Enthusiastic applause filled the auditorium of San Francisco State University as the Journalism Department Chair, Jesse Garnier welcomed the Journalism Association of Community Colleges and its attendees to the Northern California Regional Conference for Fall 2024. This year’s keynote speaker was Candice Nguyen, a Peabody Award-winner, investigative reporter for NBC Bay Area, and Oakland native.

Nguyen recounted her journey from a tumultuous childhood to her current position and shared what has motivated her to pursue journalism, still passionately these last 15 years. She spoke honestly about the pressures budding journalists face.

“Maybe you’re hearing about the current state of journalism and feeling a little nervous about things like, ‘Can I actually make a life out of this?’” Nguyen said.

By sharing her own rise to the oldest broadcasting network in the country — NBC — Nguyen emphasized that the path to a career in journalism can take many forms and that learning on the spot, having a clear purpose and showing up will get young journalists where they need to go.

“It was really journalism, and in this case, broadcast journalism, that gave me the direction, the structure and the purpose to start stitching, not just my career, but my life together,” Nguyen said.

Nguyen’s keynote speech sought to explain “the state of journalism and our role in it.” The role of a journalist, Nguyen explained, is to seek accountability and make an impact.

Reporters must ask difficult questions and break down complex data to get to the truth. They must carefully assess their sources and refrain from jumping to conclusions. Beyond the public recognition of an issue, journalists must ask what actions are being taken to affect change and what level of government is responsible.

“Words are nice, but alone they’re not going to drive successful careers and impactful reporting,” Nguyen said. “That’s solely going to come from the journalists and the people in the stories.”