“I select the topics from among stories the students pitch and write in class,” said Kenneth Jones, a journalism professor and the film guru who selects the projects each semester. According to Jones, typically 15 projects are submitted for review; four or five are selected.
The five films selected this year represent the 2012 theme, “Life Stories.” They include:
- “Grassroots” by Kari Knowles and Curtis Ford
- “Eternal Climb” by Shanica Johnson and Kiarra Hart
- “Life?” by Leonie Louis and Shari Karesh
- “Burden of the Banner” by Kristen Holloway and Jadaun Sweet
- “Disability?: A Matter of Perception” by Lenneia Batiste
“One of my friends in high school had a disability,” said Batiste, whose film explores the phenomenal courage and abilities of the disabled. “I have always been motivated and inspired by her determination and wanted to share that with others.”
Batiste said her documentary titled “Disability?: A Matter of Perception” looks at the remarkable achievements of three disabled adults.
This semester, for the second time in its six-year history, J-School Journals will also include four mini-documentaries and three-minute videos that explore some aspect of the Obama presidential campaign, his presidency, and his upcoming battle for a second term in the White House. The mini-documentaries are written and produced by sophomore and junior students in the Advanced TV News Reporting class.