Monthly Archives: July 2020

PODCAST EPISODE #77: Kainaz Amaria, visuals editor, Vox

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I think many of us are reckoning with our roles as journalists – and questioning some of the supposed set-in-stone practices of the profession.

We’re thinking more about representation, and we’re examining where we fall short as both individuals and outlets in covering the communities we serve.

I like to think I’ve been on a constant path of reckoning in this area for many years. I continue to evolve, and so does the world – and the world of journalism. I try to use this space – the blog and podcast – to bring discussion and conversation where it might not always exist.

I found a thoughtful conversation partner in Kainaz Amaria. She’s the visuals editor at Vox, and she’s the 2020 recipient of the NPPA’s John Long Ethics Award, given to “an individual who has, through his or her efforts, upheld, shaped, and promoted ethical behavior in all forms of visual journalism.” She works diligently to promote representation in both the stories she oversees and the journalism circles in which she runs.

Amaria is my guest on Episode 77 of the Telling the Story podcast.

She is also a speaker at the upcoming NPPA Virtual Video Storytelling Workshop, taking place August 7 & 8 online. I’m directing the workshop and am thrilled to bring on two dozen talented journalists to present about topics from COVID-19 to digital dominance. Amaria is one of three panelists speaking about representation in storytelling. Sign up now, and get ready to be inspired.

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PODCAST EPISODE #76: Chris Hansen, senior photojournalist, KUSA-TV

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For five months, the Telling the Story podcast has been delayed by current events – both external in the world (COVID-19) and internal in my life (the arrival of my second daughter!).

But it returns now – and with an all-star guest.

Chris Hansen is a senior photojournalist at KUSA-TV. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, he was a standard-setter in finding beautiful, innovative, and thoughtful ways of shooting and editing stories. Since the pandemic – with numerous restrictions on where he can shoot video and how he can conduct interviews – Hansen has found new ways to persevere. Take this story, where he interviewed neighborhood residents on their front lawns with the help of their cell phones. Or this one, where he used the drone to capture and illustrate the emptiness of Denver’s streets during a stay-at-home order:

Hansen is my guest on Episode 76 of the Telling the Story podcast.

He is also a speaker at the upcoming NPPA Virtual Video Storytelling Workshop, taking place August 7 & 8 online. I’m directing the workshop and am thrilled to bring on two dozen talented journalists to present about topics from COVID-19 to digital dominance. Sign up now, and get ready to be inspired.

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It’s been an extraordinary, isolating year for journalists and storytellers. Here’s a chance to get together

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It’s funny: when the year began, I hadn’t planned on attending any journalism or storytelling workshops.

This was abnormal for me. I’ve been a fixture on the workshop circuit – both as speaker and attendee – for years. But I knew my 2020 would be extremely busy. I was tabbed to head to Tokyo for 3 1/2 weeks to cover the Olympics. I had braced myself for several major projects during a presidential election year. And, above all, my wife was due in March with our second daughter.

But as the COVID-19 pandemic began to alter all of our lives, I noticed that the workshops I would have typically attended – or that I had attended in the past – were cancelling their 2020 editions.

This deeply saddened me. We are experiencing a pivotal year for our profession, facing challenges and opportunities in how we tell stories, and feeling an even greater burden to inform our communities amidst a swirl of confusion, misinformation, and noise. And we are mostly isolated in doing so – in our homes, removed from our coworkers, and without the usual opportunities for community and connection.

That’s why I decided to plan a storytelling workshop. And this one’s going to be huge.

I am proud to announce the NPPA Virtual Video Storytelling Workshop, taking place online on Friday, August 7 and Saturday, August 8. The speaker list is full of superstars. The subject matter is both relevant and big-thinking.

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