54FALL ACADEMICS HONORS STUDENTS MAJORING IN public relations and multimedia journalism were invited by the Communication Department and the Honors College to travel with five faculty members to complete an honors contract project in New York during the 20th anniversary of 9/11. Eleven students spent three days learning and honoring this moment in United States history, a day none of the students were old enough to remember. Two professors on the trip shared their individual experiences of 9/11. Associate professor of communication Ginger Blackstone was a part of the team at CNN that won an Emmy for the network dedication of coverage on 9/11. She was living in Atlanta serving as a producer for CNN when the World Trade Centers were attacked. She shared details about how broadcasting and production changed during coverage on Sept. 11. Smaller channels such as TNT, TBS and CNN International simulcasted CNN to centralize the news. The network did not take a commercial break for two weeks, losing regular income. “There was no rule book for this,” Blackstone said. “Nothing like this had happened before.” Distinguished Professor of Communication Jack Shock helped oversee media relations for the Red Cross at Ground Zero, days after the attacks. He shared his knowledge of and history behind the 9/11 memorial pools when the group visited days before the 20th anniversary. The memorials were located at the base of the World Trade Centers and displayed an engraving of every name of those who died. American flags or single white roses were placed on some names, honoring their lives. During the visit, multiple news stations across the globe interviewed Shock regarding his experiences at Ground Zero and why he returned to New York that weekend. Shock used this opportunity to teach the students about interview tips and media relations. None of the members of Engine 54/Ladder 4/Battalion 9 working on Sept. 11, 2001 returned to their firehouse. The students and faculty visited this station and met with current firefighters who shared their stories of 9/11 and how they were inspired to join the fire department years later. Sophomore Ellery Gardner was not alive in September of 2001 and found new perspectives when listening to those close to the tragedy. “It was inspiring to see the place where these people had worked and how the current firefighters there are so passionate about serving New York City,” Gardner said. The faculty members connected communication strategies to what the students saw and experienced. Typefaces on the subway, advertisements in Times Square and headlines on Sept. 12, 2001, were topics that surfaced during the trip. “It’s about our effort to bring not only the news to [them] but to bring [them] to the news,” Shock said. “That is our calling card.” WRITTEN BY EMILY STINNETT NewsYork
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