Department of Mass Media

Table of ContentsProgram Overview .......................3

News Editorial ............................ 4-5

Public Relations ......................... 6-7

PR & Secondary Edu. ....................8

News/Edit. & Secondary Edu ...9

Broadcasting .................................10

Current Students .................11-12

Alumni ......................................13-15

Photos .......................................16-17

Texas A&M University-Commerce was founded in 1889 by William Leonidas Mayo. Starting out as East Texas Normal College, the university became a state-sponsored institution in 1917, when it became the East Texas State Teacher’s College, then to East Texas State College in 1957 and East Texas State Uni-versity in 1962. Since it was acquired by the Texas A&M University system in 1996 and became Texas A&M University-Commerce, the university has become one of the best universities in East Texas, and hosts a wide variety of students from many different countries and cultures, and its journalism department has won a great deal of awards in the relatively short span of 100 years. The Texas A&M University-Commerce Journalism Department was first established in 1915 and is cur-rently part of the College of Humanities, Social Scienc-

es, and Arts. Students are able to get their start in pub-lished journalism, radio, and broadcast journalism by joining the school newspaper, The East Texan, and the various radio stations including KKOM, KETV-3, and KETR. The East Texan was started in 1915, and at the 2015 TIPA Conference it was ranked as one of the Top 10 college newspapers in Texas. It was also named the top album reviewer in Texas at the same conference. The university’s Newscenter 3 channel is a weekly news broadcast, produced by students of the Journal-ism department’s Radio and Television classes. To help with future job prospects, Journalism majors must also take a Minor degree, may work for the Student Government and Marketing Communications depart-ments, and also must taken an internship. As of the Spring 2016 semester, a LinkedIn account is also nec-essary to graduate.

The Texas A&M University-Commerce Journalism Department

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Editorial

The news-editorial emphasis provides students with the

opportunity to obtain a liberal arts education and equips graduates with the intellectual background

and professional skills required for entry-level positions and careers in print media journalism. The graduate

with this major emphasis should possess competencies in news

writing and have an understanding of journalistic law and media ethics.

News

“I have been able to obtain an immense amount of experience, the fact that im leaving here with all the knowledge that i have as the longest editor in the history of The East Texan, i think that is a testament to the freedom tha we have here to

do whatever we want to do and go whatever direction we want to go.”Andrew Burnes, Senior

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Core Courses (12SH)JOUR 1307- Mass Communication in Society

JOUR 336- Media Law JOUR 445- Ethics in the Media

RTV 420- Interactive Media

News-Editorial Sequence (39SH) JOUR 115- Publication Design and Production

JOUR 214- Basic Reporting JOUR 260- Advertising Principles

JOUR 314- Intermediate Reporting JOUR 315- Editing and Production

JOUR 316- Topics in Community Newspaper Journalism JOUR 335- Media History

JOUR 350- Visual Communication for News Publications JOUR 380- Magazine Production and Editing

JOUR 495- Media Internship RTV 322- Video Shooting and Editing

RTV 440- News Practicing RTV 453- Social Media

Course Guide5

The public relations emphasis provides students with the opportunity to obtain a liberal arts education and equips graduates with the professional skills required for entry level positions and careers in public relations at corporate, organizational, governmental/public affairs and non-profit institutions. The graduate with this major emphasis should possess competencies in written communication, verbal communication, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills, and have an understanding of journalistic law and media ethics.

PublicRelations

“The public relations team has equipped me to become a better individual. Not only in the classroom, but outside of it as well.” -Bre Winfrey, Senior

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Core Courses (12SH) JOUR 1307- Mass Communication in Society

JOUR 336- Media Law JOUR 445- Ethics in the Media

RTV 420- Interactive Media

Public Relations Sequence (39SH) JOUR 115- Publication Design and Production

JOUR 214- Basic Reporting JOUR 260- Advertising Principles

JOUR 315- Editing and Production JOUR 328- Public Relations Principles JOUR 329- Writing for Public Relations

JOUR 335- Media History JOUR 425- Public Relations Case Studies JOUR 426- Public Relations Campaigns

JOUR 495- Media Internship MKT 306- Marketing

MKT 422- Electronic Commerce RTV 322- Video Shooting and Editing

RTV 440- News Practicing

“The experience I’ve gained in the PR course has been invaluable and has helped me gain a better under-standing of the industry.” - Jasmine Baker, Junior

Course Guide7

Public Relations and Secondary EducationCore Courses (12SH)

JOUR 1307- Mass Communication in Society JOUR 336- Media Law JOUR 445- Ethics in the Media RTV 420- Interactive Media

PR Sequence (39SH)

JOUR 115- Publication Design and Production JOUR 214- Basic Reporting JOUR 260- Advertising Principles JOUR 315- Editing and Production JOUR 328- Public Relations Principles JOUR 329- Writing for Public Relations JOUR 335- Media History JOUR 425- Public Relations Case Studies JOUR 426- Public Relations Campaigns JOUR 495- Media Internship MKT 306- Marketing or MKT 422 Electronic Commerce RTV 322- Video Shooting and Editing RTV 440- News Practicing

Secondary Certification Professional Development Course Requirements (12 SH)

SED 300- Teaching Profession PSY 300- Learning Processes and Development RDG 380- Comprehension and Vocabulary in Middle and High Schools ETEC 424- Integrating Tech into Curriculum

Residency Semester (15 SH)

SED 400- Pedagogy and Classroom Management in Field-based EnvironmentsSED 401- Technology Infused Curriculum and Assessment in Field-basedEnvironments SED 404- Secondary Teaching Practicum SED 405- Secondary Residency in Teaching (6)

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News Editorial and Secondary Education

The Journalism BA/BS graduate with second teacher certification will receive the basic skills and knowledge required of journal-ism professionals, while obtain-ing pedagogy and educational professional development course work through the Curriculum and Instruction Department.

Core Courses (12SH)

JOUR 1307- Mass Communication in Society JOUR 336- Media Law JOUR 445- Ethics in the Media RTV 420- Interactive Media News

Editorial Sequence (39SH)

JOUR 115- Publication Design and Production JOUR 214- Basic Reporting JOUR 260- Advertising Principles JOUR 314- Intermediate Reporting JOUR 315- Editing and Production JOUR 316- Topics in Community Newspaper Journalism JOUR 335- Media History JOUR 350- Visual Communication for News Publications JOUR 380- Magazine Production and Editing JOUR 495- Media Internship RTV 322- Video Shooting and Editing RTV 440- News Practicing RTV 453- Social Media

Secondary Certification Professional Development Course Requirements (12 SH)

SED 300- Teaching Profession PSY 300- Learning Processes and Development RDG 380- Comprehension and Vocabulary in Middle and High Schools ETEC 424- Integrating Tech into Curriculum

Residency Semester (15 SH)

SED 400- Pedagogy and Classroom Management in Field-based Environments SED 401- Technology Infused Curriculum and Assessment in Field-basedEnvironments SED 404- Secondary Teaching Practicum SED 405- Secondary Residency in Teaching (6)

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Radio and Television is the broadcast department of journalism, for students who want to have ca- reers in radio and television—announcing, radio

personalities, tv anchors, news writing production, di-rect- ing and production for audio/video, editing and management. This program prepares students for em-ploy- ment in prodiction and management at broadcast stations, networks, cable-TV companies, independent production houses, school media centers, and corpo-rate or industrial television operations. The standards are high and the program is vigorous.

Radio program majors work shifts at KKOM, the radio station on cable Channel 3; and then they move on to

working KETR-FM, the University’s public radio station. In the television programs the students work with lighting and camera operation, technical directing, and directing. KETV is the University’s cable televi- sion show, and it is completely student run. The programs include News Center 3, recently named one of the best student televi-sion broadcast news shows in Texas.

The radio and television department maintains a care-ful balance between in-class work and hands- on lab work, for a broadcast experience. All students begin ac-tual production in audio immediately and most will do some form of on-air work by their second semester.

Radio andTelevision

JOUR 1307 ........................Mass Communication in SocietyJOUR 336 .................................................................. Media Law RTV 420 ...................................................... Interactive MediaJOUR 445 ..................................................Ethics in the MediaJOUR 214 ........................................................ Basic ReportingJOUR 314 .........................................Intermediate Reporting RTV 1335 ..............Studies in Electronic Communication RTV 151 ............................... Communication Technology RTV 215 .................................................Media Performance RTV 320 ....................................... Radio/Television Writing RTV 322 ........................ Film-Style Shooting and Editing RTV 332 ................................. Multicamera TV Production RTV 440 ...........................Broadcast & Digital Journalism

RTV 497 Special Topic (one-hour practicums; minimum four hours) or RTV 480 ................................ Pro Seminar & Portfolio or RTV 495 .......................................................... Internship RTV 109 .......................................................Beginning Audio RTV 209 ................................KKOM News & Programming RTV 309 ..................................................KETR-FM Practicum RTV 409 ................................................Television Practicum

Choose one from RTV 221 .................................................Radio Programming RTV 360 ....................................... Digital Audio Production RTV 380 ................................................ Sports Broadcasting RTV 451 .............................................Broadcasting Seminar RTV 453 ............................................................... Social Media

Radio and Television Sequence

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“The best advice I can give to a prospective student is to be as involved in your program as possible. That means working with the newspaper, internships and going to conferences. Get as much experience as possible and you’ll be much more prepared entering the field professionally, not to mention more appealing to employers.”

- Joseph Alderman, SeniorStaff writer for The East Texan

“Everything I know about being a journalist I learned as a journalism student. But my expertise doesn’t necessarily come from classrooms primarily. While those are important supplements, it’s the extracur-ricular work that’s going to teach you what’s good and what isn’t. The most important thing you can gain is practical experience. I’ve cer-tainly gained no shortage of that over the course of my time here. “

-Andrew Burnes, SeniorLongest serving Editor for The East Texan

“There was a basketball game last year when Commerce was tied with the other team for most of the game. When they start-ed losing, the coach just started screaming at the players, and I got three consecutive shots of that. I love capturing action and emotions.”

-Kristen Taylor, JuniorStaff photographer for The East Texan

“I was a student at Konkuk University in South Korea and heard about a study abroad program connected with A&M-Commerce, and I thought it would be really inter-esting because there are so many things to learn from other countries and other cultures.”

-Aaron HwangStaff photographer for The East Texan

NEWS - EDITORIAL

PHOTOJOURNALISM

CURRENT

STUDENTS

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Kelly Fulton Major: RTV emphasis on Broadcast Minor: Public RelationsClassification: Senior

I have been a member of Gamma Phi Beta since 2012; and this has helped me to feel a part of an interconnected world with different people, and how to delegate and become a leader. I want to make sure what I’m doing impacts people in a positive way. I want to start in TV or Radio, then move up and take on administration. Being on a small campus teaches ourselves how to do things for ourselves; particularly in Dr. DeMars’s class a lot of what we do is self-taught, besides the lecture anyway.

Eric Meza Major: RTV Classification:Senior

Make a goal, stick with it and do whatever it takes—work hard 5.I learned that by working hard, anything is possible Fun Fact: For me, it’s not about the money, you have to love what you do. I don’t want to sit at a desk in a cubical, I want to have fun and enjoy what I’m doing.

Julia GessnerMajor: Journalism-public relationsClassification: JuniorFun Fact: I always put syrup in the refrigerator after I open it.

I would tell potential journalism students that they need to love to write to besuccessful as a journalism stu- dent. I think a lot of students think that this will be an easy major. It’s not. This is a competitive field and a lot of students don’t realize that they are not guaranteed a job.

Kerry Wilson Major : Public RelationsClassification: SeniorFun Fact: I jam to 70’s funk music in the shower.

The most interesting thing about journalism is meetiung new people and running around looking for stories.

Current Students Continued...12

lumniA“During my time in the Journalism Department at Texas A&M University-Commerce, I gained more than just an in-depth education. While each of the many journalism classes I took chal-lenged me to think from different perspectives and perfect my writing, it was the connections made with my peers and professors that took this program to the next level. The professors in the Journalism Department took an interest in not only our coursework, but also in our per-sonal lives, working to boost our professional careers as well as our academic ones. My peers were also a large reason I succeeded in this pro-gram. Though we started as strangers, we quick-ly became close friends who helped each other along the way through all the challenges we faced during our time at the university. I never made a better decision than choosing to get my journalism education through A&M-Commerce.”

- Katie MorrowAugust 2015 Graduate

Testimonials from our Alumni.

“I never made a better decision than choosing to

get my journalism education through A&M-Commerce.”

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The small class sizes and knowledgeable instructors

at A&M-Commerce gave me a very strong foundation in

journalism.“I chose to attend Texas A&M University-Com-merce because it was affordable and close to home. I didn’t really know what to expect be-yond that, but I am very pleased with the edu-cation I received there. I knew I would major in journalism beginning my freshman year of high school, so that was a given. It was my dream to become a reporter and spend my career shed-ding light on important issues. The actual tra-jectory of my work life has been a little differ-ent, but in good ways! The small class sizes and knowledgeable instructors at A&M-Commerce gave me a very strong foundation in journalism. From reporting to layout, I feel that I was very well prepared for life after college. After working for a newspaper publishing company for sev-eral years in central Texas, I moved back to my hometown of Mount Pleasant in 2006. Shortly after, I was hired as Director of Marketing and Public Relations at Northeast Texas Community College at the age of 24. I have been in the po-sition for almost 10 years now and it continues to challenge me. I was involved in the creation of the Texas Association for Community College Marketers (TACCM) and now serve as the Public Relations Director for that organization. I went on to complete my masters degree in Commu-nication and Leadership from Gonzaga Univer-sity in 2013. I have since had the opportunity to help teach the next generation of communica-tors as an adjunct instructor at my alma maters of Paris Junior College and A&M-Commerce.”

- Jodi Weber2003 Graduate

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“I started my time in the Journalism Depart-ment in the spring of 2013. I had already com-pleted three semesters as a Radio and Television major, and felt like I needed a change. It took me from spring of 2013 until fall of 2015 to finally complete the program. In my time in the journal-ism department, I had multiple works published in The East Texan as a member of the two reporting classes offered, as well as holding the position of sports editor at The East Texan from fall of 2014 to spring of 2015. In April of 2015, I attended the annual convention of the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association along with other members of the journalism department. In the years I spent as a journalism major, I was taught valuable skills for reporting and interview techniques, community journalism, media law, and page design. The cours-es that were offered covered a wide range of top-ics and disciplines. In addition to the coursework, I was required to complete a media internship for a semester, which I completed in the fall of 2015 at KETR, a 100,000 watt radio station located on the A&M-Commerce campus. My duties included writ-ing for web, as well as audio production and edit-ing. “The skills I learnedand the experience I gained from all of these sources allowed me to be hired for a position at the Commerce Journal newspaper in mid-December of 2015. At the Commerce Journal, I assume duties of reporting, photography, and page design. I also frequently design pages for the Greenville Herald-Banner. “I would not be where I am without the teach-ing I received from the Journalism Department at A&M-Commerce. While I still have much to learn, the foundation for a successful career has been laid due to my education. Both Fred Stewart and Dr. La-mar Bridges were key in completing my college ed-ucation. I cannot thank them enough.”

- Ryan ScottDecember 2015 Graduate

“I would not be where I am without the teaching

I received from the Journalism Department

at A&M-Commerce.”

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THE EAST TEXAN

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Celebrates 100 years17

“It was the connections made with my peers and professors that took this program to the next level” -Katie Morrow Journalism Major