Nā Leo TV workshops are offering free training for aspiring storytellers, content creators and community members interested in sharpening their skills and celebrating local voices.
Nā Leo TV workshops: dates and locations
- 9 to 11 a.m. Aug. 1: Nā Leo TV Hilo studio.
- 10 a.m. to noon Aug. 8: Nā Leo TV Kona studio.
Led by award-winning journalist Lacy Deniz, each two-hour session welcomes beginners and experienced creators. The curriculum covers the foundations of visual storytelling, including how to find compelling ideas, conduct effective interviews and build place-based narratives grounded in culture and community.
Attendees will gain practical tools they can apply to broadcast, social platforms, local news and personal creative projects. Space is limited and advance registration is required. For details and to sign up, visit the Nā Leo TV website at naleo.tv/workshops.
About Lacy Deniz
Deniz, a Hawaiʻi News Now Sunrise traffic reporter and correspondent, was born and raised on the Big Island. She is a graduate of Kamehameha Schools–Kapālama, earned an associate degree from Hawaiʻi Community College where she was later named alumna of the year, and completed a bachelor’s in journalism and communications at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Her career highlights include coverage of the 2022 Mauna Loa eruption, restoration efforts on Kahoʻolawe and an interview with Jason Momoa at the Aquaman premiere.
Her work has been recognized with an Emmy, a Regional Edward R. Murrow Award and The President’s Volunteer Service Award. During the workshops, Deniz will share strategies for discovering authentic stories, explain why community-centered reporting matters and offer actionable techniques participants can use immediately.
Part of a larger effort to grow community news
The sessions support Nā Leo TV’s wider push to elevate community storytelling on Hawaiʻi Island. The island’s public access media provider is preparing to launch a Community News Division and is investing in residents who want to document local people, events, culture and issues through authentic, place-based reporting.
These events are within the Nā Leo TV Creative Media Workshop Series, aimed at strengthening Hawaiʻi Island’s creative workforce through free, hands-on training with industry professionals. Additional sessions planned for September and October will cover drone operations, podcast essentials, advanced editing, graphic design, animation and social media marketing for small businesses and nonprofits.
For more things to do around the island during this period, see Top things to do on Big Island: July 31–Aug. 6 highlights.
