By William H. Kelly III
Jackson State University senior Cameron Adams recently received a paid internship at WAPT News in Jackson, Mississippi, where he works as an evening producer. Adams began his internship in May.
“It’s just a testament to show that hard work definitely does pay off. I knew that coming here, I was going to hit the ground running because my mom, my grandma and my dad were always telling me, ‘Hey, don’t play any games when you come here. We’re here to make the most out of it and then watch the future build,’ Adams said. “So, when I first stepped foot on Jackson State’s campus, I made sure that I made my mark. Now, seeing everybody give me support, like crazy support, just shows that I’ve been doing what I told myself I was going to do.”
As a transfer student, Adams enrolled at JSU in 2022. Since then, he has acquired a variety of experiences and opportunities. In his first year, he served as the sports section editor for the Blue & White Flash, the official student newspaper at JSU, a tutor in JSU’s Richard Wright Writing Center, a student producer for JSU’s “ESPN College GameDay” episode, and a featured cast member for JSU’s “The College Tour” episode airing now on “Amazon Prime.” He is also the editor-in-chief of the school newspaper.
Shannon Tatum, student publications manager at JSU, says that she is confident that Adams is an exceptional choice.
“As the editor-in-chief, Cameron has shown the skills and leadership abilities needed to excel in media, and I know he will make The Flash and JSU proud,” Tatum said. “The Department of Journalism and Media Studies students are actively working and gaining practical experience with JSU campus media and building their portfolios. This gives them an advantage for success.”
Adams plans to use his developed leadership skills gained from his media experiences to help him throughout his internship. He added that the team at WAPT is already making sure that he gets his desired experience by offering him days to work as both a news and sports producer.
“Getting to work some days with news and some days with sports is what I was looking forward to. I wanted a challenge because I didn’t want to be complacent,” said Adams, who shared he is passionate about sports news. “I want to make sure that I learn everything I can and bask in the opportunities and experiences I receive. I know that all of my experiences definitely did and will play a part in my internship.”
The multimedia journalist says that his current career goal is working for the NBA as a reporter, photographer, or in some capacity of a media outlet to increase Black faces in media further.
“I’m always a huge advocate of seeing Black success. I know my motivation for being a sports editor or sports commentator is because when I turn on the TV, I feel I do not see as many African American faces as I should, especially in the NBA [media or production], which is a league dominated by African American people,” Adams said. “So, I feel like I’m a huge advocate for that, and Jackson State taking steps to make sure that we are well prepared long before getting to these major opportunities is a really big step, and I’m honored to be a part of it.”
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Media Contact: William H. Kelly III, William.h.kelly@jsums.edu