Jameela Hammond brings podcasting expertise to the Bass Lab
by Nicole Bush Prof. Jameela Hammond is a woman who finds it challenging to talk about herself.
She has always been more comfortable sharing the stories of others. Hammond hosts the Plot of Land podcast through the Monument Lab, which is generously funded by the Ford Foundation. Additionally, Hammond is a Faculty Fellow for the USC Charlotta Bass Journalism and Justice Lab, where she serves an adjunct professor for JOUR 499, The Second Draft Project — a class presented in collaboration with GRX Immersive Labs.
Prof. Jameela Hammond (bottom left) poses with Dr. Richardson (bottom right) and a few students from their JOUR 499 “Second Draft Project” class on a trip to Spotify HQ, where students learned more about podcasting. Students will produce their own podcast about Malcolm X’s legacy this semester. (l-r: Jen Byers, Sangmin Kim and Maya Broomfield)
Reflecting on her journey into podcasting, Hammond commented, "I feel like life has guided me to this work." In May 2022, she received her Master's in Specialized Journalism with a focus on podcasting from the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.
Beyond her commitments at USC, Hammond is also the head varsity softball coach for Calabasas High School. Hammond's love for sports sparked her interest in journalism, and she originally wanted to become a sports reporter. However, she quickly realized that her calling was more profound than sports reporting. "I actually wanted to talk more about issues that were going on in sports, and then that's when Pandora's box completely opened [for me]," Hammond explained.
“There are so many deeper issues and things going on in this world that we just never bother to take a moment to answer to figure out what's going on in this world. […] We just never bother to get to know the incredible people that roam this earth.”
Despite this realization, Hammond acknowledges that transitioning from sports journalism to having her own podcast was a gradual process. Feeling depressed and defeated by her inability to break into the journalism industry — and by the lack of other Black, queer women in the field — Hammond began to explore podcasting after a family friend suggested it. Hammond quickly procured the podcasting equipment but was unable to devote herself entirely to exploring the medium until nearly a year later. During this time, she reflected on what she wanted her podcast to be about and the people's stories she hoped to share.
Prof. Hammond co-teaches a workshop on photogrammetry with GRX Immersive Labs’ Roman Combs. Students in she and Dr. Richardson’s JOUR 499 class learned to make 3D scans.
Hammond started her podcast to spotlight stories that were underrepresented in mainstream media. Her initial goal was to "focus on and shine a light on Black individuals, people of color, marginalized communities, and the LGBTQ+ community." She envisioned her podcast as a platform that would organically introduce people to the captivating stories of others.
Hammond quickly fell in love with podcasting because of the intimate audio experience it offers to listeners. She described this experience as "ear candy.” “[Podcasting is] the vessel that will allow you to truly let your guard down and listen freely, to experience something [that] you don't know what it's going to be.”
Her passion for podcasting and desire to further understand the news industry led Hammond to pursue graduate studies at USC Annenberg. Meeting Dr. Richardson proved to be a turning point. Hammond explained that taking Dr. Richardson's class allowed her to delve deeper into her work and integrate her identity and life experiences more effectively into her work.
Inspired by last year's Second Draft project, which featured Rodney King’s daughter, Lora King, Hammond decided to join the Bass Lab team as a faculty fellow. She emphasized, "As a Black queer woman, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make a meaningful contribution.”
Prof. Jameela Hammond poses with the entire Second Draft Project class (JOUR 499) at the USC Fisher Museum of Art. Students practiced their photogrammetry skills at Kara Walker’s exhibit, “Cut to the Quick.” Hammond helped students record audio reactions to the pieces.
This semester, in her role as an adjunct professor, Hammond helped JOUR 499 students prepare for their interview with Ilyasah Shabazz, Malcolm X's daughter and the focus of this year's Second Draft Project. Hammond encouraged her students to approach Shabazz as a complex individual with emotions, and not just a civil rights icon, by emphasizing that this was an opportunity to be empathetic and accurate. Hammond hopes from this experience that the students “gained a deeper sense of self and [understand] how they can show up for their communities as well.”
Hammond added: “I'm just eternally grateful, not only for the opportunity to lend any skills that I have ... But [also] to be able to contribute to something that's not only helping the world but also helping the community, helping marginalized communities, [and] helping the Black community.”
Hammond reminds me that she is simply a vessel for other people's incredible stories. Hammond believes this is how we as a society can “get deeper,” and is excited for the opportunity to continue doing this important work with Dr. Richardson and the USC Charlotta Bass Journalism and Justice lab.
