The murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breanna Taylor, and many other Black Americans by police officers have led to national protests and riots. Among the many journalists covering these events is Daniel Han, a rising sophomore and JMS major at SC&I.
Han attended a protest in Newark, N.J. in order to witness it, report about it, and photograph it. His story and photos were published by TAP Into Westfield. News12 New Jersey also featured two of his photos. The Newark protest was the first of several he covered. Han covered other Black Lives Matter rallies throughout the state for Mycentraljersey and the TapInto network, from Elizabeth, Plainfield, Westfield, Scotch Plains, and Edison.
Han said he attended the protests because he wanted to document the moment and also be able to capture the perspectives and what was happening. He had watched videos posted all over social media of the protests occurring in Atlanta and Philadelphia and wanted to see what would happen locally.
He did not know what to expect and he said he was nervous about the possible risks involved in attending, especially exposure to the coronavirus. Regardless, he went prepared with gear including goggles and a helmet, and he maintained a safe social distance from the crowd.
“When you want to really capture a story—be a journalist, tell a story, take good pictures—there are going to be risks. I thought about all the journalists who were in Minneapolis or Atlanta who were covering similar stories,” said Han. “These are important things that journalists need to face to capture the moment, to document, and to really share with the public what is going on. This is what was going through my mind when I decided to go.”
Han said he wants to study journalism because he finds it to be fascinating, and the job is not only important, but rewarding. He said he chose to come to Rutgers and study at SC&I because it’s close by, fits his needs, and gives him the ability to tell stories in his home state where he would eventually love to work as part of the local news ecosystem. He is excited to see where the next few years at Rutgers and SC&I will bring him.
“Big things are coming and I am hopeful for the future,” said Han. “There are stories all around us. I want to be able to keep doing what I’ve been doing, but more and on a bigger scale.”
More information about the Journalism and Media Studies Department at the Rutgers School of Communication and Information is on the website.
Photo: Courtesy of Daniel Han
