“Voces del Periodismo” awards to showcase student journalism

Cristina Gonzalez/Contributing Writer

The National Association of Hispanic Journalists has created a platform for students to showcase their journalistic work, and now they’re calling for your submissions.

NAHJ was created with the purpose of providing networking opportunities for Hispanic journalism students. The club is made up of a group of students who organize events where speakers are invited to share their experiences and knowledge with students. NAHJ also visits news chains like CNN in Atlanta and Telemundo 51.

“I had a business background, no journalism experience when I joined. In the beginning, I didn’t want to get involved, it was a lot of responsibility, now I see it as the best decision I’ve ever made,” said Olga Rodriguez, president of NAHJ.

Rodriguez now has three radio shows on Caracol Radio, a Spanish news radio station in Miami.

The ‘Voces Del Periodismo’ awards is the latest event planned by NAHJ. It was Rodriguez’s colleague, Maria Fernandez Becerra, who brainstormed the idea for the competition. With student involvement in mind, the awards were created so that students could earn recognition for their work.

“Take every opportunity you can get because exposure is important,” said Rodriguez.

The competition is broken up into three different categories: photojournalism, audiovisual production and a written report.

The panel of judges includes Rene Pedrosa from America TV, Carla Angola from El Venezolano TV, and FIU professor Dr. Alejandro Alvarado.

Alvarado has worked for several Hispanic newspapers and top media companies including CBS Telenoticias and Univision. Currently, Alvarado works as Director of the Master’s in Journalism in Spanish at FIU’s Biscayne Bay Campus, where he also teaches multimedia journalism.

“I’m expecting to receive high-quality reports from our students. I expect them [students] to use primary sources, third-party commentary and for their reports to be balanced, fair, and have context,” said Alvarado.

Rodriguez had some advice for contestants as they work on their entries.

“Believe in yourself. Just go for it, you won’t lose anything and at least you can say you tried,” said Rodriguez.  

The awards ceremony will take place on Friday, Nov. 16th at the Biscayne Bay Campus. Entries must be submitted by the deadline, Nov. 9th. For more information and a list of general rules, visit www.vocesdelperiodismo.com.

Photo by Alexander Wang on Unsplash.