Don’t fall prey to the algorithm, and beware of media echo chambers. If you regularly read The New York Times, subscribe to The Wall Street Journal as well. If you regularly read The New Yorker, subscribe to National Review. Also, who are you following on social media? Don’t just follow people and organizations with whom you agree. Push yourself to follow intellectually honest voices who hold different views than your own.
Submitted by Zoe Jones
By Lauren Bannister
As Zoe Jones approached her senior year of high school, she was photographed attending her cousin’s funeral. She had to watch as a nation mourned her family’s loss. Reporters followed her family and asked questions for which she didn’t have answers. Politicians made statements. She felt as though she couldn’t escape her own thoughts and feelings.
To this day, all it takes is a tweet to throw her back into that mindset. Jones’ cousin, Clementa, was one of nine murdered in the 2015 Charleston church shooting at Mother Emanuel Church. A young man walked into a prayer meeting and, while feigning participation among those whose heads were bowed, he pulled out a gun and opened fire on the parishioners. Jones was 17 at the time.
“I think it's important that people use social media to talk about justice,” Jones said. “But it's just so interesting because for the family members, [they feel those emotions for] the rest of their lives.”
The Jones family is reminded of their own loss every time a new incident of police brutality ignites a new social media storm about racial injustice. Emotions ran high last summer in the wake of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor’s deaths, and while many took to social media to release their thoughts and emotions, Jones liberated her own thoughts through writing. One night, while staying in a guest room at her parent’s home in Virginia, her mother encouraged her to channel emotions she had into words. So, while her family slept, Zoe wrote.
“I typed for four hours,” Jones reflected. “Then, I finished it. I looked at it and I was like, ‘this is fine.’”
Jones, 22, then published her article on her personal Substack newsletter, “As We Know It,” without thinking too much about it. She just wanted the weight off her chest. She was not expecting more than her eight newsletter subscribers to see it. She uploaded the post on Medium.com as well when her grandma found the other site too difficult to navigate. It only took three hours for her post to be selected for the race and equality homepage on the site, and traction grew even larger from there.
Her viral article, “My cousin was killed in the Charleston church shootings. Here’s what happens after the cameras leave” eventually caught the attention of an editor at Vox.com.
“This lady from Vox sent me an email and was like, ‘Hey, I really liked your article. I saw it on Alyssa's Twitter, and I really think this would be cool for our first-person essays. If you edit it down a little bit, do you want to publish it?’” Jones said. “I was like, yes. Immediately.”
Alissa Wilkinson, a professor at The King’s College, is also a staff critic for Vox.com. Jones once called her professor, but now sees Wilkinson as more of a mentor. Wilkinson is thrilled when she can help a King’s student find their footing in the always-evolving journalism and media industry.
“Zoe already had a lot of raw talent,” Wilkinson said. “One thing that strikes me about Zoe is how well she pays attention -- to the world, to what's happening in class, to how she's thinking about things -- and then finds a way to express what she sees. I think that's such an important quality in a writer, a reporter, a critic, a filmmaker and more.”
Wilkinson’s role as a mentor to Jones did not end with a retweet and share of an article. The professor helped guide her former student to pursue new opportunities. Wilkinson wanted to see Jones in a role that was more challenging, fulfilling, and that used her talents wisely.
At the time, Jones was a video producer at Newsweek, where she had worked during her senior year as a student at The King's College and after she graduated. While she enjoyed her work as a video producer, Jones also wanted to land bylines as a writer.
Jones attempted to balance working full-time for the media company and her final classes for her degree at King’s, where she studied Media, Culture and the Arts with a film concentration. Inside, she still had a desire to write. Her blog post turned Vox.com article changed her career.
After much deliberation, Jones decided to leave her job at Newsweek and become a free-lance writer. Once she left Newsweek, she received direct messages from potential employers and applied to different jobs to get her name out there.
Jones was initially a writer-at-large for Publishers Weekly and a freelance reporter for CBS News. More recently, she's become a full-time reporter with CBS News. She also writes her own personal newsletter about culture.
Jones says one of her favorite stories she has worked on so far at CBS News involved “a normal day turned into a liveblog where my coworkers and I worked tirelessly with another reporter (Grace) who was actually inside the capitol while it was being stormed and worked until almost 11 pm updating with news as it came in.”
Submitted by Zoe Jones
She has also enjoyed reporting features about black-owned businesses such as this floral studio in Brooklyn and reporting on “really cool authors” such as this piece on Jenny Han. Jones said she continues developing her journalistic skills. “I love interviewing and these stories required multiple interviews.”
You can find Zoe working from her home in Brooklyn with a bookcase of colorful books behind her as she takes on a new chapter of her life in New York City. Her friends, family, and former professors watch to see what comes next.
“I've just been thrilled to see her byline popping up over and over,” Wilkinson commented. “I'm always like, wait -- I know her!”
Lauren Bannister is a senior at The King's College, majoring in Journalism, Culture and Society.
MPJI is based at The King’s College in New York City. MPJI provides education, training and professional development projects for journalists at the high school, undergraduate and professional levels. It is named after the late John McCandlish Phillips, a legendary reporter at The New York Times.
Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @JMPjournalism and LinkedIn at McCandlish Phillips Journalism Institute.
Brittin Ward works at The King’s College in NYC as Educational Ventures and Services Administrator. In that role, he helps organize several academic programs at King’s including the Summer Academy for high school students each July and the NYC Semester programs in Journalism and Theater for visiting college students from 41 partner schools.
We knew that Brittin is an aspiring actor, who stared in several theater productions at King’s and in New York City since he graduated from Kings in 2018. So we were excited to learn that Brittin has made the most of the Coronavirus pandemic by applying his theater skills and interests to a TikTok, where his videos have gained millions of views and hundreds of thousands of followers. Brittin maintains a humble and studious attitude about this social media virality. And he agreed to answer questions about what he’s learning on TikTok that other actors, creatives and journalists might appreciate.
Q - How did your life in theater change when Covid emerged last March, April and May?
A - Theater stopped--everything stopped. I love theater and acting and suddenly I was not able to participate in any of it for the foreseeable future. Other than a couple of Zoom improv classes I had no creative outlet. I was not in any shows at the time, but I was a member of a performing choir that stopped due to COVID. Like everyone else, I felt a bit lost. My dream has always been to have a career in theater, and though I've done a couple of professional shows, I still have not hit my stride with performing. I don't have an agent and am not equity, so like most other actors in the city I'd been in the trenches trying to get booked. I was already fighting discouragement with the rejections and failure of "making it" as an actor when COVID hit, so when it became clear that my dream was in limbo and it was uncertain when theaters would re-open, I realized I needed to shift my priorities.
Q - How did you decide to get involved with TikTok and why?
A - Prior to COVID, I had been growing increasingly interested in social media and the format of entertainment being delivered via the internet. The Actor's magazine "Backstage" and other actor publications have really been emphasizing the importance of having a presence on social media (here's a 2020 article from them on why every actor needs to be on social media). I made a TikTok account in December of 2019 because of the popularity the app was gaining and I posted a few videos to the app, but I was uncommitted prior to the pandemic. Once the theaters closed and I could not perform anything in person, I decided to spend all the found time I had in making videos for the internet and trying to build an audience. I decided to specifically start putting all my efforts into creating TikTok content because I knew that it was the fastest growing social platform in 2019-2020, it had the highest demographic of teen users at the time, and because I regretted missing the wave with Vine (a popular video app that died in 2016). I thought that if I could get good at keeping an audience engaged through short videos, it would help my storytelling skills and increase my understanding of what it takes to build an audience. Since I was trapped at home in quarantine anyway, I decided it would be a good way to have some sort of creative outlet while growing my understanding of how to keep people entertained.
Q - Tell us about how your audience grew there and what you learned from that audience?
A - It took a solid couple months of uploading consistently videos that barely broke 100 views before one took off and gained over a couple thousand views. From there it was probably another month and a half of posting before one of my videos broke the 100k views mark. As I continued to consistently post throughout the year, that window between the successful videos would grow shorter. Eventually, after about 6 months of posting with a few viral videos, I had gained a following of 40k. Up to this point, I had a general idea of the kind of audience I attracted (a younger demographic), so I started focusing my content more on what I thought they might find engaging. Taking the time to really work through that helped my growth and I was able to produce successful videos on a more consistent basis, ending the year with 590K followers. Consistency was the most important part of the growth. I posted videos daily for a few months, then pulled back to every other day once I started feeling burnt out.
I learned quite a lot from the audience, but I would say the two most important things would be: never-ending improvement, and consistency are key. There is always something I could improve in my videos whether it be lighting, sound, pacing, dialogue, etc. Also being consistent with the upload schedule and the kind of videos I posted were the most important factors of growth.
Q - Tell us about the process of figuring out what kinds of posts do well and play to your strengths? E.g. Do you do dances? Songs? Skateboard tricks? Monologues?
A - I quickly realized that I was (regrettably) not a part of the class of creators who could simply hit record, strike a couple poses, look attractive, and get millions of views. Nor was I a dancer. So, I took stock of what I was good at and how I might incorporate that into my videos. Being from a theater background, I was very familiar with conflict and motivation (i.e. what is the conflict of a story and what is motivating the characters to act), so I decided to try and incorporate that into my videos. I tried a basic skit where I played two characters fighting over something they both wanted (a yellow balloon), and I tried to keep the conflict at the center of the video. Conflict with high stakes engages an audience, and that was my first video to hit 1 million views. From there, I did a ton of research on how to make entertaining videos, what keeps people engaged, attended workshops, listened to podcasts--everything. I ruled out trying to do monologues or straight theater scenes as I saw other actors doing that on the app but found the videos to be pretty cringy. Not that my videos aren't cringy, but I had more fun going the direction I did.
Q - How might other young artists and actors think about personal branding and craft on platforms like TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram?
A - I am still trying to figure this out myself. I definitely think it's important to be on social media as an actor, since so much of the world relies on it. But I also see so many actors on social media only posting "actor" content, which I find really one-dimensional. As performers, our bodies are our instruments and our faces are our brand. As such, I think it's easy for us to be so self-focused that we get tripped up by what people actually enjoy or are entertained by. We post as a way to put ourselves out there, to show we're working on theater stuff, to say how happy and grateful we are to be involved in such-and-such production or Zoom play. But that does not attract an audience. That's "selfish content". The best thing you can do is offer value to people, whether that be information, entertainment or inspiration. Offering content that is valuable to people is what attracts them to follow you. I believe this is true across all social platforms.
Brittin Ward and his brother Titus
Q - What kind of discipline or time commitment have you developed and what might other people develop?
A - Each video I posted in the latter half of the year took around 3-4 hours to shoot, edit, and post, so it definitely required a good amount of discipline. That also does not include the time it would take to come up with a video idea and plan out the video. It sounds silly since it was only for TikTok, but I would literally storyboard my videos and break them down into increments of 5-10 seconds and plan what action I wanted to happen at which segment of the video. I basically spent all my time outside of my day job working on my videos.
Q - Why is it important for artists to build self-marketing skills?
A - Honestly, being cut off from theater was really great for me as it forced me to take stock of the direction my career was going and think creatively about how to entertain people. As an actor, I am my own business so it is solely up to me whether I succeed or fail. If I don't have the drive to keep picking myself back up after each failure and continuing to pursue my dream, it will not happen. Self-marketing is crucial for actors and entertainers, but I would emphasize the importance of not just self-promoting. No one likes that. But everyone appreciates a chuckle at a funny video, or feeling inspired to try something new because of a video they watched. I don't know who said this originally, but my dad always told me "people won't remember what you said or did, but they will remember how you made them feel.”
Q - When the pandemic is officially over (what a wonderful thought!) do you expect to remain as involved on TikTok? Or do you expect to channel your creative energies elsewhere?
A - I've really enjoyed building an audience on TikTok, and I will continue to post there, but I would also like to turn my attention to other platforms. With videos restricted to being 60 seconds long, I have a hard time creating content that connects with people on a deeper level. I don't think it's possible for a TikTok to have the same impact on a person as a great podcast or youtube video. You just can't go deep (whether it be comedy, inspiration, etc.) in 60 seconds. When the Pandemic lifts I will go back to auditioning and trying to book stage roles. However, I will continue to devote plenty of my time to making videos. I feel like I am only just now beginning to understand how all this social media stuff works, so I'd like to see what I can accomplish in another year.
- Edited by Paul Glader, executive director of MPJI.
MPJI is based at The King’s College in New York City. MPJI provides education, training and professional development projects for journalists at the high school, undergraduate and professional levels. It is named after the late John McCandlish Phillips, a legendary reporter at The New York Times.
Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @JMPjournalism and LinkedIn at McCandlish Phillips Journalism Institute.
Jerry Mitchell's memoir was published earlier this year by Simon and Schuster. In "Race Against Time", he recounts the investigation that reopened four notor...
The McCandlish Phillips Journalism Institute at The King's College in NYC condemns violence and hateful rhetoric by protestors against news media professionals. We condemn the violence and rhetoric when it comes from the political and cultural left or right. MPJI is concerned by the disrespect and threats toward journalists and the destruction of journalistic equipment by supporters of President Donald Trump on Jan. 6 as they gathered in Washington D.C. and disrupted congressional proceedings on Capitol Hill.
Journalists provide a vital function of reporting, research, fact-checking and truth-telling in society. The news media provides a first draft of history. News media outlets - from right, left and center - develop their audiences over time by the quality of their journalistic work and adherence to ethics, standards and norms.
As part of the American experiment, the United States has championed a free, independent and responsible press. It has promoted media literacy by allowing newspapers to be mailed cheaply to citizens. According to historian Paul Starr in "The Creation of The Media," the insightful approach to develop quality information and news ecology in 19th Century America led to the U.S. having some of the highest rates of newspaper readership, overall societal literacy and school attendance anywhere in the world.
With technology platforms and hyper-partisanship altering the distribution methods of news media, we believe many Americans are experiencing a backward slide in media literacy and an emerging inequality of information. And we see an emerging temptation for some news organizations to become more partisan, catering to their partisan audiences from left or right.
At MPJI, we will not depart from our mission to train student journalists how to be intellectually honest, rigorous and curious. We believe the best hope for a robust American future involves restoring faith in institutions including the news media.
- Paul Glader, Executive Director of the McCandlish Phillips Journalism Institute
By Paul Glader
Strolling through the hallways at The King’s College in NYC one day, we discovered one of our students, Bailey Kaufman, wearing a newspaper-patterned Coronavirus mask.
“Where did you obtain that cool mask?”
“My grandma made it!” she said.
We asked if Grandma Geri could make more? And, yes, Bailey spoke with her grandmother, who graciously agreed to do so. Now you can have one of these limited edition masks, while supplies last, for your donation to MPJI of $75 or more here. Each donation supports both MPJI and Grandma Jeri’s thread, cloth and thimble fund.
Meanwhile, we also wanted to learn more below about Geri and why she makes these masks.
Name: Geri Lanc
Birthdate: 1/3/1946
Location: Born in Columbus, Neb. now lives in Lincoln, Neb.
Glader: How did you start making masks and where did you find this newspaper-oriented fabric?
Lanc: I started making masks when virus first hit and Bailey needs masks for going back to New York City. We originally found the fabric at Hobby Lobby and when we went back to make more we found a similar pattern off of Etsy.
Glader: How long have you been sewing and how did you learn how to do so?
Lanc: I have been sewing since 1966. My husband bought me my first sewing machine. Then, I bought a pattern one day and taught myself.
Glader: Please tell us about your sewing machine, sewing room and practice of how often you sew?
Lanc: My sewing machine is called a new home and is in a sewing cabinet with table attached. My sewing room is an all-purpose room and recently I have moved my dogs’ beds in there to keep me company. I only sew when someone in our family needs something hemmed or made for them.
Glader: Do you read newspapers and, if so, which ones?
Lanc: Yes. Columbus Telegraph, The New York Times, and Lincoln Journal Star.
Glader: What is your perspective on news and information in the U.S., especially local news during your lifetime?
Lanc: Living in David City area there wasn’t a lot of access to news. From what I have seen things have gotten hectic and is less relaxing to read compared to 50 years ago. You have to keep up with things or else you’re lost. Back then, the sheriff’s department would have a write up every week in the newspaper and it was big news to us.
Glader: What should friends of The King’s College and McCandlish Phillips Journalism Institute know about you, Bailey and the rest of your family?
Lanc: I am a middle child of 9. I was a farmer’s wife working side by side with him on our farm. Once the farm crisis hit, we were involved with a bank that went bankrupt so I went to work since they froze our funds which led me to go to Columbus to work in an office. My son, Greg, took over our farm after my husband passed away. My daughter, Brenda, is my first born and Bailey’s mother. When my daughter graduated high school and went to college, she left the farm life and went to Lincoln. My daughter gave me three beautiful grandchildren. I believe everyone should learn how to sew and I have bought my first two grandchildren sewing machines as wedding presents. Bailey is my youngest grandchild and I am so proud of how hard working she is and chasing her dreams in New York City. She has been involved in sports, academics, and fashion. She studies Business Administration and minors in Media Studies.
Glader: What message would you like to offer to journalism students (and other majors) at The King’s College as we head into the holidays and 2021?
Lanc: Be safe and wear a mask!
Glader: In your hometown, what is the situation like regarding Coronavirus infection rates and carefulness with masks?
Lanc: It is pretty bad out here. Lincoln is bad, but some of the smaller towns are worse. These small towns around us do not take it as seriously and some of the people here in the city. I refuse to go out to eat in any of those towns since some of the servers do not wear masks.
Glader: How are you doing managing health and safety for you, your friends and family during this pandemic?
Lanc: I don’t see my family often. I have my dogs and will take them for walks out at the acreage instead of city. I just had my yearly checkup and so far, at my age, I don’t take any pills and am perfectly healthy. My social life is down to zero except for the occasional phone calls to my sisters or Bailey. I keep my mask on me at all times and will rarely go to the grocery store, but when I do I pick up necessary items.
Glader: What did you think of Bailey’s decision to attend The King’s College in NYC? And what do you think of her decision now that Bailey has studied here for a while?
Lanc: This was a big opportunity for her and I knew I’d miss her all the time. When she first told me that she was going to go to continue to play soccer in New York City I was excited for her! It’s not like I could drive up and visit her. I love New York so much and wish I could just live with her. Since she has been there for a while I have always worried about her from what I watch on the news. I know she will never come back to Nebraska to live and I will miss that but it is an opportunity to go wherever she desires. Bailey is a smart and determined girl whatever she chooses to do she is committed and puts her all into it.
With donation of $75 you will receive a newspaper-printed mask
With a donation of $250 you will receive a a newspaper-printed mask, and MPJI tote bag, and pen
With a donation of $500 you will receive a mask and a choice of book (Blindspot, The City)
Click here to donate and specify MPJI in the dropdown menu: https://www.tkc.edu/donate/
Thank you for supporting MPJI and student journalism!
By Paul Glader
Sydney Franklin is a reporter covering design, architecture and real estate in the fellowship program at The New York Times this year. Earlier in her career, she attended Milligan College in Tennessee, which is a partner school to the NYC Semester in Journalism (NYCJ) program. When she was an undergraduate at Milligan, she spent a semester at the Washington Journalism Center, which closed in 2015 to merge with NYCJ and reboot in NYC. Sydney is one of the more than 300 alumni of the two programs from 41 partner schools of NYCJ, a program that helps bring students from diverse backgrounds and geographies to learn and intern for a semester in the nation's largest and most important media market. We caught up with Sydney to hear more about her journey to The Times and into her niche covering design, architecture and real estate.
I'm a reporter on the Real Estate desk. The fellowship program aligns fellows with the desks most suited to their backgrounds. For me, real estate made the most sense after spending several years in design media covering architecture and cities. I consider the beat to be the missing link in my tool kit in terms of writing about the built environment, so I’m here trying to learn as much as I can about how selling and buying real estate affects the socioeconomic landscape of the city.
Photo submitted by Sydney Franklin
There are 35 of us total in the fellowship class and we all are having wildly different experiences at The Times (think photography fellows jetting off on Air Force One vs. me calling real estate CEOs from my kitchen). We'll be here for a year then the next class will take over. Unfortunately, until there is a vaccine, I won't have the pleasure of working at The New York Times in-person… inside one of the coolest buildings in the city and of course, one designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano...my dream!
Photo taken by Lauren Turner
After taking an undergraduate course on the intersection of media, the arts and religion, I decided I wanted to become an arts journalist. I knew Syracuse's Newhouse School had the first program in the country dedicated to this specialty, so I made it my mission to get in. Once there, I narrowed down my focus even further to architecture and design reporting, studying mostly in the School of Architecture to begin my education in this very dense, complicated field. My program had previously graduated alumni doing big work in New York, some of them in communications at major architecture firms and others serving as editors at the top design magazines. I followed in their footsteps in some ways but broke out into mainstream news this past year with the fellowship at NYT. I've always wanted to find my way back to newspaper reporting so I could use my depth of knowledge on cities to help tell the kinds of stories that locals need to know about the place they live...and in a pandemic where interest rates on mortgages and apartment rents have dipped to record lows, there are so many important real estate stories to share out there.
My semester at WJC in Washington, D.C. was the foundation for everything I'm doing today. It sparked my love of major cities and my interest in politics at the local and national levels. I interned for Street Sense Media, which reports on homelessness in D.C. and empowers people experiencing it by allowing them to take part in the organization's business model. Folks who are homeless are as much part of a city's fabric and future as anybody else and I learned how to pay attention to their stories through my beat.
My advice is to learn how to take micro risks. You’ve already done something big by making the decision to move to New York for this program. From here, keep building on that by making small moves every day to reach your goals, whether you want to report a certain story, meet an influential editor, or secure another internship or job. Reaching those goals will require a series of somewhat calculated and bold risks. People want to help you in this industry, so don’t be afraid to ask for what you want.
One of the redeeming qualities of the news industry right now is that it’s made up of people from all backgrounds, veritable experts in their own unique life experiences. You don’t have to climb the traditional ladder of journalism to get to an editorship at a major paper. Yes, you need the reporting and editing experience, but you can pursue other passions in tandem with your writing goals. One of my fellowship colleagues has a Ph.D. in immunology and is our science reporter at The Times. Let that inspire you for the future. There are some really smart people out here making the industry more innovative simply by existing in the space. There’s space for you, too.
In pre-pandemic times, one of my favorite things to do was go to concerts. Nowadays, I'm enjoying watching the seasons change by going on longer walks in my neighborhood or even hikes outside the city. I also coach youth lacrosse in my spare time, which is something I've continued to do this fall but socially-distanced.
Photo submitted by Sydney Franklin
I love this question. One of my favorite vantage points in New York is the view of FiDi from the Staten Island Ferry. I also love driving on the West Side Highway where you get a quick glimpse of all sorts of big architecture all the way from the George Washington Bridge down to Tribeca. Cycling on the Greenway works, too! My favorite building is the Bank of America Tower by Bryant Park. One time, driving home from a hike, my friend pulled out a special app that allowed us to change the colors of the antenna from our car. It was like magic.
I highly recommend following Curbed, which now operates under New York Magazine. Justin Davidson is one of the funniest and most accessible critics out there, as well as Alexandra Lange (find her books too). I am on the advisory board of an online publication that highlights the stories of women in architecture called Madame Architect. It's so inspiring.
Paul Glader is director of the McCandlish Phillips Journalism Institute and co-director of the NYC Semester in Journalism (NYCJ). If you are a journalism professor or student interested in the program, email pglader@tkc.edu.
NYCJ Fall 2020 students Destinee Evans and Marlena Lang having a lunch meeting with Prof. Paul Glader and Prof. Clemente Lisi
Students who are part of the NYC Semester in Journalism (NYCJ) program have had plenty of success in their internships this Fall, covering the recent presidential election and the ongoing pandemic for a number of news organizations.
This semester’s students followed in the footsteps of past NYCJ classes by participating in the unique semester-long, off-campus study program operated by the McCandlish Phillips Journalism Institute at The King’s College in NYC.
“I am most proud of two articles that I wrote for my internship at Newsweek. The first was my very first article about mail-in ballot controversies around the nation,” said Marlena Lang, a Biola student who is part of the magazine’s newly-formed fact-checking team. “I was proud of this article because not only was it my first, but it is also the longest one I have completed after spending two days researching and writing it.
Lang said the other piece she is most proud was about the Pfizer vaccine “because I pitched them the idea and then completed the research and wrote the article.”
Destinee Evans and Marlena Lang in Battery Park
Destinee Evans, a student from Olivet Nazarene University, said her internship at the New York Daily News allowed her to cover COVID-19 and its impact on the Big Apple.
“During this internship, I have been able to interview families of people who may have just lost a loved one but getting to tell amazing stories about the people they love has been rewarding,” she added. “It can be a lot to take in sometimes but getting over the fear of talking to new people is something I will take with me throughout my career.”
Students taking part in the eleventh NYCJ cohort that chose to come to New York in person this semester took advantage of TKC’s hybrid model, a mix of both online and in person classes as well as their internship. The students are enrolled in classes including Entrepreneurial Journalism with Prof. Paul Glader and a course called The City taught by Anne Hendershott. The City course – required of all NYCJ students – also serves as an elective for King’s students.
Under the guidance of Prof. Clemente Lisi, a former editor at the New York Post and New York Daily News, the students work 20 hours per week in a New York City newsroom, earning six academic credits and pursuing bylines.
Being able to live and work in New York City remains a huge appeal to students.
“Living in New York has been an amazing experience that I was worried would not happen,” Evans said. “Getting to go different places in the city with new friends has been fun. I know it’s not the same as semesters in the past but it is still something that I will cherish.”
The New York City Semester program partners with 40 universities and colleges across the nation and globe. Apply to become a partner school by contacting Paul Glader at pglader@tkc.edu. Apply to join us as a student for a future semester by clicking here.
By MPJI Staff
Anne Hendershott, writer and visiting professor at The King’s College, will be returning this semester to teach a course on “The City,” which will be a core course for every student who attends the NYC Semester in Journalism (NYCJ) program and an elective for students at The King’s College. Hendershott has written many books including Renewal, Status Envy, The Politics of Deviance, The Politics of Abortion, Moving for Work, and The Reluctant Caregivers.
What will a student enrolled in The City learn?/What do you most hope students learn?
The goal of the course is to help students discover exactly what it is that made New York City the vibrant and exciting place it still is today. We take what is called in urban studies an “ecological approach” to understand how New Amsterdam — a sleepy trading post — became the thriving metropolis it is today.
The ecological approach looks at four different variables including Population, Organization, Environment and Technology to help us understand why New York – and not Philadelphia, or New Orleans, or any one of a number of cities—became the premier city in the country. I allow students to conclude for themselves which of the four variables they see as “most important” in helping to explain how New York became New York. Many of them choose environment as the explanatory variable because of our deep water harbor and access to the hinterlands but I would argue that it is the people of New York City – from the earliest days — that made the access to the hinterlands possible by building the Erie Canal. And it was the people of New York that actually created the deep water harbor. Just a few steps away from King’s College is Pearl Street – it was called Pearl Street because at one time Pearl Street was just a big oyster bed—that filled with water. The people of New York used technology to dig and create the deep-water harbor that facilitated trade. To me, the people and the culture they created is what makes New York City what it is today.
How does the past relate to current issues?
Throughout the course we look closely at the people and events that shaped New York as a place for business, the arts and the media. For example, we begin with the Dutch who brought the capitalist spirit — the need the develop a trading post that would rival all others. I am Dutch — my father was part of an early Dutch family in Manhattan — so I guess I give a bit more attention to the early Dutch settlers here than most others. We look closely at Peter Stuyvesant and his role in creating New Amsterdam’s governance. Then, we move on to the Revolutionary War and the pre-Revolutionary role of journalist, John Peter Zenger—an immigrant from Germany who became a printer and publisher in the City. We maintain that Zenger singlehandedly “won” for us, the freedom of the press. Zenger did this by printing the New York Weekly Journal—an early tabloid that was used in the pre-Revolutionary times to poke fun at the English leaders of the new colony. Zenger published irreverent cartoons of William Cosby, the royal governor of New York — depicting him as assorted farm animals — in order to protest his policies. In response, Governor Cosby had Zenger imprisoned. But, with the help of very smart lawyer from Philadelphia, Zenger was released and the freedom of the press was officially established. Zenger is still a symbol for the freedom of the press—and we are still debating today how much freedom the press should have.
Throughout the course, we look at the important role that Christianity has played—and continues to play—for the City. While the Dutch did not get around to building a church in New Amsterdam for more than decade, that did not mean that they did not worship and thank God for bringing them to this beautiful island. It was just that the Dutch believed that to honor God they needed to work hard and provide for their families in this new world. Establishing a flourishing trading post enabled them to later build a church and hire a minister for their fledgling colony.
How will we respond to calls for police reform?
The Black Lives Matter movement has great resonance for us in this course. Since we take a socio-historical perspective, we will look at other periods in our City’s history when there were similar calls for police reform. As each wave of immigrants came to the City, there were calls for police reform as each new immigrant group experienced what they perceived as discriminatory practices by those who came before them. When the Irish immigrants arrived in large numbers, they were treated harshly by those earlier immigrants who were charged with law enforcement. The word “Paddy Wagon” came from the fact that Irish criminals were far more likely to be arrested and put into the police carriages than any other ethnic group. The Irish came to power eventually by becoming police officers, politicians and priests — and then they were able to determine who would be arrested and incarcerated. The Irish then were viewed as discriminating against the next ethnic group to arrive in the City — the Italians and the Eastern Europeans—who were barred from jobs with the police department and were more likely to be arrested and incarcerated than the Irish.
This demographic imbalance on the police department became a problem in July, 1863, during the New York City Draft Riots when the anger of working class New Yorkers over a new federal draft law during the Civil War sparked five days of riots in the City. African Americans were often the target of the rioters’ violence — some were lynched, many were murdered and some of the perpetrators were on the City’s police force.
Today, the NYPD demographics have changed dramatically as white police officers are in the minority. Of the 35,783-member police force, only 47% are White, and 53% are Black, Latino or Asian American. Still, the perception remains that the NYPD does not understand inner-city concerns about what some residents view as unfair treatment of Blacks and Hispanics. We will explore the cultural contributors to that perception in the course.
Are middle class and wealthier New Yorkers fleeing NYC?
While it cannot be denied that COVID has demonstrated to us that we may not have to be physically present in an office in the City in order to get our work done, I just cannot agree with the National Review and NYTimes claims that COVID has “changed” the City forever. We have faced challenges that were even greater in the past – during the Depression of the 1930s, we had more than 25% of the New York City workforce unemployed. The 1970s flight of businesses and jobs out of the City was actually much worse than the current crisis. I am confident that New York will be back better than ever. New Yorkers are resilient and even though there are indeed some jobs that can be done remotely, journalists, artists, actors and writers will continue to live and work in the City. We are still the financial capital and although many businesses may believe they can have their workers relocate elsewhere, New York will remain the heart of the business world.
Have you taken on any new interests since COVID?
I have had much more time to devote to research and writing about the cultural fallout from the COVID lock-down. And, now during this period of protest, I have been writing and publishing articles in the secular and religious press which attempt to explain our current cultural predicament.
What are you most looking forward to at King’s?
For me, the main attraction to King’s has always been the students. They are among the most highly motivated and talented students I have ever worked with in my more than three decades of college teaching. I am grateful for their enthusiasm and their optimism – and the many gifts they bring including their great love for God and their desire to know and serve Him. I have had the great privilege to work with several King’s students even after graduation. A few years ago, I co-authored a book with a former King’s student. This student, Christopher White, was my research assistant during his undergraduate years and we stayed in touch and ended up collaborating on several articles that were published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and other newspapers. Eventually, we co-authored a book that was published by Encounter Books, Renewal. Now that student, Christopher, is a talented journalist for the National Catholic Register, formerly a correspondent for Crux.
What was your most pivotal moment?
More than 20 years ago, I made a conscious decision to begin writing for a more general audience with my books and articles. Until that time, I had written primarily for a scholarly audience but was reaching very few readers. But, once I published my Politics of Deviance book in 2002—and directly targeted my writing toward readers who wanted to be part of the conversation, it has changed everything for me. Since that time, each book I have published, and all of the hundreds of articles I have written and published in the media is always geared to an educated reader who appreciates fact-based opinion writing.
Which book is most relevant to the times?
My newest book, The Politics of Envy is in the production process and is due to be released in October—before the election. The book, which is written from a biblical perspective on the sin of Envy, argues that when toxic envy grows unchecked, it will inevitably destroy an individual, a family, a society—even a civilization. I believe that envy today has reached a tipping point, fueling acts of anger, violence, and revenge in America’s cities and corporate boardrooms. In the book, I argue that much of the attraction to socialism is driven by a malign envy that has been nurtured by craven politicians and incited by some in the media. There is an entire chapter on the role of social media in encouraging envy.
Go-to Advice for student journalists?
Write! Find a faculty member who loves to write and tell him or her your ideas. See if they are willing to let you be part of their research or editing process. I have published several op-eds and essays with undergraduate students. The important goal is to develop your own “voice.” When I taught the Persuasive Writing course at King’s several years ago, I would tell students to pretend that you are sitting in your office and you are telling a friend about an event that is occurring and you want that friend to know all of the facts. And, if you are writing an opinion piece, write like you would want your friend to know what you think of those facts.
How Does NYC still matter?
New York will always matter for young journalists, theater students, art students or business and finance students because each of these require the kind of human interactions in dense urban environments that only NYC can provide. While some businesses may have left the City—as they did in previous economic downturns like the 1970s—there will always be newcomers in the years to come. The course in The City will demonstrate that these newcomers have been arriving on our shores over and over again, from across the country and the world for more than four centuries. Some are arriving right now and right here at The King’s College. I share their spirit of adventure and optimism—and I am grateful that they are here! Our City’s history should reassure us that after previous declines, we lifted ourselves from the depths and flourished like never before.
By Taylor Washington
Four years ago, Maria Monteros was sure she was going to become a doctor.
Although she always enjoyed writing, the now 21-year-old said pursuing a degree in journalism was not a feasible goal in her native Philippines.
It wasn’t until her mother got a job offer in the United States that Monteros had the opportunity to study something she was actually passionate about.
“You have way more opportunities here, and a lot of things are possible, like you can make your own profession possible here. And so, that really inspired me to do what I want in the end,” Monteros said.
After relocating to Nashville, Tenn., Monteros transferred to Trevecca Nazarene University where she majored in multimedia journalism and minored in marketing because she also wanted to learn about business.
While she was initially wary about this abrupt change in career path, Monteros said she decided to jump right in. She began writing for Trevecca’s student newspaper, the TrevEchoes, and eventually became an editor. Through Trevecca, Monteros also ended up having the opportunity to write for national publications through Trevecca’s partnership with the NYC Semester in Journalism (NYCJ) program at The King’s College in NYC.
“I just went in blind, but it ended up being probably the best decision. Is it divine intervention? Maybe, because I mean, if it wasn't for Trevecca then I wouldn't have gone to that New York City program and I wouldn't have gotten the internship at Newsweek,” Monteros said.
Maria Monteros (second from left in front row) with other students in the Spring 2019 class of the NYC Semester in Journalism (NYCJ).
The New York City Semester in Journalism program at The King’s College granted Monteros a semester in the Big Apple where she interned at Newsweek and covered entertainment. She also completed a business journalism course with Prof. Paul Glader at The King’s College that resulted in her final story about a sub-culture of instagram snack food junkies getting published on page one of The Wall Street Journal.
“It was the first time I’ve seen a story idea from a student that was so original and well-reported that I could pitch it to editors at the WSJ. It’s extremely rare for the WSJ to accept free-lance page one features at all. And it’s more rare to publish a free-lance page one story from a college student. It may be the first time that’s happened,” said Prof. Glader, who is co-director of the NYCJ program at King’s. “It’s a testament to Maria’s creative ideas and rigorous reporting ability.”
Maria Monteros (second from left) listening to TKC business professor Dr. Dami Kabiawu guest lecture about financial analysis in Prof. Paul Glader’s business reporting class.
That summer following NYCJ in 2019, Monteros interned at Dow Jones MarketWatch where she covered personal finance. This experience cemented Monteros’ passion for business news and she knew she wanted to cover this beat after graduation.
“One thing that I really like about business journalism is it's such an innovative field to work in. There's so many unique beats, like I know someone who covers the space beat, you know, and I think that's crazy,” she said. “I've always wanted to write stories about niche topics and go into depth in it. I want to be an expert in what I'm writing about.”
Her senior year, Monteros was promoted to editor-in-chief of the TrevEchoes where she used her knowledge and interest in business to apply financial angles to campus news.
“Maria has probably the strongest work ethic of any student I've ever worked with. She is a self-starter, she always meets deadline and she's motivated and ambitious. She takes great pride in her work and doesn't stop until it meets her high standards,” JoEllen Weedman, the newspaper’s faculty advisor and Monteros’ former professor, said.
In addition to improving her reporting skills, Monteros said the job taught her how to collaborate with others and the importance of being a humble leader. When the coronavirus emerged in the U.S. and Trevecca suspended face-to-face instruction, Monteros was still busy reporting remotely. She said this challenging situation taught her how to be tenacious.
This past year, Monteros was selected to The Dow Jones News Fund business internship program with American City Business Journals. She reported on minority-owned businesses for The Nashville Business Journal in the summer of 2020.
“I’ve always known that this program is very prestigious. And I thought if I want to make it in journalism then this is the program to apply to,” she said.
NYCJ alumna Maria Monteros (in white striped shirt) listening to The Washington Post business editor Dave Cho speak to Prof. Paul Glader’s business reporting class at The King’s College in NYC.
Having called Nashville home for four years, the recent graduate said she was excited to cover local businesses there. While she said her mission to find the truth motivates her reporting, there is another motivation that influences her strong work ethic. This fall, she will be interning at Bloomberg News.
“I'm a first-generation immigrant,” she said. “And so, just seeing my mom putting her best and trying to give me an education makes me want to work harder.”
- Edits and Updates made by MPJI staff.
Students interested in NYC Semester Program at The King’s College can apply here.
By Eloisa Gutierrez
A North Carolina native, recent college graduate and city girl at heart, 21-year-old Rachel Greenland is one of 17 students selected to be a Dow Jones News Fund business reporting intern.
Born and raised in Greensboro, North Carolina, Greenland now has degrees in journalism and public relations from Appalachian State University and a minor in accounting. She intends to use her diverse work experience to place herself in an internship or job this summer.
Greenland is one of a few Dow Jones News Fund interns whose original placement site rescinded its offer due to the coronavirus. Greenland took this in stride, however, applying to over a dozen internships and communications positions from home, with help from the News Fund.
Her search successfully landed her an internship role at Voice of America, under a Europe, Middle East and Latin America correspondent.
“I just am constantly thinking like 10 years in advance,” said Greenland.
Her future-oriented mindset is not new. Since her sophomore year of high school, Greenland had dreamed of making a difference as a business executive.
That dream, however, changed with time. In her senior year, Greenland evaluated her skills and desires.
“I realized ... I like really know how to write. So why don't I just combine this business idea of (being) a world changer in writing?” said Greenland.
That realization -- combined with the discovery of The King’s College NYC Semester in Journalism (NYCJ) -- set Greenland into motion.
She said, “My first or second month of freshman year, I started working every single thing I could to do to set that (NYC semester) up.” And she did.
Greenland joined professor Greg Perreault’s Introduction to Journalism course her second semester, and he helped her plan her class schedule to get to New York by her senior year. Perreault and his wife Mimi are alums of NYCJ’s predecessor, Washington Journalism Center, and are active friends to NYCJ.
At ASU, Greenland reported for the campus newspaper, The Appalachian, eventually serving as its managing editor her senior year. One of her favorite articles featured a podcast studio that was inspired by ASU alumnus, Stephen Dubner, author of “Freakonomics.”
Greenland also worked as public relations chair and webmaster for Sigma Kappa Sorority, participated in The Fund for American Studies and worked as a copy editor and reporter for Sustainable Discoveries magazine.
Eventually, in the spring of 2019, Greenland made it to The King’s College NYC Semester. In Manhattan, Greenland studied, interned at Newsweek on the video desk and embraced a love for the city.
There, she met Paul Glader, director of the News Fund’s business reporting program and an associate professor at The King’s College, who is co-director of the NYCJ program.
In Glader’s business reporting class Greenland said she really got to sink her teeth into business reporting and how a Wall Street Journal reporter approaches a business story. Her NYC semester included an internship at Newsweek, where Greenland pitched ideas for videos that she would script, edit and produce to accompany news articles.
“She was a pleasure to have on our team,” said Jessica Durham, video production manager at Newsweek.
“She always had ideas at our meetings, which was great,” said Durham. “(Greenland) wasn’t afraid to ask questions.”
Overall, Greenland said, that semester “really sparked this desire” to pursue an internship with the Dow Jones News Fund.
The following summer of 2019, Greenland worked as The Washington Times’ foreign desk intern, where she wrote several news stories and in-depth features on crises in Sudan.
Researching, writing and contributing to such powerful stories, said Greenland “(I) really realized the impact that I can have by being a reporter … my goal has always been just to share people’s stories.”
Preparing for her remote training and work, Greenland considers what the current pandemic means for the News Fund’s class of 2020.
“At the end of the day, we’re reporters and we’re supposed to be going into every situation, reaching out to people and being persevering and just trying to find things that might be difficult to find,” said Greenland.
She believes that tenacity will be essential.
“In this extra difficult time,” she said, “I think that’s a characteristic of ourselves that we really need to showcase.”
Until the start of her training, Greenland looks forward to the spring ASU commencement ceremony -- especially because Stephen Dubner will be speaking, said Greenland.
An admirer of Dubner, Greenland said, “I always wanted to go to a college where a celebrity would give my commencement speech and that never happens at my school. I don’t know if people would consider him a celebrity, but he is for me.”
“So if this is what I get for virtually graduating,” she said with a smile, “that’s really fine with me.”
After completing her internship with Voice of America, Greenland will head to the Charlotte, North Carolina, area for a full-time position with Boardroom Insiders as a Research Editor and Analyst. At BI, she will curate profiles of business executives across industries.
To learn more about Rachel Greenland or view some of her work, visit her website at greenlandrachel.wordpress.com.
- Edits and Updates made by MPJI staff.
This July, The King’s College in New York City will host two week-long summer sessions for high school students to earn college credit studying with finance and journalism faculty and industry leaders.
Each week includes interactive classes with professors and field-trip style sessions virtually exploring New York City institutions. The King’s College is a Christian liberal arts college, and professors bring a biblical perspective to their areas of expertise.
This is the college’s sixth year offering Summer Academy and the first hosting the program virtually. Summer Academy Online is offered at the highly discounted rate of $200 for one week or $350 for two weeks. Dates and track options are as follows:
July 12–17: Faith and Finance
July 26–31: Sports Journalism | Arts and Culture Reporting
Paul Glader, track leader for Arts and Culture Reporting, will take students on a virtual visit to Newsweek magazine and on virtual visits of MoMA, Pace Gallery and the David Zwirner Gallery. “The arts world has long wrestled with digital categories,” says Glader, a former reporter at The Wall Street Journal who also edits the award-winning web-site ReligionUnplugged.com. “And this year their ability to make, show and demonstrate art in that new format is very important.” Students will explore this digital trend and consider how it will shape the future of the art world. They will discuss NYC as a hub of book publishing, fashion, art, film / tv, music and many other parts of culture. They will also consider how Christians can think about and approach culture. And they consider how Christians are working in the world of art and culture at a high level.
Clemente Lisi, track leader for Sports Journalism, will give students hands-on writing experiences to hone their craft, including an examination of how society engages with sports on TV, apps and the Internet as well as in person. This is even more relevant during a year in which pro sports and college sports are adapting to Covid-19. Lisi is a former deputy head of news at The New York Daily News and a sports journalist who covers major league soccer and the World Cup. One element of the course covers the life of Jackie Robinson and features a virtual tour of Brooklyn locations that highlight the famed baseball player. "Robinson is the kind of historical figure that transcends sports. He broke the color barrier to become the first African-American to play in the major leagues in 1947," Lisi says. "He was also a devout Christian and remains a role model for so many Americans seven decades after he played baseball."
In the Faith and Finance track, Dr. Kimberly Reeve and Prof. Michael Hrynuik will lead group activities and discussions to teach students the economics, instruments and institutions of financial markets using New York City as a case study. As Christian finance practitioners, they will discuss how Biblical principles are applicable to everyday operations at a financial institution. Dr. Reeve has an MBA and a PhD and has worked as a managing director at Cathedral Consulting Group. Hrynuik has an MBA from Yale University and has worked in finance at Lehman Brothers, MUFG Securities and Queensboro Capital. “We start with the very roots of capitalism in New York City,” Dr. Reeve says. They plan to cover an overview of money from seashells and gold to cryptocurrency. And Hrynuik says they aim to help students answer the question: “Is it possible to be a Christian leader within the world of financial services and to find a way to glorify God?"
Students can apply and submit their enrollment fee at www.tkc.edu/sa. Applications due by July 8 for the finance track and by July 17 for the journalism tracks.
The King’s College (www.tkc.edu) is a Christian liberal arts college in New York City’s Financial District founded in 1938. It chooses to engage American culture at its heart, providing students with opportunities they won’t find elsewhere. The College’s Core Curriculum gives students a robust intellectual foundation for principled leadership throughout society. Under the mentorship of its faculty, students learn to seamlessly integrate their faith and morality into their lives and careers. King's is not a college for the faint of heart — it calls students to be good, brave and ready.
We had to postpone our MPJI Lecture in March with photojournalist Gary Fong as well as a few other events we were planning. But as some programs came to a halt, we kept moving forward alongside our students. Here are some highlights.
The McCandlish Phillips Journalism Institute stands in support of journalists doing the vital work of fact-based reporting during this current time of social unrest. It condemns violence against members of the media who are doing essential work in support of our constitutional democracy. It encourages journalists to report accurately on instances of police brutality such as the tragic death of George Floyd.
The McCandlish Phillips Journalism Institute is excited to announce our first and second place winners for the 2020 Summer Academy Social Media Challenge!
Members of the student chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists at The King’s College elected Gabriela Kressley president for the 2020-21 academic year.
How do student journalists cover their campus and their city when both are shut down by shelter-in-place and remote learning requirements?
Shannon Mason, senior JCS major and scholarship recipient, at the Rolling Stone offices.
John McCandlish Phillips was an award-winning journalist for The New York Times for 21 years (1952-1973) whose most famous story exposed the hidden background of an American Nazi and Ku Klux Klan leader, a story which inspired the 2001 film “The Believer.” Phillips quit the Times after 21 years and focused on planting churches and encouraging people in New York City. He remained passionate about good journalism and encouraged young people from faith backgrounds to pursue journalism as an important calling. Phillips passed away in April of 2013, but his journalistic legacy lives on through the McCandlish Phillips Journalism Institute at The King’s College in New York City.
The McCandlish Phillips Journalism Scholarship was started in 2013 to honor Phillips’s legacy by raising up new generations of talented journalists who are also serious about their Christian faith. The scholarship offers a $3,000 annual scholarship ($12,000 total per student over four years) to four incoming freshmen or transfers every academic year. Eligible applicants must be accepted for admission to The King’s College and plan to enroll as a full-time Journalism, Culture and Society (JCS) major this fall.
To apply, students should email three published clips and a 500-word personal statement answering the question, “How can someone be both an excellent journalist and a committed Christian?” to Eleni Glader at eglader@tkc.edu. Due to Covid-19 concerns, the scholarship’s application deadline for the 2020-2021 academic school year has been extended to May 15, 2020. Learn more about the scholarship here.
We are excited by the success scholarship recipients are finding. Recipients have interned at newsrooms such as American Banker, The Queens Courier, New York Daily News and more. This spring, the first class of scholarship recipients will be graduating from The King’s College. Meet one of our seniors, Shannon Mason, below. Shannon is the editor-in-chief of the Empire State Tribune, interned in 2019 at the New York Daily News and is an editorial intern at Rolling Stone magazine.
How did you decide to come to The King’s College?
I decided to come to The King's College because I knew the place to be for journalism was in New York City, but if it wasn't for King’s introducing the newly added major, JCS, I wouldn't have come! I also wanted to go to a small school because I wanted a chance to get involved with the student newspaper, which King's and the Empire State Tribune (EST) allowed me to do upon arrival. All of that is definitely an experience you don't get anywhere else.
What has surprised you the most as you’ve become a journalist?
I never realized how important faith can be in such a secular career. When it comes down to it, I realized my faith really is a way for me to reach certain subjects that I want to interview or provide a viewpoint that some people do not think about.
What has practicing journalism taught you?
Journalism has taught me so much about how news can impact people. I have seen it change people's lives for the better and that is my constant encouragement. I know that sometimes the news seems sad, but I want to make it so that the news can be beneficial and truthful.
Shannon onsite at a photoshoot for the latest edition of EST Magazine.
Which journalism classes at King’s have helped you the most?
Media, Law, and Ethics with Professor Stephen Kurzcy was the hardest class I have taken at King's but it really allowed me to reconsider my own ethics and it taught me to stick up for my own reasoning. Additionally, I would not have gotten far in journalism if it wasn't for taking Introduction to Journalism with Professor Clementi Lisi during my freshman year or Narrative Non-Fiction with Professor Paul Glader.
Which non-journalism classes at King’s have helped you the most for a future in journalism?
Principles of Cultural Interpretation with Professor Alissa Wilkinson has really influenced the background on many of my articles. It has allowed me to piece together why culture reacts a certain way to phenomenons and helped me spot trends to write about.
Tell us a little bit about your journalistic endeavors while at King’s. Any highlights?
To no one's surprise, my highlights have been serving as editor-in-chief for EST and being an editorial intern at Rolling Stone.
What are some of your future journalistic goals?
I would like to continue writing for Rolling Stone, eventually get published in their magazine with a feature story, and one day become an editor there.
The King’s College’s New York City Semester (NYCS) program is pleased to announce new partnerships with four universities: Anderson University, Abilene Christian University, William Jessup University and Mackenzie Presbyterian University in Brazil. These new partnerships bring the total number of participating institutions to 40.
Students from these universities will have the opportunity to spend a semester at The King’s College in New York City. Students pursue a track either in journalism or theater while at King’s, earning 15 credit hours in the classroom and participating in competitive internships across New York City. Through NYCS, partner schools allow their students to gain work experience and networking opportunities often unavailable to them at their home institutions.
Mackenzie Presbyterian University becomes the program’s eighth international partner school, joining universities in Brazil, Indonesia, Lithuania, Morocco, Norway, and Uganda.
NYCS has grown rapidly since its inception in 2015, bringing diverse talent to creative industries in New York City and providing a pathway for students from across the U.S. and world to enter the city’s major market for journalism and theater.
“The expansion of this program into 40 schools across the country and globe in such a short time shows the increased need for talented young journalists to have a pathway to major media markets where a bulk of the jobs are located,” said NYCJ co-director Paul Glader. “We are proud to serve our partner institutions and news media outlets by bringing more diverse talent—geographic, intellectual, ethnic diversity—to New York City.”
Interested students can learn more and apply at tkc.edu/academics/nyc-semester/. Questions regarding applying for NYCS or becoming a partner school should be directed to nycsemester@tkc.edu. International applicants interested in the journalism track may be eligible for the Arne Fjeldstad Memorial Scholarship, which offers $20,000 annually to qualified international students. Funds cover most to all tuition and housing costs during NYCS.
Paul Glader is an associate professor at The King’s College and heads the arts and entertainment reporting track at Summer Academy. Glader spent 10 years as a staff writer at The Wall Street Journal, edited a blog on creativity and leadership for six years at Forbes.com and has written for many outlets including The Washington Post, Bloomberg BusinessWeek and Newsweek on topics such as business, finance, education, religion, arts and culture. A resident of Montclair, NJ, Glader is looking forward to another Summer Academy teaching high school students about reporting on arts and entertainment. This track runs from July 26 - 31. Despite the concerns and current lockdowns related to the Coronavirus pandemic, King’s is hopeful the pandemic recedes by late summer and is taking registrations to the Summer Academy program (which can possibly be delivered online if need be).
1. Why should a high school student attend Summer Academy at The King’s College?
As summer camps go, our week for high school students at King’s is incredibly unique. Instead of getting poison ivy, mosquito bites and pond algae infections at a woodsy camp, you will experience the biggest city in America with a group of other amazing high school students and with a staff and faculty that care about your intellectual and personal development. During the week at Summer Academy, we will introduce you to New York City—from the subway to museums and landmarks—in a safe and nurturing manner. And your journalism education is important to us. We want you to understand what it’s like to be a journalist in the news media capital of the world and to sample what it would be like for you to study in our high-performing journalism program at King’s.
2. What do students in the arts and entertainment track do at Summer Academy?
We explain the breadth of arts and entertainment coverage through discussions, lectures and exercises. We take students on a visit to at least one newsroom to see how they cover arts and entertainment such as video games or pop culture. We then zero in on a particular aspect of arts and entertainment reporting, usually writing about fine art. I pick an interesting museum to take students to for the week’s assignment. The museums have included the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) and the Brooklyn Museum in past summers. The students have to research and report on an exhibit of their choice at the museum. They also usually visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a Broadway Show and other arts and entertainment locations and events during the week. And they hear lectures from other colleagues that give framework to New York City, The King’s College and Christianity and how arts and entertainment fit with each of those.
3. Why is arts and entertainment important?
During the Coronavirus pandemic, where do we turn for solace: family, religion and, yes, arts and entertainment. We play music in our homes. We eat food. We watch movies. We watch programming on TV and streaming services. All of these are cultural artifacts, written and produced by humans. Arts and entertainment is a big part of our economy and our lives. It also flows from human creativity and productivity. So we aim to deepen your understanding of how these artifacts are produced and how they are economically sustained. And, most of all, we want to help you learn how to approach culture (high and low) with a wise skepticism as advocated by C.S. Lewis in his work “An Experiment in Criticism.” We think about how Christian people might think about culture, approach culture and report on culture.
4. What experience do you and King’s have with arts and entertainment journalism?
I read a book one time. Ha. Seriously. I’m a voracious and enthusiastic consumer of arts and entertainment. I have written about culture—from skateboarding and snowboarding to architecture to food—at publications ranging from my college newspaper to Christianity Today to The Wall Street Journal and, now, at the site I helped launch and for which I serve as executive editor: ReligionUnplugged.com. Also, I often assign, coach and edit my students and young journalists who are writing about arts and entertainment. Many of my colleagues at King’s also write about arts and entertainment for sites ranging from Vox to The Guardian. You will hear from some of them during Summer Academy as well.
5. Why should I study arts and entertainment journalism in New York City?
New York City is an epicenter, if not the epicenter, for several parts of the arts and entertainment world. It is the hub for book publishing. It is arguably the most important hub in the United States for fashion. It’s perhaps the hub of food journalism / food media. And it rivals Los Angeles as a hub for film and television. Hip-Hop and rap music was born in New York City and most other genres—from jazz to indie rock—has to travel through NYC at some point. So spending a week in NYC is vital to your knowledge and experience if you are a person driven to arts and entertainment.
For more information on Summer Academy, visit https://www.tkc.edu/summer-academy. For questions, please email summeracademy@tkc.edu.
