Harnessing Tzu Chi USA’s Media Retreat for Positivity

This June, digital media enthusiasts traveled from across the US to Tzu Chi USA’s National Headquarters in San Dimas, CA to undergo in-depth training for one purpose: to learn how to better document Tzu Chi’s work in their respective communities and share it with the world.

Kicking off on the evening of Thursday, June 26 and spanning till Sunday, June 30th, trainees of the Tzu Chi USA 2024 Media Team Retreat participated in lectures and hands-on workshops in the areas of digital photography, videography, social media, and blogging, all taught by veteran Tzu Chi USA media volunteers and staff from Tzu Chi USA’s Media Production Center.

Attending several classes already, trainee Austin Yao remarked that everything he was learning was starting to come together: “I understand now how to, when submitting a blog or writing a news story, just how everything comes together and make everything sort of uniform.”

But, the lighthearted nature of the event was also touched by moments of gravitas. Beloved member of the Tzu Chi Family Eva Yang passed away happened to pass away as the Retreat took place. A video tribute was quickly compiled in her honor.

Culture & Communications Department Director and head of the Retreat Ting Fan explained that “Yang was in the first group of the volunteers who started doing Tzu Chi and then spread out the seeds, Tzu Chi seeds, around the country.”

On Saturday, Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Ringo Chiu gave a keynote presentation, featuring his most notable works while also offering tips to trainees on how to properly capture newsworthy and important moments: “I’m so glad I can share my last 20 years, 30 years of experience with a new person. Hopefully, they do better in the future.”

Ultimately, trainees were meant to build up their media skills, and one attendee, Minette Chan, summed up the bigger picture: “It’s not just sharing what we’re doing, it’s about touching lives and… using this media to be a positive force.”

See the full story in the video.

Also featuring appearances by Debra Boudreaux, Anik Ghose, Pohan Chen, Dennis Lee, Tzuying Pan, Ryan Ikeda, and Victor Rochas.