The KALW Audio Academy Provides Journalistic and Creative Opportunities
Students attending The KALW Audio Academy were asked to reflect on what they hope to achieve during the two semesters. Here is the fourth of those musings.
By Guest Blogger Jasmin Lopez: Student, The KALW Audio Academy
Beginning the Audio Academy marks the start of an exciting new chapter in my life. I recently left Los Angeles to pursue journalistic and creative endeavors in the Bay Area – KALW will be a huge part of this.
When making the decision to apply for this program, I did so because I sincerely believed that it would provide a valuable experience in my life, career, and also lend to my continued effort to seek out opportunities that foster collaboration, learning and serving a community.
While I already work as a freelance journalist, I still lack much that an experience like the Audio Academy can provide. From offering a supportive network that I would otherwise have to seek out and slowly build on my own to assisting me in refining skills that I may not know how to improve on my own.
Over the next ten months, I look forward to learning how to produce content for a daily news program, strengthening my journalistic/storytelling skills, contributing my creativity to projects, and learning from and becoming part of the obviously outstanding and supportive KALW team.
Who’s Jasmin?
Jasmin Lopez believes The KALW Audio Academy will be a valuable experience.
Jasmín Mara López is an independent journalist and sound artist. Born in Los Angeles with familial roots in México, her childhood was affected by issues experienced on both sides of the U.S./México border. She founded Project Luz, an organization that empowers youth to share multimedia stories within their communities. She also coordinated Reporter Corps, a program that trains young journalists via USC Annenberg’s Civic Engagement and Journalism Initiative, and she founded Listen Up, Los Angeles, a growing collective of radio producers in the LA area. Jasmín has received the Association of Independents in Radio (AIR) New Voices Scholarship, and the Society of Environmental Journalists (SEJ) “Translating Science/Telling Stories” Fellowship.