OHIO journalism students admitted to New York Times Student Journalism Institute

Graduate students Bharbi Hazarika and Haiyun Jiang have been admitted to the 2021 New York Times Student Journalism Institute program. 

The New York Times Student Journalism Institute allows students with an interest in diversity, and enrolled in organizations which promote diversity and inclusion, the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of some of the best and brightest journalists in America. This program fosters a supportive environment where aspiring journalists are given the opportunity to learn and apply their knowledge through producing material that meet the standards of the most prestigious news organizations across the nation. This program is known as one of the most successful networking opportunities for ambitious journalists.

This year's conference will be held virtually due to complications caused by the COVID-19 pandemic but will still allow for students to network, attend virtual seminars, and work directly with New York Times staff. This year’s Institute consists of 46 students: 24 students originally scheduled to attend last year and 22 students selected for this year.

Over the course of the program students will cover one topic where they will create a series to be featured through the New York Times at the end of the program. The specific topic won’t be revealed to the public until after the program concludes but will be related to inclusion and diversity.

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Hazarika is an OHIO alumni and graduate student. Hazarika is pursuing her master’s degree in journalism with a special interest in data journalism and infographics and is a member of the Asian American Journalists Association. Hazarika applied to the program with the goal of gaining professional training from New York Times journalists and is currently being mentored by NYT reporter and editor Adeel Hassan through the program.

“I hope that I gain those skills that are so essential in journalism such as how to interact with sources, how to tell stories, and overall, how to become a better journalist. Through my undergraduate and graduate studies, I have been working on my craft as a journalist, but to learn from the best in the field is an opportunity I wanted that will take my learning to the next level,” Hazarika said.

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Jiang is a graduate student who recently completed a degree in photojournalism through the Master of Arts degree in VisCom and is now pursuing the interdisciplinary Master of Fine Arts degree in the Scripps College. Jiang is a member of the Asian American Journalists Association and will be participating in this year’s New York Times Student Journalism Institute.

“I was encouraged by the former director of NYT Student Journalism Institute, John Haskins, at a journalism conference back in 2019. As a person of color, I did feel the daunting fact that the newsroom in the U.S. seemed to be less diversified. To accurately present and tell stories from minority or overlooked communities, we need journalists from those communities. I applied because I wanted to contribute to diversifying reporting and creating an accurate representation of people of color,” Jiang said.

“Haiyun Jiang is an incredibly talented visual communicator and I am not surprised that the New York Times selected her for this honor,” said Stan Alost, professor of visual communications. “She is one of the rising stars in the industry and I expect her to go far.”

The student work done during the New York Times Student Journalism Institute will be published in May and can be accessed on the Times website.