By Kenneth Mullinax/ASU
Two Alabama State University students in the Department of Communications have been presented with "HBCU Investigative Reporting Workshop Student Fellowship Awards" by the Ida B. Wells Society in partnership with the Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) non-profit organization.
Ashonti Shaw and Aaliyah Thomas were both selected for the honor that included IRE student memberships and travel stipends that allowed them to take part in an investigative reporting workshop, which took place in Atlanta, Ga.
Shaw is the editor-in-chief of the Hornet Tribune, and Thomas is an intern with NBC affiliate, WSFA-TV 12 in Montgomery.
Communications professor, Dr. Carlos Morrison, works with both students and shared the importance of the award for the students and for the University.
"This award and fellowship are very important because it gives our students an opportunity to interact with professionals in the field of communications and with their peers, which helps to sharpen their investigative skills, advance their writing prowess, and network with both professionals and cohorts in journalism," Dr. Morrison said. "Winning these important awards and fellowships is just as important for ASU's Department of Communications as it is for our students, in that it re-enforces our faculty's commitment to develop the full student, especially in their writing ability across the board, and shows that our department is committed to enhancing this most important skill set of writing and better helps us recruit high school and transfer students into our program."
The Atlanta workshop was designed to support students at HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions in the South by allowing them to hone a variety of investigative skills that will help them within their future careers. The sessions emphasized professional journalistic techniques such as conducting investigative interviews, accessing public information and tapping into the power of data. The students’ workshops were paid for by support from the Rick Gevers-Karen Burns Diversity Endowed Fund for College Journalists.
Dr. Morrison explained that the importance of being able to write a news story or a script is a vital skill for a successful journalist, regardless of what avenue of journalism one may pursue after graduation.
"Both of our winners have learned through our teaching at Alabama State University and via the workshop that they attended in Atlanta, that despite whether they become radio, television, internet or newspaper journalists, the ability to possess strong writing skills is important and necessary to be among the top in whatever field they may choose," stated Dr. Morrison.