Student Reporters Start Vibrant Voices to Share Diverse Campus Experiences
Chloe Cross reports on how the officers of an emerging student-led newsroom, Vibrant Voices, is changing the narrative at the University of Nevada, Reno.
Being a Minority in Journalism
If you are a woman going into journalism, as I am, you have more than likely been told to expect the worst. You may have been told to prepare to fight for your credibility and that in order to take up space, you must be prepared to sculpt that space for yourself. Sexism and racism are still prevalent, and being a minority in any way adds to the stress of being able to succeed in this profession.
In November of 2021, I received a message from one of my classmates, Lynn Lazaro, asking if anyone in class would be interested in helping to create a newsroom that she wanted to start. This newsroom would be unique because it “advocates for students of color and other underrepresented groups by reframing everyday reporting,” as she wrote in the original message.
I was immediately interested, and promptly met with her and one other member-to-be that week. The more we talked about the newsroom, the more hopeful I became, and the more it seemed like a possibility.
About a month later, we had successfully rallied enough officers and a faculty member to apply to become a real, recognized club. Vibrant Voices was official, and we had concrete plans to launch the newsroom by the start of the spring semester.
As the chief editor of Vibrant Voices, I wish to see growth from our contributors through the club. I am hopeful and excited to see how the newsroom will continue to impact the future of reporting at UNR.
Trying New Things
One of the newsroom traits of Vibrant Voices is that it encourages the ability to grow and improve in an area outside of members’ comfort zone. While we have some members who are majoring in journalism, many are not, and simply wish to expand their skill set.
Vice President Dania Maldonado is one of those people and as a major in biotechnology, she originally viewed Vibrant Voices as a creative outlet.
“Since biotechnology is so math heavy, and so science heavy, it feels nice to just have something to think about instead of equations and reactions,” Maldonado said.
However, being able to take her first steps into reporting has opened Maldonado’s eyes to the trials and tribulations of the job.
“I thought it was just people talking, writing, and then that was it, but there is so much more,” she said. “There is setting up appointments, writing down questions, running through those questions beforehand- it’s just so much more than what I expected.”
Maldonado is excited to continue learning what kind of work goes into being a student reporter for Vibrant Voices and the emphasis on diversity is part of what drew her in. She voiced the struggles that she experienced watching reporters while growing up.
“I saw a lot of white people reporting and Black people reporting, but very rarely Hispanic people reporting,” she recalled. “It would be weird to see them report on Hispanic people, but not see them being represented.”
Lack of representation in the media is an issue that has been around for decades. While progress has been made, there is still a lot of room to grow, and student reporting is a great place to start weeding out stereotypes.
Inspiring Others to Amplify their Voices
Maldonado hopes that the newsroom will inspire those around her to find their own ways to amplify their voices. Vibrant Voices hopes to continue to encourage people like Maldonado, who maybe had never seen themselves in a journalistic position before, to venture out into one.
“People in Vibrant Voices are going out of their way to find people who look like them, to maybe encourage other people who look like them to follow the same path,” she said.
Vibrant Voices is not limited to new journalists. The newsroom also offers opportunities to expand the skill set and portfolio of those already involved in reporting.
Vibrant Voices, Vibrant People
Chantaye Louis is a journalism major, minoring in graphic design and cinematic studies. Along with the responsibilities she takes on as a student, she is the art director for Vibrant Voices.
“I feel like my experience is very minimal, but that’s why I like Vibrant Voices, because I can use it to improve and grow,” said Louis when asked about how she approaches her work in the club.
Similar to Maldonado and myself, Louis experienced her own struggles with finding her place in journalism.
“The school [of journalism] is predominantly white, but I feel like the school is also getting more diverse,” she explained. “I find it interesting because… like usually I’m the only Black person in class.”
While UNR is increasingly becoming more inclusive and diverse, there is still a long way to go, and clubs like Vibrant Voices are helping. Louis feels that the newsroom does that for the representation of people of color in journalism at this school.
“Just by being a minority, I feel like we can connect people through the club, and we can also figure out how to make the campus more diverse through people’s opinions and their voices,” Louis said.
Louis also has high hopes for the future of Vibrant Voices, and expressed her excitement for the possibility of change.
“If we could figure out a way to make a culture within the culture of UNR, I feel like we could make a huge impact.”
