2008 Woodie Awards
New student club helps journalism, PR majors
Campus chapter of national club offers access to industry research
Issue date: 4/21/05 Section: News
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A new club with national affiliations is now on campus. The national Radio-Television News Directors Association (RTNDA) recognized Webster University's chapter April 4, and the Student Government Association (SGA) recognized RTNDA April 5.
"The club is important because it is part of a national chapter that's very prestigious with members including Walter Cronkite," said sophomore Gabe Bullard, broadcast major and vice-president of RTNDA.
The purpose of the club is to increase networking capabilities, discern knowledge and to get speakers on campus in the broadcast journalism industry.
"Journalism is changing with the Internet and 24-hour news programs," said junior Brittany Burke, a broadcast journalism major and president of RTNDA. "We need to compete with people entering the field and also people that are already in the field."
There is a $55 fee to join the national organization, but the campus chapter is free and open to all students. Benefits of joining the national chapter include access to the RTNDA members-only Web site, discounted fees for workshops and access to the latest industry research. RTNDA offers workshops all over the country providing job training, job offerings and internships to participants.
There are about 12 members in the club, officers and public relations leaders: Burke, Bullard, Kera Steavenson, Nick Prosperi, Todd Hicks and Anne Naglich. Eileen Solomon, associate professor of broadcast journalism communications and a member of the national organization, is the faculty adviser for the club.
"I was behind it and supported it, but they did all the work," Solomon said. "I told them about the organization and things available from it."
Burke said in previous years there has not been as many broadcast journalism majors, which might account for the absence of a campus club for broadcast majors. This year there are about 45 broadcast journalism students at Webster.
"The club is important right now to be able to compete with larger schools with more funding, like Mizzou," Burke said. "Broadcast and journalism students have faced obstacles with faculty and staff."
The goals for the new club are promoting themselves, being at Springfest and freshmen orientation and getting speakers on campus. Now that the campus television studio is finished, they can do mock television shows. RTNDA also wants to communicate with other student chapters and to attend the RTNDA conference next spring.
RTNDA will receive funding from SGA next semester.
"There's not really anything we need funding for the rest of this semester," Bullard said.
The national organization was founded in 1946 as a grassroots organization but has grown into one of the largest professional organizations serving the electronic news industry. Student chapters have existed since 1987.
The club plans to have its first speaker in September although they do not have anyone scheduled yet.
"The club is important because it is part of a national chapter that's very prestigious with members including Walter Cronkite," said sophomore Gabe Bullard, broadcast major and vice-president of RTNDA.
The purpose of the club is to increase networking capabilities, discern knowledge and to get speakers on campus in the broadcast journalism industry.
"Journalism is changing with the Internet and 24-hour news programs," said junior Brittany Burke, a broadcast journalism major and president of RTNDA. "We need to compete with people entering the field and also people that are already in the field."
There is a $55 fee to join the national organization, but the campus chapter is free and open to all students. Benefits of joining the national chapter include access to the RTNDA members-only Web site, discounted fees for workshops and access to the latest industry research. RTNDA offers workshops all over the country providing job training, job offerings and internships to participants.
There are about 12 members in the club, officers and public relations leaders: Burke, Bullard, Kera Steavenson, Nick Prosperi, Todd Hicks and Anne Naglich. Eileen Solomon, associate professor of broadcast journalism communications and a member of the national organization, is the faculty adviser for the club.
"I was behind it and supported it, but they did all the work," Solomon said. "I told them about the organization and things available from it."
Burke said in previous years there has not been as many broadcast journalism majors, which might account for the absence of a campus club for broadcast majors. This year there are about 45 broadcast journalism students at Webster.
"The club is important right now to be able to compete with larger schools with more funding, like Mizzou," Burke said. "Broadcast and journalism students have faced obstacles with faculty and staff."
The goals for the new club are promoting themselves, being at Springfest and freshmen orientation and getting speakers on campus. Now that the campus television studio is finished, they can do mock television shows. RTNDA also wants to communicate with other student chapters and to attend the RTNDA conference next spring.
RTNDA will receive funding from SGA next semester.
"There's not really anything we need funding for the rest of this semester," Bullard said.
The national organization was founded in 1946 as a grassroots organization but has grown into one of the largest professional organizations serving the electronic news industry. Student chapters have existed since 1987.
The club plans to have its first speaker in September although they do not have anyone scheduled yet.