Venue

I selected Our Weekly as my venue. Created in 2004, Our Weekly publishes stories on a regular basis, particularly about issues and concerns that affect the diverse African-American communities living in Los Angeles. As a Filipino American, I initially thought I would choose a venue that caters to my ethnic group, or another Asian-American community. However, I decided to pursue Our Weekly because I believe it is important to advocate for other marginalized groups and understand their nuanced perspectives, especially as a person interested in a career in news media. I am excited to discover the ways in which my own personal experiences as a Filipino American both intersect with and differ from the stories published by Our Weekly.

What I find most interesting about Our Weekly is that it covers a broad range of subjects, thereby allowing for a large amount of material to explore in my project. Not only does Our Weekly cover local news, but it also publishes articles regarding national issues, education, business, lifestyle, arts and entertainment, and “the Black experience.” This semester, I plan to track as many different topics as I can so as to capture Our Weekly in a holistic sense. Further, I have already spoken with an Our Weekly staff member who has agreed to have an informational interview with me. Out of this interview, I hope to learn more about the organization’s business model, how it manages its staff, etc.

A potential pitfall, however, is that Our Weekly does not cater to any one particular community or neighborhood in Los Angeles. Rather, according to the organization’s website, Our Weekly is designed to serve “the affluent African-American communities of Los Angeles with in-depth coverage on issues pertaining to African-Americans and the communities in which we live.” For my project, I hope to identify exactly where these communities are and whether readers actually feel that Our Weekly accurately addresses the issues about which they are passionate.