Experience WJMC

At 8:30 a.m., we headed to the Mason Arlington campus to hear from speakers Brian Lamb, Founder and Former CEO of C-SPAN, and Mikayla Bouchard, Assistant Editor of The New York Times. The speaking event began at approximately 9:30 a.m. and lasted above two hours. Lamb’s presentation was very interactive and consisted mostly of Q & A about media topics such as the debate surrounding Equal Time Regulations, President Trump’s use of Twitter, the purpose of journalism, and the importance of objectivity and balance in media. Bouchard, on the other hand, focused her speech on how The New York Times is using innovative multimedia platforms to reach modern audiences as well as her personal journey into the newsroom.

After Bouchard had finished receiving questions, all correspondents reported back to our advisors. We then boarded the buses again to go to lunch at Carmine’s, an Italian restaurant with salad, bread, pasta, and delicious chocolate torte. Mealtimes during WJMC are special because they allow National Youth Correspondents to communicate with each other in a way they are not always able to during other parts of the conference. Throughout our group meals, I have enjoyed connecting with fellow correspondents about our personal lives as well as our hopes for our future professional lives. This was once again true during our meal at Carmine’s.

Post-lunch, we traveled once again by bus, this time to the National Press Building. At once, I felt the importance of the place and felt a desire to prove my worth. This fit perfectly with speaker Daniella Pierre-Bravo’s message of having self-worth and persevering through struggle. In her speech, she said, “Own your story . . . and figure out how to tell it.” Pierre-Bravo’s story is incredible because it is the story of an undocumented, financially unstable young woman who made great sacrifices and did everything she could to get her foot in the door of the media world. Today, she is a successful TV producer and co-writer of the book Earn It!: Know Your Value and Grow Your Career, in Your 20s and Beyond. I was really inspired by her story and, as a result, chose to know my own value and be bold by asking her a question in the microphone. I also got my copy of Earn It! signed, which made me thrilled.

My signed copy of Earn It!. Personal Video. Made with Boomerang.

After Pierre-Bravo spoke, Michelle Jaconi from The Washington Post took the stage. Jaconi suggested three rules for aspiring journalists:

1. Follow the money.

2. Show. Don’t tell.

3. Don’t stop listening.

The advice about following money did not necessarily mean following the highest paycheck. Instead, Jaconi explained the importance of understanding how a company makes its money and how that drives its production model. “Show. Don’t tell.” related to a person proving his or her worth to a future or current employer by demonstrating interest, good worth ethic, and willingness to do even menial tasks. Jaconi also expressed the importance of good listening skills in the workforce.

After Jaconi’s speech, we left the National Press Building to return to George Mason University; we will be remaining on campus until Thursday morning. Once we arrived at GMU, I went to dinner, and I enjoyed spending time at the dining hall with some of my new friends from WJMC. I am increasingly becoming more comfortable around the other members of the Maroon Group, and this was a great opportunity for us to connect. Once I finished eating, I also had the special opportunity to be one of two members of my color group to be filmed for a promotional video. After I was done being recorded, I got a head start on traveling to the Johnson Center to hear the evening speaker.

This is where some advice from Michelle Jaconi’s speech really rings true. She said, “Expect the unexpected,” and I certainly got an unexpected surprise. I arrived early at the Johnson Center and, after touring the campus bookstore inside, decided to take a seat at one of the empty tables in a large, open room on the first floor. As I walked to my table of choice, I noticed there was a man sitting at the next table over; he was writing notes and pausing occasionally to don a reflective look. Suspecting who he was, I chose to sit at the table next to his . . . just in case I should find reason to introduce myself.

As soon as I took my seat, however, I watched as the man quickly got up and moved to another table. I was instantly concerned that, by sitting at a table next to his, I had invaded his professional working space and interrupted his contemplation. I felt bad as I myself value solitude at times especially when I am processing something complex or of great importance to me. I felt worse as I verified his identity with a quick Google search and discovered that yes, in fact, my suspicions were correct: the man was our evening speaker. Not only that, but he was Michael LaRosa, Director of Communications at the House Democratic Policy Communications Committee in the Office of the Speaker. In no way intending to undervalue the significance of LaRosa’s own career, I remember being in the moment and thinking to myself something along the lines of, I cannot believe I just offended someone who works with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi!

I was afraid to proceed with the action of my intent, which was apologizing to him for interrupting his workflow. I thought for certain that I could have little to say of worth and interest to a person of such importance and a high public profile. I did not believe that I knew enough about politics, government, or even journalism to initiate conversation. However, I felt indebted to offer an apology to Mr. LaRosa and figured I had nothing to lose by networking. Thus, I walked over, stuck out my hand, and said, “My name is Emma Frieze, and I am a National Youth Correspondent from Kansas.” (Well, I said that with a few “um” sounds in there and also an apology for disrupting his speech preparation).

I had caught Mr. LaRosa by surprise, and he immediately assured me that his choice to switch tables exactly when I sat down had merely been a coincidence. Then, to my surprise, he invited me to take a seat at his table! What I had intended to be an apology resulted in a conversation lasting several minutes in which I explained my background and interest in media, and LaRosa offered his insight on professional life in Washington. I was completely blown away by how easy he was to talk to, and I slowly felt my nervousness wear off. I had approached the conversation believing I had nothing of value to contribute but soon could tell that when I explained my career goals and the goals of other National Youth Correspondents, it was helpful to him because it allowed him to become more familiar with his audience before giving his speech. After our conversation, I thanked LaRosa for his time and stated I was looking forward to his presentation.

My favorite quote from LaRosa’s speech was his “best piece of advice,” and that is “. . . the best plan is to know your plan will change.” As someone with an interest in media but without a definite sense of what I want to do in my career, these were encouraging words. Similar to other WJMC Speakers, LaRosa had his own unique voice and story, and his career has not been a straight path. I was interested to hear he did not come from a family with a background in journalism or politics, so I chose to ask him a question at the mic about his experiences networking in Washington. After the presentation, my faculty advisor Chris was really helpful in making sure I took the proper steps of follow-up with LaRosa as I am inexperienced with this form of networking. I really appreciate Chris’s guidance.

Our final activity for the day was our color group meeting, in which we discussed Solutions Journalism. On Day Four, we begin a research project and will pitch a story to a group of faculty advisors and other National Youth Correspondents. I do not yet know my topic or my partner(s). Admittedly, I am very nervous about this project because I worry about the quality and thoroughness of my work under tight time constraint. However, I hope to approach this simulation challenge with a growth mindset, and I look forward to what may be my most challenging day of WJMC: Day Four.

Yesterday was my first full day of WJMC. It was very enjoyable, and I look forward to the remainder of this week. It is now Day Three, and we are kicking off our morning with speakers Brian Lamb, the founder of C-Span, and Mikayla Bouchard, Senior Staff Editor of The New York Times. I can hardly believe I am about to see both of them in person! Hopefully, I will be courageous and quick enough to stand in front of the mic today and ask a question. I also have the honor of taking over the Maroon Group’s Instagram page for the day, which I am very enthusiastic about.

Be looking out for more updates! For now, enjoy this fun photo from today’s breakfast at Southside Dining Hall on GMU’s Fairfax campus:

Hello, there! Today was another great day at the Washington Journalism and Media Conference. This morning, I got to experience my first breakfast at Southside Dining Hall. I know this is not a food blog, but I have to say my meal was delicious! A soft blueberry muffin and a sweet yogurt bowl really topped off the meal.

Our attire was casual today, so I was able to wear my WJMC t-shirt, shorts, and tennis shoes. This was convenient because we did a lot of walking today exploring our nation’s capital. First, we visited the Newseum. My experience there was interactive and enjoyable. There was so much to do there; we spent about five hours at the Newseum, and I still did not see every last thing the museum has to offer. Needless to say, we saw many neat exhibits. I have tried my best to preview a few of them through the photos below:

After the Newseum, we headed to Mason Arlington to hear from Kevin McCarthy, a film critic for Fox 5 DC and CBS Radio. I was very inspired by Mr. McCarthy’s success in turning his love for film into a career. McCarthy said during his speech, “Essentially, the passion of my life . . . has been movies.” One valuable lesson I learned from his speech was I should always ask questions even when I believe the answer may be “no” because the answer may in fact be “yes.” In other words, there is no way to know what opportunities are out there for me unless I seek them first. I also learned about working backwards while interviewing someone, so both the interviewer and interviewee are able to discuss their own topics of interest. Overall, McCarthy’s speech was very useful to me in understanding networking and interviewing processes.

Our departure from Mason Arlington came before 5:30 p.m. At that time, we were shuttled to dinner at Crystal City Sports Pub. I was once again very impressed with accommodations and logistics (Thank you, WJMC Advance Team!). After dinner, all National Youth Correspondents were treated to a White House photo opportunity and a Twilight Monument Tour. I had never seen the Korean War Memorial or any of the monuments or memorials by night; thus, this was a very special experience for me. Soon, though, it was time for our day in Washington to come to an end. We returned to the GMU Fairfax campus via bus this evening, and now it is time to get some rest. There are still four incredible days left of WJMC!

Today was a long but wonderful day. After I arrived at the George Mason University campus, I settled into my room, met my faculty and junior faculty advisors at The Hub, and went on a campus tour. Next, I had my first unofficial meeting with the Maroon Group. I can already tell that I have some pretty amazing groupmates! We played a fun game to remember each other’s names and even had a crazy encounter with one of the Starship robots on campus (Check them out here: https://www2.gmu.edu/news/574036).

Soon, it was time to go to the conference’s Opening Dinner at Dewberry Hall in GMU’s Johnson Center. I must say I was quite impressed by the formality and style of the event. The layout of the dinner was very elegant, and I greatly appreciate the WJMC Directors, Advance Team, and other faculty and staff for all the hard work they did to make it a success. Our speaker for the night was Sonya Gavankar, Director of Public Relations for the Newseum, and she had a very humorous and thought-provoking speech that I found very relatable and useful. I was lucky to be able to ask her a question, and I was quite pleased with her response.

During the dinner, we also watched a video message recorded for us by Hoda Kotb, Co-Host of Today. Even though she was not able to speak to us in person, I was still inspired by her message about never giving up. It was really neat to hear a celebrity journalist delivering a message specific to National Youth Correspondents like me. This was one of many aspects of the dinner that gave it a unique energy I had not experienced before. It made me feel like a professional (or a future professional at least) and motivated me to get out of my comfort zone during this conference.

Our final activity for the day was our first official Maroon Group Meeting. We first talked about our personal and professional images, which involved discussing our unique traits. Then, we developed elevator pitches and presented them to other group members on a one-on-one basis. Of course, we also had fun! We laughed out loud, enjoyed debating the proper way to play rock-paper-scissors, played more icebreaker games, and even filmed a mannequin challenge video to the newly released cover of Steve Winwood’s “Higher Love” performed by Whitney Houston and Kygo.

Overall, my first day of WJMC was thrilling. I enjoyed meeting new people and hearing from our first speaker. I also had an interesting tour of campus and a fabulous dinner. When the opportunity arose for me to ask a question, I challenged myself to be brave and stepped up to the microphone. Before WJMC began, I was nervous because I doubted my competence. Now, that doubt is being replaced by confidence, and the nervousness has eased away into excitement. I had a delightful first day at WJMC, and I look forward to my next day of learning and experiencing.

I am here at George Mason University and so excited that WJMC has begun! I have already met so many people, including new faces and several people that I have previously connected with on social media. Once I arrived at the George Mason Campus, I got checked in and found my room. Then, I followed the sidewalk chalk arrows that had kindly been drawn by WJMC staff to the Hub to meet my faculty advisor and junior faculty advisor. Chris (FA) and Megan (JFA) made me feel very welcome, and I am looking forward to meeting the rest of the Maroon Color Group this evening.

At the hub, I met several other WJMC participants. A group of us were even featured on the story of the WJMC Instagram page (@wjmc_mason)! Then, I went on a campus tour, which was really neat. Now, I am about to meet the Maroon Color Group! More updates to come.