This is the 79th article in Bears Doing Big Things, a weekly column celebrating the stories of notable M-A alumni.
Amani Channel ‘91 is a broadcaster, professor, and Emmy-nominated producer. “It’s always a grind, but I love the whole creative process from being in front of the camera to behind the scenes. It’s all just so cool to me,” he said.
Channel was raised in East Palo Alto in a Jehovah’s Witness family. “I was a part of the ministry and didn’t celebrate any holidays,” he said. “It was a very different way of growing up.”
Living in EPA while it was one of the murder capitals of the world, was always “chaos in the streets,” according to Channel. “There was definitely an element of crime, but the news over-exaggerated it,” he said.
Channel attended a religious private school and then transferred to Ravenswood Middle School. “It was definitely a culture shock going from such a small religious school to large and diverse schools like Ravenswood and M-A,” he said.
While Channel didn’t partake in any M-A sports or clubs because of his religious commitments outside of school, he thoroughly enjoyed his English classes, specifically AP Literature with Shannon Griscom. “I feel like I came into my own as a writer at M-A,” he said.
“I hung out with people from Atherton and Menlo Park but also East Palo Alto. It felt like a melting pot,” he said.
After graduating from M-A, Channel took a gap year to focus on his family and faith. He then attended the College of San Mateo where he studied journalism and broadcasting before transferring to the University of Florida. “We always had musical equipment lying around the house, and me and my brother used to rap for fun. I took a radio announcing class at CSM and fell in love. I just never stopped,” he said.
Channel worked at CSM’s radio station and was a producer for their TV station. “It came easy to me and I really enjoyed it,” he said. In Florida, Channel gained experience in front of the camera and served as a sports anchor his last semester.
Following college, Channel got a paid news management internship in Washington D.C. at ABC 7 before working as an assignment editor for the same station. “I liked being in a field where all the action is,” he said. Shortly after, Channel moved to Tampa, Fla., and worked as a reporter trainee for FOX 13. “A friend of mine heard about the job and introduced me. He was like, ‘We are about to hire someone so you need to send your resume and tape right now if you want to be considered.’ They flew me out for an interview the next day and I got the job,” he said.
In Tampa, Channel reported on a broad variety of topics like government, robberies, shootings, politics, and community events. “I would get up really early, read the paper, make beat calls, and have a story idea ready for the morning meeting. If I was assigned to breaking news, we’d immediately hit the streets and I dedicated my day to that story,” he explained.
“My favorite stories were always community-related. Whether it was Black History Month or an individual feature, those were the most engaging to me because it felt more like storytelling,” Channel said.
“My experiences in Tampa were the most memorable. I’ll never forget those late nights writing out stories and laughing at jokes with colleagues,” he continued.
After eight years working in Tampa, Channel moved to Atlanta where he worked for a small cable company and dedicated his time to pursuing his master’s degree in hopes of working as a teacher. “In Tampa, I worked at a local community college as a hedging professor, and one of the teachers told me, ‘The students really like you,’ so I decided to get my master’s so I could teach more regularly in Atlanta,” he said.
Channel taught as an adjunct professor at the University of West Georgia and Kennesaw State University. He trained students in digital media production, studio production techniques, and media ethics.
After a brief career break as an educator, Channel got a job at FOX 5 as a creative services writer and producer. While his work in Tampa was in front of the camera, Channel took on a new perspective from behind the scenes in Atlanta. He wrote and produced promos for Good Day Atlanta, created image spots, and assisted other editors with their advertising and marketing needs.
Channel also received an Emmy Nomination for a promo he created on FOX 5. “My department submitted my promo and we ended up getting nominated. I didn’t win but it was a really cool recognition,” he said.
Currently, Channel coaches others in video production and marketing. “The whole creative process from taking an idea to creating it into something the audience can enjoy is very rewarding,” he said.
Channel’s advice for current students: “Stay involved in any clubs or activities that support your career goals. School is very important and there’s a path for everyone.”
For those interested in video journalism and production: “Read and write as much as you can and participate in your school’s journalism and production classes. This is a profession you can start from a young age and get so much experience in.”
