Mark your calendars!

Texas Association of Broadcasters (www.tab.org)

No matter what your career plans are, March 8 may provide you with an opportunity to interact with some of the nation’s top broadcast journalists at the Texas Association of Broadcasters Regional Broadcast Newsroom Workshop!  The College of Media & Communication and the TAB are hosting this ‘first time ever at Texas Tech’ event on Saturday, March 8.  Here are just a few highlights —

• Excellent opportunity to learn about broadcast news from some of the nation’s best television journalists!
• Have award-winning, professional journalists critique your work!
• 18 Sessions include: Storytelling Mastery, Investigative Reporting, The Purpose Driven Stand-Up, The Write Stuff, A Network Photographer’s Tips and Tricks from the Field and more!

You can find out more about this event at https://www.tab.org/member-services/newsroom-workshop

There is a reduced rate for students ($25 – this will include lunch).  Make sure you register online as soon as possible.  I will be honest, these types of events really don’t happen all the time and I really want you to consider making plans to attend.  It doesn’t matter if you are an aspiring journalist or filmmaker, these types of events provide excellent networking opportunities!  Give me a shout if you have any questions or would like more information (todd.chambers@ttu.edu).

Dr. Kelly Kaufhold

 

JEM Faculty Spotlight:  Dr. Kelly Kaufhold

You’ve probably seen him around – teaching a lot of different types of courses and somehow finding time to walk with an individual student to teach them how to cover a story.  Dr. Kelly Kaufhold brings years of professional experience into the courses that he teaches and in dozens of mentoring moments each and every week.  I asked Dr. Kaufhold a few questions:

What’s the best thing about teaching at Texas Tech University?

Oh, that’s easy, it’s the earnestness and industriousness of the students. No, wait, it’s the ability to do a radio show with students; no, it’s the daily newscasts; maybe the ability to pitch and quickly teach out-of-the-box courses? Wait, it’s having hands-on, real-world outlets like MCTV Weekday Update, KTXT, Double T Insider, TTUHub.net. Or the ability to teach great undergraduate and graduate students? …oh man…

 What’s your favorite course that you teach? Why?

Dr. K is always teaching

Storytelling by Smartphone, a special topics course. Students are already immersed in their mobile devices so when we can take that raw interest and craft it into good, skilled news gathering and reporting it gets them thinking in a very professional way about what used to just be social and fun. And it still is! Except it might get them hired now. Plus, it’s a scream when they post something like “Prof wants us to tweet in class. Unreal.”

 How should a student prepare for a job in journalism?

Fundamentals + multimedia + initiative. We can teach you two out of the three and our College of Media and Communication, more than ever, can “lead a horse to water” with all of our student media outlets. Any student with that initiative has all the tools they need here to set themselves apart and get hired.

 What research projects are you working on?  How can a undergraduate or graduate student get involved?

I’m building on an experimental news game that gets young adults more interested in news – it’s about to launch in some high school classrooms, which will be a first. I also plan to run a national survey this semester and there may be room for some grad students to piggyback some questions onto my panel! And I’m increasingly interested in pedagogy – improving the art of teaching.

And speaking of “teaching” and “Dr. K” (he told me about one of his former students and her recent success!)

Virginia Stille (JOUR 2012) headed to finals!

JEM Alumni Spotlight

Check this out: Virginia Stille (JOUR 2012) will be competing in the Final Round of Nuestra Belleza Latina, a television program on the Univision Television Network!  Tune in February 16 and find out what is next!

Virginia Stille (JOUR 2012) will appear on Univision February 16!

Get Creative.  JEMLive!  

Take a look around – there are new initiatives and opportunities to get creative everywhere.  You can get involved with any of the following —

• The Hub (ttuhub.net) Photos, videos, stories, blogs, you name it — you can get published! In fact, we would love to see more photos that are TTU related!
• MCTV – this daily newscast (Monday through Thursday) meets in CoMC 355 at 2:00 — feel free to contact josh.robinson@ttu.edu and ask how you can help (everything from anchor to graphics, we need help!)
• Double T Insider – weekly sports program broadcast in Lubbock and Amarillo television markets!  Production meetings are Thursdays at 5 p.m.
• KTXT-FM, The Raider 88.1 – campus radio station – always seeking volunteers!  AND, we need someone to do play-by-play (as soon as this spring!). Please contact DG asap!  (derrick.ginter@ttu.edu)
• Heads Up Display – Video Game Show!  Yep, go to The Hub and look at the HubTV options (carmen.askerneese@ttu.edu)
• Hubcast – brand new student-volunteer project – get in on the ground floor of a really cool media project!  (evan.dixon@ttu.edu, alicia.r.keene@ttu.edu or abigail.arroyos@ttu.edu).
• These are just a few of the opportunities that exist.

Get Social. #JEMTTU 

As you create and post your photos, videos, etc…feel free to tag the department when and where appropriate — use #JEMTTU.