New Journalism Faculty Brings Broadcasting Experience

One of the latest faculty members in the Communications Department to join the Journalism program is Dr. Fernando Severino. In 2020, he went from defending his dissertation on August 4, to being hired and joining the California State University, Dominguez Hills family on August 17. He brings expertise on Latin America, real-life lessons, and experiences from his time at CNN Chile, and hopes to bring creativity and broadcasting back to the student-run Bulletin newspaper.

Dr. Severino began his journalism journey in Chile where he studied for his Bachelor of Arts in Social Information, Professional degree in Journalism. During his undergraduate schooling, politics, and U.S. politics in particular, caught his attention. For his final year at Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, he worked on a documentary project covering the fall of the Soviet Union when one of Severino's professors had a post-graduation job proposal for him.

His professor was joining CNN Chile's first 24-hour news program that focused on Latin America and she wanted Severino to join her in some capacity. He was eventually hired as a news editor for the international branch of CNN. For three years, Severino's role was to research, develop, write and edit stories, and sometimes he would be an anchor for a news broadcast. He still joins the show on the occasion.

His work at CNN Chile led him to the decision of moving over 5,000 miles to attend Columbia University in New York City to expand his knowledge of U.S. policies and public affairs. In 2012, Severino received his master's in International and Public Affairs, but when his wife got accepted into Minnesota's School of Public Health the pair decided to move another 1,300 miles northwest, with their 9-month old daughter.

He dabbled in corporate communications at 3M as an International Marketing Specialist for a few years until he decided to enroll for the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities to pursue his doctorate. In 2016, Severino dove headfirst into working towards a Ph.D. in Mass Communication and Media Studies, while expanding on his knowledge of International Affairs and Political Communication. His second year into the program, Severino and his wife welcomed their second child.

As a graduate student and parent, Severino came to understand the importance of time with family and can relate to students who are facing the many different challenges of virtual learning and how the environment is not the easiest to be in because he too was a student until recently.

"I try to be very empathetic to students and in this virtual environment during the pandemic," Dr. Severino said. "I was a grad student, and I know it's hard. It's just very difficult."

After defending his dissertation about immigration news coverage in Latin America, with an emphasis on their representation in media, Dr. Severino prepared for his new job as an Assistant Professor at CSUDH. His first year teaching has been virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but thankfully he was able to visit campus in-person once before the campus closed, as part of the process of hiring new staff or faculty.

"It was an amazing experience, I got to know the campus, then some students. I haven't felt that disconnected, and the faculty of the department have been supportive," Dr. Severino said. "What I miss the most is, of course, having the relationship with the students in a way that is different from the virtual environment, especially in our field like journalism."

Dr. Severino has been teaching from his home-office in Minnesota, but plans on moving to Southern California this summer with his family in anticipation, and excitement, of returning to campus in the future to advise the Bulletin and teach in the Journalism program.

"I'm really excited to look into working with students doing projects that are helping the community or this idea of local communities that are near campus are important for campus life," Dr. Severino said. "I think it's really important for any campus to have a vibrant and really, kind of aggressive newspaper. I think it's vital and is critical for any campus to have that and I think the Bulletin is that, so I'm really honored and privileged to be the adviser of it and I think moving into maybe finding other ways where we can leverage that in terms of multimedia or emulating TV."