Join other students for a Twitter chat with working professionals about digital tools and branding.
Learn which new digital tools are available to students and how to create an engaging online presence.
The forum will take place from 11 a.m. to noon Pacific on Nov. 27 in the Flintridge Room of the CSUN Student Union. Or participate on Twitter. Use the handle @CSUNLJ and hash tag #JtalkCSUN.
Panelists include Kim Bui, producer of mobile content at 89.3 KPCC; Sean Gardner, social media consultant; Mekahlo Medina, social media reporter at NBC Channel 4; Rebecca Aguilar, vice president of online at National Association of Hispanic Journalists; Connie K. Ho, Web producer; Luiz Gomez, digital producer at 89.3 KPCC; Natalie Tejeda, a reporter at CBS 42 WIAT in Birmingham, AL; and Jonathan Gonzalez, a reporter at KBAK in Bakersfield.
About the panelists:
Kim Bui | @kimbui
P. Kim Bui is a senior producer for Mobile Content at KPCC. Prior to that, Bui worked as KPCC’s associate editor for social media.
Her experience in Web journalism includes major newspapers such as the Kansas City Star and San Luis Obispo Tribune, where she worked as a reporter. Bui has also worked on major news start-ups like The Loop 21, where she managed development and web operations. She’s also the co-founder of #wjchat, a weekly Twitter chat for web journalists. Bui was named one of Poynter’s 35 influential people in social media in 2010.
Originally from Des Moines, Iowa, Bui graduated with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Iowa State University. She is an active member of the Online News Association, organizing the group’s L.A. chapter. She also sits on the board of the Asian American Journalists Association’s (AAJA) Los Angeles chapter.
When not tweeting for KPCC, she writes short stories and enjoys outdoor exploits and culinary life around L.A.
Sean Gardner | @2morrowknight
Sean Gardner is a social media consultant and correspondent who blogs for Social Media Week, Huffington Post and Smedio, and has appeared on CNN, PBS, and FOX. He has contributed to Fast Company, Buzzfeed, The Stimulist, Mission Hot Mama, Womentality Magazine and Essence.com, and has lectured at leading colleges and universities.
In addition to 20 years in marketing and public relations, he’s also done extensive work in the area of speech writing, arts advocacy, conservation, as well as promotional campaigns with celebrities, educational institutions, and for nonprofits such as Charity Water, Project Medishare, SeeYourImpact, and World Vision.
The site Smedio describes him as a “True Social Media Icon” because of the way he uses popular platforms to engage, educate, enlighten, and empower. His trailblazing ‘Twitter Powerhouses Series’ in the Huffington Post has become a permanent part of the social media conversation.
Mekahlo Medina | @MekahloNBCLA
Mekahlo Medina is the Emmy Award-winning technology and social media reporter for NBC4 Southern California. Joining the station in 2006, Medina can be seen weekdays on the NBC4 newscasts “Today in LA”and “NBC4 News at Noon.”
With more than 40,000 Twitter followers and 80,000 Facebook fans, Medina is one of the station’s most prolific social networkers. He’s also highly engaged with viewers on Google+, Pinterest, Instagram and Path, a mobile social network. He uses his presence across multiple social media platforms in both the digital sphere and on television. He constantly looks for ways to leverage the ‘second screen’ experience encouraging the station’s viewers to engage on Twitter and Facebook.
Medina joined NBC4 as an anchor and manager of “News Raw,” a news show that aired on the station’s digital channel, which focused on hyper local news coverage, culture, technology and social media. Coincidentally, Facebook and Twitter were taking off around the same time and Medina used these social media outlets to offer content that he reported on NBC4.
Prior to joining NBC4, Medina was a general assignment reporter for KSTP-TV in Minneapolis, KPNX-TV in Phoenix, and NBC television affiliates, KOB-TV (NBC) in Albuquerque, and KTSM (NBC) in El Paso.
Medina often volunteers his time to non-profit organizations throughout the Southland. He currently serves as vice president of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, secretary of UNITY Journalists for Diversity, and is a member of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalist Association and the Native American Journalists Association. Medina is also a prolific painter and enjoys writes poetry about the Latino experience.
Madina graduated from New Mexico State University with a degree in broadcast journalism and speaks Spanish fluently.
Rebecca Aguilar | @RebeccaAguilar
Rebecca Aguilar was raised outside Toledo, Ohio and in Mexico City. She grew up with two parents who gave their all to helping the community. Alfredo and Rebecca Aguilar were undocumented workers who came to this country in the late 1950s; eventually they got their green cards. Within a few years, Rebecca’s father became a union leader for employees at General Motors. Her mother worked in the fields with migrant workers and eventually she became a migrant rights activist.
Weekends for Rebecca and her brothers and sister were not about going to the mall or to the movies; their parents would take them to take part in silent protests, rallies, and picket lines. Rebecca says she had a front seat to the “realities of everyday people.”
Rebecca parents inspired her to become a reporter, and shine a light on people who are ignored or don’t have money to get help. Her broadcast journalism career started in 1981 in Toledo, Ohio. Then she moved on to Chicago, Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Phoenix, Los Angeles and Dallas. She has won or been nominated for 48 journalism awards. In 2007, NAHJ named her its “Broadcast Journalist of the Year.”
Rebecca admits she wouldn’t be a success today without the support of her husband, John and teenage son, Alex. Now 31 years in the business, Rebecca says she doesn’t plan to ever stop reporting.
Connie K. Ho | @ConnieKHo
Connie K. Ho is a freelance contributor for online publications. Her work has appeared in media outlets such as the Orange County Register, the Pacific Citizen, AOL Patch.com, MochiMag.com and RedOrbit.com.
She previously worked as project editor for Language Magazine. She graduated from the University of California, Irvine with a double major in English and international studies as well as a minor in Spanish.
She has interned in Washington D.C., studied abroad in Spain, taught English in Taiwan, and volunteered as a translator at a free legal clinic in Panama.
In her free time, she likes to hone her skills in Spanish and Chinese, blog about Asian American issues, practice yoga and kickboxing, try new cuisines, and explore new cities.
Luis Gomez | @RunGomez
Luis Gomez is a journalist and social media advisor/consultant in Los Angeles, a KPCC Crawford Family Forum Producer, and a former “breaking news” editor for Ora TV’s Newsbreaker.
Luis teaches folks social media through Mediabistro’s Social Media Marketing Bootcamp and Social Media 101. Luis is a news junkie and occasional competitive runner. He tweets at @RunGomez and produces how-to videos on Web skills in 30 seconds or less.
Luis is a member of Online News Association and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.
Natalie Tejeda | @natalietejeda
Natalie Tejeda is a weekend anchor and night side reporter for CBS 42 WIAT in Birmingham, AL.
An award winning investigative and crime reporter, Natalie also has a passion for fun and adrenaline inducing activities as well as health and physical fitness.
The daughter of two social workers, she took her love of Harley Davidson motorcycles and joined the Guardians of the Children motorcycle club. The mission of the GOC is to recognize and react to child abuse and educate the public to do the same. Group members also serve as advocates for the children when they face their abusers in court and provide strength and stability to families in crisis.
You’ll routinely see news tweets from her all day – every day – even on the weekends and when she’s on vacation. Because news doesn’t stop when her workday is done.
Before coming to WIAT CBS 42, Natalie was a Traffic Reporter, Great Day SA Co-Host and Fill in Anchor for KENS 5 in San Antonio. While in the Alamo City she also worked in public relations for Dublin and Associates and in the communications department for San Antonio Water System. She was also a reporter for WOAI TV in San Antonio, KMSB in Tucson, Ariz., a bureau chief for KYMA in Yuma/El Centro, Ariz., and a freelance helicopter reporter at KABC in Los Angeles.
Natalie received her bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in broadcast journalism from California State University, Fullerton. She was an award-winning member of the speech and debate team all through high school and college. And something you probably didn’t know is that before switching to communications she was studying to be a professional dancer.
Jonathan Gonzalez | @JGonzReporter
My bachelor’s degree was earned at Cal State Northridge, where I was able to film several mini-documentaries for El Nuevo Sol, the school’s bilingual publication. I also reported and anchored for CSUN’s Valley View News TV program, as well as KCSN News radio, where I had the privilege to earn my first regional Edward R. Murrow award and RTNA Golden Mike.
Much of my college time was spent interning for NBCLA.com to polish my Web writing, as well as the sports department at KABC-TV, where I was later hired as a news assistant.
My goal in Bakersfield is to expose injustices and hold our leaders accountable. I believe our ability as journalists to share stories is a powerful tool that should always be used ethically and impartially.
This past school year, our club, CSUN Latino Journalists, a NAHJ and CCNMA student chapter, started a paid internship program to create more paid opportunities for student journalists.
CSUN Latino Journalists 