UNITY ’08 Announces Core Team for Converged Student Media Project

Media contact: Iván Román, 202-662-7145
e-mail: iroman@nahj.org

McLean, VA - For the first time, UNITY: Journalists of Color, Inc. will feature a converged media training project for college students. More than 70 media professionals have been selected to run the intensive one-week project at the UNITY ’08 Convention in Chicago, July 23-27, 2008, and more can contribute their time and their skills to this exciting new project. For more information on how to sign up for that, keep reading.

The web will be the focus of constant news, activity and information for the project, which will morph into a single newsroom where student journalists will get front-end training on the skills needed to create and distribute news and information in today’s changing environment. More than 90 students from the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada – assigned to eight “areas” including television, print, web, photography, copy editing, video, radio and design – will produce an interactive website, daily newscasts, webcasts, newspapers, and daily radio newscasts while also doing podcasting, slide shows, video commentary, blogging, and other means of informing the public.

Following the current trends, those at the convention and people who are not in Chicago will receive news alerts, images and other info right into their cell phones or handheld computer devices. Achieving meaningful and varied training for students while producing a multi-platform combination of news, visuals and audio that's fresh and innovative in its content and in the manner in which it is generated will be a tall order for the participating students and professionals to fill.

Below is the list of dedicated and experienced professionals and educators who were selected for this first-time program:

Senior Project Leader
Doug Mitchell, National Public Radio

Assignment Editor, Deputy Assignment Editor
Luis Rafael Matos, Universidad de Sagrado Corazón, Puerto Rico
Danyell Irby Williams, National Public Radio

Production Czar, Deputy Production Czar
Mekahlo Medina, KNBC TV NBC 4 News Raw
Sarah Hoye, Tampa Tribune

PRINT AREA
Lead: Marian Liu, The Seattle Times
Deputy Lead: Bryan Pollard, Cherokee Phoenix
Raymund Flandez, Wall Street Journal
Delano R. Massey, Lexington Herald-Leader
Marvin Fonseca, Agence France Press
Monica Richardson, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Travis Coleman, Sioux City Journal
Tracy Jan, The Boston Globe
Fernando Diaz, The Chicago Reporter
Monica Rhor, The Associated Press
Jennifer Abella, The Washington Post
Wayne J. Dawkins, Hampton University
Mariangela Linera, Primera Hora, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Susan Ruckman, Tulsa World
Rochelle Riley, Detroit Free Press
Greg Morago, The Hartford Courant

RADIO AREA
Lead: Traci Tong, “The World”, BBC World Service
Deputy Lead: Brian Bull, Wisconsin Public Radio
Bob Butler: Reporter, KCBS, San Francisco
Stephanie Loleng, freelance reporter, San Francisco
Sonari Glinton, National Public Radio, Washington DC
Shereen Meraji, National Public Radio, Los Angeles
Jerome Vaughn, WDET-FM, Detroit
Mandalit del Barco, National Public Radio, Los Angeles
Charla Bear, National Public Radio, Washington DC
Elaine Heinzman, National Public Radio, Washington DC
Phyllis Fletcher, Reporter KUOW, Seattle WA

TELEVISION AREA
Lead: Jon W. Beans, Alabama Public Television
Deputy Lead: Haven Daley, Associated Press Television
Anthony C. Wilson, WTVD-TV, Durham, North Carolina
Elizabeth Chavolla, Telemundo
Greg Morrison, CNN
Lucky Frejo Mansker, KOKI TV Tulsa
Denise James, WPVI-TV, Philadelphia
Julie Nolin, CHEK NEWS, Victoria, British Columbia
Adrian Baschuk, Current TV
Dr. Mona Khanna, Icyou
Gilberto León, freelance reporter, San Francisco
Jorge Avellán, WDUT Univisión Detroit

WEB AREA
Lead: Michelle Johnson, Emerson College
Deputy Lead: Jesse Garnier, San Francisco State University
Antonio Lyndell Sharp, Freelance, Milwaukee
Eugene Tapahe, Brigham Young University
Henrik Meng, Wells Fargo & Co.
Craig Henry, Cherokee Phoenix
Manuelita Beck, nbc5i.com, Fort Worth, Texas
Jennifer Dronkers, The Poynter Institute

DESIGN AREA (PRINT)
Lead: Susana Sanchez, The Washington Post
Loren Tapahe, Arizona Native Scene
Brian E. Henderson, The Baltimore Sun
Janet H. Kim, San Jose Mercury News

DESIGN (WEB)
Lead: Madia Brown, The Washington Post

PHOTO AREA
Lead: Marcio J. Sanchez, The Associated Press
Deputy Lead: John de Dios, University of Arizona Department of Journalism
Akili Ramsess, The Orlando Sentinel
Tetona Dunlap, Kansas City Star
Kiichiro Sato, The Associated Press, Ohio
Sara Fajardo, The Orlando Sentinel

VIDEO AREA (FOR WEB)
Lead: Tina Pamintuan, CUNY Graduate School of Journalism
Danese Kenon, The Indianapolis Star
Frida Villalobos, Freelance Producer
Rhonda Levaldo, Haskell Indian Nations University

COPY DESK
Lead: Lisa Gibson, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Donna Tam, Eureka Times-Standard
Robert Boos, The Arizona Republic
Adrienne Johnson Martin, The News & Observer, Raleigh, North Carolina
Jose Romero, The Seattle Times

EXPERIENCE MANAGER
Frank Hamilton, Convergent Media Consultant at Havahula, LLC
Washington DC

BROADCAST TECHNICAL AREA
Lead: Tom Krymkowski, Freelance Engineer/Producer San Francisco
Johnny Liu, NeuroSky, Fremont, California
Dmitry Shub, IT specialist, Chicago Public Radio

PROJECT CORE COMMITTEE REPRESENTATIVE
Demorris Lee, St. Petersburg Times

VOLUNTEER TO BE A “DAY MENTOR”
Additionally, there may be opportunities for other professionals who would like to volunteer time on the UNITY project but cannot work the entire week. The expectation for the “Day Mentors” will be a one-day commitment, but we understand that there are jobs, training activities or tasks where a half-day commitment will be beneficial to the project. Day Mentors should be fully aware that there will be no compensation for their time. To participate as a Day Mentor in the project, in a paragraph, state where you work; if you have been a mentor or a student in the UNITY or any of the alliance associations’ student projects before; your level of comfort with convergence; the area you would like to assist in; and the day(s) and length of time you can participate.

Please send this paragraph to studentprojects@unitynews.org by June 1. Those selected will be notified by June 15.

A conscious effort will be made to ensure that Day Mentors consist of a balanced representation from all UNITY organizations. The leaders of each area will review the list of those who are only available to mentor for a short time and have sole discretion on the selection of these professionals, taking into account their needs and the coordination necessary to make this new project work.

Please note that additional volunteers will not be “comped” or compensated for their time, but may receive meals or a meal stipend for that day. No journalist will be allowed to volunteer with the project without being scheduled through the Day Mentor coordinator.