Photojournalism students earn bylines in the Associated Press

Many aspiring journalists, photographers, and editors closely follow the Associated Press (AP), and graduates often have their eye on the organization when applying for full-time jobs. Thanks to alumni connections, seven photojournalism students can add a publication on AP’s news wire to their resume before they graduate.

As part of an advanced non-fiction multimedia course taught by Associate Professor Meredith Davenport, students spent much of their spring semester researching and pitching story ideas to journalists on AP’s climate and environment news team. During a four-day workshop on campus, eight AP journalists traveled to Rochester to work with the students and help them produce their stories.

If the guidance from AP staff members wasn’t enough to make the opportunity memorable, the cherry on top for the students was that each of their stories would be published on AP’s news wire.

The value of this opportunity was not lost on Caitlyn Daproza, a third-year photographic and imaging arts – photojournalism option major. In addition to the high-profile placement of her work, she said the workshop experience, and the immediate feedback she received, helped her make the most of each moment when reporting and enhanced her skills as a storyteller.

Daproza pursued a story about the decline in United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) organically certified acreage, how climate change is affecting these farmers, and how they’re using sustainable practices to mitigate these issues.

“I had little knowledge about my topic, but I had the benefit of working with two editors who mainly work on climate stories. They had a lot more information from working on their other stories, so the questions they were asking were well-informed,” said Daproza. “Seeing that really sparked my interest and got me more excited about finding new threads of the story to tell.” 

Davenport explained that, typically, photography instructors can’t work out in the field with students, and they are usually given feedback after the assignment is complete. Working alongside the staff from AP exposed them to new ideas and approaches to storytelling.

“These journalists work with one of the largest news organizations in the world. Having them out in the field with students, coaching them on site, is a very valuable learning experience,” said Davenport.

She added, “The AP photographers, editors, and writers were so sensitive, thoughtful, and supportive when working with the students. You could tell that they really loved working with them and watching them learn.”

In early 2024, Evan Vucci ’00 (professional photographic illustration), a chief photographer for AP, introduced some of RIT’s photojournalism faculty members to Alyssa Goodman, photo editor for AP. The organization was looking to lead a climate storytelling training experience that involved students, according to Jenn Poggi, associate professor and director of the undergraduate photojournalism program. AP had previously conducted training experiences like this with established journalists, but this would be the organization’s first time working with students in this capacity.

Jenn Poggi said it was exciting to hear that AP wanted to explore this training model with RIT students. It offered the exact type of experiential learning opportunity that photojournalism faculty members seek to provide for students.

“Hands-on learning resonates in a different way. It can build the students' confidence in the skills they already have, as well as show them how much more they are capable of—often more than they might have previously believed,” said Poggi.

Peter Prengaman, global climate and environment news director, believes it is vitally important that young journalists are prepared to cover climate change at a high level. The collaboration with RIT was a great opportunity to give students exposure to the often-intimidating topic.

“At this point in my career it’s important to me to give back and help the next generation of journalists. I’ve most enjoyed getting to know the students and seeing how they approach stories,” he said. “A workshop like this is intense. They have all thrown themselves into the work, showing creativity, grit, and flexibility that will serve them well once they graduate and start working.”

Third-year photographic and imaging arts – photojournalism option major Natasha Kaiser did her best to absorb every ounce of knowledge she could while working alongside her well-seasoned mentors. She pursued an article that explored how vineyards in the Finger Lakes region have been impacted by climate change and other non-climate-related issues, and what steps the owners take to circumnavigate them.

“Working with staff from a high-end newsroom like AP was truly life changing. It changed my perspective on what it’s like to work with top names in the industry, and it showed me that it’s not that scary or unattainable,” said Kaiser, from San Antonio, Texas. “Being given an opportunity is one thing. It's what you do with it that really is going to change the way you think and the way you produce content.”

Kaiser’s story was the first student article published by AP. The remaining student stories are set to be published once per week on AP’s website until they’ve all been shared.