Journalism students gain knowledge and recognition in San Diego

The City College Times brought home five awards from the California College Media Association Banquet in San Diego on March 1.

Three awards were for content produced by individual staff members, while two awards were for the team as a whole.

The banquet was held by the CCMA on the Saturday during the Associated Collegiate Press’ 30th Annual National College Journalism Convention, a four-day convention full of workshops, critiques and valuable information from journalism experts and industry leaders.

The focus of the convention was the current journalistic landscape and the outlook for the future, in terms of everything ranging from diversity to technology. Current journalists, experts and advisers from across the country shared what they learned after years of experience in the field.

“It was beneficial to see professionals who have extensive experience in journalism and were once in the same spot that I am right now,” said Steven Canalez, 18, journalism major.

Workshops covered a wide variety of topics, including how to interview anybody about anything, quick design fixes and reviewing music more effectively. There were also critique sessions that gave students the opportunity to receive feedback on their work.

“These conferences give us experiences that we wouldn’t normally have in class, so they’re important,” said Taylor Atkinson, 21, journalism major.

Attendees were not only able to speak to leaders in the field from Google and The New York Times, but also to other students from all over the country.

Students were able to speak with their peers informally during a luau reception, and more formally at roundtable sessions where editors discussed the issues they face at their campus papers.

“Exchanging ideas and seeing what works for them was helpful because it will improve our paper and help make our presence even stronger on campus,” Atkinson said.

San Jose City College President Byron Breland helped ensure the journalism students would be able to attend the conference by securing the much-needed funds.