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Broadcast Journalism
Audio Journalism & Broadcast
PODCASTING: Exploring the City
My journey with audio journalism began with my podcast series, a project I picked up in Jan. 2023. I have lived in the Bay Area my entire life, I realized I didn’t know anything about our central city, which was just a 20-minute drive away. How could I call myself a bay area local if I couldn’t even navigate the neighborhoods of San Francisco? I decided to physically go into the city and talk to different people about their experiences.
I wanted to create a radio-style podcast featuring multiple backgrounds from a particular ethnic/social group within one episode. I interviewed people about their experiences in the diverse city of San Francisco and learned how their social or racial group impacts their view of the city. I utilized music and nat sound to add dimension and created a final product showcasing the different experiences of people in San Francisco This was definitely an incredible experience because I did man-on-the-street interviews for every source, and pushed myself out of my comfort zone to get the most authentic stories within that neighborhood itself.
Episode 1: Chinatown
The first episode was an incredible one to record because I went into Chinatown on the first day of Lunar New Year and met the most incredible people who were all keen on preserving the Chinese American culture by setting fireworks to celebrate the new year. The Chinese Americans living in Chinatown all have their own stories about growing up in the ethnic conclave, and I was all ears to hear their unique experiences.
Episode 2: Haight-Ashbury
Going into Haight-Ashbury and recording the second episode was such an interesting experience because I learned so much about the rich history of this neighborhood. I loved learning about the Beat generation and how they rejected social norms, and how this attitude has shaped the neighborhood for generations. It truly encapsulates the cultural spirit of San Francisco and I had a great time talking to residents the neighborhood.
Episode 3: The Castro
Visiting the Castro was interesting-- it was such an eccentric neighborhood. The Castro is historically known as one of the first safe havens for the LGBTQ+ community in the 70s and is a symbol of activism and openness. I interviewed various members of the community at the Castro and learned about their relationship to the Castro and learned about the history, as well as it's impact upon the LGBTQ+ identity of those living there.
Episode 4: The Mission District
The Mission District is an exuberant neighborhood with latin roots, influencing the famous foods from that district. However, it's also neighborhood currently suffering from the perils of the tech takeover. The neighborhood is experiencing gentrification and many Mission residents are being pushed out due to high costs. I listened to residents who discuss how this trend of gentrification is impacting their lives as Mission residents. This episode was my final episode of the series and it truly shows how much I've learned about podcasting. Editing the audio and splicing it together became easier, and I learned about the proper length of listenable podcasts.
VIDEO PRODUCTION
Hometown days unites the community
I didn’t intend to create this video at first, as I went in as a community volunteer on the first day of the event. On this day, though, I ran into my neighbors, and many friends; I saw how much this annual event united the people around me.
I decided to produce a video showcasing my community's unity, running in the next day with a camera and my microphone. There was an extensive list of activities that I could film and attend, and I interviewed different individuals who all had a unique love for their community. I wanted to capitalize on the advantage video storytelling has and emphasize the visual appeal to tell the story of an experience I consider dear to my heart.
This was the first broadcast piece I had published, but not the first one I had done as my first attempt at a different attempt included a glitched audio due to a broken microphone, truly a humbling moment when I looked back on my hours worth of footage to realize it was all unusable. However, I learned how to properly yield the camera and how to adjust angles with the first attempt, which is what made my second attempt more visually appealing. I also learned how to use premier pro-- although tricky at first, it has become one of my favorite editing softwares.
The community and small businesses connect at the Ferry Building
My goal with this video was to highlight local small businesses and the unique things people can do at the Ferry Building, which is an iconic spot in the middle of San Francisco. I always thought it was interesting how this was once just a terminal where people would board ferry boats to cross the San Francisco Bay, but now it's a bustling building filled with food shops and weekly markets. The spirit of the Bay Area is extremely evident here and it's one of my favorite places to go to on Saturdays because of how lively everyone is. I hopes to spotlight the unique aspects of the Ferry Building by interviewing someone working in the actual building and how the ferry building facilities community and collaboration, someone who worked at the trading post to get her view on the artistic contributions of the spot, and interviewing someone who works at the farmers market as a vendor to see how the Ferry building helps local businesses.
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