Andres Bayona

Andres is a a journalist, media and communications consultant with experience in corporate communications, news media, public relations, communications training and crisis management.

In New York he had the opportunity to work for Cinema Tropical, a non-profit media arts organization that has become the leading presenter of Latin American cinema in the United States. Additionally, he did a media fellowship at Univision in Miami, where he developed communication and PR strategies for Udisea, Univision’s digital platform and entertainment home of short “novelas” and sketches.  He is currently working as a Content Manager, developing creative content extensions and franchises around Univision, Fusion Media Group and Televisa’s key programming and brand initiatives on social media platforms in Mexico City.

https://projectearth.us/

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Where are you from and when did you graduate?

I am from Bucaramanga, Colombia and graduated in May, 2017.
M.S. Media Management.

Why did you choose The New School?

When I was working in Colombia, I reached a point where I needed to move abroad to expand my academic career. Even though I had had the privilege to learn and grow as a professional in different fields in my country, I needed to improve my academic studies and project what I had done professionally to a different level and specialize in media. My aim in moving abroad was to develop my knowledge and keep focusing my career opportunities in the industry.

Nowadays, media platforms are an innate part of any industry and, as a journalist, it was vital for me to learn and analyze traditional and emergent media in order to have the resources, the experience and the practice to execute successful strategies and disruptive initiatives. That is why I was sure The New School’s M.S. in Media Management was the perfect fit to gain new skills, which would contribute to my professional growth.

I applied to three different universities (NYU, Georgetown and TNS) and deep down I knew that my first option was TNS. All three accepted me but I ultimately decided to attend TNS because I was sure it was the ideal place to track new opportunities, gain experience, skills and knowledge that would advance my career. TNS is such a vibrant and diverse place that welcomed me with open arms from day one. Being surrounded by other makers, creative and critical thinkers whether they are your classmates, or your professors was really exciting and a true blessing.

After graduating from the Faculty of Social Communication and Journalism in Colombia, and working in different communication fields, I found that by intensifying my academic background I had been able to complement and perform in other interesting areas that, ultimately, only The New School offered the opportunity to enhance.

What is unique about the School of Media Studies?

The M.S. in Media Management really provided me a solid foundation in managerial skills to critically analyze media industries and their products. It gave me the structure, the knowledge and the skills to gain the expertise I needed for today’s rapidly changing media industries.

The School also taught me about the media’s role, along with its impacts from different perspectives: from those who make it, from those who consume it and from those who manage it. Also learned a lot from the double emphasis that the program offers: theoretical (critical, conceptual analysis of the impact of media) and practical (the production learning and skills that involve the creation of new media forms.) Also it was critical to understand that there is a role to play for people trained in media in guiding these industries into the future and figuring out how media organizations could think not only in the near-term markets but also how they would change overtime.

How did it help you find your voice?

One of the hallmarks of the faculty is that it has really kept up with all the different kinds of media forms that have emerged by integrating different types of technologies and media experiences into the curriculum. The professors have strong backgrounds; they are media makers, scholars, emerging intellectuals and broadly recognized so it was a privilege to be around and learn from them. When it comes to my peers, it was a privilege to share thoughts and classes with such a diverse community, and it was great because we really were able to understand that there is no media phenomenon that operates in one particular context, demographic or place in the world. Media is a transnational phenomenon that may take a different texture depending on the cultural context but the range, the methods and mechanisms where media circulates are universal. So, it is a mixture of factors that really helped me find a voice and passion towards media.

What are your skills and values that people in your field notice and value the most, which set you apart, which you acquired at the school?
The enthusiasm, motivation and inspiration are contagious. That is something that The New School taught me and that people around me are aware of. Also the importance of being open minded, fully present and respectful towards others’ opinions.

What is your professional mission?

What is the change you want to create?

What is the change you want to see in your field?

Something that I am starting to work on and that contributes to my professional mission is using the position that I am in to service and share my knowledge with other people in different scenarios. I think that when you make a shift from self to service, it really brings a lot of fulfillment to your job and duties. And there is nothing more satisfying than having the opportunity to share your gifts and talents with others. And it is a significant responsibility in the media industry because once you find your voice you must find a way to lift up the voices of others who have not been heard.

Your biggest professional achievement, the one you are most proud of?

Coursework highlights: Academic Achievements at The New School:
CLASS: INNOVATION IN DIGITAL MARKETING. I was awarded by Brian Moroz, Creative Strategist at Google NYC, based on a digital proposal for The World Wildlife Fund (WWF.) As a result of this recognition, I was able to choose a humanitarian organization to make a donation with Google. The donation was made to Doctors Without Borders.
CLASS: MEDIA SALES AND SALES MANAGEMENT. I was awarded by The New School’s adjunct professor Charles Warner and marketing holding company MDC Partners in NY, based on a team proposal to Verizon on behalf of ESPN’s creative agency.
SUMMERTIME MADNESS: Produced a short that revolves around a summer day in NY and the magical feeling of how anything can happen. The story is told from four perspectives.
Professional Achievements:
One of my biggest passions is developing new forms of content. Right after earning my B.A. in Communications and Journalism I started working for RCN’s News in English, the daily English-language news of Colombia’s number one broadcaster RCN. It was a challenging and fascinating project because I had the opportunity to wear different hats; I was a news anchor, a producer and reporter for the division, which aimed to bring Colombian news to an English-speaking audience.

We developed “RCN Noticias en Inglés”, which ran for several years as a segment in the network’s main newscasts. Eventually, the operation expanded beyond Colombia into a regional version covering all Latin American countries for NTN24, RCN’s all-news channel. The success of this initiative was mainly because we found a way to cover the news differently. We knew that there was an opportunity to do English-language reporting on events in the country and bring Colombia to the world in a disruptive way. And, additionally, it was a great platform to show the beauty, the diversity and the culture that we have to offer, so it also contributed by bringing tourism to Colombia.

When I worked as Project Director and PR executive one of my clients was Grupo Nutresa, the biggest food processing conglomerate in Colombia. They operate the food industry with a focus on producing, distributing and selling cold nuts, chocolates, ice cream, pasta, coffee. They market their products under 70 brands in 65 countries. And one of the biggest accomplishments while I was part of that team was all the communication strategy that we developed prior to their joint venture with Starbucks. Colombia is known for its premium, high quality coffee and with the arrival of Starbucks there was a lot of skepticism from coffee farmers and even from Colombians in general because they saw this partnership as a threat that could affect employment rates and other traditional coffee businesses, which have been around for decades in the country. So, it was interesting to see how our team was able to manage that situation and turn it into an opportunity by highlighting the brand values, the company’s commitment to Colombian coffee farmers and that Starbucks Colombia would be the only one in the world that would make 100% Colombian coffee provided by Grupo Nutresa, and therefore, that it would increase job opportunities in the country. This joint venture strengthened the company’s idea of pursuing disciplined and profitable growth that could also celebrate local cultures and coffee traditions.

What is next for you?

What do you want to explore in the future?

The trick is to concentrate on today and take one day at a time. I try to be more mindful and pay attention to the present, because ultimately it equals awareness. For me, this journey has been an incredible roller-coaster ride. I have had the privilege of working in media in Colombia, in the United States and now in Mexico, and thanks to that I have been able to have a better sense of how the media industry works in different markets along with different environments and practices at the workplace, which have been rewarding and fascinating. The greatest thing about working in media is that you do not have to do it. You get to work in media. It is a privilege.