Training students how to report on mental health

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College media is in a prime position to be at the forefront of reporting responsibly on mental health

By Ben McNeely

NC State was reeling. Students were stunned, parents were worried, and administrators were trying to respond.

My alma mater, NC State University, went through hell last academic year.

Fourteen students died, seven of which were deaths by suicide. In April, two students took their own lives within a 24-hour period.

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‘The Journalism Salute’

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Podcast highlights people who believe in journalism

A Q&A with Mark Simon

What is your podcast about? Why?

My podcast, The Journalism Salute, is a journalism appreciation podcast. It’s meant to show

    1. That working in journalism is a great career path.
    2. There are so many different options someone could pursue.
    3. That journalists are NOT the enemy of the people.

I do 30-35 minute interviews with journalists about who they are and what they do. It’s their platform to talk about the backstory- the how and why behind what they do.

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Why I asked my students to Google me

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An activity for the first week of class or before the first staff meeting

By Erin Olson

In the first five days of class, a crucial window for building relationships with my new students, I did something that other educators might consider bold. I asked my students to Google me and make inferences about the year we would have together. Realizing this is something they were likely to do anyway, I wanted to witness firsthand how they searched, how they shared what they found, and if they believed the information they encountered. 

In just a few minutes, students discovered a little bit about me, and I discovered a lot about their ability to effectively look for information online. 

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Weathering the storm

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Strategies for sustaining student media in times of crisis

By Patti Piburn and Kim Lisagor Bisheff 

Abstract

Student reporters in KCPR, using remote technologies, continued producing and broadcasting live news on-air throughout the pandemic and during subsequent disruptions. This qualitative case study examines the remote strategies adopted by the station in the lockdown to determine what should remain, with two goals in mind: keeping broadcast student media going in a future crisis and better equipping journalism graduates. Semi-structured interviews with graduates who were part of the radio news team before, during and after the pandemic reveal that they acquired and refined crucial soft skills during their remote student media experience. The graduates report that their experience equipped them for a “new normal” in the workplace. They described gaining such soft skills as confidence, resilience and adaptability as well as improved organization, communication and collaboration. While in-person reporting is preferred, blending remote work, and the technologies that support it, into student media makes the organization more resilient and better prepares students for transformed newsrooms. Continue reading “Weathering the storm”

Editor challenges students: get ‘fired up’

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Journalists ‘ready to go’ after Mega Workshop

By Madison Roth, Minnesota Daily

Eager journalism students filled the room, carrying their hopes and dreams with them as they settled into the dingy orange chairs. Chatter bursting with excitement rang in the ears of the staff members leading the workshop tracks.

This is the weekend the some 100 students had been anticipating for months: the 2023 Associated Collegiate Press College Media Mega Workshop.

Rick Green, executive editor and chief content officer of the Press Democrat in Santa Rosa, California, kicked off the workshop by asking staff and students where they were from, as every area of the country was represented in some way.

He asked the students why they were attending the conference.

Responses ranged from “We’re really excited to get different ideas from school and learn how to improve our newspaper.” to “If you have enthusiasm and trust in yourself, anything you’re putting out there, people are gonna listen.” Continue reading “Editor challenges students: get ‘fired up’”

Despite weather, photographers document New York experience

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Despite the cold and rain common in New York City this time of the year, 12 college photographers spent time exploring the city as part of the convention photo contest.

award
Gavin Britton accepts his camera donated by B&H Photo Video from Bradley Wilson. Britton had the image selected as class favorite on-site. Later, judges selected it for third place recognition.

And, for the first time, B&H Photo Video awarded a camera to the photographer who shot the class favorite image — Gavin Britton, a photographer at the University of Portland (Nancy Copic, adviser).

After the convention was over, a panel of 45 judges including college educators, professional photojournalists and scholastic educators judged the images selecting the top three for recognition.

    1. Olivia Reid, University of Massachusetts (Boston) (Charles Henriques, adviser)
    2. Laila Hazel, Southern University and A&M College (Jermaine Proshee, adviser)
    3. Photo by Gavin Britton, University of Portland (Nancy Copic, adviser)

JUDGES: Meagan Abo, Emily Arnold, Judy Babb, Michelle Balmeo, Jane Blystone, Candace Bowen, Kelly Buckner, Pam Bunka, Elise Carlson, Cary Conover, Greg Cooper, Nancy Copic, Kathy Daly, Steven Dearinger, Mark Dolejs, Hunter Doughty, Al Drago, Evan Evenson, Dominick Ferreira, Leslie Fireman, Chris Gillon, Kelly Glasscock, Stephen Green, Tara Haelle, Whitney Huang, Bonnie Katzive, Debra Klevens, John Knaur, Todd Maisel, Erin Martin, Jim McNay, Jackie Mink, Shannon Oden, Lori Oglesbee, Michelle Martinez Rivera, Margaret Sorrows, Jacob Spotts, Matt Stamey, Elizabeth Strehl, Alison Strelitz, Justin Turner, Dustin Vickers, Hillary Warren, Carrie Webbenhurst, Mark Webber, Bretton Zinger

CONTEST COORDINATOR: Bradley Wilson

 

SLIDESHOW:

CMA NYC photo contest sp23

Shoot-out reflects ‘absolutely stunning images’

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Student photos reflect a portrait of Washington

After the convention in Washington, D.C., 44 judges set to work looking over the 32 entries from 19 students in the on-site Shoot-out.

One judge wrote, “(The top images) were head and shoulders above the other entries. Absolutely stunning images.”

Indeed, perhaps for the first time in nearly 20 years, the top entry scored three times higher than any other entry. It was ranked by 77% of the judges and ranked first by 47% of them.

Wrote another judge: “(The top entry) tells a story and surroundings all relate to who the person is.”

The assignment included writing captions with the names of all identifiable people. Judges repeatedly said the quality (or absence) of captions reflected in their rankings.

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RESEARCH: Student media coverage of censorship and press freedom

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Student news organizations have long experienced various forms of censorship.

Abstract

This qualitative pilot study (N=46) examines articles on college newspaper websites to explore how student news organizations cover issues of press freedom and censorship. The researchers used a grounded theory approach to explore common themes of coverage and potential differences between private and public institutions’ approach to such topics. The findings indicate there are four broad areas of interest: explanation of the role of journalism, industry challenges, censorship, and college-specific issues of press freedom and speech. This pilot study will serve to inform a larger content analysis.

Introduction

According to the Student Press Law Center, censorship is “any restrictions on your publication’s coverage or operations by anyone who works for the school or is acting on behalf of the school (like student government officials)” (Dean 2021, para. 1). Outright acts of censorship can be seen, for example, when in 2013, The Fauman at Florida A&M University was “suspended from publishing, its adviser removed and its staff told they must reapply for their positions” (Gregory 2013). In a case study of different college newsrooms, it was found that “that administrators who engage in censorship appear to do so when the newspaper publishes unflattering coverage of the university” (Matlock 2021, 97). Continue reading “RESEARCH: Student media coverage of censorship and press freedom”

First CMA Confab devoted to building trust in media

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Sifting through misinformation to get to the real story

  • CMA CONFAB: The midterm elections are on the horizon, and college journalists must grapple with reaching their audiences while sifting through misinformation along the campaign trail. This session aims to provide tips on how to navigate the political free-for-all while getting down to the issues.
  • ORGANIZER: Fredrick Batiste, College Media Association, vice president, member training
  • SPEAKER: Lynn Walsh, assistant director Trusting News
  • WHEN: Friday, Sept. 30, 2022 via Zoom meeting

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Legal analysis: Supreme Court takes on fair use

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Court will consider whether painting made from photo is lawful

By Carolyn Schurr Levin and Gillian Vernick

Fair use is a term that is thrown around often — and often improperly. Students may say, “I can use that photo because I know the person who posted it,” or “this song was on TikTok so it’s fine to quote the lyrics.” In both of these examples, the students rely (incorrectly) on the woefully misunderstood concept of fair use.

On Oct. 12, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court will have a chance to clarify the fair use doctrine when it hears the case of Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. v. Goldsmith. This will be the first time the Supreme Court considers a fair use defense applied to a photograph (although last year the Court decided Google v. Oracle, a fair use dispute concerning computer code).

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