While the media in his native country of Puerto Rico displays the whole spectrum of Latino life, Melvin is tired of seeing Latino coverage in U.S. media revolve around the same stereotypical issues of immigration, lack of education and underrepresentation, and is ready to find the real stories of the Latino community living in the United States. He has worked at Scripps Howard Foundation Wire, Washington Square News and NYU Local. His story “NYU, NYTimes Launch Hyper-Local News Blog for East Village,” was linked to by Politico, Gawker and Media Bistro, and made the front page of MediaGazer.
Shaira Frias
Brooklyn College, CUNY (Graduated June 2011)
Eager to become a part of the next generation of Latino journalists, Shaira is committed to providing a strong voice in the newsroom and to represent her community genuinely. She endured a difficult childhood to emerge on the other side accepting that her personal success was not only an option, but a means of survival. She was a writer and general news intern at NY1 and Fox News Latino, where she helped launch the network’s online site, latino.foxnews.com.
Latino Students CHOSEN for Coveted Journalism Internship
WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 15, 2011) — Premier Hispanic and Spanish-language publications across the country welcomed the Latino college students and recent grads chosen to participate in the NAHJ/NHPF Ford Blue Oval Journalism Internship last week. The internship was developed by the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) and the National Hispanic Press Foundation (NHPF), and is sponsored by Ford Motor Company Fund to support Latino students interested in pursuing a career in journalism.
“The NAHJ/NHPF Ford Blue Oval Journalism Internship gives students the opportunity to experience what it takes to be a journalist and to bring a stronger Latino voice into their communities,” said Iván Román, NAHJ’s Executive Director. “This year we’re pleased to offer the internship in various cities with large Hispanic communities and in Puerto Rico, expanding its reach to even more students who are working hard to reach their journalistic dreams.”
The students will complete the 11-week summer internship at Spanish-language or bilingual (English and Spanish) publications in the following cities: Washington, D.C.; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Miami; San Diego; Atlanta; Chicago and Phoenix. The interns will also participate in a training program at the 29th Annual NAHJ Multimedia Convention & Career Expo in Orlando, from June 15 through18, 2011, where they will brush up on their online skills on everything from podcasting and live webcasting to blogging and how to stand out as a backpack journalist.
“At Ford, we are proud to offer this internship so students who are honing their skills as journalists may have the opportunity to cover local Latino stories as well as national Hispanic issues,” said Jim Vella, president, Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services. “We are certain that this experience will help them succeed in their careers.”
“The ongoing collaborative relationship that makes the NAHJ/NHPF Ford Blue Oval Journalism Internship possible not only provides a once in a lifetime opportunity for deserving students, but also fosters industry alliances and community building. We thank Ford for their unwavering support in this capacity,” noted Mary Ann Gomez, NHPF’s Executive Director.
The chosen interns’ backgrounds are as varied as the personal stories that motivated them to become journalists, ranging from a student whose grandmother helped shape her dream by watching the news together every day, to one from a poor region close to the Texas-Mexico border who was the first in his family to move away for college and one of the few to attend college at all from his high school. These interns are eager to find the real stories about Latinos in the U.S. and become the next generation of Latino journalists.
