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While many of her friends spent Memorial Day weekend soaking up the rays, Janel Garcia-Torres spent it under tornado warnings, capturing the stories of the victims of the massive tornado that ripped through Moore, Oklahoma. A Hispanic Media Futures intern at Telemundo Networks and a senior in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication (SJMC), Garcia-Torres was looking for a multimedia project to work on before she graduates in August. Her boyfriend suggested going to Moore. After sleeping on it, the junior reporter called her professor and mentor Neil Reisner who said, “go for it!”
In her blog, “Tornado Alley,” Garcia-Torres chronicles her experience. Below, she shares with FIU News her journey through Tornado Alley.
On Friday,May 24, I flew to Houston, Texas, to start my journey to Moore, Oklahoma. I borrowed a van from my boyfriend’s grandmother, filled it with supplies and set out on a seven hour drive to the devastated area.
My first stop was Plaza Towers Elementary. There was broken doors, shattered walls and and bricks everywhere. There were no trees left, only trunks without leaves. It was a frightening thing to see.
As a young reporter, I haven’t had much experience going out and interviewing people, especially those who have gone through such a traumatic experience. It was hard for me to get people to open up and give me an interview. Most of the residents were angry and fed up with the media. They wanted to pick up any salvageable items they could find and return to the hotels they were staying in. They just wanted to be left alone. I was afraid I wasn’t going to get a story.
Luckily, I had Professor Reisner from SJMC guiding me through the entire process. I called and texted him several times, questioning my decision. At one point, I broke down crying. “Don’t panic,” he said. “Don’t get emotional. This is your job. Just start a conversation.”
I regrouped and visited Telephone Rd. and S.W. 19 Street – the area that received the most damage. I drove to a nearby Home Depot where I saw about seven tents from different organizations, such as the Salvation Army and the Soldier’s Wish Organization. I was lucky enough to be able to interview the volunteers, some who had traveled a long way to help the victims.
That afternoon, I received a call from Elisa Ross, a news producer at Telemundo. She put me in contact with Ivette Cregnolini, a Miami native who has been living in Moore for the past seven years and lost her home during the tornado.
I met with her at her house. Her family was there. After touring her destroyed house and spending the afternoon with her, I realized how valuable life is. Nothing guaranteed. You can wake up one morning and have everything, and that same day lose everything. I couldn’t contain my emotions, and I did what a journalist is not supposed to do, I cried.
It was a challenge keeping my emotions in check during my interviews. But overall, this was a great experience that taught me the do’s and don’ts of reporting. I came out of this journey realizing that there’s no better teacher than experience itself.
– Janel Garcia-Torres
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Ms. Garcia:
ALthough your intent and motive was noble, I disagree in the strongest terms about your decision to travel to Moore, in relation to this event. There is a lot more that goes into the psychological planning component of covering these tragedies as the physical
logistics. I have spent the better part of the last decade behind or in front of a camera and can say without a doubt…every car bomb I’ve witnessed, home destroyed by flood, fire, or wind, dead soldier or child the images compound themselves.
To have simply had your professor say “go for it” because there were obviously financial and logistical elements that allowed you to travel to the story didn’t make it right in my opinion.
This is what is wrong with the new world of “push button” digital journalism where everyone with a cellphone, camera or blog is now able to contribute but most tragically, convince themselves they are ready for the tough stories.
Show me 10 Emmy or Pulitzer level pieces shot in your backyard before traveling to a ready made “just insert camera” tragedy. That’s how you become good at telling stories.
Mr. Gluck:
Where were you less than a decade ago?
You’re shooting down a student’s work. Janel could have picked up any other local story and ran with it, secured a passing grade, and flown under the radar. She, however, chose to go beyond the curriculum and outside of her comfort zone.
You mentioned she went to a “just insert camera” tragedy. Previously, however, you said that you’ve covered car bombs, homes destroyed by weather, dead soldiers, etc. Do you see the irony?
Comparing your work to hers is silly, and your comment echoes with bitterness. Maybe all that wartime reporting is getting to you?
Mr. Gluck,
You’re comment is disrespectful to the student’s work and possibly to the faculty who worked in in this story. And can I emphasize she’s only a STUDENT and not a 10-time emmy reporter. That line you made was way out of line and unacceptable. If she has an opportunity to pursue this story, she should be encouraged to do it. I have Genelle in two of my classes this summer and the work she put into this story is remarkable. Read her work first before you comment because she put a lot of hard work and time in to it. Your opinion is just disrespectful and I question your integrity as a reporter.
Mr. Gluck:
May I ask you where your 10 Emmy or Pulitzer level pieces are? This student (keep in mind: STUDENT) decided to take the initiative and go above and beyond what is expected of a student her age with her level of experience. I personally find it admirable that she chose to dismiss the easy route for her assignment and tackled a story that has truly gripped the nation’s attention. Your comment makes you come off as jealous and its numerous grammatical errors does not reflect the maturity nor intelligence of someone who has supposedly spent most of the last decade reporting natural disasters, dead soldiers, or dead children.
Mr. Edouard H.R. Gluck,
It s so sad to see “professionals” behaving like this. I actually read your biography after I read your comment and now I find it so funny that you criticize her for taking her camera to cover a story. Mmm were you born a photojournalist? Continue with your job while you have it because students like Janel are the next generation. (Oh, the irony.)
Give her 5 years and she’ll show you more than 10 Emmys.
Thanks.
P.S.: Read your bio maybe you need some refreshment on how you started.
Great first-person narrative! We’re very proud of our grad Janel and her professionalism.
I love this first person narrative Janel Garcia-Torres! I admire your courage and passion for journalism. Looking forward to your next projects!
Thank you very much!
I appreciated this story. FIU had a quality media presence in Oklahoma? I didn’t expect this coverage by our university. Janel Torres has contributed to making me a more proud Alumni. This is absolutely progressive.