Inc Issue 2 Final 2

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Meeting

A publication of the Ohio University Society of Professional Journalists

Thursday, 7:00 SCRIPPS 111

Live From Bethlehem

SPJ Welcomes Live From Bethlehem The documentary returns to Athens after a run at the 2009 Athens Film Festival.

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story Graylyn Roose art Lauren Smith l

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This week all students on campus are invited to a special screening of the independent documentary, “Live From Bethlehem.” The showing, sponsored and put on by the Society of Professional Journalists, will take place on Thursday evening from 7-9. In addition, the film’s co-producer Matt Sienkiewicz will speak at the event. According to the documentary’s Web site, “Live From Bethlehem” is a film that details the hardships and triumphs of the Ma’an News Network, which is the only major independent news organization in the Palestinian territories. The documentary heavily details the lives of the journalists who risk their lives to report the news in a challenging climate. “The mission of this program is to create a layered, meaningful portrait of the Palestinian people,” notes the Web site. “Live From Bethlehem” producer Matt Sienkiewicz says that he thinks that the documentary will provide a very different perspective on journalism, particularly for those who are studying the field. “You get to see how journalism works in another place, the actual tangible stuff,” said Sienkiewicz. “You can get a perspective that you probably would not have gotten from an American introduction to journalism.” According to Sienkiewicz, the project began when his co-producer Joseph Sousa worked for a person who had been sent to Bethlehem to train the Ma’an News Network journalists. However, he soon found that they didn’t need to be taught rote journalistic theory. Rather, they needed help with the production-related part of journalism. Sienkiewicz and Sousa teamed up to film the documentary, which was shot over the course of 2007 and 2008. Sienkiewicz says that he enjoyed seeing the subjects of the movie evolve over the course of a year and a half. “My favorite part Scripps News in making it was really getting to know Internship Info a group of people who are very selfaware as journalists, Standing Out really getting to see them from morning to

Inside Inc. Page 2: Page 3: Page 4: Page 5: From the Editor

night,” said Sienkiewicz, noting that one of the best parts of the process was “getting to know the ways that professional life and family life come together and create their own challenges and benefits.” When SPJ Programming Chairman Kevin Zieber saw “Live From Bethlehem” at the 2009 Athens Film Festival, he became very interested in showing the documentary to SPJ. However, because the movie was

still in the film festival circuit, it was not yet available for purchase or rental. Zieber emailed Sienkiewicz and began to arrange a personal showing of the film. “It’s really funny when I think about how it all started,” said Zieber. “It was totally unforeseen to me.” In light of the challenges that the main characters have to face, Zieber says that the film reminds him of the true definition of what it means to be a journalist. “It’s a really inspiring story of people who have so much less than we do and how much we take for granted,” said Zieber. “I think it’s an exercise in humility.” For students who aspire to produce documentaries, Sienkiewicz has a few words of advice. He says that much of the process of filming an informational movie is in the drive to go do it. “It’s amazing how much you can get away with by just showing up... going somewhere and just talking to people,” said Sienkiewicz. “You’d be surprised how interested people are in telling their stories.” n

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A publication of the Ohio University Society of Professional Journalists

SCRIPPS NEWS

RTNDA Offers Opportunites for Students The Radio Television News Directors Association begins the new year with new possibilities for its members. From weekly meetings to national workshops, OU’s broadcast organization has many benefits.

S story Gina Mussio l

art Rohan Kusre l

Scripps students, freshman or not, are probably accustomed to the lecture about the necessity of getting involved and gaining journalism-based experience, whatever the sequence. The difficult part is choosing which organization is most fitting, especially out of the numerous organizations associated with the E.W. Scripps College of Communication at Ohio University. The Radio and Television News Directors Association is the largest trade organization for broadcast and electronic news journalists. RTNDA is dedicated to “training and developing future professionals to maintain the highest standards in broadcast journalism.” OU was among the first universities to create a student chapter of this professional organization when RTNDA founded its Student Chapter Affiliate Program in 1987. Faculty Advisor Mary Rogus has served as an education liaison on the national organizations board for just over a year and will continue to serve until spring of 2010. “We try to bring in people and talk about what is going on in the industry, what’s going on in the business, and prepare them for a job,” Rogus said. Students can become members of the student chapter for 10 dollars a quarter or 25 dollars a year. They also have the option to bypass the student dues by going straight to the national organization and paying their dues of 65 dollars a year. This will get them access to all of RTNDA’s Web resources, including their job bank and research tools. During the weekly meetings on Wednesdays in the Radio and Television Building room 371, students hear professional journalists speak, participate in workshops and learn specific skills, such as résumé building and critiquing. Potential new member Matt Digby is interested in RTNDA for the experience he will gain from it. “Jobs are more interested in hands on experience than course work,” he said. Many students’ plan of attack is to attend a variety of meetings to get a feel for their options and to learn what they want to do in the future. President of RTNDA, junior Pat Henderson, differed from many students because he knew he wanted to do

broadcasting from the start and chose OU specifically for its broadcast program. “I wanted to get as involved as possible, because you as an individual want to do what you can to stand out,” he said. He cites the organization as a great “learning experience” and has plans for every meeting this quarter including a producing workshop, a crisis reporting session and a visit from OU’s new broadcast professor Kevin Greives, a former producer for CNN International. Henderson said his responsibility is to make sure “everything is going according to plan and everyone is doing their job” and also stressed that RTNDA is a great place to take education outside of the classroom with people who are willing to help. “One of the biggest benefits for freshmen in RTNDA is the chance to interact with upperclassman and meet broadcasting majors and learn about WOUB,” Rogus said. OU freshman Cathy George agrees. “It is such a competitive market and just to get a chance for a hands-on experience, I wouldn’t want to pass this up,” she said. On top of the informational meetings, RTNDA’s national organization holds an annual spring conference that is perhaps their most popular event. The conference provides a chance for students to meet professionals who are national RTNDA members. Students can gain résumé skills and critiques and hear many network speakers such as last years speaker, Mary Tyler Moore. This conference has produced many internships and job opportunities for past students and continues to do so today. As Rogus said, “it’s as much about who you know as what you know.” If a student is unable to attend the national spring conference, there is always the local conference held by OU’s RTNDA chapter. It is a daylong event that offers multiple chances to network, often with many graduates of The E.W Scripps College of Communication. Many students have successfully found internships simply through the local conference and by becoming members of OU’s student chapter of the Radio and Television News Directors Association. n

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A publication of the Ohio University Society of Professional Journalists

INTERNSHIP

NEWS

MTV Offers Dream Jobs

MTV networks give students an opportunity to work with what they know. art Rohan Kusre listings Sarah Grothjan story Caitlin Ash

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INTERNSHIPS

At some point in their lives, every teenager and twenty-something has flipped through channels and stopped at MTV or one of its affiliates. Students now have the opportunity to intern for the stations they grew up watching. MTV Networks is offering multiple internships at its various stations across the country during the fall, spring and summer. There are many positions available in a large variety of departments including animation, communications, finance, marketing, production, radio network, wardrobe, graphics, off-air print, online media and many more. Positions are available for students in all majors with various focuses. There are nine locations available for internships in California, Illinois, New York, Tennessee, and Florida. The networks offering work include MTV Networks, Nickelodeon Studios, CMT and MTV Networks Latin America, all of which are units of Viacom Inc. The locations offering the most positions are the MTV Networks locations in Santa Monica and New York City. Priority for these internships is given to juniors, seniors and law students and interns must be receiving course credit for their work. In

Who

What

Meet the Press with David Gregory

Internship

Alfa Fellowship Program

Zzapps

John R. Wilhelm Foreign Correspondence Internship Program

When Winter Break (November 30 thru end of December)

addition to these qualifications, students must be available to work a minimum of two full days per week during the business hours of 9:30am – 5:30pm, Monday through Friday. However, specific programs may require more days per week. The programs last for at least 10 weeks at a time. For the MTV Networks Latin America, located in Miami, Florida, applicants are recommended to have strong skills in both written and verbal Spanish communication. Students are also required to submit a cover letter and résumé, two letters of recommendation and college transcripts for most of the internships. MTV Networks has a rolling application policy for fall and spring internships and accepts application from Jan. 1 through April 1 for the summer program. All applications can be sent to MTV Networks Internship Program, 1515 Broadway, New York, NY 10036. Applications may also be emailed to [email protected]. More Information about each specific location and network can be found at www.mtvncareers.com. n

Where

Why

How

Washinton D.C.

Internship Credit

Email Résumé to Sean Balewski at sbalewski@ gmail.com

Interns will receive monthly stipends and free housing.

Contact David H. Mould at 740.593.4855

Internship and Exchange Program

February 2010-April 2011

Online PR and brand development internship

As soon as intern can begin.

Online (no travel)

Can earn up to $8000 per design.

Email dperro@ zzapps.com

Internship

Fall (Flexible Schedule)

Applicants list their top three countries with application.

Cover breaking international news.

Students must complete JOUR 466 and 467.

Russia

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A publication of the Ohio University Society of Professional Journalists

COMMENTARY

NEWS

How to: Stand Out from the Crowd Become recognized as an active member in a large student organization. story Melissa Ferguson art Rohan Kusre l

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Many Ohio University students are actively involved in student organizations on campus. Because many of those organizations have an excessive amount of members, it is not uncommon for a student to feel lost and unnoticed while at meetings or events. Although it is not always easy to become recognized, there are a few tricks and tips that can be used to help you when in similar situations. A few good ways to start sticking out in a big group is to be polite and friendly, to demonstrate your abilities in a creative way and to do something original or unexpected. Always maintain a positive attitude and volunteer regularly, such as participating in meeting forums when a guest speaker is visiting. The Ralph and Luci Schey Sales Center is one of the largest student organizations on campus. Human Resources Director of the Sales Center and senior Kelly McCreedy advises students who are members of large groups to take initiative to participate in small projects from the start of your membership. She said it is an effective way to get noticed early and can be used as a way to be recognized for other leadership positions in the future. She also stressed the importance of sticking to deadlines when

working on projects and always contributing above and beyond the bare minimum. “I make sure I get to know everyone, and I get people to know my face so that I have a good network set up,” McCreedy said. McCreedy said that many of these and similar skills are necessary to possess during college in order to practice and use them in students’ future careers. In the professional world, employers want to see the real side of who you are and the skills that you personally bring to the table. Do not be afraid to reveal some of your personal characteristics that you possess, such as your sense of humor or infatuation with technology, with future employers as well as current peers. Remember, practice makes perfect. Making your presence known in a large group setting can be a daunting task, but as long as you are dedicated, motivated and confident standing out can come natuarlly. So, the next time you show up for a big meeting, don’t hesitate to introduce yourself to someone you don’t know or raise your hand and ask a question to a guest speaker. There is nothing wrong with getting some attention for the right reasons. n

Have a big event coming up? Want everyone in the J-School to know about it?

Place Your Ad Here Contact Cameron Glover at [email protected] or Graylyn Roose at [email protected] to find out more about having your event preview mentioned in the next issue of Inc. Correction: In the last issue of Inc, Jill Mapes was incorrectly listed as the editor of Speakeasy Magazine. Jeremy Bookmeyer is this year’s editor-in-chief and interested students can contact the managing editor at [email protected].

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A publication of the Ohio University Society of Professional Journalists

MISCELLANEOUS

NEWS

The Risks of Being Overly Involved Columnist and editor Cameron Glover discusses the possibility that there is a limit to what one student can do. story Cameron Glover l

art Rohan Kusre l

As many of the J-School students already know, joining student organizations is a vital part of the college experience at Ohio University. Seriously, just ask any upperclassmen – they will tell you exactly that and more. But what happens when those organizations that you must be involved with consume everything that is your college experience? Or when you can’t maintain respectable grades because all of your focus is on getting published, noticed or accomplished? While investing time and energy into student organizations is necessary, it is not uncommon to hinder your sanity. Take my story for example: When I transferred to Ohio University last year, I could not wait to get involved. I had spent two years at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind. as a decent student and an active member in several journalism and leadership organizations, but I knew that I needed to boost my printed portfolio. To be honest, I had only been published once as a freelancer for the student newspaper. I was after some clips. I remember walking around Scripps and being so intimidated by the school’s reputation. I definitely felt like a freshman again – no offense. Pretty soon the mass e-mails were cluttering my inbox informing me of what organization was meeting when and where and why I should be there. The opportunities were everywhere, but I had convinced myself that I needed to spend my first quarter getting acclimated with my new surroundings and the quarterly academic schedule. Trust me, semesters are way better, so be glad that OU is making the switch. Winter quarter finally rolled around and the mass e-mails were back in my inbox. This time I responded. I even went to a bunch of different meetings, especially if they had pizza. Well, then I made a mistake that I didn’t really pay for, or admit, until the next quarter. Before we get into that, I need to explain that there are two more-than-necessary components in my life that I adhere to the best that I can. One, I absolutely must have a full eight hours of sleep every night. If not, you can count on me being miserable the next day and probably making everyone around me just as miserable. Two, I thoroughly enjoy and depend on my social life. It basically gives me something else to look forward to and think

about, besides journalism, of course. I find it necessary to reveal those components because I know of a number of students who forgo both of them just to become more active on campus. I applaud you but can never imagine being in your shoes. Anyway, I ended up getting involved with the Association for Women in Communications, the Society of Professional Journalists, Inc. and Speakeasy. I also looked into The Post and Backdrop, but those didn’t work out because of some scheduling conflicts. I started writing for Inc. and Speakeasy right away, which pleasantly surprised me. It added on some extra work, but I was more than happy to accept the challenge. The problem that I ran into during that quarter was trying to juggle writing for two publications while maintaining good grades and attending a handful of meetings every week. I remember waking up and leaving my house on Mill St. to head to class at 9 every morning, and then I remember not returning to my house until after dark. Almost every night I’d return home to have one of my five roommates ask me 20 questions in our kitchen about where I’ve been and what I’ve done all day. To make a long story short, it didn’t take long for me to get burnt out and admit that I had too much on my plate. My grades were dropping and I was spending an excessive amount of time in Alden. So, I realized that I wasn’t Wonder Woman and backed off my over-involvement. Soon enough I was back to my regular schedule of returning home before nightfall. The lesson here is that everyone has his or her own amount of commitment to student organizations that they can handle. Dozens of J-School students are able to manage twice the amount that I was attempting and they still have time to sleep and go uptown on the weekends. I’m okay with that. I’m okay with knowing that there are students doing more than I am because I know what my limits are and how to work comfortably around them. Now in my senior and second year at OU, I’m proud of the contributions that I’ve made and the success that I’ve accomplished. I’m the only one that is in control of my college experience and can honestly say that I have no regrets. As cliché as it sounds, everything happens for a reason, even if it’s just to give you a wake-up call. n

“ “ I’m okay with knowing that there are students doing more than I am because I know what my limits are and how to work comfortably around them.