Students attend 2023 National Association of Hispanic Journalists Conference
From left to right, Mike Martinez, Miguel Auvert and Ali La Rosa outside the Awards Banquet and Hall of Fame Induction on the closing night of the 2023 National Association Hispanic Journalists conference.
School of Journalism and Media student Alexis (Ali) La Rosa saw attending the 2023 National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) conference as an opportunity to not only engage with more journalists but her culture as a Latina.
“My abuela never taught me Spanish so I never focused on my Cuban heritage till now,” La Rosa said. “This experience was a wake-up call for sure. I pushed myself to make connections and proved to myself how much I wanted to be in the industry.”
The NAHJ is dedicated to the advancement of Hispanic and Latino journalists in the United States and Puerto Rico. Assistant Professor Michael Martinez said this summer was the first time the school was able to take students to the conference. Hosted in Miami, Florida this summer, the conference takes place over two-and-a-half days and attendees can attend workshops, panel presentations, recruiting events and more.
Martinez said the students were amazed at how much access they had to other media professionals from companies such as NBC, CBS, ABC and MLB.
He said a recurring theme throughout the conference was the projected growth of the Hispanic community in the U.S. and the need for more media professionals to adequately cover this community and its culture. Many senior journalists at the conference noted the evolution of newsrooms and coverage from when they started.
“To me it was important for our students to see people that look like them that were successful in the newsroom,” Martinez said. “That’s part of why NAHJ exists, to reach down and lift up those behind you.”
La Rosa said a highlight from the conference was meeting an executive producer of the Today show at a student breakfast. She added they gave her advice and was willing to hear what she had to say, which made her feel validated.
La Rosa is majoring in journalism and media with a minor in cinema studies. She dreams of being an entertainment journalist.
“I chose University of Tennessee, Knoxville, because while I toured it one of the guides told a story about alumni that now works for SNL and that has been a dream of mine when I was younger,” La Rosa said.
She continues to move closer to that dream through engaged learning opportunities like the conference. She is also head producer of Vol News and a host of Vol Talk for The Volunteer Channel, and a co-host of Life on Rocky Top podcast, and videographer for The Daily Beacon.
To learn more about other conferences and networking trips visit jem.utk.edu/student-experience/travel-opportunities.