A new collaboration between the 哔咔漫画 Zimmerman School of Advertising & Mass Communications and is giving undergraduate students the chance to tell the stories of a Tampa community while gaining valuable work experience.
The project focuses on telling stories about the grassroots efforts led by people and organizations working toward transformative change in East Tampa, a historic, but often under-reported on Tampa Bay community. , says it鈥檚 a great opportunity for their students to gain real experience as journalists, add published work to their portfolios and make an impact.
鈥淭his project is really about finding the difference makers,鈥� Garcia said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e really focusing on solutions journalism, so students are talking to people within the community who are trying to bring positive change and find solutions to some of the issues they are facing.鈥�
Solutions journalism is an approach to news reporting that examines the responses to a variety of social issues and community problems. It is rooted in not just the issues themselves, a common tact in traditional news reporting, but in the evidence-based responses and solutions being utilized to combat those issues. The work is being supported by a grant from the through the at the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay.
鈥淥ur East Tampa storytelling collaboration with professors and students at the Zimmerman School came together through a confluence of ideas and connections as well as funding to make it all happen,鈥� said Diane Egner, publisher and managing editor for 83 Degrees Media. 鈥淭he feedback thus far has been all positive from all directions 鈥� neighborhood residents, USF professors and students, Walmart Foundation, Community Foundation Tampa Bay, Issue Media Group, and, most importantly, readers who are learning things they didn鈥檛 know about East Tampa and solutions in urban environments.鈥�
For students, while the project is not tied to their academic progress, it does provide them the chance to gain working experience and earn a paycheck for the articles they submit.
Hanna Toeniskoetter is a USF junior studying integrated public relations and advertising. When she first learned about the project, she knew it would be a great way to add published work to her portfolio and do impactful work in the community. Toeniskoetter has focused her reporting on the arts, speaking with a number of advocates and art curators in East Tampa who are working to bring different outlets and resources to that community.
鈥淚t鈥檚 such a great opportunity to be able to hopefully bring a voice and exposure to all of the efforts being taken to try and uplift the East Tampa region,鈥� Toeniskoetter said. 鈥淚t definitely feels good knowing that the work we鈥檙e doing might have a positive impact.鈥�
Toeniskoetter has been involved in a number of extracurriculars while at USF and had been searching for something that would allow her to put her passion into practice. After college, she hopes to pursue writing and reporting positions, so this opportunity was a perfect fit for her future.
鈥淚鈥檝e always been a little bit of an introvert, so pushing myself to meet people and conduct interviews as a professional journalist has really been a growing experience for me,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his has really been a way for me to broaden my horizons as a writer and develop new skills that I can put to use after college.鈥�
哔咔漫画 students have been involved in this project for most of the fall 2021 semester, producing a variety of written, video and podcast/audio stories. While funding for the project is limited, Garcia hopes they can find ways to continue to provide students with this type of experience.
鈥淭his is a great opportunity for our students to experience other people鈥檚 lives, communities and neighborhoods and to gain confidence in themselves,鈥� Garcia said.
Read articles by 哔咔漫画 students: