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Level up your media expertise with America’s leading news organization!
NBCU Academy is a premiere journalism and content creation training program that will help you learn new skills and grow your career. Advancing excellence in journalism, media and tech, NBCU Academy convenes the best and brightest team of world class journalists and leaders from NBC News, MSNBC, CNBC, Telemundo News, NBCUniversal Local and beyond. If you’re an innovative, energetic and intensely curious content creator, come attend our events at the convention to take your craft to the next level!
Please use the below form to register your interest in NBCU Academy’s activation at the 2024 NLGJA Conference. There is no application approval process and you are welcome to attend the event. We will email you more information as the event gets closer.
NBCU Academy Panels
Thursday, September 5, 2024
Location: Loews Hollywood, Los Angeles (Hollywood Studio ABC)
4:15PM-5:15PM PDT
Smartphone Shooting When News Breaks
In breaking news, the best camera is the one you have on you! Learn from NBCU News Group staff as they talk about the flexibility and power of smartphones. Hear about emerging and cutting-edge technology that you should bring with you when covering a disaster or reporting from a hot zone. This hands-on workshop will show you how to go live using your cell phone, shoot broadcast quality video for air, introduce you to new wireless audio solutions and so much more.
- Moderator: Steven Romo, NBC News Correspondent
- Panelists:
- K.C. Wassman, NBC News “Stay Tuned” Digital Producer
- DS Shin, NBC Chicago Sr. Digital/Social Media Producer
- Ignacio Torres, NBC News Coordinating Producer
5:30PM-6:00PM PDT
NBCU Academy Presents: Depicting Modern Mental Health and Queer Stories in NBC’s “Brilliant Minds” with Star Zachary Quinto and Creator Michael Grassi
Ahead of its series premiere this fall, join us for an engaging fireside conversation with creator-showrunner Michael Grassi and star Zachary Quinto as they delve into the inspiration behind NBC’s upcoming medical drama “Brilliant Minds.” The new series – inspired by famed real-life neurologist and author Dr. Oliver Sacks – centers around a trailblazing physician (Quinto) and his team of interns as they treat patients with rare neurological disorders while grappling with their own personal relationships and mental health.
Moderated by NBC News correspondent Maura Barrett, the discussion will cover the show’s inception, the creative process behind the scenes and the perspectives Grassi and Quinto bring to the show’s mental health and queer stories to create a drama that resonates with authenticity and depth.
Starring Zachary Quinto, Tamberla Perry, Ashleigh LaThrop, Alex MacNicoll, Aury Krebs, Spence Moore II, Teddy Sears, and Donna Murphy, “Brilliant Minds” premieres on Monday, September 23, and streams next day on Peacock.
- Moderator: Maura Barrett, NBC News Correspondent
- Panelists:
- Zachary Quinto, Actor, Star of NBC’s “Brilliant Minds”
- Michael Grassi, Creator, Showrunner, Executive Producer, “Brilliant Minds”
6:15PM-6:45PM PDT
MSNBC Films Presents: “It’s Okay”
A quiet take on a very noisy subject—the rise of hate and intolerance against the LGBTQIA+ community—as two young brothers observe and absorb their first Drag Story Hour. A refrain of “It’s okay” underscores their experience, and this simple utterance takes on a multitude of meanings in its repetition, from assurance to question, hope to fear. Join us for a screening and a conversation with producer Jesse Tyler Ferguson, immediately following the film.
- Moderator: Shar Jossell, Award-Winning Journalist
- Guest: Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Actor, Author & “It’s Okay” Producer
Friday, September 6, 2024
Location: Loews Hollywood, Los Angeles (Hollywood Studio ABC)
11:15AM-12:15PM PDT
The Millennial Managers Have Arrived – And They’re Helping to Heal the Newsroom
Millennials, now managers and senior executives, bring a different set of values to the workplace than previous generations. With Gen Z entering the workforce, the dynamic has continued to shift in favor of more thoughtful leadership focused on mental health, purpose-driven work and collaboration. Millennials are taking the opportunity to drive change within their organizations, especially within newsrooms, becoming advocates for a workplace they wish they had experienced as early-career journalists.
- Moderator: Jay Valle, NBCU Academy “Storytellers” Reporter
- Panelists:
- Brooke Sopelsa, NBC Out Editorial Director
- Ozzie Martinez, Telemundo Station Group and NBC Local EVP of Multiplatform News
- Kyle Griffin, “The Weekend” Executive Producer
- Jillian Eugenios, NBC News Digital Stay Tuned Senior Producer
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