ThreeSixty Journalism’s TV Broadcast Camp returns this summer at the University of St. Thomas, with another preeminent roster of media experts. The one-week (July 26-30) camp, sponsored by The Center for Prevention at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, explores racial health equity issues in Minnesota.
This year’s partners include KMSP-TV, WCCO-TV, KSTP-TV, KARE 11, Twin Cities Public Television, Star Tribune and Unicorn Riot. During the camp, students will spend five days with media coaches mastering everything from script writing to on-camera interviewing. Former broadcast professionals from the University of Minnesota and St. Thomas will also participate in classroom teaching and student support.
“This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for ThreeSixty students to discover the power of their emerging voices through TV broadcast while learning, and educating, about racism as a public health crisis,” said Chad Caruthers, executive director, ThreeSixty Journalism.
At the conclusion of TV Broadcast Camp, each student will have completed an edited video package focused on racial health equity. The final packages will be shared via media-partner websites and broadcasts.
ThreeSixty Journalism’s program manager, Dymanh Chhoun, participated in the ThreeSixty program as a high school student in 2005 and went onto have a successful career as a video journalist, working at TV stations across the state, most recently at WCCO. Chhoun will lead the classroom and calls it the “most important” week for him personally.
“I’ve been in the TV business for over nine years, and I think I have a lot to offer the students,” he said. “I am looking forward to telling the students how important it is for minorities to be in the TV business.”
This is the fourth year of ThreeSixty’s TV Broadcast Camp. Padilla, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota’s Center for Prevention and ThreeSixty have received Classics Awards from the Minnesota chapter of PRSA (Public Relations Society of America) for every year of the camp’s existence – including top honors in 2020.
“We cannot succeed in closing racial health inequities in Minnesota without changing the dominant narrative on health for our Black, Indigenous, Latino, Asian Pacific Islander, and other communities of color,” said Bukata Hayes, vice president, racial and health equity at Blue Cross. “We’re humbled to work with such talented young journalists to illuminate how racism directly impacts health, while giving them the experiences to lead the next generation in liberatory and equitable storytelling.”
