#ONA17

By Olivia Sanchez

Rachel, Rachel & I at the Washington Post

Rachel, Rachel, Nancy and I at the Facebook party at Newseum

Look, the capitol!

Facebook party at Newseum!

MJ Bears fellows give early career advice

Truth, trust and media panel

The art of getting s*** done panel

a map I found in the exhibition hall of places conference attendees have reported from and what they reported on!

#ONA17 was an amazing experience. It was so great to be around people who are doing what I want to do (and doing it well). I feel reinspired and and ready to fill out the millions of internship apps I have due within the next month! Here is some of what I learned!

My takeaways:

1. Never let one source make or break your story. Do enough reporting that you can do your story even if a big source blows you off. Never be in a position where you’re relying on one person.
2.  Be patient in interviewing. Stay even after you get a good quote. Wait for people to open up to you.
3. Do ambitious journalism.
4. Don’t tie your identity to your job.
5. Go above and beyond. Always say yes in the newsroom. Always be willing to do more.

My favorite sessions and what I learned:

The Art of Getting S**t Done
This session was done in panel format, and featured Justin Ellis (ESPN), S. Mitra Kalita (CNN Digital), and Elena Bergeron (SB Nation).  The description on the conference app said the session was designed for “anyone who wants real-world advice on accomplishing their goals.” And, “this is meant to be a candid, real-world conversation about what it takes to move something to your “done” column.

This was one of my favorite sessions because the panelists were open and honest about what it is like to work, and succeed in this industry, and still be a person. Some major things I learned from this session include:

• You need to be able to thrive on change
• What are the ideas I’m most passionate about? Prioritize. Organize your life around these.
• Celebrate even the small victories
• Don’t waste people’s time
• Have other things (besides your job) in your life that mean a lot to you. Spend time and energy on these regularly.
• Eat healthy to be more productive!!
• Send “atta boy” emails on Friday (shoutouts to coworkers), and your work week goals to your boss on Monday.
• To be a successful leader, you need to ask for help. Ask for input. Understand the decisions you’re making and the impacts they will have on others

Trust, Truth and Questions for the Media

This was the keynote on the first day of the conference and it was by far one of the best sessions I attended. It was moderated by Brian Stelter (CNN) and featured panelists Michelle Homes (Alabama Media Group), Elle Reeve (Vice), Nikole Hannah-Jones (New York Times Magazine), Cenk Uygur (The Young Turks) and Asma Khalid (WBUR).

The main topic of this session was the role of the media in the current political climate. It was great because all the panelists came from different backgrounds and publications, and all brought different viewpoints to the session. By far my favorite was Nikole Hannah-Jones and the way she talked about diversity issues in the media. She focused on the the need to give voice to marginalized communities who are so often left out of the news narrative the is promoted by mainstream media. She also was adamant about the need for diversity in newsrooms, and how important it is that reporters look like the communities that they are covering.

Panelists also discussed the importance of getting to know the communities you cover, not just popping in and out, but staying and returning and making sure that you have the real, full story.

Interviewing advice from David Farenthold

This session was awesome. David is awesome. #goals

• If the front door doesn’t open, start outside and work your way in.
• Go into interviews knowing more than your source
• Always be polite
• If someone is going to lie to you, let them tell the whole lie first. Then gently unravel it
• Don’t worry about being annoying. It’s your job to get all the information
• Let your sources talk! Be OK with silence. Never finish their sentences.
• Never leave yourself open to unverified information, even if it’s coming from good intentions

 

 

 

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Living the “ONA” Life

Last week, a couple of The Beacon staff and I attended the Online News Association (ONA) Conference held in Washington D.C.

My first time in the nation’s capital was unforgettable. Not only was I on the same rooftop at the Watergate Hotel as Carl Bernstein, but everything was absolutely a learning experience.

 

A quick pose at the Watergate Hotel before we unexpectedly saw Carl Bernstein.

 

The first day of conference kicked off with a “first-timer’s” orientation. It was the first networking event, and the room was filled with enlightening conversations.

ONA featured some of the brightest minds in digital journalism. The keynote speakers were outstanding and inspiring.

The opening keynote, entitled “Trust, Truth and Questions for the Media,” was a panel moderated by Brian Stelter of CNN featuring Nikole-Hannah Jones of The New York Times, Michelle Holmes of Alabama Media Group, Asma Khalid of WBUR, Elle Reeve of Vice News Tonight and Cenk Uygur of The Young Turks.

 

Opening Keynote Panelists

 

7 things I learned from them:

1. Journalists must represent the powerless.
2. Journalists should create a deep understanding of the underrepresented communities and listen to deep conversations.
3. There is a fine line between neutrality and objectivity. We should not be seduced by neutrality.
4. Use social media to search for stories coming from underrepresented communities.
5. We need to stop covering the same communities, same people all the time.
6. Report with racial lens and learn to establish trust.
7. We need to focus on stories that do not involve the Trump administration.

“There are so many inequality and segregation issues out there that did not root from the president,” Jones said. “It has always been there. He just made these issues transparent.”

 

David Fahrentold of The Washington Post and I

 

One session featured the famous David Fahrentold, an investigative reporter with The Washington Post who is a Pulitzer Prize winner.

5 tips for expert interviewing (Fahrentold Edition):

1. If people lie, let them tell the whole lie first then jump in and walk them through the lie.
2. Social media is a tool for crowdsourcing. For example, you can use Twitter to gather information.
3. Store all the information you can find, so when you need it again, you can go back and check again.
4. Organize your notes! It will be useful in the future.
5. When you walk into interviews, you have to completely be prepared and knowledgeable with information.

 

More with the Washington Post

 

Another thing that journalists should be mindful of is that trust requires:

• A way for the public to be heard.
• A way for the newsroom to listen.

We must build relationships and check in with them consistently. Don’t just reappear when you need something.

.@MichaelOreskes said “think of journalism as a process of engaging with the world, instead of as a product” #ONA17 @NPR

— Rachel Ramirez (@rachjuramirez) October 6, 2017

.@kristenhare said facts and truth are 2 different things. Facts are the numbers, while truth is something you see w/ your own eyes. #ONA17

— Rachel Ramirez (@rachjuramirez) October 6, 2017

.@AshleyAlvarado said that listening is a journalist’s superpower. #ONA17

— Rachel Ramirez (@rachjuramirez) October 6, 2017

.@jimbrady said that journalists need to improve conversations in newsrooms. #ONA17

— Rachel Ramirez (@rachjuramirez) October 6, 2017

.@JenniferBrandel said that the 3 T’s: time, treasure and talent can build relationship and trust with the audience.

— Rachel Ramirez (@rachjuramirez) October 5, 2017

One session was a talk led by quantitative futurist, Amy Webb. By closely examing fundamental shifts in human behavior or trends, she was able to point out what is in store for the future of journalism.

We also attended networking events hosted by Facebook and the Knight Foundation, TEGNA, The Washington Post and Google.

 

From left to right: News Managin Editor Olivia Sanchez, Me (Senior Reporter/Multimedia Producer), The Beacon Advisor Nancy Copic and Editor-in-Chief Rachel Rippetoe

 

The final keynote address featured a satiric panel entitled “When Satire Is The Most Effective Political Coverage.” The speakers were Francesca Fiorentini of AJ+, Matt Negrin of The Daily Show, Melinda Taub of Full Frontal and were moderated by Versha Sharma of NowThis.

And while my body demanded for coffee every hour (Thank you, Google for the free coffee), I had an amazing time at #ONA17. My mind is currently filled with story ideas, and I cannot wait for next year’s conference in Austin, TX.

-Rachel Ramirez

Internships and beyond

Several Beaconites who graduated last May and some of this year’s seniors spent the summer interning in media jobs. Here’s rundown of what they did in their internships and what they’re doing now.

2016-17 Editor-in-Chief Malika Andrews interned as a sports reporter (a James Reston Fellow) at the New York Times. It went so well , she’s still there.

Last year’s Managing Editor Clare Duffy interned as a reporter at the Portland Business Journal and was asked to stay an additional nine months to fill in for award-winning reporter Matt Kish, now on a fellowship at Columbia University.  Clare is now covering Nike, Adidas, Under Armour, banking, finance and more.

She also has been interviewed on KGW News about stories she’s written on Nike’s recent layoffs and the arrest of an Adidas executive accused in an NCAA scandal involving alleged payoffs to collegiate athletic recruits.

Former Beacon Sports Editor Ben Arthur was a summer intern at the Denver Post, and is now part of the Seattle Times’ team covering Husky football (University of Washington).

Ben was also selected to be part of the student newsroom at the National Association of Black Journalists’ (NABJ) convention in New Orleans in August, where he won an award for his Beacon story about UP soccer player Benji Michel. 

Ben recently spoke on a panel in an NABJ webinar about advice on internships. You can listen here.

Former Beacon Sports Editor Ben Arthur (near the middle, wearing black slacks and gray shirt) with other members of the NABJ Student Multimedia Project, which covered stories from the group’s national convention in New Orleans in August.

2017-18 Beacon Editor-in-Chief Rachel Rippetoe was a reporter intern at the Eugene Register-Guard as part of the Charles Snowden Program for Excellence in Journalism.

Rachel covered a wide variety of news and feature stories. She was also one of two of the 18 interns in the Snowden program to win the Ethics Award.

Working through case studies on journalism ethics with a mentoring editor is a hallmark of the Snowden program. The word on Rachel is that she went beyond the theoretical cases and initiated conversations on ethics as actual situations came up in the newsroom and in her reporting.

This year’s News and Managing Editor Olivia Sanchez spent the summer reporting for the Portland Tribune.  Olivia covered everything from DACA to water quality along the Willamette to mermaids. (Yes, mermaids!)

All that Olivia learned at the Tribune is coming in handy as she leads The Beacon’s news coverage.

2017-18 Senior Beacon Reporter and Multimedia Producer Rachel Ramirez  (front row, third from left) was one of just 15 collegiate journalists selected nationwide to be part of the VOICES program, a team of student journalists chosen to attend  and receive mentoring at the national convention of the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA)  in Philadelphia. Here’s Rachel’s video project on refugees, which she produced for the program.

Rachel was also a writing intern for Multnomah County government over the summer, and is now interning at Oregon Business magazine, in addition to her Beacon duties.

Hannah Sievert, editor of Living Photo by Annika Gordon

Hannah Sievert, now a junior and The Beacon’s Living editor,  interned at Artslandia magazine. 

This year’s (and last year’s) Community Engagement Editor Erin Bothwell did a marketing internship with Chamber Music Northwest. Erin runs social media for The Beacon and also writes the weekly email newsletter.

Good times at the Activities Fair

Beacon Boot Camp 2017

Ed Board barbecue at Nancy’s house

Taking a break from editors’ training to watch the solar eclipse

All staff training – Internship panel

Editor-in-Chief Rachel Rippetoe and News and Managing Editor Olivia Sanchez explain workflow and expectations

Interview demonstration

Multimedia journalist Beth Nakamura from the Oregonian shares her expertise

Snacks!

Portland Tribune reporter Peter Korn talks to the staff about stories he’s covered

Dora goes over AP Style and grammar

Erin talks about social media.

Heading out to shoot video of freshmen moving in

Rachel Ramirez selected for elite program for Asian American journalists

Rachel Ramirez in New York for the national College Media Association conference, which she attended with other select Beacon staffers last March.

 

The Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) has chosen Beacon reporter/multimedia producer Rachel Ramirez as one of 15 college students nationwide to be part of its VOICES program.

VOICES participants will operate a student newsroom at the national AAJA convention in Philadelphia this July, where they will also be mentored by industry professionals.

This year’s VOICES cohort includes students from Stanford, NYU, UCLA, University of Michigan and the University of California, Berkeley, among others.

Luckily for The Beacon, Rachel is returning to staff in the fall, when she will be a senior. We look forward to her sharing all she learned from VOICES with the rest of our newsroom.

Congratulations, Rachel!

Meet the new editorial board

 

Rachel Rippetoe, editor-in-chief
Photo by Annika Gordon

 

Olivia Sanchez, managing editor for news
Photo by Annika Gordon

 

Owen Price, editor of the Opinion section
Photo by Annika Gordon

 

Hannah Sievert, editor of the Living section
Photo by Annika Gordon

 

Dora Totoian, copy editor & senior reporter
Photo by Annika Gordon

 

Julia Cramer, multimedia editor (*fall)
Photo by Annika Gordon

 

Erin Bothwell, community engagement editor
Photo by Annika Gordon

 

Sports Editor: TBD (Apply now!)

*Annika Gordon will become multimedia editor Spring semester after she returns from studying abroad.