Summer Steinsrud was born in Norway and, as a child, was shy but curious. Lili Hurd, originally from Denver, Colorado, sought a college major focusing on the creative strengths of storytelling. Emma Caires from Sunnyvale, California, appreciates the First Amendment right of freedom of expression. And Alyssa Salcedo, born in the Philippines and raised in Waipahu, is passionate about covering diverse communities.
Different but alike. Unique but on the same career pathway. And all equally inspired as College of Social Sciences (CSS) journalism majors who attended this summer’s 2024 East-West Center International Media Conference (IMC) in Manila, Philippines. Held every two years in a major regional media hub, this year’s IMC conference was themed, “The Future of Facts,” with a focus on climate change, regional geopolitics and elections.
It was a working trip for the student group from UH Mānoa, who wrote daily stories and published them in The Mānoa Mirror news website and its Instagram site. “Attending the conference left me awe-struck,” said Salcedo. “It gave me a glimpse into the challenges faced by journalists around the world, and I was able to contribute by participating in a panel discussion with other young journalists. The connections made and lessons learned are all-important and will be lifelong.”
They were accompanied by two CSS adjunct instructors, Annalisa Burgos, Hawaiʻi News Now (HNN) weekend anchor, and David Usborne, a founding member of The Independent British online newspaper. Patricia Amaral Buskirk, an associate professor in Communication, also attended.
“This was the first time UH journalism students had the opportunity to experience reporting in the field as foreign correspondents. They are examples of the high-caliber of students in the program,” said Burgos, who was an Asia-based journalist before joining HNN. “I was thrilled to share my second home with them.”
The students were grateful to go abroad to cover the event, and said the life-changing trip cemented their interest in journalism.
“Never in a million years would I have imagined that I’d be reporting from Manila as a student,” said Steinsrud, who is interning at HNN this summer. “Life is what you make of it. There’s nothing that I love more than connecting with local community members, so my experience there was also so positively unique.”
Hurd said what she loves most about journalism is being able to tell different stories through multiple platforms such as photography, video and podcasts.
“What makes my department unique compared to other programs is we’re encouraged to go out and do things in the field instead of just listening in a classroom,” said Hurd. “There’s a lot of opportunities to practice our craft and see amazing places like the Philippines. You are traveling and engaging with indigenous communities in the islands and beyond.”
Added Caires, who hopes to pursue a career abroad after graduation in 2025, “I enjoy the freedom of expression that journalism allows. It’s not just writing hard news – it’s intricate storytelling, comic strips, tear-jerking photography, detailed video, carefully chosen words. Within each of these things comes the freedom and encouragement to use your own unique voice, experiences and background to make things matter to people.”
Journalism is a program in the School of Communication and Information (SCI). Other SCI programs are Communication, Communicology, Library and Information Science, and Peace and Conflict Education.
