126WINTER ACADEMICS Talk TO ME Broadcast journalism students develop professional skills by participating in creating a podcast. WORDS OF TRUTH Sophomore Ellery Gardner speaks from her podcast script. The Department of Communication provided equipment for students to record original messages. Photo by: Julianne Baker DURING THE FIRST SEMESTER OF 2021, students interested in broadcast journalism were given the opportunity to develop new career-related skills. Students who took the broadcast news practicum class with associate professor of communication Ginger Blackstone honed their skills by developing podcasts using the department’s professional recording equipment. In the broadcast news practicum class, the students performed different jobs each week, including the production of a podcast. These rotations were intended to improve each student’s production skills. Creating a podcast was a chance to work on planning, confidence and storytelling. “This is a performance class, so it allows students to get comfortable with the sound of their own voice,” Blackstone said. “To learn how to use the equipment properly, to speak clear, to think about telling a story or informing the audience [is essential].” Every podcast was a new discussion on a topic of the student’s choice, serving as a chance to show off personal creativity and develop freedom in storytelling. The topics often related to the Harding or White County communities in some way. Sophomore Mattie Powers participated in this assignment and spoke to long-term benefits. “It was good for me to get this experience so I could get a feel for what it’s going to actually be like someday in this career field,” Powers said. The podcast studio was an addition to the Department of Communication and a personal favorite for many students in the practicum class. Sophomore Ellery Gardner said it was especially important to practice making podcasts because they were relevant in the area of work and popular among the general public. “I know that having this skill of being able to create a podcast will help to show future employers that I have experience and variety for certain types of content,” Gardner said. The students were able to be creative and have fun by bringing in special guests or telling personal stories. This helped them be more comfortable with unscripted conversation. In many ways, this class prepared them for jobs in broadcast journalism and for entering the workforce in general. “Using your voice and communicating clearly can open all kinds of doors, not just in terms of presentation or broadcasting, but also when speaking before a group,” Blackstone said. “If company leadership sees someone commanding the room vocally, that person just might get the next promotion.” WRITTEN BY WATKINS KELLY
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