North Gate Update: Berkeley Journalism Alumni News

Our Newsletter is Your Newsletter

With the North Gate Update newsletter now successfully launched, our volunteers at the alumni advisory committee are already thinking about its future – and hoping that you will want to be a part of it.

The opportunities are endless – almost. You could be the editor of North Gate Update or a regular contributor. You could interview an alum for the “5 Questions with …” feature or help put together Class Notes. You could propose new elements for the newsletter or offer to copy edit the content.

Right now North Gate Update is planned as a quarterly publication, but depending on alumni response, it could publish more often. (This “extra” edition was spurred by the great response we got to last month’s initial newsletter.)

Please get in touch if you’d like to be part of the newsletter team. Drop us a line at caljsalums@gmail.com. Thanks and Go Bears!.

Who Should be the Next Dean of the J-School?

When Dean Geeta Anand recently announced she was stepping down as dean of the J-School, a search committee composed of students, faculty and staff was formed to find a permanent replacement. And now they want to hear from you. The committee is holding an online meeting for J-School alumni November 8 at 9:15 am to get your input on this important decision. It should be a great opportunity to learn more and share your thoughts. Email Lia Swindle for details.

5 Questions with Alsanosi Adam (’16)

Alsanosi Adam

Alsanosi Adam (’16) is a Pulitzer Prize finalist from Sudan who has focused his career on issues of social justice and human rights. A documentary filmmaker, Adam is also a part-time analyst for the Small Arms Survey and contributes to the Sudan War Monitor, a journalism collaborative that tracks events in Sudan. He talks about his latest project, favorite memories from the J-School, and the value of reporting. Read the Q&A with him here.

Alumni Reception Recap

On Friday, October 18, alumni and family members gathered in the North Gate courtyard for a reception that was part of UC Berkeley’s Alumni and Parents Weekend at Homecoming. J-School alums from classes spanning 1978 to 2024 enjoyed an evening filled with food, drinks and camaraderie, alongside faculty and faculty emeriti. A special thanks to the Bay Area Alumni Committee for their efforts in helping organize the event.

We’re excited to announce that this reception will be an annual tradition at North Gate during Homecoming Weekend. We hope to see you next year!

Upcoming Events

Join Professor Jason Spingarn-Koff (’01), Knight Chair of Climate Journalism at UC Berkeley, for a Nov. 19 advanced screening of “Pacific,” a new docuseries that kicks off Netflix’s “Our Oceans” series. The screening is at North Gate Hall; a panel discussion follows. More info here.

Bay Area Admission Mixer Seeking Alumni Volunteers

Admissions is looking for alumni volunteers for the Bay Area Admission Mixer on November 14, 5 pm — 7 pm in the North Gate courtyard. Meet and mingle with prospective students, faculty and current students in the program.

If you can attend, please email Admission Director Nelly Provencal-Dayle.

Save the Date

The Narrative Track reunion is scheduled for March 15, 2025, and will feature speakers and workshops. Details to come.

2024 Elections: Media Postmortem

To help make sense of the media’s role in the 2024 elections, former Washington Post editor Marty Baron and Dean Baquet of the New York Times will be at North Gate Hall on November 13 at 6 p.m. to provide a media postmortem and discuss covering the Trump presidency. The in-person event is sold out, but you can sign up to stream it.

Former Washington Post editor Marty Baron and Dean Baquet of the New York Times.

Recordings of Some Fall Events

This fall, Berkeley Journalism was lucky to welcome back a number of our talented alums to share their work and insights as part of our public programming. If you couldn’t join us in person, we’re pleased to offer recordings of these events so you can enjoy them from the comfort of your home:

1. Author Talk with Paula-Lehman Ewing (’10)- Reimagining the Revolution
2. Author Talk with Mara Kardas-Nelson (’20) – We Are Not Able to Live in the Sky
3. Professor Ken Light and Wesaam Al-Badry (’20) on photographing the political moment. Watch it here.
4. Author Talk with Edward Wong (’98) – At the Edge of Empire

What’s New with You?

We’re off to a great start catching up with fellow alumni, with updates ranging from the class of ‘54 to the class of ‘23. Thank you to everyone who has written in so far!

See below for the latest entries, and if you haven’t checked in yet, please tell us what you’re up to these days.

Class Notes November 2024

Clare Major MJ (’10) recently premiered her short film “OUTCRY: Alchemists of Rage,” which delves into themes of women’s rage and reproductive freedom. The film is currently in an impact campaign ahead of the upcoming election. OUTCRY has also been shortlisted for the IDA Best Short Documentary award, with nominations to be announced on November 19. Learn more at outcryfilm.com.

Elise (Shabas) Kazanjian BA Journalism (’58) was married to Ralph Kazanjian from 1961 until his passing in 2023. Together, they owned a family pawnshop in San Francisco for 55 years, where twelve family members worked over the years. Elise’s career has included roles at the San Francisco Examiner, Sunset Magazine, J. Walter Thompson, and a position as foreign editor at CCTV in Beijing, China. She currently writes poetry and hopes to publish her first collection of poems next year. Elise’s two daughters live nearby in San Francisco.

Michael Castleman MJ (’79) published his 19th book in July, “The Untold Story of Books: A Writer’s History of Book Publishing.” Now in a second printing, you can check it out on its Amazon page.

Constance Hale MJ (’90) continues to write profiles (for magazines) and to write books that evangelize for stylish writing (a new one is in development). She is also applying her journalism in a new way by collaborating with photographer Malcolm Ryder on exhibitions and events that transform the way we see urban landscapes, and in particular, Oakland. Their most recent foray was West Oakland Matters, the first in an annual series spotlighting the art, scholarship, journalism, entrepreneurship, and inspired re-vision of the area once known as “the Harlem of the West.”

Timothy Akin MJ (’94) has spent the past 25 years as the executive director of marketing and communications at the UC Davis Graduate School of Management. Following a brief stint as a newspaper reporter in the mid-1990s, he found his niche in higher education communications. Timothy has the pleasure of leading a talented team of award-winning content curators who promote first-person storytelling by faculty, students, alumni, and global business leaders who volunteer their experiences. Together, they produce and amplify 200-300 blogs, videos, and commentary annually to engage diverse audiences.

Liz Shemaria MJ (’09) is a freelance travel writer based in Italy since 2017 and when she’s not exploring Italy (or the rest of the world), she works from her desk at the Milan Foreign Press Association alongside journalists from across the globe. She is a regular contributor to Fodor’s guidebooks, and her stories are also featured in BBC and AFAR. She recently finished up a project with DK Eyewitness called the Italian Way.

Julia Métraux MJ (’23) is Mother Jones’ first disability reporter, where she continues to report stories that matter from disabled and chronically ill people from her apartment in San Francisco.

But wait, there’s more! Check out alums in the news, our journalism adjacent feature, and previous Class Notes!

This email newsletter is sent to UC Berkeley Journalism alumni. For information on alumni programming at UC Berkeley Journalism, including events, volunteer opportunities and/or questions, please email Lia Swindle, Alumni Engagement, at lia.swindle@berkeley.edu.