Bill Conners Speaks with JDM Students

On Thursday, Bill Conners from iHeartMedia visited with JDM students. He spoke about his 30+ years in radio production and offered advice to those interested in the media industry. Bill provided interesting insight on being creative when writing promos and commercial spots. He also let the class listen to some examples of his work for WGAR and WMJI in Cleveland.

Bill Conners graduated from the Ohio School of Broadcasting Master Program in 1982. He was hired at 1220 WGAR in 1981 as a part-time engineer. In 1984, Bill was promoted to producer for Paul Tapie morning show on 1220 WGAR. In 1986, he became Production Director for WGAR AM/FM. Since 2006, Bill has been the Creative Services Director for WMJI, in addition to WGAR. He's responsible for writing copy to promote station events, writing and voicing commercials and promotions via social media and new technologies.

Thank you, Mr. Conners, for taking the time to meet with our students!

NSPA & JEA Conference 2018

JDM majors Renee Borcas and Bex Hunter are all set to meet and greet nearly 4,000 high school students at the National Scholastic Press Association & Journalism Education Association national conference in San Francisco. 

Journalism Department Presents at URCA Symposium, 2018

The Journalism and Digital Media Department wishes ​Digital Media Production major Jacob Smith the best of luck as he presents his scholarly work alongside fellow student Seth Ansell at this year's Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity symposium!

Media and Ethical Communication During Crisis in the United States - Jacob Smith and Seth Ansell

The students’ study examines mass media coverage of natural disasters in the United States, using Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy as content analyses.

Bree Gannon wins SPJ Mark of Excellence Award

Bree Gannon, junior digital media production major, was recognized by The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) in the 2017 Region 4 Mark of Excellence Awards last week.

Gannon won a first place award in the category of small-school Sports Photography for her picture of the women’s basketball national championship game from March 2017.

The SPJ’s Mark of Excellence Awards are nationally known for recognizing the best in collegiate journalism.

“The amount of success I’ve had so far this year is unbelievable,” Gannon said. “After hearing my photos from the 2017 National Championship won in the regional category, I got so excited. Now I’m moving on to compete at the national level and I’ve never felt more blessed.”

SPJ’s Region 4 comprises of  Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia and Western Pennsylvania. Honorees received award certificates and first-place winners like Gannon will compete at the national level, among other regional Mark of Excellence winners from 12 different regions.

National winners will be notified in the late spring and will be recognized at the Excellence in Journalism conference in Baltimore.

Gannon is excited by this recognition and all that she’s been able to accomplish at AU so far.

"And it's all thanks to the JDM program for giving me these amazing opportunities," she said.

Collegian and AU-Live Win Ohio News Media Association Awards

Students from the Collegian newspaper and AU-Live website won multiple awards at the Ohio News Media Association (ONMA) state convention in Columbus, Ohio on Feb. 8, including third in the state for Best Website.

In the Ohio Collegiate Division, the Collegian staff also brought home a second place for overall publication design and third places in the categories of photojournalism and sports coverage.

The Collegian special edition of the women's basketball National Championship game in 2017 garnered unique praise from the judging panel, which is comprised of newsroom professionals from across the state.

“This entry is carried by the special section on the women's basketball team winning the national title,” the judges wrote. “Photos, stories, and graphic elements all make this work. Very well done.”

The paper was also recognized for strong and consistent news design and for overall sports coverage, both of which were judged using multiple issues of the submitted publication.

“Being honored in these categories especially is a big deal,” Maggie Cogar, media adviser and professional instructor in the journalism and digital media department, said. “These categories aren't just judged on one page or one story, but on multiple issues from this school year and last. Winning in these categories shows the consistency of the student work from issue to issue and school year to school year.”

Bree Gannon, a junior digital media production major, was also recognized individually for her photographs from the National Championship game.

“Hearing I was recognized from the National Championship game was a really good feeling,” she said. “Going from a major I wasn't happy in to JDM, where I can strive to my full potential and be rewarded for it, is amazing. The JDM program has truly blessed me.”

Cogar said what is most inspiring was the attitude the students had after leaving the conference.

“I'm proud of the work all my students do on a daily basis and these awards help celebrate that work,” Cogar said. “But these awards cannot truly capture the spirit and work ethic these student journalists show each and every day. Even after leaving the conference, the students were already discussing ways to improve their media content and design. There’s this mindset with JDM students that ‘we’re good, but we can be better,’ and I love that. They are constantly pushing themselves to grow.”

At the conference, students also attended sessions and got to hear from Morley Piper, a special keynote speaker who fought in World War II and later served as the director of the New England Newspaper Association.

Journalism and digital media students in attendance at the conference included (left to right) Sam Didion (sophomore), Bree Gannon (junior), Kaitlyn Moore (junior) and Renee Borcas (senior).

AUTV 20 and WRDL win IBS Finalist Awards

For the second year in a row, AUTV 20 and WRDL 88.9 FM were selected for multiple Finalist Awards by the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System. AUTV 20 was recognized in five different categories and WRDL was honored in three different categories. AUTV 20 and WRDL faculty advisor Dr. Dave McCoy remarked that "these awards are a tribute to the hard work, dedication and creative abilities of our JDM co-curricular media students."  McCoy added that "the IBS Awards are one of the longest-running and noteworthy collegiate media competitions in the country."
JDM honorees are invited to the national convention to be held in early March in New York City. The Finalist Awards and the National First Place Awards will be handed out during the ceremony.

The following list designates the categories and the students recognized for their work.

AUTV 20
Best Use of YouTube (top 5 in the country)  Ingrid Schmidt

Best Use of Instagram (top 6)     Ingrid Schmidt

Best Talk Program (top 6)   Eagle's Eye   Waylon O'Donnell, Michaela Ping, Ingrid Schmidt

Best Newscast (Video/TV) (top 6)   AUTV 20  News Update  Renee Borcas, Connor Dunwoodie, Sean Honaker, Paul Murray. Callan Pugh, Ingrid Schmidt

Best Sports Interview Program (top 3)    The AU Wrestling Spotlight   Renne Borcas, Trae Coopwood, Erich Metze

WRDL
Best Sports Play-by-Play, Women's Basketball (top 6)   AU National Championship Game  Noah Cloonan and Tyler Lance  WRDL won this category in last year's IBS competition.

Best Event Promo (top 5)   AU Basketball   Tom Nesbitt

Best Station Promotional Poster (top 6)   WRDL Tailgate Party  WRDL Staff 

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.