Asbury Journalism Program to Use New High-Tech Equipment for Student Broadcasts

October 11, 2024

The Media, Journalism & Digital Storytelling Department has a new state-of-the-art video wall in the Miller Center for Communication Arts to help students learn with new technology that they can implement into their classes and projects.

Built in the same style as the Mandalorian backdrops, the 15×9-foot permanent screen is housed in the student newsroom alongside multi-use broadcast equipment. It is available to students through a generous donor.

“This wall will transform video content produced in the newsroom,” said Associate Journalism Professor Rich Manieri. “We’re fully equipped with state-of-the-art technology to act as a live and pre-recording TV studio.”

Journalism students are required to take core courses of Video Journalism, Media Performance, and Broadcast News, as well as have the opportunity to add on media electives of Sports Storytelling and Documentary Filmmaking. In these classes, students are introduced to and challenged by learning front-of-camera and behind-camera skills at expert levels.

Outside of class, opportunities to take classroom learning into another journalistic level include creating and executing an entire TV program with the department’s weekly Newswatch3 pre-recorded news broadcast in the spring semester. Other out-of-class possibilities include live reporting and commentating on Asbury’s Highbridge Film Festival livestream, live reporting TeamAU sports games, hosting election night coverage, and creating video packages for programs, departments, and events.

Students can also participate in honing their non-video-related expertise through the university weekly newspaper, The Asbury Collegian, by pitching story ideas, interviewing and on-scene reporting, and serving as editor for commentary, news, sports, and feature sections.

“In this climate, we have to prepare our students to be able to do just about everything,” commented Manieri. “We don’t live in a world where anyone is just a newspaper reporter or broadcaster, so we have to expose them to everything to market themselves to employers such as online news outlets, TV stations, and local and major newspapers.”

The Asbury Journalism Program prepares students to be faith-filled journalists who navigate the marketplace with insight, courage and joy. With this as their major, students have opportunities to tell important stories through print, broadcast and online media. The program, which has received multiple Student Production Awards from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (Ohio Valley Chapter), provides individuals with numerous high-profile national and international opportunities, including the chance to produce news packages at the Summer and Winter Olympics.