Academics

Hey everyone! The first two months of school and Odyssey have been a whirlwind. We have started off strong, with the presentations of our elevator pitches and the beginning of our research. But before we even get to that, I should mention my summer. This past July, I went to the FBI Teen Academy here in Albuquerque. This experience allowed me to see firsthand a side of government that is portrayed heavily in the media (with both glamorizing and scathing reports). It was a great introduction into my Odyssey project, as I got to see for myself an organization that often gets skewed by media attention.

As I have dived into the school year, my elevator pitch was one of the first big requirements I have had to fill. Writing, revising, practicing, and finally presenting my pitch was a really great experience for me. I got to practice both the peer reviewing process, and the public speaking aspects of the Odyssey Program that will be so essential throughout my project. As I wrote my speech and started my research, I have begun to realize how much I want to know. Finding sources has proven somewhat difficult, but I am finding really interesting ways in which my topic connects to other fields. For example, I read a book chapter written by Ik Jae Chung, who combines IT and computer programs with public policy. He is a wonderful example of all the ways I can implement the research I am starting to do on politics and journalism. As I continue to do this research, I hope to find even more information on psychology, linguistics, impact of media on public policy, and more. Overall, these last two months have allowed me to see more of the scale of my topic and how many directions I can go with it. I am really looking forward to finding more resources and meeting more people who can help open my eyes to unexpected ways in which my project can be influential. 

Hey everyone! This month has been filled with me doing research and finding ways to make connections. At the beginning of October, the Odyssey class went to the UNM Libraries. I explored Zimmerman library and found some cool sources (and  I also got to go down to the basement to look at the collection of government documents, which was definitely a highlight). One of the sources that I found was a book called Media Nation: The Political History of News in Modern America which had a chapter, “The Multiple Political Roles of American Journalism,” that really helped my research. The chapter discussed how journalists are involved in politics, including as lobbyists, activists, and government insiders. The chapter’s exploration of the political side of journalism, backed by historical instances, provides insight on trends in media and the concepts being explored apply to political journalism as a whole. The author of the chapter, Michael Schudson, brought up many interesting points that correlated to my research and it was really satisfying to read a source that so directly relates to my project.

Going to UNM inspired me to look into the faculty of their Department of Communication and Journalism. I found multiple people whose focuses of study align with my research on political media, including Professor Gwyneth Doland Parker, who I reached out to. Professor Gwyneth Doland Parker is a professor of practice at UNM and has experience in journalism both locally in New Mexico and on a federal level in Washington DC. In the coming months I hope to gain insights from her in addition to reaching out to more people in my community. 

Hey everyone! This month has been a busy one. In Odyssey, November has been a month of a lot of progress. Early on in the month, I conducted my first interview for my project with Professor Gwyneth Doland. Professor Doland is a professor of practice at UNM who has extensive journalistic experience. Her insight was incredible to hear and very impactful on my perspective as I continue my own research into political media. I also got some wonderful tips from Professor Doland, in addition to a book recommendation (The Elements of Journalism by Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel)!

My research this month brought a lot of more nuanced aspects of the media’s relationship with the public to my attention. In my conversation with Professor Doland, she discussed that a large part of that relationship is the public’s obligation to seek out diverse and reliable media sources. After my interview, I read a book chapter from Media and governance: Exploring the role of news media in complex systems of governance that explores this idea. The chapter, by B. Guy Peters, acknowledges that most people will not seek out and appreciate opinions/stances on issues that do not align with their own. This leads to a phenomenon called “narrowcasting” which involves an increase of news catered to viewers preexisting preferences and notions about politics. This concept is perpetuated by the consumer, but is being adopted by many forms of news that people receive, which is really interesting to consider.

This semester has been one of trial and error. As I have been ironing out more of the details and specifics of my project, I have had my eyes opened to the subtleties of media ethics, relations, and responsibilities. I have learned various skills and information through new experiences, academic sources, and individuals in my community.

Before the semester even started, I did my community observation. Over the summer, I went to the FBI Teen Academy and learned about the role of the FBI in Albuquerque and throughout New Mexico. I got the journalistic experience of receiving “insider” information that a general public largely does not have access to.  It was an interesting way to preface all of the research I have done and information I have gained during this first semester of Odyssey, and I am grateful that I was able to have that experience.

At the very beginning of the semester, I presented my Elevator Pitch – the first new, intimidating experience of many to come. I wrote and memorized a speech, had it peer reviewed, performed it in front of an audience, and did all of which without freaking out too much. The act of putting my intentions and goals for my project into words that I then had to share with an audience was both terrifying and oddly helpful. Getting my hopes for this experience out into the universe provided an unexpected sense of direction for my project at the time. Additionally, the experience of taking my project out into the community was a beneficial one. The public speaking experience that it provided will certainly prove to be helpful throughout the rest of my project. Of course, public speaking has been just one of the skills we have worked to develop throughout this first semester (although I personally think it may be one of the most helpful). Like many elements of the Odyssey Program, my Elevator Pitch was a departure from my comfort zone in an effort to grow as a scholar.

Since my Elevator Pitch, I have been juggling research, interviews, and my personal goals. I have been reading tons of sources, both academic and popular to deepen my understanding of journalism as a whole. The combination of research studies discussing journalistic principles and actual journalism that I have been reading has helped me to not only understand impactful journalistic strategies, but also recognize them in practice. I have looked into negative affective language, large-scale transitions to digital media, moral and analytical takes on the media’s relationship with the public, and so much more. Throughout my research, I have gained insights from professors, independent researchers, and journalists through sources that they either authored or were cited in. The amount of studies regarding the many many aspects of journalism out there has been astounding to see (although I must admit that narrowing them down to ones relevant to my project has been more difficult than I would have liked).

Separate from the research I have been doing and sources I have been finding, I also conducted an interview. I interviewed Professor Gwyneth Doland in November. It was the first time I had really reached out to the community around me to help inform my project and it was wildly informative and beneficial to my project. In addition to gaining experience in physically conducting an interview with someone, I also gained significant insight from a real-life journalistic perspective. I did not realize how different it would feel from all of the research reports and second hand sources I had been reading all semester, but it was truly a different experience. In the coming semester, I hope to conduct more interviews like this one – both for research purposes and journalistic practice. Interviewing is a skill that overlaps over multiple areas of my project and I am looking forward to getting more comfortable with it (especially since it is Professor Donald's favorite part of her job).

As I have completed both course requirements for the Odyssey Program, and some personal goals related to my project I have learned so much. I know that the strategies that I have gained to balance independent work with other responsibilities and the simple lack of motivation that comes with being in high school will help me in all areas of my life. Public speaking, time management, peer-reviewing, prioritizing, professionalism, research skills, and more have all been essential to this first semester in Odyssey. The numerous opportunities I have had to practice implementing these skills into my life and my work has truly been the most important and beneficial part of this semester. As I continue in the Odyssey Program, I hope to strengthen these skills as I deepen my passion and understanding of political media. Throughout all of the challenges and departures from my much-loved comfort zone, I have continued to learn and grow as an academic and I hope to continue to do so!