JDM congratulates December 2017 graduates

The Journalism and Digital Media department congratulates its December 2017 graduates. Vince Lester is a Digital Media Production major who hosted The Early Bird's Word morning show on WRDL and served as the production director for the station. Vince also was the audio operator for many of the AUTV 20 and Sports Time Ohio telecasts of Ashland University sporting events. Hannah Predojev is a Digital Media Journalism major who was a staff writer for The Collegian newspaper. Torin Wetzel is a Digital Media Journalism minor who wrote for The Collegian and played varsity basketball at AU.

AU LIVE JDM's converged multi-media website debuts

The Journalism and Digital Media department recently unveiled its new converged, multimedia news and programming website AU LIVE. The site is the first fully converged student media website in Ohio. It was developed in Spring 2017 by students in the JDM 246 Multimedia Reporting class. Led by JDM senior and web producer Renee Borcas, the site was refined during the summer and made its debut at the October 26 JDM Open House event.

JDM documentary screens at Atlanta film festival

Alternate Route, a health care documentary produced by Dr. Dave McCoy and John Skrada, recently was screened at the American Public Health Association film festival in Atlanta, Georgia. The documentary was a cooperative effort between the Ashland University Journalism and Digital Media department and the Communication Studies department at Berry College. Berry College assistant professor Kim Field-Springer was the co-producer of the documentary.

Alternate Route can be viewed on Ashland's own AUTV 20.

Tom Nesbitt shines at WVMC internship

Journalism and Digital Media senior Tom Nesbitt has a passion for radio. He is known as WRDL's"Sweet T" and a man who is equally suited for talent and production work. During the Summer of 2017, Tom worked more than 100 hours for his internship at WVMC in Mansfield, Ohio. Here Tom worked with his radio mentor and former JDM audio instructor Scott Saunders.

During his internship, Tom learned some new audio software programs and he studied the Federal Communication System's Radio Rules pamphlet to ensure that WVMC met FCC public file compliance. His greatest takeaway from the internship was "how much the field of radio requires thorough preparation, especially as time is concerned." Tom adds that "my internship at WVMC provided me with experience that shall be valuable to my future career, especially working in multiple formats and genres."

JDM holds first class in the Center for Innovation and Teaching Excellence Classroom

JDM Professional Instructor Maggie Cogar and her JDM 307: Advanced Reporting and Editing class were the first Ashland University course to use the newly designed Center for Innovation and Teaching Excellence Classroom. Maggie attended the Center for Innovation and Teaching Excellence (CITE) session during the Fall 2017 Faculty College Week and felt that the collaborative work space and flexible technology was a great fit for her advanced journalism course. Maggie will also hold the JDM 303: Media Law and Ethics course in the CITE this semester.

JDM Alum Halee Heironimus garners Best Reporter in Ohio award

Journalism and Digital Media May 2016 graduate Halee Heironimus recently won the first place award for the 2016 Best Newspaper Reporter in Ohio. Halee, who writes for the Medina Gazette, earned this honor in the Ohio's Best Journalism Contest, which was sponsored by the Society of Professional Journalists---Cleveland Chapter.

During her time at Ashland University, Halee was the managing editor of The Collegian, a sports sideline reporter for both WRDL and AUTV 20, and the founding producer/anchor of AUTV 20's News Break program. She was also a two time academic award winner.

Connor Dunwoodie is new multimedia journalist at WYMT

May 2017 Journalism and Digital Media graduate Connor Dunwoodie was recently hired to be a multimedia journalist at WYMT TV Mountain News in Hazard, Kentucky. Connor will also serve as a fill-in anchor for the eastern Kentucky television station. During his time at JDM, Connor was the General Manager and a news anchor for AUTV 20, the News Director for WRDL radio and a staff writer for The Collegian. One of his most notable experiences with AU media is co-anchoring, with WTOV's Kate Siefert, the live five hour AUTV 20 Election Show in November 2016.

The faculty and staff at JDM is proud of Connor and look forward to following his promising media career.

JDM honors May 2017 graduates

May 2017 saw the end of the Ashland University Journalism and Digital Media department phase for eight students. These students were recognized leaders and important contributors to the growing impact of JDM and its co-curricular media outlets. Some of these students were national and regional award-winning media honorees. All of them were excellent academic students who are well on their way to successful careers.

The graduates are: Callan Pugh (currently pursuing a journalism position), Connor Dunwoodie (recently hired to be a multimedia journalist and news anchor for a television station in Kentucky),
Chris Snow (working as a full-time sports reporter for the Ashland Times-Gazette), Derek Wood (enrolled in a graduate media program), Kate Siefert (working as a full-time multimedia journalist for both news and sports at WTOV TV in Steubenville, Ohio), Michelle Shi (enrolled in a graduate business program), Sean Honaker (currently pursuing a video production position in Baltimore, Maryland) and Zac Kopp (working for a radio station in Ohio).

Fox 8's Todd Meany Visits AU

WJW news anchor and reporter, Todd Meany visited AU's JDM Department on Friday, April 28.  JDM majors and minors were able to attend a talk by Mr. Meany regarding his broadcasting career and his advice for JDM students.

Todd Meany poses with JDM students after his talk.

For more information about Mr. Meany, check out his bio below.

Todd Meany anchors Fox 8 News on weekend mornings, and can be seen on the No. 1-rated Fox 8 News in the Morning program weekdays from 4:30-10:00 a.m.
He grew up in Brook Park and now lives in Fairview Park with his wife, Joy, and their three sons.
Mr. Meany has been with Fox 8 News since November of 2000. Prior to joining Fox 8, he served as both reporter and anchor for WTOL-TV in Toledo, Ohio. Before that, he spent a few years working at WOAY-TV in Beckley, W.Va.
Mr. Meany is a graduate of Midpark High School and Bowling Green State University.
He also plays harmonica and sings with the Ace Molar band.​

Kate Siefert launches career at WTOV

JDM congratulates Kate Siefert on her recent hiring at television station WTOV in Steubenville, Ohio. WTOV is an NBC and Fox affiliate that focuses on comprehensive local news and sports for the Upper Ohio Valley. Kate, who will be graduating in May 2017, will begin her career as a news reporter. She is an award winning multimedia journalist and the current Managing Editor for The Collegian and Sports Producer for AUTV 20. A Blog Converged sees big things in her professional future!

88.9 WRDL Receives IBS Awards

This year, AU's radio station, 88.9 WRDL, was recognized at the 2017 Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS) Awards in New York City in a variety of categories.  Those from Ashland University receiving honors in the radio category as finalists or winners were:

JDM senior Kate Siefert (top 7)
   - Best Newscast - The Early Bird's Word

JDM senior Derek Wood and JDM sophomore Noah Cloonan (winner)
   - Best Women's Basketball Play-by-Play - AU vs. Grand Valley State

JDM senior Derek Wood (top 5)
   - Best Use of Facebook - WRDL Facebook

JDM senior Derek Wood (top 6)
   - Best Show Promotional Poster - WRDL 

IBS is a not for profit education corporation that seeks to provide information and resources for educational affiliated radio stations.  Each year at its annual international conference, IBS seeks to recognize the exceptional programming of its members.  To learn more about IBS, visit their website. 

Instructor Maggie Cogar attends Ohio Scholastic Media Association state conference

Maggie Cogar, professional instructor of journalism and digital media, recently attended the Ohio Scholastic Media Association (OSMA) state conference. OSMA is the state scholastic press association for high school journalism students and their advisers. The OSMA state conference was held on Friday, March 24 and Saturday, March 26 and was attended by over 400 high school students and their advisers.

At the conference, Cogar moderated journalism contests and presented sessions on how to use attribution in journalistic writing and how to create an award-winning publication. As an OSMA Executive Board Member, Cogar was also active in association meetings and as the Journalism Education Association (JEA) state director, Cogar presented the JEA Ohio Journalist of the Year award to senior Emma Steifel from Lakota East High School (pictured) at the state awards banquet Friday night.

Cogar presents the Ohio Journalist of the Year award to
seniors Emma Steifel and Jamie Landers.

Cogar said attending the annual OSMA state conference is one of the most rewarding professional experiences.

“There’s nothing better than being around hundreds of excited high school journalism students. It’s rewarding to be involved in an organization that allows them to celebrate their work and share ideas with other students from all over the state,” she said. “The passion and energy the students bring to the conference is contagious, and you can’t help but feel grateful to be a part of it all.”

Students work on editing news stories and laying out a
newspaper during the OSMA Editor Team Challenge
contest Cogar moderated on Friday afternoon.

Cogar is currently pursuing her Ph.D in Communication and Information with a focus in mass media from Kent State University. She is active in the world of scholastic journalism and serves as an executive board member for the Ohio Scholastic Media Association as well as the state director for the national Journalism Education Association. She recently received a research grant through the JEA and will be using it to fund her dissertation research on censorship in scholastic journalism.

Elite Eight AU Highlights

The JDM sports team (Kate Siefert, Tyler Lance, Noah Cloonan, Bree Gannon) and Operations Manager John Skrada along with JDM alum Dan Shade created this very nice look at the AU Women's basketball team run in the NCAA Elite Eight.

WRDL 88.9 FM to carry live broadcast of AU Women's Basketball Elite Eight game

Journalism and Digital Media's broadcast radio station WRDL 88.9 FM will carry the Tuesday March 21st AU Women's Basketball NCAA Elite Eight game. The pre-game is set for 5:30 pm and tip-off is scheduled for 6 pm. WRDL General Manager Derek Wood and Tom Nesbitt will host the pre-game, halftime and post-game coverage. WRDL Program Director Tyler Lance and sportscaster Noah Cloonan will call all of the game action.

Listeners in the Ashland area can hear the game live at 88.9 FM. Fans can also go to the WRDL site to listen to the station.

Instructor Maggie Cogar Receives National Research Grant

Maggie Cogar, professional instructor of journalism and digital media, was recently awarded a national research grant in the amount of $4,700. The grant, funded by the Journalism Education Association (JEA) and National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA), will cover the cost of her

dissertation research beginning next fall. That research, which examines levels of self-censorship among student journalists in relation to the amount of administrative censorship they face, supports the mission statement of JEA to support “free and responsible scholastic journalism.”

Cogar is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Communication and Information with a focus in mass media from Kent State University. She is active in the world of scholastic journalism and serves as an executive board member for the Ohio Scholastic Media Association as well as the state director for the national Journalism Education Association

Chris Snow promoted at Ashland Times-Gazette

Digital Media Journalism senior Chris Snow was recently promoted to a full-time position with the Ashland Times-Gazette newspaper. While still in college, Chris has demonstrated that hard work can pay off to great job in the media business. Chris shares his experience with A Blog Converged in the following paragraph.

I started at the Ashland Times-Gazette in March 2016 as the Sports Agate Clerk. It was a part-time position. In January 2017 I was hired full-time as a Sports Reporter. I was prepared for this position by the work that I did as the agate clerk and also by writing for The Collegian at Ashland University. My primary responsibility as a reporter is going out and covering games and then writing s story about what took place. I also have to write feature stories about different events, teams or players. There are many other things that I do at the TG, but those are the main things I do. Working in the industry is much different than writing for the school paper. There is a nightly deadline, and most of the time I am expected to turn out a story in less than an hour. However, I was prepared for this by writing an ample amount of stories for The Collegian. This allowed me to develop my writing style and produce quality work.

A Blog Converged credits current JDM journalism professor Maggie Cogar and former journalism professor Matt Tullis for mentoring Chris Snow. Their work has produced the next great JDM journalist.

Collegian Earns Second Place in Best Website at ONA Conference

Yesterday members of The Collegian staff and students from the Journalism & Digital Media Department attended the Ohio Newspaper Association (ONA) Conference where they placed second for best website (B division).  The best website category is judged based on content, ease of navigation, layout, design, and advertising, according to the ONA collegiate competition guidelines.  This information is rated during random visits to the website in the months leading up to the Conference, which speaks to the consistency of the quality delivered by The Collegian website. 


Collegian Staff Members and JDM Students (L-R)
  Connor Dunwoodie, Breaking News Reporter; Renee Borcas, Student;   
 Kate Siefert, Managing  and Features Editor; Rebekah Hunter, Student;
Noah Cloonan, Sports Editor                                                                  
     Not pictured: Maggie Cogar, Faculty Advisor; Callan Pugh, News Editor                                 

Congratulations, Collegian Staff and JDM Students,
on your excellent work!

Dr. McCoy Promoted to Associate Professor, Receives Tenure

Dr. David McCoy joined the AU faculty in 2011 and he has taught journalism, film, digital media production and education courses for more than 25 years, including his specialty areas of new media aesthetics, scriptwriting and historical documentary.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Telecommunications, a M.Ed. in Educational Technology and a Ph.D. in the cultural foundations of education from Kent State University. 

McCoy has created numerous award-winning documentaries and public affairs programs for Western Reserve Public Media/WNEO and WEAO PBS Channels 45 and 49. His primary research area is the impact of social media technologies on learning, and his teaching areas include video/audio aesthetics, the global impact of social media, media writing and digital media technologies. He has authored articles in a variety of journals and written chapters for two books.

AUTV 20 plans for increased programming in 2017

Ashland's only television station, the award-winning AUTV 20, is making large scale plans for 2017. Coming off the most productive year in the station's history, AUTV 20 is deep in the coverage of both Men's and Women's Basketball home basketball games. Featuring the on-air talents of Derek Wood, Kate Siefert and Noah Cloonan, the production expertise of producer-director John Skrada and the dedicated production work of a veteran JDM crew, the broadcast games are a main stable of station programming.

Returning to the airwaves will be long-time programs such as News Update and Sports Update. Both of these shows will have a new graphic look and expanded lengths. Also returning will be News Break and Sports Break, both of which debuted in 2016. However, AUTV 20 producers Sean Honaker, Ingrid Schmidt, Renee Borcas and Bex Hunter are increasing the amount of weekly telecasts of each show from two to three. This change will provide a fresher coverage of late breaking news, sports and weather.

The JDM 213 Professional Practice-Television class is producing three different public affairs shows for the station. Mainstreet, which is produced by five Ashland city natives who are JDM majors, will focus on issues that concern Ashland city and Ashland county. Eagle's Eye will center on areas of interest to Ashland University students, faculty, staff and administrators. AU Global, a highly successful program created by JDM alum Martina Baca, will continue to explore the wealth of experiences of AU's international students. Finally, The AUTV 20 Earth Day series will return in April and a new program that examines politics will make its debut in March.

AUTV 20 is a partnership of the department of Journalism and Digital Media, the College of Arts and Sciences and Armstrong Cable. It can be found at Channel 20 on Armstrong Cable or by clicking on the AUTV 20 tab located in the JDM page on the AU website.

Dr. David McCoy publishes book chapter in Social Media and Politics

Dr. David McCoy, chair and assistant professor of journalism and digital media, has authored a chapter in the recently published book Social Media and Politics: A New Way to Participate in the Political Process, Vol. 2 (Praeger Press). The chapter, "The Global Impact; Using Social Media to Learn about World Politics (pp. 245-260)" details how the study of global social media can deepen one's understanding of world cultures and politics.

Dr. McCoy joins colleagues from the University of San Francisco, Stanford University, University of Texas at Austin, University of Oklahoma and the University of Arkansas as authors of specific chapters.

For access to a description of the book, click here: http://www.abc-clio.com/ABC-CLIOCorporate/product.aspx?pc=A4843C

Collegian Named Finalist in the Ohio Newspaper Association's Best Website Competition

 Ashland University’s Journalism and Digital Media’s newspaper, The Collegian, is being honored as a finalist in the Ohio Newspaper Association’s Best Website competition. The staff will be recognized at the upcoming 2017 Ohio Newspaper Association Convention on Feb. 9.

Judges in this category look at strength of the overall website as a publication and place high importance on frequently updating the site, relevant news content, and writing/editing that meets journalistic style and standards.

We are excited to see the newspaper staff not only meeting expectations, but exceeding them. Their hard work and dedication are noticed every day in the newsroom and the JDM faculty would like to congratulate The Collegian staff for this achievement.