Amani Channel ’91 on broadcast journalism, video production and teaching

Amani Channel ’91 is a broadcaster, professor and Emmy-nominated producer. “It’s always tiring, but I love the entire creative process, from in front of the camera to behind the scenes. To me it’s all just so cool,” he said.

Channel grew up in East Palo Alto in a Jehovah’s Witness family. “I was part of the ministry and didn’t celebrate any holidays,” he said. “It was a completely different way of growing up.”

According to Channel, when the EPA was one of the murder capitals of the world, there was always “chaos on the streets.” “There was definitely a criminal element, but the news exaggerated it,” he said.

Channel attended a religious private school and then transferred to Ravenswood Middle School. “It was definitely a culture shock going from such a small religious school to large and diverse schools like Ravenswood and MA,” he said.

While Channel did not participate in any MA sports or clubs outside of school due to his religious commitments, he greatly enjoyed his English classes, particularly AP Literature with Shannon Griscom. “I feel like I made my career as a writer at MA,” he said.

“I hung out with people from Atherton and Menlo Park, but also from East Palo Alto. It felt like a melting pot,” he said.

After completing his MA, Channel took a year to focus on his family and his faith. He then attended the College of San Mateo, where he studied journalism and broadcasting before transferring to the University of Florida. “We always had musical equipment lying around the house and my brother and I rapped for fun. I took a radio announcing course at CSM and fell in love. I just never stopped,” he said.

Channel worked at radio station CSM and was a producer for its television station. “It came easy to me and I really enjoyed it,” he said. In Florida, Channel gained experience in front of the camera and served as a sports anchor during his final semester.

After college, Channel completed a paid news management internship in Washington, D.C. at ABC 7 before working as an editor for the same station. “I liked being in an area where all the action was,” he said. Shortly thereafter, Channel moved to Tampa, Florida, and worked as a trainee reporter for FOX 13. “A friend of mine heard about the job and introduced me. He said, “We’re in the process of hiring someone, so you need to send in your resume and acceptance tape now if you want to be considered. “They flew me out for an interview the next day and I got the job,” he said.

In Tampa, Channel reported on a variety of topics including government, robberies, shootings, politics and community events. “I got up very early, read the newspaper, made break calls and had a story idea ready for the morning meeting. When I was assigned breaking news, we would immediately hit the streets and I would dedicate my day to that story,” he explained.

“My favorite stories have always had something to do with the community. Whether it was Black History Month or an individual post, those were the most exciting to me because it felt more like storytelling,” Channel said.

“My experiences in Tampa were the most unforgettable. “I will never forget the long nights writing stories and laughing at jokes with colleagues,” he continued.

After working in Tampa for eight years, Channel moved to Atlanta, where he worked for a small cable company and devoted his time to his master’s degree in hopes of working as a teacher. “In Tampa, I was working as a hedging professor at a local community college and one of the teachers told me, ‘The students really like you,’ so I decided to get my master’s so I could teach more regularly in Atlanta,” he said.

Channel has taught as an adjunct professor at the University of West Georgia and Kennesaw State University. He trained students in digital media production, studio production techniques and media ethics.

After a brief career break as an educator, Channel landed a job at FOX 5 as a creative services writer and producer. While his work in Tampa took place in front of the camera, Channel took a new perspective behind the scenes in Atlanta. He wrote and produced promos for Good Day Atlanta, created image spots, and assisted other editors with their advertising and marketing needs.

Channel also received an Emmy nomination for a promo he created on FOX 5. “My department submitted my promo and we finally got nominated. I didn’t win, but it was a really cool recognition,” he said.

Channel currently coaches others in video production and marketing. “The entire creative process from idea to turning it into something audiences can enjoy is very rewarding,” he said.

The station’s advice for current students: “Stay involved in any clubs or activities that support your career goals. School is very important and there is a path for everyone.”

For those interested in video journalism and production: “Read and write as much as possible and take your school’s journalism and production courses.” This is a career that you can start at a young age and in which you can gain a lot of experience.”