Occupy Wall Street inspires new Youtube channel

And now Occupy Wall Street can take credit for the birth of a new YouTube channel.

[New York]

As many of you know, I was fortunate to have an amazing cadre of mentors and teachers in my life –far too many of whom have since passed away now– as I discovered the wonder that is journalism.

I well remember their celebration of even the smallest of milestones –first internship, first interview, etc. As a professor at Long Island University’s Brooklyn Campus, who also now serves as faculty adviser to the campus’ newspaper, Seawanhaka, I can now say that I’ve discovered that feeling.

Whatever one thinks of it, there is much that Occupy Wall Street has since spawned–with similar protests now unfolding nationwide. Occupy Wall Street itself, of course, was also inspired by protest movements elsewhere around the world. And now Occupy Wall Street can take credit for the birth of a new YouTube channel.

One of my News Reporting students — and Seawanhaka contributor — Keeley Ibrahim was on the scene reporting in lower Manhattan during the earliest days of Occupy Wall Street. Fortunately, she had the great foresight and instinct to bring her camera to document some of what was happening. It’s her reporting that anchors the just-launched YouTube channel for Seawanhaka. As Ibrahim found herself in the midst of the sometimes intimidating media scrum, she fired away a question to filmmaker and activist Michael Moore.  Her reporting also highlights the work of a former banker-turned-activist, who is now involved in the ever-expanding college debt forgiveness movement.

It’s a humble start, but a noteworthy one nevertheless. As someone who well remembers the sight of traditional typewriters being removed from the campus newsroom in 1995 to make way for new desktop units (complete with Netscape) — I’d call it living history in the making. Indeed, in the time to come, the channel will complement the reporting in Seawanhaka and tackle issues of concern to students at the Brooklyn Campus. And may that be the case for as long as there is a YouTube website.

Kudos to young journalist Keeley Ibrahim for helping to spark the launch — and to the entire Seawanhaka staff (including Mabel Martinez, an editor-in-chief who, of course, rarely sleeps!)

Seawanhaka’s new YouTube channel can be viewed here.

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