC News, MSNBC, CNBC, and Telemundo newsrooms. Our continuous learning initiative provides fellowships and other job opportunities, direct funding, and course development to our partner universities.
These resources are aimed at providing more equitable access to diverse and marginalized communities that have been historically underrepresented in the news industry.
For more information, visit nbcuacademy.com and sign up for their newsletter here.