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Experienced Journalist Brings Experience to DH Newspaper and Broadcasting Courses
*By Larry R. Hygh, Jr., Ed.D.
“Do I train these students for the market that exists, or the market that is coming,” asks Adam Elrashidi, Assistant Professor in the Communications Department at California State University Dominguez Hills (CSUDH). He teaches in the department’s journalism program. “These students are not watching traditional television news.”
Elrashidi says, “journalism is a trust and a public good.” Although he started last fall in a tenure track position, he began as an adjunct in the fall semester of 2023 teaching “News Production.” This class is responsible for the production and distribution of CSUDH’s student run newspaper, “The Bulletin.” Elrashidi also teaches “Intro to Broadcasting” in which students produce news packages with interviews.
Elrashidi’s research interests are in media consumption, and how media is produced and internalized. “I got into this field because I was always fascinated by how the sausage was made,” he says. “Being Egyptian, being Muslim, coming of age post 9/11, I didn’t see anyone who looked like me (in media). If you don’t see folks who look like you in the news, you have to fill in the gaps that they are missing.” He is also interested in media messaging and the merger between media, government, and systems.
Prior to CSUDH, Elrashidi was an Executive Producer for NBC 7 in San Diego, the Annenberg Media Journalist in Resident at the University of Southern California (USC), a Field Producer and On-Air Reporter for Newsy (Scripps News) in Washington, D.C., and the Lead Producer for “The Stream” at Al Jazeera Media Network in Washington, D.C. His position at USC involved working in their media lab helping students create their daily television show.
As it relates to “The Bulletin” and student broadcasting, “I want to continue building a platform that the community and campus can contribute to. I keep learning how to encourage students to write and dig deeper. They want to write, and they want to learn.”
He grew up in Bloomington, Minnesota (a suburb of Minneapolis) as the youngest of three children born to Egyptian immigrants. Elrashidi says, “Egypt was very much in the house,” and you’re existing in two spaces as someone who is first generation in this country. He cites his parents as his greatest influence. “We were never in want of anything.” They worked three jobs, seven days a week, between them, until he finished graduate school. He says, “they said do whatever you need to do, we are behind you.”
Elrashidi is a cartoonist and wants to produce cartoons about media and politics. He was in a documentary (45 seconds) about cartooning and stereotyping as it relates to superheroes. That appearance landed him at Comic-Con in San Deigo as a panelist and meeting the creators of the X-men cartoon.
Elrashidi earned a Master of Arts in Media Studies from Syracuse University in 2012 and a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from University of Minnesota in 2007. He has been a panelist for the San Diego International Comic-Con, a “Silver World Medal” winner at the New York Festivals Awards, and the winner of a “Mark of Excellence: Cartooning” from the Society of Professional Journalists.
He looks forward to helping build the next generation of people who will help inform a critical piece of society. “This is a tremendous opportunity to build for this program and build for this school.” At the end of each class session, Elrashidi gives a benediction, “Word hard! Stay humble! Be kind to people! Believe in yourself! Do good!”
What’s the best part of being at CSUDH?
“Everyone has been welcoming of me with open arts. The students are talented. There is so much potential here. It’s a cool space to be in and be a part of a program, and school, where there is a lot to dig into.”
What do you like doing outside of being a professor/hobbies?
“I draw and I bake and cook a lot. I find cooking to be lethargic. I’d love to have a restaurant of some sort. I like cooking and experimenting.” He also loves going hiking with his wife. “We’re trying to travel.” He added, “I’m trying to find a passion for reading again. I want to sit and read.”
What is your favorite quote(s)?
“Truth is permanent, everything else will fall to the wayside" (Dave Chapelle, comedian)
“The best chance you have if you wanna rise to top is the give yourself loanliness, fear nothing and work hard. One thing you will discover life is the best lesson you think, what you have learned much more than you think and what you have inside right from the beginning.” (Bret Hart, wrestler)
*Hygh is an Assistant Professor in the Communications Department teaching in the Advertising and Public Relations degree program. Prior to academia he spent 20 plus years as chief communications officer in The United Methodist Church. Visit him on the web at www.LarryHygh.com