#MediaMonday – Keith Jenkins

Today’s #MediaMonday comes to us from Keith Jenkins, who works for The Associated Press and is also president of the Arizona Association of Black Journalists.
Keith, time to share:
The Arizona Association of Black Journalists is on a mission to promote diversity in media, elevate our members and support those in need.  The chapter is a collection of online, print and broadcast journalists, and social media and media entrepreneurs. Media academics and public relations and communications professionals are also welcomed members.
As a news associate for The Associated Press, I select news content from AP members across the West Region and rewrite it to enhance and broaden it for use by other AP members throughout the country and the world. The West Region includes Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming and Guam.
My love for journalism started as a kid with my introduction to ESPN and former ESPN anchor, the late Stuart Scott. At 9-years-old, I fell in love with Scott’s passion for sports and sports journalism and his ability to blend neighborhood slang with beautifully written stories. One of the proudest moments of my career and life is having the opportunity to share a newsroom with him after being recruited to ESPN and having my mom be able to tell him how much he inspired me before he lost his bout with cancer in 2015.
In college, I started working at The News Record, the independent, student-run news organization at the University of Cincinnati. (Thank you, Al Salvato. RIP.) I was later elected the first and only black editor-in-chief in the newspaper’s more than 135-year history, managed a staff of more than 40 employees while spearheading a complete print redesign, and served as sports editor, sports reporter, chief reporter and writing coach.
My career has included some interesting jobs. I was a fan cam host for the Cincinnati Reds; worked as a freelance sports reporter for WCPO-TV (ABC) in Cincinnati; covered the Tennessee Titans and football and basketball at the University of Kentucky and wrote an award-winning weekly column for the Kentucky New Era in Hopkinsville, Ky.; spent 3-1/2 years as a producer for ESPN and worked as a freelancer for The Arizona Republic.
I also taught television and film broadcast technology and journalism law and ethics at Millennium High School in Goodyear, Ariz., where I was also an assistant varsity football coach.
I’ve covered everything from rodeos to the Kentucky Derby and the Final Four, and have had the privilege of interviewing Spike Lee, Larry Fitzgerald, Drake, Miss America and others.
When I’m not doing journalism things, I’m probably in the gym, lying on the beach or spending time with family.
Three things people wouldn’t know about me:

1. I’ve been a percussionist since I was 11.
2. Played college football at the University of Toledo. (An injury derailed my playing career. I don’t want to talk about it.)
3. I speak Spanish. (It was my minor in college.)

My drive in life is to tell people’s stories and have a positive impact on as many lives as I can.
You can follow my journey at KeithJenkins.com and at @MrKeithJenkins on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.