{"id":221009,"date":"2023-05-18T21:22:28","date_gmt":"2023-05-19T01:22:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/?p=221009"},"modified":"2023-05-18T21:22:28","modified_gmt":"2023-05-19T01:22:28","slug":"student-journalists-examine-crucial-issues-in-paterson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/2023\/05\/18\/student-journalists-examine-crucial-issues-in-paterson\/","title":{"rendered":"Student Journalists Examine Crucial Issues in Paterson"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s no secret that Montclair State University has a reputation for high-impact student reporting. Students have traveled around the world, covering stories like the Arab Spring in Tunisia<\/a> and the refugee crisis in Greece<\/a>. They\u2019ve won the student Emmy humanitarian award for work that highlights global human issues \u2013 twice \u2013 for reports that also won for best news on the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico <\/a>and the growing impact of climate change in New Orleans and Louisiana<\/a>. <\/p>\n

This year, student journalists did something different, focusing on worthy topics in their own corner of the world \u2013 traveling just five miles to find local stories with connections to international and national news in Paterson, New Jersey.<\/p>\n

The result is a half-hour Montclair News Lab special titled Paterson|On The Rise<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes the best story is the one in your own backyard,\u201d says Steve McCarthy, a network TV news veteran and Emmy Award-winning producer, who teaches the class On The Road: Reporting From the Field.<\/p>\n

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Student journalists looked at the troubles that confront Paterson, and the partnerships being formed to confront and find solutions to pressing problems. (Photo by Montclair News Lab)
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The student-produced special takes a deep dive into the city\u2019s history, from an industrial center of the United States and storied manufacturer of silks and other textiles to its struggles with poverty and crime. But the student journalists also sought out bright spots in New Jersey\u2019s third-largest city, including a partnership with Montclair State University to revitalize \u201cOne Square Mile.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you hear about Paterson, you hear about the bad stuff, but the work I did, I saw so many organizations that are really putting in a lot of hard work into making it a better place,\u201d says graduating senior George Valdes.<\/p>\n

This includes efforts by Justice Studies Professor Jason Williams, who is working on a program with student interns to help the community deal with addiction, violence and poverty, asking questions about making reforms in the criminal justice system \u201cso that moving forward people don\u2019t feel slighted, they don\u2019t feel stigmatized.\u201d<\/p>\n

The News Lab special also features Wheatherly Almonte<\/a> \u201920, who after graduating from Montclair dedicated herself to educating and empowering teens and young adults in Paterson to make healthy life choices. She knows where the teens are coming from. She, too, grew up in Paterson and attended the same nonprofit program she now works for \u2013 the Communities Organizing for Prevention and Empowerment, or C.O.P.E., Initiative, dedicated to preventing substance abuse and the spread of HIV among underserved youth. <\/p>\n

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Historic Hinchliffe Stadium is opening as a ballpark and museum that honors the Negro Leagues. (Photo by University Photographer Mike Peters)
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Other partnerships include the One Square Mile collaboration between the University and Paterson Public Schools and supported by the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation to provide health care, counseling, nutrition, education, job training and other programs at Eastside High School. <\/p>\n

And then next to the Great Falls, the revival of Hinchliffe Stadium, one of baseball\u2019s crown jewels and one of America\u2019s last remaining Negro League ballparks, where the University and Paterson Public Schools (thanks to a $5 million donation from alumnus and Paterson native Chuck Muth \u201977 and his wife, Laura) will operate a museum to tell the story of the league and the integration of baseball. <\/p>\n

The Montclair reporting team \u2013 Francis Churchill, Catherine Kennedy, Brandon McAleer, Gina Palladino, Jessica Reyes, Sean Thrunk and George Valdes \u2013 spent time in the city, talking with homeless residents and the volunteers trying to make a difference. They interview Middle East immigrants and members of the Muslim community inside their mosque. And they tackle the recent police takeover making headlines and the shooting of a Black man going through a mental health crisis.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe work we\u2019ve done right here is as good as anything we\u2019ve ever done,\u201d McCarthy said during a screening of the project on May 8 in the School of Communication and Media. The show will air this summer on Hawk+<\/a>, the official streaming platform of the School of Communication and Media.<\/p>\n

For more on Montclair News Lab, visit Student Productions<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Story by Staff Writer Marilyn Joyce Lehren<\/a>. <\/p>\n

You May Also Like:<\/p>\n

Hard News in the Big Easy<\/a>
\nAfter the Storm<\/a>
\nChanging Lives in Paterson<\/a>
\nUniversity Announces $1 Million Grant to Develop Paterson One Square Mile Initiative<\/a><\/p>\n