What the Students Want to Hear

Recently, some classmates of mine and I set up a stand at Cal State Long Beach, holding two signs containing an interactive poll and a poster titled "Your Voice Matters, Join the Chat Here" which was intended to engage students into a conversation with us. To draw their attention, we displayed chips and cookies. Many students walked by without looking, some acknowledged us but politely declined, and others were intrigued to participate. Those that came up to us would commonly ask "What is this?" and we would respond with: "We just want to chat, tell us what you would like to hear about in the news more". Many were interested in explaining their niche interests and hobbies, saying that they wish they could see more of that in the news. It was very enjoyable to have these conversations and learn more about our fellow students, and they were excited to feel heard. News nowadays is very quick-form content, sometimes lacking human interest and substance. We wanted to show students that we really do care about their interests and that we are willing to learn. What stood out most to me was how different each response was. There wasn’t one single topic everyone agreed on. This made me realize that student news needs to reflect the variety of things on campus. It also showed me the importance of listening as a journalist. The pop-up newsroom definitely strengthened my communication skills, and encouraged me to step outside of my comfort zone. At first, it was a little intimidating, but my group members helped us engage attention and hold meaningful conversations. I had to ask open-ended questions, actively listen, and also respond thoughtfully. This reminded me of the importance of journalism, where listening is key, and quality conversations are significant. Overall, my experience was not only enjoyable and interesting, it was inspiring and taught me a lot more about audience engagement in news.

#Journ340 #CSULB