Month: October 2016

Student journalists drive political coverage on campus

In Philadelphia, The Temple News staff is constantly covering elections, from the presidential race to down ballot contests.

• The paper covered U.S. Senate debate for the Pennsylvania seat that took place this week before. http://temple-news.com/news/senate-candidates-debate-tpac/
• Libertarian Vice Pesidential candidate Bill Weld’s visited Temple. http://temple-news.com/multimedia/libertarian-vice-presidential-candidate-bill-weld-visits-main-campus/
• Hillary Clinton comes to Temple (video). http://temple-news.com/multimedia/hillary-clinton-comes-temple-university/
• Donald Trump appearance draws protest (video). http://temple-news.com/multimedia/donald-trump-appearance-center-city-draws-protests/
• Student petition to cancel classes on election day. http://temple-news.com/news/students-petition-cancel-classes/
• Opinion piece on third-party candidates http://temple-news.com/opinion/dont-dismiss-third-party-candidates/
• Opinion piece on professors balancing campaign coverage. http://temple-news.com/opinion/professors-balance-campaign-coverage/

Links provided by John DiCarlo, Student Media Program Director and Adjunct Journalism Instructor, Temple University

Pondering the past, present and future of journalism

Reviewed by Carolyn Schurr Levin, Stony Brook University School of Journalism

A book about the past, present and future of journalism and the news media sounds like a monumental and daunting undertaking. Yet, this is exactly what C. W. Anderson, Leonard Downie Jr. and Michael Schudson have written. In The News Media: What Everyone Needs To Know, released in September 2016, Downie, the former editor of The Washington Post and now a professor at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, Schudson, a professor of journalism at Columbia University, and Anderson, an associate professor at the College of Staten Island, start with the first newspaper in 1605 and end with robots writing news stories in 2016. The authors concede in their first sentence that “[i]t might seem presumptuous to write a book promising readers ‘what everyone needs to know about the news media’ in the year 2016.” And, yet, in under 200 pages, written in a lively question and short answer format, with engaging examples, this book is highly deserving of its lofty title.

The genesis of the book was a comprehensive report commissioned by the Columbia University School of Journalism about the present and future of the journalism profession. That report, “The Reconstruction of American Journalism,” written by Downie and Schudson in 2009, stirred significant discussion and debate in the field. The report led to a request to the authors by the Oxford University Press to add a book about journalism to its popular “What Everyone Needs To Know” series. Oxford touts the series as offering “a balanced and authoritative primer on complex current issues and countries,” written by “leading authorities in their given fields.” The series did not previously include a title on journalism and news media. But, now, fortunately, it does. Continue reading “Book Review: The News Media–What Everyone Needs to Know”

Dormant “newspaper” brought back to life online

By Kathy Bryson
St. Petersburg College

Journalism in the last 10 years has been a roller coaster of change, and many of us have probably wondered whether or not we’re teaching a dinosaur. Some programs have gone so far as to merge with other disciplines, becoming double degrees with additional courses in computers, communications, public relations, or social media. With the overlap in subjects that comes with convergent media programs have to make decisions about what they will be be able to cover and, equally, what they will not.

St. Petersburg College’s student newspaper, The Sandbox, began actively exploring change since its reincarnation in 2011. Ours is not a formal certificate or degree program, but rather an associate’s degree in mass communication with classes that transfer into the University of South Florida’s bachelor’s degree. However, the school wanted and needed an active paper to cultivate student interest and encourage practice. Continue reading “Florida college embraces online and social media”

How college media is covering the ground game

College media hubs across the country are engaged in the 2016 elections at all levels. Their coverage includes multi-media projects, news stories, profiles, commentary, and editorial cartoons.

This week, CMR highlights work by two media operations — staff of the Pitt News at the University of Pittsburgh and series of in-depth articles titled “Your Next President,” by Christian Vasquez of The Prospector at the University of Texas El Paso.

• At the Pitt News, editors created a page for college daily reporting related to the election; new stories will be added at the top day after day:

http://pittnews.com/article/category/election-coverage-16/

• Here is the link to the “Your Next President” series published by The Prospector:

http://www.theprospectordaily.com/?s=christian+vasquez&submit=Search

 

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