Chickasaw student reporter earns Native journalism fellowship

This article appeared in the October 2014 edition of the Chickasaw Times

ADA, Okla. - Chickasaw citizen and KCNP radio correspondent Sarah Jones was given a unique opportunity this summer to develop her skills as a multimedia journalist. Ms. Jones, a senior at East Central University, was among 10 college students selected to take part in a pilot program Native American Journalism Fellowship.

Ms. Jones is a part-time reporter and announcer for the Chickasaw Nation’s community radio station KCNP, which broadcasts from Ada. Her duties include producing public affairs pieces and serving as on-air talent for the station.

Ms. Jones admitted she was little nervous when she first heard she was selected for the fellowship. This was to be her first professional conference and she wasn’t sure what to expect.

The yearlong fellowship provides Native American students opportunities to gain experience in journalism and access to mentors. The program is a joint partnership between the Native American Journalists Association, the Newseum Institute and the University of Montana School of Journalism.

Ms. Jones’ fellowship experience started at the 2014 National Native Media Conference in Santa Clara, California. The students participated in the conference as part of NAJA’s Native Voices program.

Students arrived before the conference to attend three days of training. The students learned the basics of print, radio, video and online news production. The training prepared the students for the hands-on portion of their instruction. During the conference, students wrote stories covering the event and produced multimedia packages for the Native Voice website.

“It was neat because everyone wanted to be there,” Ms. Jones said. “It was cool to be around other people who want to be a journalist as much as I do.”

For Ms. Jones, the experience was a challenge but also reaffirmed her desire to pursue a career in mass media. The students had tight deadlines and produced multiple stories. However, the workload didn’t bother her and she surprised herself about how well she handled the stress of the newsroom.

“The best thing for me was getting through the deadlines and knowing I could get through it. The experience gave me confidence as a journalist,” Ms. Jones said.

Ms. Jones had another experience at the conference that gave her confidence in her skills as a reporter. At the end of the NAJA conference, her feature profile of Chickasaw mixed martial arts fighter Jussely Canada was awarded second place in the student radio category.

What’s next

Fellowship students will continue learning through a series of webinars designed to improve their journalism skills. The students will also have access to their mentor throughout the year to help them with technical or career advice.

This year’s fellowship students will end their year at the 2015 NAJA conference and will serve as a senior staffer for the next class of students.

Ms. Jones plans to finish her undergraduate degree next year and continue to work at KCNP. She is considering a graduate degree in journalism in the future.

More information and the 2014 Native Voices student stories are available at http://nativevoice.naja.com.