Putting our stamp on 2011

2011 was indeed an exciting year for JDM as we continued to execute our college's (CAS) reorganization plan that created our new department from scratch; a unique and rare alignment of planets in higher education we were told.

For our part we took the ball and ran with it spending last year recruiting and retooling our innovative curriculum on the notion that today's media industry demands production professionals and journalists have converged skills.

Our department has much to be thankful for in 2011:

• To our Dean, Dr. Dawn Weber for her continued support and vision.
• To our largest freshman class, you had a great semester in 2011. Your assignment? Top it in 2012!
• To the newest member of our faculty, Dr. Dave McCoy, thanks for your insights, your passion to teach media and for your flexibility!
• To JDM's spiritual leader (and den mother!), Dr. Gretchen Dworznik, congratulations on your beautiful baby girl. We wish you both good health in 2012. You're not allowed to scare us like that again!
• And finally, to our Ops Manager, John Skrada, a thousand thanks for all the extra time keeping track of our equipment, and for your passion to teach high standards of media production across all of our outlets.

Our wish for 2012? Simple. Continue to strive to be the best journalism and digital media department in Ohio and beyond.

Happy New Year to all from JDM!

YouTube 2.0?

Interesting article in the media industry trade pub Ad Week speculating about an evolution of YouTube, the internet video site many of our students worship.

Interesting to meet the men behind the media curtain.

WRDL Broadcasting Men's and Women's Basketball

WRDL 88.9FM, Ashland's Alternative cranked up its sports programming schedule last week producing the Hillsdale and Wayne State games on Wednesday and Saturday on radio. For Sport Communication and JDM students, it is the ultimate sports media lab.

"You can talk about sports in a classroom setting like we did in our Sports Broadcasting class, but until you put on a headset, sit in the arena and calmly and accurately describe the action while the place is going crazy, that can't be reproduced in class." said Interim Chair of Journalism & Digital Media, Tim McCarty. "We're also very excited that we have so many talented freshmen producing and announcing sporting events."

For last week's broadcasts, freshmen Kate Lentz and Kevin Stoicovy joined sophomore Hilary Neal and senior Marcus Walsh behind the mic. "It was exciting to sit at the table courtside and be that close to the action." said Lentz who was announcing her very first game. "I loved it! I felt like a kid in a candy store. This was why I came to Ashland."

Freshman Tyler Orr, Andrea Stevenson and Logan Gay took turns as producer at the announcer table. And back at the station, freshman Ryan Sampson deftly handled the many studio producing chores.

UPCOMING BROADCASTS:
Tune into 88.9FM WRDL Wednesday, December 7th as the men take on Wilberforce at 7:30pm. Marcus Walsh and Kevin Stoicovy will have the call. On Sunday, December 11th, Kevin Stoicovy and Collegian Sports Editor Chris Bils will have the men's game call at 1pm and Kate Lentz and Hilary Neal will call the women's game at 3pm. Sunday is a doubleheader versus Lake Erie.

Tune in for rebroadcasts throughout the day on WRDL 88.9FM. Game on!

So, you want to be a storyteller...

Current JDM majors, take heart. Here's what a pro named Ira Glass, who produces a radio program called This American Life has to say to you.


Ira Glass on Storytelling from David Shiyang Liu on Vimeo.
To all of our aspiring storytellers, the JDM faculty has this to say to you: word!
We love you guys, stay the course and have a great holiday break. But be ready to craft your storytelling "taste" into better stories in 2012!

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: Lauren Allenbaugh

Laura Allenbaugh graduated in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Electronic Media Production.  She started with NBC after graduation and now works as a Producer at Nightly News with Brian Williams.  She covers national events such as hurricanes, floods, politics and medical news.   And her favorite - the Olympics!

 

Name:  Laura Allenbaugh

Degree Received upon graduation: Bachelor of Arts

Graduation Year: 2003

Current Job: Producer, NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams

Brief description of your duties: Doing whatever it takes to get Nightly News on the air that evening.  Sometimes I work from the building with an editor to put the piece together, sometimes I am out in the field with the correspondent and crew and other times I shoot and edit my own pieces for air.

How did AU and the broadcast/journalism department help you receive this job:   Experience.  I walked into the building knowing how to shoot and edit.  I wasn’t allowed to do it right away, but when the company was looking for a way to cut costs, I was able to jump out into the field with a camera as well as train those who were learning to shoot and edit. 

Also the career center was a huge help in getting my first job at NBC.  It was a rigorous interview situation and they did several mock interviews, including setting up a panel interview, to get me ready.

What is your favorite aspect of the job:  The people.  I work with amazing professionals and I meet amazing people in our stories.  I’ve spent a lot of time in small towns - Tuscumbia, AL - Olathe, KS – Butte LaRose, LA -  and the people are always so gracious and kind.  For the people who say that our country is derailing and people are no longer good, I’ve met a family who took in a girl with cerebral palsy who had been wasting away in a nursing home, a man who gave up his job and now volunteers to fix up cars for people in need, and a woman who, as she was packing her entire life into one small car to leave before a flood, offered me and my crew bottles of water. 

Also I got spend 2 months in Vancouver for the Olympic which was very cool!

Spreading AU Christmas Cheer!

Check out AU's world famous AU E-Card, brought to you this year by JDM.

From all of us, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!



2011 E-Card: