Hazel Tang (MSJ21)

Associate Producer with CNN Digital Video

Tell us about your career path. How did you get where you are today?

After graduation, I directly landed on my current team with CNN Digital Video as a production assistant and recently got promoted to an associate producer. I think my newsroom experience at Medill prepared me well for my current career. Hands-on courses and projects let me graduate with a rich portfolio with stories I shot and produced in Chicago and also in Washington D.C. through Medill on the Hill program. All the experiences demonstrated to my employer that I can write, produce and edit with speed, accuracy and right news judgment. Medill really helped me practice that muscle for news.

What are your main responsibilities in your current role?

My current role at CNN is to produce news videos for CNN’s digital platforms and social media with a wide range of topics and formats. From daily breaking news to features to explainers and news documentary, from latest iPhone release to electric vehicles to (by my own admission) anything about Taylor Swift, I actively pitch stories with strong visual elements, conduct interviews, write video scripts and edit for CNN.com.

How has your Medill training helped you in your career?

During Spring quarter at Medill, I took a social media video production course with Professor Craig Duff in which we got hands-on chances to produce text-on-screen style videos for social media platforms. I use the writing skill and production skill every day in my current job as my team produce similar style of video for daily news.

How has the Northwestern Medill network helped you advance in your career?

I was totally impressed how strong the connections between Medill alum network after I graduated and especially in New York City. Professor Duff once visited NYC before and gathered some Medill alum together. We definitely built our own group here in New York and found each other as a group of passionate storytellers.

Fun fact: one of my managers at CNN is also a Medill alum!

Another shout out to Medill career advisors who helped me a ton during my job hunting. I am an international student which means I always face limitations in terms of my visa status. But my career advisors had guided me with a lot of great tips, such as how to talk about work authorization with potential employers, connect me with other alumni who share same situations, and support the paperwork I needed when I applied for work authorization. Having them as part of the Medill network is super helpful.

How can your industry be more inclusive and representative of society?

I think the journalistic professional groups, such as AAJA, have been the pioneer in advocating for inclusion and representation within the industry and the society overall. I think that to bring in more people with diverse voices and keep conversations about this is helpful so that we can make people feel seen and heard.

How have your identities influenced the way you navigate your professional career?

Living in the US as a Chinese international student during the pandemic in the past couple years was hard. In 2020 and 2021, I had witnessed so many racism and hatred targeting Asian communities and felt the deep frustration shared by everyone in the community. I once covered a protest/gathering at Chicago’s Chinatown about stopping AAPI hate where thousands of people showed up with signs written in Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese etc. Hearing people speak out of their heart in their native languages inspired me so much. As someone from this community, I felt that voices from this community have been missing for long in the mainstream, but it is time for everyone to hear us. I was live-tweeting about what happened on the ground and then one of my tweets got reposted by Governor JB Pritzker’s office. I was so glad that the community’s voices went to reach the entire Chicago city. Therefore, that was the moment I realized how media representation matters in storytelling, otherwise there will be always a missing puzzle.

What advice do you have for someone considering Medill?

Take advantage of every opportunity presented to you either inside Medill or outside. And also, friends you will meet at Medill will be not only your connections within the industry but also lifelong companions you won’t meet elsewhere.