Student Profiles

Harnessing the Power of Journalism

“I wrote my first story in third grade,” says Jackie Hai ’09 (journalism), “and I’ve been writing ever since.” That’s when she started watching 20/20 on ABC News with her mother as well. “We’d discuss current events, politics, economics, history and philosophy at home. So, when it came time to apply for a major, I naturally gravitated toward journalism. But I’ve added philosophy as a second major, done an independent study in anthropology, and picked up minors in economics and information technology.”

Back in middle school, Hai taught herself how to build websites. “What started as a hobby has now become my medium of choice for communication,” she says. “Here at UMass Amherst I’ve discovered that online and multimedia journalism can be a powerful tool when harnessed correctly.”

Currently she is editor of Amherst Wire, a student-run project of the journalism program, dedicated to covering national and global issues from a local perspective. She built the website from the ground up and contributes multimedia content to the project. This site is having quite an impact. For example, in late September, she decided to do a story on the economic crisis. She and her team, advised by Lecturer Steve Fox, went to work, contacting several economics professors, then interviewing and videotaping them. Then, Lecturer BJ Roche sent the link to an old pal at the Boston Globe who is now head of new media. He called back within minutes and said, “This is great, can we link to it?” A few hours later UMass Amherst journalism students went global.

Hai is also program director and webmaster at UVC-TV 19, the student-run television station on campus. Besides managing the website and scheduling programs for the station, she also shoots and edits video productions.

Until this year, Hai was also a member of the Minuteman Marching Band, playing trumpet for her first two years and volunteering on the administrative staff and film crews last year. “One of the reasons I came to UMass Amherst was the band,” she says. “I was really involved with the music program in high school [Lexington, MA]. Senior year I was band president and editor-in-chief of an e-zine for the music department. One of my band directors was an alum, and he strongly encouraged me to come.”

Hai has other interests too. She is president and cofounder of UMass Parkour, a registered student organization. “Parkour is a community-centric physical discipline. Its purpose is to develop strong bodies and minds, enabling people to give back to society. We train two nights a week and have monthly regional meet-ups open for anyone in the area.”

“My number one goal in life,” Hai adds, “is to improve the lives of others by building stronger communities, a better society, and a sustainable future world. I hope to use journalism as a tool to make this happen. In particular, I’m interested in revitalizing the concept of local community journalism, using the web as a platform for connecting and engaging people with their neighbors and with the issues affecting their lives.”

Hai acknowledges that this is easier said than done. “In today’s information saturated world, it’s hard enough to get anybody’s attention, and even then, it’s a long jump between someone being informed about an issue and actually taking action to make positive change. But we have to start somewhere.”

To that end, Hai is working in Springfield with Professor Nicholas McBride (journalism) and some of his students on a project that connects journalism majors with high school students interested in learning about the craft. “Once a week in this after-school program students team up to report on local stories and raise community awareness about the problems they face: poverty, gangs, teen pregnancy, high drop-out rate, failing MCAS scores, and more. This empowers them to make a difference in their own lives—and the lives of their peers.”

Hai has plenty of advice for current and future UMass Amherst students. “It’s a big school, so it’s easy to feel lost in the crowd. Find a niche doing something you care about, really get to know the people in your field, and make some kind of contribution. It’s also important not to limit yourself to a single activity or study. Take classes in many different subjects, go to campus events, check out guest and distinguished faculty lectures.”

UMass Amherst, says Hai, is really a microcosm for the real world. “We have our own government, media outlets, businesses, residences, interest groups, recreational activities, and people from all walks of life. College is a sandbox in which you can practice and hone skills you’ll need to reach your goals. It’s a relatively safe environment where it’s OK to try things, make mistakes, fall down, pick yourself up, and try again until you hit on the right formula. This campus has so much to offer, but you’ll only get out of it what you put into it. So, don’t just coast through your semesters. Be proactive, go out there and do stuff!”

October 29, 2008

Jackie Hai was the 2009 student commencement speaker. Read more.