Student journalists from American River College’s The Current attended the ACP Spring National College Media Conference, which is held in association with the Journalism Association of Community Colleges, March 5-7 in San Francisco and took home five awards.
Abby Harless, editor-in-chief of The Current, said it was a good experience to go to panels and hear from different reporters and journalists.
“We even got to go to a women journalist round table, so it was different women from different colleges talking about our experiences in the field,” Harless said.
Students also participated in competitive journalism contests designed to simulate real newsroom pressure. Harless was one of ARC’s competitors.
“There, you really have to meet your deadlines. It was really good practice for when I go out and get a job in the field and how serious you have to take deadlines,” Harless said, adding that it also benefited the staff to work on teamwork and getting things done on time.
The three-day conference included keynote speakers, panel discussions and workshops on topics ranging from reporting on protests to newsroom safety.
On Friday, keynote speaker Emilio Garcia-Ruiz, editor-in-chief of the San Francisco Chronicle, discussed the growing role of artificial intelligence in journalism.
“Right now, AI is kind of a controversial thing within journalism, how much we should use it and things like that,” Harless said. “It was interesting to hear his thoughts, especially since he works for a big publication in the Bay Area.”
The conference concluded Saturday with additional workshops and an awards ceremony recognizing student media organizations.
The Current staff received several awards during the conference. The publication won the Online General Excellence Award and placed second in Editorial Staff of the Year.
Individual staff members were also recognized. Current Sports Editor Marquis Martin received third place in Opinion Story, Noelle Oliver, who served as a staff writer last semester, earned second place in Feature Story (Non-Profile), News Editor Mei Mizutani received second place in Online Photo Story/Essay (News Photo) and former Staff Writer Cameron Duncan received an Honorable Mention in Sports Action Photo.
“It was really nice, and I was really proud seeing them get the recognition for all their hard work. I think, obviously, they’re very deserving of what they put out,” Harless said.
