Meet the 2013 NAHJ Nevada/Review-Journal Interns

Review-Journal at sunset. Photo by Jessica Ebelhar.

One of NAHJ's major goals is to increase diversity in newsrooms around our state. And when we thought of how we could practically accomplish that, we thought of the next generation. We want to give aspiring journalists who are passionate about covering the many layers of our city the skills they need to launch from school to career.

After a months-long search that drew applicants from around the globe, NAHJ Nevada's internship committee (Hernando Amaya, Xazmin Garza, Antonio Planas and Michelle Rindels) was tasked with choosing a skilled aspiring journalist who embodied our group's values and mission.

But once we got to interviewing, we figured there was no way we could settle on less than these three impressive candidates.

Meet Sandy, Eric and Yvette, three young, bilingual aspiring journalists who've demonstrated a passion for covering underrepresented communities and a zest for our profession. We're thrilled to bring them to America's best news town for a paid summer job that includes a month on the Las Vegas Review-Journal's city desk, a month on the features desk, and a month at Spanish-language weekly El Tiempo. The experience is bound to be challenging and thrilling, and NAHJ members are committed to supporting and mentoring them every step of the way.

We want to thank the Review-Journal for being our enthusiastic partner in this project, and for graciously footing much of the bill so we could bring on all three of our top candidates. We also want to thank everyone who made our One Year in Photos fundraiser auction a smashing success, allowing us to pick up the rest of the tab on this endeavor. From photographers who donated their stunning prints, to the Amanda Harris Gallery, to our corporate sponsor NVEnergy, it was a major team effort.

So without further ado, we'd like to welcome the 2013 NAHJ Nevada/Review-Journal summer interns. In no particular order:

Sandy Lopez is a senior journalism major at San Francisco State University, where she's also minoring in Latino/Latina studies. She recently worked as a staff reporter at Mission Local newspaper and website, which covers San Francisco's largely bilingual Mission District, and spent a summer as a page design intern at Mexico City's El Excelsior newspaper. On campus, she worked as a staff write for SFSU's weekly paper, and previously served as editor-in-chief of the paper at Citrus College in Glendora, Calif.
One of her SFSU professors called her "one of the most dedicated and compassionate storytellers in our department," and another noted she is "one of the bravest journalism student I've had the luck of knowing," citing her courageous coverage of the Occupy protests.
The internship committee appreciated her resourcefulness and alignment with NAHJ's mission.
"While the nation continues to rapidly grow in diversity, it is crucial for journalists to accurately reflect the nation's varied communities in order to engage with a larger audience," Lopez wrote in her application. "A diverse group of reporters will more likely consider issues from different angles and produce better coverage than their homogeneous counterparts."
Follow Sandy on Twitter: @JournalismSandy

Eric Uribe is a sophomore journalism major at the University of Nevada, Reno. He currently serves as sports editor of The Nevada Sagebrush, where he manages other sports writers, reports, and maintains the section's social media accounts. He also freelances as a sportswriter for the Reno Gazette-Journal.
An Elko native, Uribe is a member of the Nu Alpha Kappa Latino-interest fraternity, and also serves as a big brother at Big Brothers Big Sisters Northern Nevada.
The internship committee was impressed by his colorful, in-depth profiles of students and sports figures. In his application, he told he looked forward to bringing that artistry to our vibrant city.

"The fast-paced, non-stop culture of Las Vegas would be a pitch-perfect match for me," Uribe wrote. "I’ll sap every last ounce of the city’s character through my storytelling ability."

Follow Eric on Twitter: @Uribe_Eric

Yvette Cruz is a graduate student pursuing a master's degree in journalism at Columbia College in Chicago. She's been covering city hall for web-based publication Chicago Talks, and working the "Gambling and Other Sins" beat for the site. She's also honed her photography and videography skills as a graduate assistant for her school's journalism department.
Previously from Utah, Cruz completed her undergraduate in journalism/communications at Utah Valley University in Orem. Her professor said "she's tackled complex stories" during her graduate program, and a previous employer lauded her as responsible, attentive, and competent.
The internship committee was impressed by Cruz's confidence, professionalism and communication skills in both English and Spanish.
"I am capable of wearing many hats," she told the committee, "but the one I wear best is my passion and drive to share stories otherwise not told with a diverse audience."
Follow Yvette on Twitter: @YvyReports

Eden Soto Alva takes job at Univision Dallas

Eden Soto Alva (upper left in photo), who's served on the NAHJ Nevada board as an active member and our graphic designer, is leaving us to take a reporting job at Univision Dallas. Aside from Peru, Texas is home for Eden -- it's where he went to school, interned, and got his first taste of the journalism that would ultimately be his career. We're very excited for this wonderful promotion, although we're sad to lose a great friend and a great journalist who served Las Vegas well during his yearlong stint here. Members of NAHJ Nevada got together for Peruvian food at Inka Grill on Feb. 17 to say our good-byes and send him off with our best wishes. Buena suerte, Eden!

One Year in Photos Fundraiser Auction

It was a recipe for success: Some stunning photos from Vegas' best photographers. A cool downtown art gallery. Vino and tapas.

And a success it was -- at our Feb. 7 event, we auctioned off 15 amazing prints and several works of art to some very happy new owners. We also made one couple's dream vacation come true after auctioning two United Airlines tickets to anywhere the company flies! They can't wait to make it out to Guam and see family this summer.

In all, our fundraiser netted $6,000 for NAHJ. We're applying the money toward our first-ever summer internship program, which is a collaboration with the Las Vegas Review-Journal and aims to bring more diversity into Nevada newsrooms. The proceeds will also help us stage activities throughout the year, including training workshops and PIO-Journalist Socials that help us network with the PR people we work so closely with.

It was an exceptional and fun night, and we couldn't have done it without the help of:

• NVEnergy: Our sole sponsor provided a major donation so we could buy drinks and refreshments for guests and pay the up-front costs of printing the photos.
• Amanda Harris Gallery of Contemporary Art: Amanda Harris let us use her lovely downtown gallery at no charge. 
• Photojournalists Jessica Ebelhar, John Locher, Steve Marcus and Leila Navidi donated incredible photos for the auction that are now gracing walls around Las Vegas.
• Priscilla Daniels, who donated beautiful Dia de los Muertos masks and three paintings for the auction.
• Claudio Ferreiro, who printed the photos at a steep discount. They turned out amazing!
• The Lady Sylvia, who provided wonderful drinks and pinxtos for our guests to munch on.

Thank you all who donated, attended, bid, or otherwise supported the great work happening at NAHJ Nevada. Your contributions are making a difference for the journalists of today and tomorrow!

Apply for the 2013 NAHJ Nevada/Las Vegas Review-Journal Summer Internship

The NAHJ-NV/Review-Journal internship offers talented aspiring journalists the chance to learn and shine in one of the greatest news towns on earth. Spend a few weeks chasing down the serious and the strange with the RJ’s award-winning breaking news reporters. Then cover world-class dining, entertainment and arts on the features desk. And wrap it up by putting your Spanish to the test on the staff of the RJ’s Spanish-language weekly, El Tiempo. It’s an internship like no other, in a town like no other.

THE PERKS
- 10 paid work weeks.
- Housing assistance, including pre-screened, low-cost, fully-furnished room options.
- Waking up in Vegas. Every day.

THE JOB
The paid internship is a crash course in hands-on news and feature reporting. Interns will go through a brief orientation before they’ll be expected to write regularly and deliver in-depth stories on deadline.

Interns will be assigned a mentor to provide advice and guidance during the summer. They’ll also find support from the diverse group of journalists in NAHJ Nevada.

Interns who excel may be considered for other opportunities, including full-time employment at the RJ.

THE CANDIDATE
- You have journalism experience.
- You’re a junior or senior in college, in graduate school, or have graduated either within the past six months.
- Preferably, you can speak and write in Spanish.
- You are an active member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. (To join, visit nahj.org. Annual fee is $20.)

To apply and for more information, go to: nahjnevada.blogspot.com or email nahjnevada@gmail.com.

Applications due March 1, 2013
Winner(s) announced April 1, 2013
NAHJInternshipApplication (2)
Photo by Jessica Ebelhar/Las Vegas Review-Journal

NAHJ Board Votes to Induct Nevada Chapter

Media Contact:

Michelle Rindels

NAHJ Nevada President

michelle.rindels@gmail.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DECEMBER 7, 2012

NAHJ-NEVADA CHAPTER BECOMES OFFICIAL; VOTE MAKES LAS VEGAS GROUP LATEST ADDITION TO NATIONAL HISPANIC JOURNALISM ORGANIZATION

SAN ANTONIO, Texas _ The National Association of Hispanic Journalists board voted Friday to induct a group of Nevada reporters, editors, and producers as the organization’s newest professional chapter. The unanimous vote at the national board meeting in San Antonio, Texas officially incorporates a group that’s been informally organized in Las Vegas since April.

“Friday’s vote is a major milestone for our young group,” said NAHJ Nevada President Michelle Rindels. “We’ve been serving aspiring young journalists, shedding light on issues important to the Hispanic community, and providing networking opportunities for months. But now that we’ve got the full support of this established, national group, we can really take things to the next level.”

To establish as a regional chapter, a group must claim at least 10 professional journalists. Official status allows the group to raise funds as a 501(c)3 nonprofit and allows the club to take full advantage of NAHJ’s vast network of resources. Among other things, the status will allow the group to move forward on its current effort to co-sponsor a paid summer internship for an aspiring Hispanic journalist.

About NAHJ

Founded in 1984, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists seeks to increase representation of Latinos in newsrooms and to improve coverage of the Latino community. The group offers scholarships and job placement services, and advocates for fair and balanced coverage of Latinos on a national level. The organization claims some 1,300 members nationwide.

About the Nevada Chapter

The Nevada chapter was informally organized in April 2012 by Associated Press reporter Cristina Silva, and officially established Dec. 7, 2012. Its 23 dues-paying members and dozens of regular attenders include students, public relations professionals, and employees from virtually every major English- and Spanish-language Las Vegas media outlet. The group meets regularly for networking meetings, holds professional growth workshops, and supports student journalists.

Online:

NAHJNevada.blogspot.com

twitter.com/NAHJNevada

facebook.com/NAHJNevada

Las Vegas Review-Journal Reporter Antonio Planas: On Writing a Murder Mystery

Las Vegas Review-Journal crime reporter Antonio Planas talks about a major "murder mystery" article he wrote for the newspaper. The piece, which was a year in the making before it was published on page A1 Sunday, Nov. 18, 2012, focuses on murder suspect Greg Wallen Jr. While he's facing trial for the cold case murder of a young girl in Las Vegas, a mother in neighboring California believes he's also linked to an even colder case -- the unsolved death of her daughter in 1985, when Wallen was only 12 years old. Planas talks to NAHJ Nevada's Michelle Rindels about the in-depth piece, and what it means to him and his career.

Member of the Week: Michelle Rindels

1. Where do you currently work and what's your role there?

I work for the Associated Press bureau in Las Vegas. My title is breaking news staffer; I show up to work at 6 a.m. and spend the day writing short stories (think briefs or readers for broadcasters) about whatever’s going on in Nevada and Utah. If the story requires a lot more reporting, I hand it off to my co-workers in Vegas, Carson City, Reno or Salt Lake City. But I feel like my most important role is helping set the agenda for the day. I spend the first part of my shift scouring news outlets in both states and sorting out the important stuff that has broader implications and impact, from the stuff our small staff can skip. I pitch those stories to my supervisors, and I feel I’ve accomplished my purpose when they take my suggestions and the rest of the staff can start their day reporting without getting bogged down in trivial things.

2. When did you come to Las Vegas? Where were you before? Where did you go to school?

I came to Las Vegas in July 2011 after spending a few months covering the Nevada Legislature for the AP and before that, working for a newspaper in a small town in northern California. I went to school at Biola University, a small, private Christian college about 15 minutes from Disneyland.

3. What's your dream job or big career goal? I’d love to stay with the AP, wherever that might take me, and be an expert on my beat. I love reporting on cross-cultural issues, religion and the economy. 

4. Tell us a little about your ethnic background. My last name is German, and I’m also Swedish, English, Czechoslovakian, etc. (some would call this a “European mutt,” but I think that term does a disservice to how unique each of those different European ethnic roots are). I’m also a quarter Mexican. My grandma is from the D.F. and immigrated to the U.S. when she married my American grandpa at age 28. Spanish was my mom’s first language, and while she didn’t teach it to us as much I wish she had, my brothers and I have always known the full range of “tu” commands: “parate!” “sientate” “callate!” From a young age, I longed to understand the secret language my grandma and mom spoke amongst themselves. I started studying Spanish with a computer program at 10 or 11, took all the classes I could in high school, majored in Spanish in college (along with journalism), and studied abroad in Costa Rica. Probably because of my amazing abuelita, Spanish has always been the language of love to me, and the Hispanic culture has always felt like home.

5. What inspired you to become a journalist or public relations professional? I think it was a coloring contest. My hometown newspaper, The Manteca Bulletin, published kids’ art every Sunday and gave prizes for the best drawings. I was a prolific contributor because I loved to draw and loved the prizes I’d get. But the contest ended up hooking me to newspapers overall. I started with the kids’ page and by looking through the colorful ads that came every Sunday, but progressed to the real stories and started reading the paper every day as a third grader. The people behind the familiar bylines were my heroes. I considered other careers growing up, but realized I wanted to pursue journalism when I became a senior in high school and worked on the school paper. I think I was inspired by how powerful the media can be -- how it brings hidden things to light and can stir entire communities to action.

6. What is the most difficult story you've had to cover? What did you learn from the experience? I think politics in general can be difficult to cover. You must constantly keep your guard up to ensure you’re not being “used” as a tool by some campaign, and you’ve got to keep your personal biases at bay. Covering the Legislature, you have to be shrewd -- hold people accountable, not let them get away with vagueness or half-truths, understand the many motivations that play into every vote. It’s not easy, especially for people with personalities like mine, but I think one thing that keeps you on track is understanding that you’re an advocate for the public and you can only serve them best if you extract the truth from powerful people.

7. Of all the stories you've covered, which is your favorite and why? Shortly after Michael Jackson’s death, I did a story about all the Jackson impersonators that suddenly cropped up in Las Vegas. It was fun to capture that very Vegas-ish mix of sincere love for the King of Pop and opportunism. This story also stands out because one of the Michael Jackson impersonators tried to ask me out, in full costume!

8. If you could interview any person, dead or alive, who would it be and why? I recently read a book about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German pastor who joined the resistance against Hitler during World War II and ended up being executed for doing what he knew was right. I was so struck by his courage and his ability to stand up to all his “reasonable” compatriots who didn’t want to rock the boat by challenging the dictator. I hope that I could be someone who’s able to recognize the right thing to do even when there are vast tides going in the opposite direction.

9. What do you see as the biggest challenge facing journalism or PR today? With smaller staffs, it’s becoming harder to investigate the things that need investigating. We’re stretched so thin and rely a lot on news releases, making the industry more vulnerable to the “spin” people are pitching. It’s critical that journalism finds ways to be economically viable, so we can get more people out there holding people accountable.

10. Why did you join NAHJ Nevada and what do you hope to get out of it? I was invited to NAHJ by my former AP co-worker, Cristina Silva. At first I didn’t see the point in joining, but after six months, I realize what an incredible community of journalists it has fostered. I love the camaraderie we have, and I’m excited to see how we can help cultivate the next generation of journalists that’s passionate about smart, sensitive coverage of our diverse community. 

11. If you were going to introduce us to the most important people in your life, who would they be? I’d want you to meet my incredible immediate family, including my two brothers (I’m the middle child of three). But I really want you to meet my adorable grandma, who’s the most loving, generous, witty 84-year-old you’ll ever know. She’s all the more cute because she’s 4 feet 10 inches tall, has a thick Mexican accent, and named her walker “Charlie.”

12. Tell us a fun fact we probably don't know about you. The name of the town I grew up in is Spanish for “lard.”