CTN Profile: Jamie Chiu is focusing on uplifting marginalized voices and perspectives in her new job
Jamie Chiu is now working from home – kind of. Chiu is where she’s always been and where she wants to be – Ann Arbor. So when she goes to work every day at CTN as the new multimedia production instructor, it feels like she’s working from home.
And she’s “excited” about her new job and her bright future.
“I am excited about this because community media is a great way to uplift marginalized voices and perspectives,” she says. “As a lifelong townie, it’s important to me to highlight the diversity of our community members and build relationships through empathy and mutual understanding. What better way to do that than through a medium as fun as video?”
As the new multimedia production instructor, Chiu will be offering training to the public in utilizing their facilities and equipment to create compelling media around the topics they care about. This will include workshops around camera operation, audio/lighting techniques, non-linear editing systems, and other production essentials.
“Additionally, I will be running youth media camps and CR programs with our various community partners,” says Chiu, who enjoyed working at CTN as a part-time production assistant before her promotion. “I look forward to contributing more deeply and creating more impact as the multimedia production instructor.”
Chiu, 28, is the proud daughter of Taiwanese immigrants who currently shares a roof with her partner and a black cat named “Marceline, the Vampire Queen.” Chiu also serves as a freelance photographer, shooting topics ranging from political events to album covers. Family portraits are a personal favorite.
The Ann Arbor native graduated from U-M with a B.A. in communication & media. Her video career came in focus when she took her first job as the video production advisor at a local nonprofit, “sharing knowledge about media creation with a cohort of neuro-diverse teens.”
“I moved on to sharing youth-centered practices with young people, youth workers, educators, administrators, and counselors from school districts across the country,” she said. “I led the creation of training materials incorporating restorative practices, social equity, and developmentally appropriate learning frameworks. I am thrilled to be bringing these elements to CTN and engaging the public in the importance of public media.”
She has some short-term and long-term goals.
“I am working to safely re-open our doors and ramp up our capacity to host the public in our facilities,” she says. “We are currently taking a multi-phase approach to ensure the health and safety of our staff and the public.
“Beyond that, I hope to build useful and relevant programs that keep our new and experienced client producers coming back to CTN and further hone my skills as a trainer and complete some creative projects of my own.”
