Laurie Kawakami
Job Title: News Assistant, The New York Times digital
USC Course of study: B.A., Communication '02, M.A., Print Journalism, '06
Describe your current occupation:
I produce and update stories and multimedia in the web newsroom of The New York Times. It’s a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment with a constant flow of news. The web newsroom differs from the print newsroom in its immediacy – stories can get posted and updated instantly. It truly embodies the 24-hour news cycle.
How did you get there?
I did internships at Hawaii Business magazine, Channel One News, The Orange County Register and The Wall Street Journal Online in New York City.
How did you get your first job?
This is my first full-time journalism job and I truly feel that I am taking my first steps in what I hope is a very long career in online journalism. I strongly believe the Internet is revolutionizing the way news is being packaged and delivered to a younger audience and I am thrilled to be at one of the best news web sites in the world.
How did your experience at Annenberg help?
The journalism core curriculum was especially helpful in understanding convergence between the print, online and broadcast media and learning how to harness them in new and exciting ways. It gave me an invaluable skill set that I find myself using daily when I enhance print stories with broadcast video and other multimedia content for the web.
What advice do you have for current Annenberg School students in your occupation?
Take risks, aim high and believe in yourself. I moved to New York City without a job or a place to live, just with a dream that I had as a little girl in Hawaii to make it in the Big Apple. People told me I was crazy but I was determined and stubborn. I wanted it so I went after it. Luckily it turned out well.
Also, be nice to your professors (many of them are well connected), be humble with criticism (you are there to learn) and network your butt off (you never know who can help you in the end).
In your opinion, what is the Annenberg Advantage?
Having a top-notch journalism school in a media hub like Los Angeles was the most important advantage. I had access to professors from the Los Angeles Times and some of the best newspapers in the nation who quite literally changed my writing, my reporting and, in some cases, my life.