About this project

"Making it in L.A." was conceived of, reported and produced by six graduate students at USC Annenberg for a course titled, "Convergence Capstone - Multimedia Reporting," which investigated social justice issues in Los Angeles.

Paritosh is a first-year graduate journalism student. He worked for the media in India for about five years before deciding he wanted to take a break. And then he went back to school. [E-mail]

Credits: Reporting, writing, videography, video editing, audio, design and html production.

Janna will graduate with a master’s in print journalism in May 2004. She has worked in public relations and as a freelance journalist. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism with an emphasis in public relations from California State University, Northridge. Janna is from Woodland Hills, Calif., and enjoys traveling, theatre and sports. [E-mail]

Credits: Reporting, writing, copy editing, photography, audio, resources researcher.

Eugene is graduating in May 2004 with his M.A. in print journalism. He will be headed to San Francisco in June as an Associated Press photo intern. In the Bay Area he hopes to find a great carne asada restaurant and finally breathe clean air. [E-mail]

Credits: Reporting, writing, photography, photo editing, audio, design, color palette, slide shows, flash animation.

Matt has an M.A. in Latin America Studies from the University of Utrecht and is graduating with an M.A. in journalism in May 2004. He plans on becoming a news reporter for a newspaper or wire service and never returning to school again. [E-mail]

Credits: Reporting, writing, video editing, Spanish translation, info graphics and audio.

Heather is a second-year graduate journalism student and is the managing editor of the school’s news Web site OnlineJournalism.com. She has interned at Los Angeles Times Magazine, Los Angeles Magazine and in broadcast news. Originally from Boston, she hopes to work for a news site upon graduation and, having tired of the eternally beautiful California weather, return to her beloved and chilly East Coast. [E-mail]

Credits: Reporting, writing, information architecture, photo editing, info-graphics,audio, flash animation, broadcast and interview scripts.

Eric is in his first semester in the communication management M.A. program. He has worked in the online departments of several metropolitan newspapers since graduating from the University of Missouri in 1999. He is originally from New Orleans and really misses cajun food. [E-mail | Web]

Credits: Reporting, writing, graphic design, information design, project management, multimedia, programming.

Bob is a senior lecturer in journalism and was an associate instructor for this course. He retired in 2001 after 20 years as editor of the Op Ed page of the Los Angeles Times. [E-mail]

Elizabeth is a visiting professor and has been an editor, producer and consultant for media companies including The New York Times, Financial Times and NPR. She's been working on the Internet railroad for over a decade and has been teaching "new media" for almost as long at places like Columbia, NYU and the Poynter Institute. A New York ex-pat, she has decided that she'd like to "Make it in L.A" and will be continuing her work as principal of The Osder Group, a consultancy specializing in convergence publishing strategy and editorial product development from her new offices in West Los Angeles. [E-mail]