General Motors hosted its second “Discover Your Drive” program at the 2017 North American International Auto Show, which promotes diversity in journalism across the United States.
13 students were able to attend news conferences, chase stories and interviews on the show floor and compete for the best piece of news from the 2017 NAIAS.
“We were blown away by the talent and creativity of these fearless students,” says Leslie Gordon, senior manager, GM Diversity Communications. “Many of them had not been exposed to automotive journalism, had never been to Detroit or seen snow. But they brought with them the right amount of curiosity required to cover an event as massive and complex as the North American International Auto Show and they did so with grit and class.”
One student persisted on a face-to-face interview with GM CEO, Mary Barra, others chased GM North America President, Alan Batey, and received the top prize for their work: an all-expense paid trip to a national journalism conference.
“Jammin With GM” featured Batey and two students in a “Carpool Karaoke” style video to highlight the features and benefits of the 2017 Chevrolet Cruze.
The program concluded with an awards ceremony this past Wednesday, where each student was commended for their work.
“This is the most original experience for college students that encourages them to consider automotive journalism while also promoting diversity in newsrooms,” Michael Quintanilla, formerly of the Los Angeles Times and San Antonio Express News, said. “By diverse, I mean not only diversity in one’s ethnicity but also in ideas and a promise from everyone involved to protect and uphold journalism’s existence and the profession’s commitment to tell accurate and honest stories.”
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