School of Journalism

Biography:

Vinita specializes in project management, multimedia and web production and has over 12 years of experience in reporting on arts and culture as well as marginalized groups. Over the past five years, she has focused her work on a practice led research project: a campus community partnership to encourage marginalized and racialized youth to engage with media. She traveled to India to meet with media youth workers in New Delhi and to Butare, Rwanda as a media instructor for the Rwanda Initiative. In Toronto, she managed youth workshops and two weeklong multimedia summer camps.

She is currently working on a study to examine the production of racialized images and ideas of youth within urban media from 1990-2010. The study begins with a look at the history of Vibe magazine.

Vinita spent a decade in the New York publishing industry, both as a reporter for the urban and alternative media (the Village Voice, Vibe, Impact, Savoy) and as an editor for the mainstream media (the New York Times, Oprah, Spin, Harper's Bazaar). She has also reported for radio and was co-host and producer on WBAI Radio. From 2001 to 2005, she published *BrownSugarOnline, the first online magazine for young South Asian women.

Hardest story to report: "Sex here, baby" about the red light district in Mumbai. (Essence Magazine)

Most inspiring: "Yalie finds his calling," a profile on Cory Booker's role in Newark city politics. (Savoy magazine)

Most fun: “Do you,” an interview with Alicia Keys around the time she dropped her first single, "Fallin'" (Savoy).

Qualifications:

Masters in International Affairs, The New School; B.A., Women's Studies and English, The University of Toronto

Research Interest:

Vinita is currently examining the representation of racialized audiences in mainstream media from 1990-2010. Specifically, she is looking at urban media production out of New York City in the mid 90’s.
 
Other research interests include: Post 9-11 Representations of South Asians; Youth Empowerment through Media, Youth Audience Perceptions, Community and Digital Media, Representations of African American youth in Media, Fashion Journalism.

Current Courses:

2010/2011

JRN 305: Online Reporting (twitter: @global360)

JRN 400: Critical Issues in Journalism

In 2010/1, Vinita taught Online Journalism and New Media a multimedia journalism course showcased through networkedstreets.com. Other courses include: Critical Issues in Journalism and Fashion Journalism.

Watch Vinita discuss blogging in the classroom.

Professional Affiliations:

Academic Matters (Board Member); Online News Association (Member); International Communication Association (Member); Canadian Association of Journalists (Member).

Publications and Presentations:

Other:

Twitter: @write_vinita