JDM Scholars Recognized at Honors Convocation

On behalf of Dr. Dawn Weber, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and the entire faculty of the Journalism and Digital Media Department, we would like to congratulate these outstanding JDM students for their recent recognition at the Academic Honors Convocation!

Sophomore Award: Megan Wise
Junior Award: Lauren Grove
Senior Award: Missy Loar

Congratulations to all for their outstanding academic achievements!

New Adjusting Focus episode out today!

It's Friday AF fans, and you know what that means? A new episode is here! A new episode is here!

OK, here: http://adjustingfocus.blip.tv/
FB: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Adjusting-Focus/102836696442138
Blog: http://auadjustingfocus.blogspot.com/

Adjusting Focus is a production of the Ashland Film Group, in association with JDM.

EAGLE SPORTS UPDATE

HEADLINES:
AU Baseball
Lady Eagles Tee it Up
AU Club Lax

INTERNSHIP SPOTLIGHT: Clare Crawford

Clare Crawford will graduate in May with an Electronic Media Production major and Speech Communication minor. Her passion for video editing and television production was discovered back in high school when she produced various projects for her school, won awards for her news stories at TVT awards in Pennsylvania, and was executive producer of her high school television station WHHS Channel 96. 

During her years at Ashland, Clare continued to gain knowledge in the mass media field by having her own radio show, holding the position of both News and Sports Producer for TV2, and interning with WEWS News Channel 5 in Cleveland, Ohio.  After graduation she plans on working behind the scenes in television production in hopes of one day becoming a news reporter or advanced editor.

Internship: WEWS News Channel 5

Location of Internship: Cleveland, Ohio

 “Job Title”: Production and Operations Intern

Favorite Part of Internship:

Being able to go out with reporters and cover the latest stories up close and personal.

 Least favorite part of internship:

The only downfall was that it was not a paid internship and I had to drive 45 minutes to get there every day.

What will you take away from this internship for future jobs?

Experience. I was able to learn about every aspect that goes in to making a successful news station, everything from editing to field work to producing.

How did AU and the JDM department help you succeed in the internship:

The internship I received was an endowed internship that only goes to an Ashland University student. Dr. Gretchen Dworznik, the Internship Coordinator for the Journalism & Digital Media department, let me know about the opportunity and encouraged me to apply for it. The Career Development office also helped me to improve me resume which I needed to apply for the internship.

JDM Faculty and CAS Dean speak at the BEA in Las Vegas

The entire JDM faculty, lead by Dr. Dawn Weber, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences recently traveled to Las Vegas, site of the Broadcast Educator's Association Conference and the National Association of Broadcaster's trade show, to present a panel about the formation of JDM.

CAS Dean, Dr. Dawn Weber spoke about the administrative challenges and then each JDM faculty member spoke on the different aspects of executing her plan to converge Ashland's media department. Based on the packed room and those who rushed the stage to talk to the panelist, the program was a rousing success!

After their successful panel discussion, the group spent an entire day on the floor of the Las Vegas Convention Center looking at exhibits from the annual NAB Show. The Expo features every hardware and software maker on the planet spread out over a million square feet of floor space.

Jim Sheeler inspires JDM students

Photo: Todd Heisler/Rocky Mountain News

The following reflection comes from a JDM student who attended our recent award ceremony.

Anything can be a story…

JDM held its first converged awards ceremony recognizing students who have made significant contributions to the department. The night was filled with congratulations and friendship, yet a poignant message was left on everyone’s mind thanks to our guest speaker. JDM was fortunate enough to have Pulitzer Prize winner Jim Sheeler share his experiences writing his original newspaper article and book, Final Salute.

 Jim Sheeler’s words and photographs spoke great volumes and I found it necessary to share his message; what do a baby blanket, a Marine’s glove, and a grave digger all have in common?  They all have a story. 

Everywhere you look there are stories waiting to be discovered, and it is up to us to find them and reveal the raw truth. You never know what information can be uncovered, or the power of light shed on an amazing story from an unlikely place.

As media professionals, we have to dare to go where others don’t want to venture. We have to take the initiative and be the voice of regular people to share their stories. One never knows how powerful a shy person or an ordinary object can be. Even a simple baby blanket has the potential to move people to tears.

We live in a world of stories; it’s as simple as that. Around every corner there is a story waiting to be told and a lesson waiting to be learned for those who are willing to find them. So now, I challenge my fellow aspiring journalists to be bold, creative, and ambitious, and find those stories that are waiting to be told.

~Megan Wise, Sophomore JDM & Speech Major

JDM Awards Celebration a Success

Journalism & Digital Media celebrated it's first year of convergence by awarding nine students for their outstanding contributions to AU media recently. Here are the winners:

Collegian Awards: 
Outstanding Senior, Missy Loar
Outstanding Contributor, Justine Ackerman
Outstanding Newcomer, Christopher Bils

TV Awards
Outstanding Senior: Clare Crawford
Outstanding Contribution, Spencer Stadnik
Outstanding Newcomer, Megan Wise

WRDL Awards
Outstanding Senior, Matt Brubaker
Outstanding Contribution, Brad Eustathios
Outstanding Newcomer: Ben Black


The evening was highlighted by Pulitzer Prize winning Journalist Jim Sheeler, who shared his experiences working on the Final Salute, in which he chronicled Marine Major Steve Beck, whose job it is to notify families of Marines killed in battle and the personal stories of the grieving families.

Thanks to all who attended and congratulations to our outstanding students!

God Bless those who serve and their families.

Adjusting Focus Premieres Online!

JDM is proud to announce that the student produced sitcom, Adjusting Focus, is now streaming online! Visit http://adjustingfocus.blip.tv/ to watch the first episode now! Then, check back every Friday during the month of April for a new episode.

About the show: Nick is a freshman at Greshell University and he joins the film club with a deep and dark past. After the popular and infamous release of CBG, the group struggles to make it back to the top. Nick must now adjust to college life and also deal with the different people of the film club that have entered into his life.

JDM faculty and students would like to congratulate our talented filmmakers who made Adjusting Focus a reality! We can't wait to see the next episode!