General Work Samples
Visual Journalist
directory
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Seven Samples
Mingson Lau poses for a photo atop Piestewa Peak.
Photos For: The Arizona Republic/azcentral.com Stories By: azcentral staff
From 2022 to 2023, I worked on multiple assignments for The Arizona Republic/azcentral.com, covering the Phoenix metro housing crisis. Unaffordable housing, ineffective housing programs, homelessness and hotter summers were themes that permeated the area. Most memorable was the intimate opportunity I had to photograph "The Zone" just days before the start of its removal. Temperatures that afternoon reached the 90s. Phoenix recorded its hottest summer in 2023, with 54 consecutive days of 110 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.
RESPONSIBILITIES: Photography
This classroom photo assignment documenting a Phoenix shelter cat inspired an ongoing personal project explaining how cats colonized the city. Arizona's warm climate allows cats to breed year-round, leading to a proliferation of strays in the valley. I am developing a video explaining the urban cat ecosystem of feral, stray, and house cats and the intricate network of initiatives supporting and rescuing them.
RESPONSIBILITIES: Photography, videography, video editing, reporting
Arizona Makers: Didgeridoo-makers use local agave in their staple product
Multimedia Projects For: Arizona Highways, The Arizona Republic/azcentral.com
Brad and Wendy Evans discuss their online didgeridoo business, Endless Breath Didges, which uses local, sustainably-sourced agave.
This piece was part of a multimedia story for Arizona Highways (involving text, photos and video) on how makers use "making" as a form of occupational therapy to help with the likes of stress, depression, alcoholism, and TBI. Written story here.
RESPONSIBILITIES: Photography, videography, video editing, reporting, feature writing
Arizona Makers: Social Video Cut
Video/Photos For: News21 Published: August 1, 2023
My colleagues (writers) and I covered the Ohio ballot box battle as both sides of the abortion debate mobilized to decide whether abortion would be protected in Ohio's state constitution. I contributed as a photographer and video journalist simultaneously.
America After Roe Editor & Publisher EPPY Awards
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Best college/university investigative story or series
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Best college/university-produced community or niche website
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Best news story or series on a college/university website
College Media Association Film and Audio Festival
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Second place in the long documentary category
RESPONSIBILITIES: Photography, videography, video editing, reporting
Video For: Cronkite News Published: November 3, 2021
The Phoenix Parks and Recreation Board voted to formally adopt a program limiting hiking on some trails during extreme heat. This summer, back-to-back rescue missions in 117-degree heat sent 12 firefighters home or to the hospital. The trails are located in Maricopa County where hundreds are reported to die from heat-related causes every year.
RESPONSIBILITIES: Videography, video editing, reporting
What graduation means for one ASU senior
Video For: News21 Photos For: Freelance Graduation Photography Published: March 1, 2023
Nathaniel Hernandez explains what graduating means to him while I photographed his graduation photos.
RESPONSIBILITIES: Photography, videography, video editing, reporting
recommendations
Recommendation letter excerpts from former supervisors
Out of an extremely talented group, Mingson again rose to the top – producing some of our best videos and photographs. He never gives up, working to talk his way behind the scenes to get the best possible story.
After spending 27 years as a writer, editor and eventually the U.S. enterprise editor at The Associated Press, and now still more years as a coach of up-and-coming journalists, I can say, without hesitation, that Mingson would be an asset to your team.
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Executive Editor/Carnegie-Knight News21
News21, Visual Fellow
AZEdNews, Multimedia Intern
Mingson’s skills in taking photos, videos and editing videos far surpassed those of all 14 interns who have worked for AZEdNews. His work is that of a professional colleague, not an intern.
Mingson is professional, calm, helpful, and adapts his approach to any situation as needed. He shared best practices to help us improve. He worked well with the entire Communications Team and other ASBA employees. When a member of our Communications Team left for another position, I recommended Mingson for the position, but he remained focused on completing his graduate studies.
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Lisa Irish
AZEdNews Education Reporter
Voices Listening Project, Research Aide
At each stage of the project, Mingson took initiative, provided valuable feedback and met deadlines. He worked well with the group and his enthusiasm for the project was evident in his contribution.
Beyond this project, Mingson has been active in journalism internships and the Asian American Journalists Association. He is a hard-working and talented multimedia reporter who will be a great addition to any media organization.
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Kristy Roschke, Ph.D.
Managing Director, News Co/Lab, Voices Listening Project
additional work
Regarding reader overconfidence: My line of thinking is to create a solution that improves faith in how we present information so that viewers do not need to rely on themselves. I brainstormed several ideas, including story hubs, AI-focused search responses/news assistants and explanatory tooltips. We decided to move forward with a tooltip function as one of our products because of its more straightforward design. That function was the most well-received product-solution among testers.
RESPONSIBILITIES: Interviews, data analysis, product development, research, community surveys
I recall on one late-night drive, my friend spoke about the dichotomy of gay, international Chinese students.
When my friend told me this, I felt strange. I am half-Chinese and grew up in a Chinese environment in Las Vegas, NV. But I am disconnected from traditional Chinese culture. I have many LGTQ friends and family, but I do not experience the daily struggles of the LGBTQ community.
The foreign familiarity was strange, and I wanted to know more. I ended up pitching this story to a local publication after months of long-distance reporting.
RESPONSIBILITIES: Reporting, feature writing
Mingson Lau poses for a photo next to a shriveling saguaro cactus. Drought and extreme heat conditions are adversely affecting the iconic succulent.
About Me
Mingson Lau is a visual journalist and recent graduate of Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, where he completed his bachelor's and master's. Through visuals and writing, Lau aims to tell impactful stories that can inform, elucidate and engage. Lau found his passion for storytelling in his high school’s award-winning broadcast journalism program, where he contributed to the morning news show and projects for Vegas PBS’ Inside Education.
At Arizona State University, Lau continued to develop his skills by working/interning at The State Press, Arizona PBS, Arizona Schools Board Association and Cronkite News. Lau has also worked as a research aide for the Voices Listening Project, studying the media needs of local communities and developing product solutions to improve news communication.
Lau recently worked as a visual intern with The Arizona Republic and as a visuals fellow in the Carnegie-Knight News21 program.
Email: mingson.photo@gmail.com
Las Vegas, Nevada