Electronic Journalism Arts

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Darlene R. Bolduc-Ballou, Director of Broadcast Operations 
Tim Lewis, Professor
Meaghan Meachem, Assistant Professor
Mark Mohrmann, Broadcast Systems Administrator
Aaron Young, Video Broadcast/Theatre Operations Technician

A.S. Electronic Journalism Arts 
B.S. Electronic Journalism Arts

Minor: Electronic Journalism Arts for Broadcast Meteorologists
 

Program Mission Statement

The Department of Electronic Journalism Arts (formerly known as Television Studies) offers preparation toward a professional career in the ever-changing field of journalistic storytelling across multiple visual and media technologies, leading to an associate’s degree or bachelor of science degree. Classroom study complements extensive hands-on experience at both the introductory and advanced levels.

The Electronic Journalism Arts program offers students skills and knowledge acquisition techniques in reporting for visual, editorial, online and print mediums. The program produces graduates able to report across multiple platforms with research and presentation abilities needed for success in fields beyond journalism.  Students may select courses to specialize in a particular medium.  The capstone community service learning experience for students is the Vermont Center for Community Journalism at Lyndon State. The VCCJ provides a geographical laboratory and classroom instruction for the training of journalists in the various communication modes that deliver news and information vital to communities for the practice of democracy and a civilized society.

The Vermont Center for Community Journalism encompasses the 14 Vermont towns surrounding the campus and provides local information on three platforms. The VCCJ’s web outlet NewsLINC went online in 2009 and immediately became nationally recognized (Finalist Best Student Website - Broadcast Education Association 2009, 2010, and 2011; College Media Advisors 2009).  NewsLINC joined the nationally-award winning live broadcasts of LSC-TV News 7 (Best College Newscast in the country – Society of Professional Journalists 1997 and NATAS Emmy 2004) and a new electronic print publication NewsINK debuted in 2010.

Lyndon students demonstrate competence and creativity in written, oral, and presentational communication, and critical and analytical skills. The experiential nature of the program through the Vermont Center for Community Journalism, internships, field trips, regional conference participation, and national convention attendance are unmatched in all of New England. 
 

Common Program Goals

Graduates completing the major in Electronic Journalism Arts will be able to:
 

1. Demonstrate competency in the various elements associated with electronic journalism and non-news video, print and web content production.
2. Utilize video/image acquisition, studio production written communication, and online technologies to meet minimum expected industry standards for entry-level positions.
3. Tell significant stories to self-governing citizens in an interesting and relevant fashion utilizing various media technologies while acknowledging National Press Photographer Association (NPPA), Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) and Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) ethics, practices and standards.

Our common program goals are designed to ensure that our students acquire the skills and knowledge necessary for professional career opportunities in electronic journalism (visual, editorial, online, print.) The two-year Associate of Science degree provides individually designed study for those persons seeking skills enhancement for entry-level professional opportunities. The four-year Bachelor of Science degree consistently leads to entry-level career placement upon graduation.  A minor designed for broadcast meteorologists enhances their chances for employment with field reporting and photojournalism techniques to add to their in-studio “green-screen” skills.
 

Program Assessment

Regular changes are made to our Electronic Journalism Arts program, based on cooperative education supervisor feedback and other assessment gathering information tools. Since our interns are placed in positions that demand appropriate and up-to-date skills, we are able to adjust the program based on the success and limitations that result from our students’ cooperative education placements, and alumni feedback.

In addition, the faculty is actively engaged in working with and observing the industry. Faculty members have been awarded grants for extended visitations and participation at regional news outlets such as WCAX-TV CBS Affiliate, Vermont Public Radio, and at national media such as CNN. These activities provide continuous assessment of the program.

Public feedback from viewers of LSC-TV programming also provides documentation for our program assessments. In a similar fashion our competency-based assessment of individual students helps us identify possible changes in the program itself as do the end-of-term “demo reels” or portfolios we require of our students.

Since 1996, the program has achieved consistent recognition regionally and nationally from organizations such as the Associated Press, the Society for Professional Journalists, the Broadcast Education Association, the Vermont Association of Broadcasters, College Broadcasters Inc., the American Women in Radio & Television, the College Media Advisors and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Foundation. Students consistently achieve recognition by those same organizations as award winners in photojournalism, feature and spot-news reporting (broadcast and online) as well as overall excellence in journalism.
 

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