News Set Signals Importance of Broadcast Journalism

“We’ve been able to produce stories periodically, but not an entire TV show,” said Brooke Van Dam, Ph.D., assistant professor of communication studies and journalism program coordinator, who spearheaded the project. “I hope that soon we can air a news broadcast before chapel or on closed-circuit televisions.”

The set, housed in Darling room 415 and the nearby Information and Media Technology (IMT) control room, involved a yearlong development process and collaboration across campus, including contributions from journalism students, IMT, and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Marc Ameel, technical director of theater arts and designer of the news set, said, “Having students involved in the construction is important because it fosters an appreciation for what goes into the project before you can sit in front of the camera. It gives them ownership of the project.”

Emily Boden, a senior journalism major and Capture’s news director, believes the new set will open doors for journalism majors and make the university’s journalism program relevant and competitive in the field of broadcast journalism. “Students can use this as a springboard to work for local talk and news shows right in our own backyard,” she said. Students filmed the first on-set Capture news program October 9.