NYC Media Tour

NYC Media Tour – April 2024

I helped lead a group of Howard journalism students to New York City for the annual NYC Media Tour, a major career exposure experience coordinated through the Howard University Association of Black Journalists. This intensive two-day tour included visits to national news outlets like The New York Times, ABC News, Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal, BBC Studios, BET, NBCUniversal, Complex, Hearst, and more—offering students a rare behind-the-scenes look at top-tier journalism and media workplaces.

We also visited graduate schools including NYU, Columbia Journalism School, and CUNY’s Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, allowing students to ask candid questions about application processes, funding, and life after undergrad. To prepare, I conducted one-on-one résumé reviews and led a pre-trip session focused on professionalism and media networking. These efforts helped students show up prepared, polished, and confident during the tour.

The impact of the NYC Media Tour is significant. Some students used this experience to clarify their career direction or secure future internship leads. Others made lasting professional connections through informal Q&As and impromptu portfolio reviews. In the classroom, the experience sparked rich discussions about newsroom culture, media ownership, editorial judgment, and how Black journalists navigate and shape the field.

I also helped plan and facilitate the 2022 NYC Media Tour, which was held virtually but featured many of the same top-tier news organizations. Representatives from The New York Times, NBCUniversal, ABC News, BET, Bloomberg, Hearst, and others led remote panels, workshops, Q&As, and even hosted a media-themed trivia game. Students still gained valuable insight into the media industry, made early professional contacts, and identified opportunities aligned with their skills and interests. The virtual format allowed for wide access and set the stage for an even stronger in-person experience the following year.

Media Coverage: Watch HU News Service’s coverage of the 2024 NYC Media Tour