journalism major Karl Schneider, ’17, will join the nation’s top journalism students to report on the quality and supply of water across the United States as part of the 2017 News21 program.
“News21 offers a good opportunity for in-depth and investigative reporting, which is the type of work I'd like to pursue,” Schneider said.
News21 is a prestigious national initiative aimed at preparing “a new generation of journalists capable of reshaping the news industry.” Headquartered in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University, News21 fellows cover critical national issues through varied storytelling techniques.
“The other fellows and I will be reporting on the quality and supply of water across the U.S. It's such a vital resource, and as we know from Flint and other cities, there are communities without access to potable water,” Schneider said. “A disparity like that is alarming and having the opportunity to dig into the problem and, hopefully, find some solution-oriented objectives is a cornerstone of journalism.”
This year, 30 students from 18 universities will be part of the 10-week summer fellowship. Students from ’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication have participated most years since 2013.
“My time here at JMC has provided me with a good skillset for this fellowship. I've been able to hone my multimedia capabilities, stretch my writing skills and get comfortable behind a DSLR (video camera),” Schneider said. “The professors at the school have helped push me and given me the confidence to succeed. My roles within The r and KentWired.com have also been invaluable. The culture in the newsroom keeps me striving to do better, and it's an experience I'll carry with me throughout my career.”
In 2016, two JMC students, Jimmy Miller, ’17 and Emily Mills, ’16, participated in the News21 program. Together they reported on the political views of white working-class Americans during Election 2016. Read more about their experiences: http://www.kent.edu/jmc/news-21