Over the past couple of months, my advanced reporting class began a reporting project in international studies. The project was broken into a series of miniature digital media projects. The assignment was to find a person, a family, or an organization with an international theme of some kind, and do a series of reporting using different multimedia platforms. We created blogs where we keep all of the miniature projects. I picked a Haitian family in North Kansas City. The family consists of the mother, Nahomie, the two sons, Brian and Karmyne, and the daughter, Johanne. My project introduced the reader to the Haitian family, about their culture how they balance two different cultures into their lives, and about where they are from and what their dreams are. My purpose for my project was to allow the reader to go deep in the lives of this family, and to see and understand a culture different from the American culture. It’s especially cool that the family is Haitian American, so the reader can see how the two culture inner mingle in this family.
The project has several components. The first major component is the blog. I made a blog that attracts a general public and definitely showcases the family as the ultimate purpose for the blog. The second component is the narrative slideshow. I created a slideshow with pictures and my narration. This gave my reader a visual and a more effective introduction of the family. The third component is the podcast. I did an interview of the family members asking what the family is currently involved in as far as work, school, and etc. I also asked each member where they see themselves going in five years.
The purpose of this interview was to allow the reader to get to know the family beyond just a brief introduction and pictures. I wanted the reader to see their achievements and their goals. The next piece to the project was a feature writing piece. In this piece the mother Nahomie was the main voice. She gave me the background of her life in Haiti before arriving in the U.S., where she started her family and has her two sons, Brian and Karmyne. Johanne was born and raised most of her life in Haiti with her father, who was not home during the time of the project.
The father travels often and is rarely home. Nahomie also talked about pros and cons of her country and the U.S., which was an interesting interview, because it tells the reader not only about Haitian culture, but it gives the reader a new perspective on American culture. It broadens the thinking cap of the reader, which is excellent. The last parts to my project were to perform a social media blitz (a series of posts on different social media platforms) for a week-long period, create a video that reports or tells a story about the family, and them to reflect on the assignment overall. All of these things went onto my blog for the whole world to see.
During the interviewing, reporting, and just visiting with the family felt awesome and weird at the same time. Brian, the oldest son, is a good friend of mine, but before the project, I haven’t visited with him and his family in about a year or two. I was happy because I got to catch up with a good friend and the family. It was a bit uneasy because I was following them around with cameras and recorders for a few weeks, which I know was new for them. Usually when I visit, we sit back and watch TV, this time, the family was on the “TV” in a sense. I had fun talking with the family. I especially liked beginning a part of the church service, enjoying the way they worship. The food part was bad either, that was an awesome privilege.
This project has taught me to be bold, and just go for it. I was nervous about reporting on my friend and his family, but they were more than accommodating and very sweet. I appreciate them for everything they have done for me over the course of this assignment. I learned how to be patient and to just “go with the flow.” Sometimes things do not always work out the way you want them to, but as a reporter, I learned just move forward and make it work. Before this family, I tried to report on two or three or organizations. I couldn't give up, I just had to find plan B, C, and D until one worked. Lastly, this project taught me how to really care for others. This was more than a project to me. I had an opportunity to lift up someone else and get credit for it, and it’s a family I like, too! This project was fun, challenging, and worth all of the energy and effort. I am very pleased with the turnout, people really enjoyed my blog, and I wouldn't change much about it.
--posted May 6th
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