Colleen Mearon ‘21
Staff Writer
Merrimack College students interested in media traveled to two news conferences during the month of February.
The first conference students attended was the New England and Newspaper and Press Association Convention on February 7 in Boston at the Boston Renaissance Waterfront Hotel. The convention brings together media professionals from throughout New England, and it included various workshops, training sessions, seminars, and panels for journalists to attend.
“I found it extremely interesting to learn about the different tools that can help you determine where certain posts are coming from and how the spread, as well as being able to determine fake twitter accounts and bots,” said Nicole Fasciano, who attended the conference and is a sophomore Communication and Media major.
One workshop put on by a representative from Google showed journalists and students the Google News Initiative, which acts as a tool for journalists to use to thrive in the digital age. The speaker provided countless other techniques for fact checking and creating graphics.
The Beacon E-Board also traveled to San Francisco for the Associated Collegiate Press and College Media Business & Advertising Managers annual College Media Convention, held at the Hyatt Regency in the Financial District. Students learned various skills through panel discussions. They also learned about building their resumes, cover letters, and reels as well as about careers in the media industry.
“I went to a panel to learn tips on resume and cover letter buildings. This was a huge help to me, and led me to fix up and perfect my resume and cover letter right after the conference,” said Geena Levine, who is the Photo Editor for the Beacon. She added that she learned a lot about preparing for applying to jobs in the future.
The speakers were all accomplished in their own fields, whether journalism, marketing, or social media management, and shared their experiences with students to prepare them for their own careers.
“One of my favorite sessions that I sat in on discussed how to brand yourself,” said Associate Social Media Director Bri Alberghini. “What stood out to me the most was the importance of having a website for yourself and making an account on every social media platform so that no one else can own it.”
These conferences are great learning opportunities for students. They also provide networking opportunities that can help them advance their careers.
