January 20, 2014
The Journalism Department’s student clubs were busy during the fall of 2013, planning events, networking and creating innovative workshops. The following are some of the highlights from last semester:
Latino Journalists’ Twitter chat, #JtalkCSUN, gains attention
In Fall 2013, the CSUN Latino Journalists club held a Twitter Q & A or “Twitter chat” with professionals from KPCC, NBC and other media outlets.
The event, Digital Tools and Branding, focused on ways in which students can create an engaging online presence and use digital tools for journalism. The Q & A proved popular enough to generate over 600 tweets. On the day of the event, the chat hashtag, #JtalkCSUN, was trending on Twitter.
Students and professionals alike tuned in to participate in the chat. Some of the professionals involved in the chat included Kim Bui, former senior producer for mobile content, and NBC social media reporter Mekahlo Medina. Recent CSUN alum Jonathan Gonzalez (KBAK) participated as well.
Gonzalez advised students to be careful when using social media to find stories and to “triple-check” facts when reporting.
CSUN RTDNA plans audio production seminar for students
The CSUN Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) chapter hosted an audio production seminar presented by engineer Victor Frost in December. The organization aims to get its members “to the next level” by providing them with weekly workshops, seminars and guest speakers.
Frost’s presentation included information on the various types of microphones and how they are used, the technique for using a microphone, and he also demonstrated how to edit audio using specialized software.
“Audio editing is one of the most important components in news reporting,” said Frost, a CTVA major and the podcast editor for the Daily Sundial. “You don’t want to remove anything necessary to the footage, but you want to make sure the audience won’t be distracted with unnecessary sounds.”
Throughout the semester, RTDNA also hosted special guest presentations from local news stations such as NBC and ABC, internship, resume and interview workshops, and the group toured the KCSN station.
“Being a member of RTDNA has made me more motivated about my career path,” said senior and journalism student Karla Gregg. “My experience has allowed me to learn a lot about the journalism industry, build connections, and meet other students who share my interests.”
RTDNA is the world’s largest professional organization exclusively serving the electronic news profession. RTDNA members include local and network news executives, news directors, producers, reporters, digital news professionals, as well as educators and students. Founded as a grassroots organization in 1946, RTDNA works to protect the rights of electronic journalists in the courts and legislatures throughout the country, promotes ethical standards in the industry, provides members with training and education and honors outstanding work in the profession.
CSUN PRSSA workshop introduces students to use popular public relations tool
CSUN Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) members attended a Cision workshop presented by recent journalism graduate Ruben Ochoa late last semester.
Cision is a popular public relations tool and database widely used by professionals in the industry. Students often encounter the program during internships, and it is to their advantage to have some knowledge of the tool before working at their first job.
Ochoa, a former CSUN PRSSA member, graduated in May and is currently working for one of the leading public relations and communications firms in the world, Burson-Marsteller. In his presentation, he demonstrated the many ways today’s public relations practitioner can benefit from using Cision.
“Knowing Cision establishes a basic skill required by top PR firms and it's actually one of the reasons BM hired me,” said Ochoa. “It's also another reason large PR agencies want you to have internship experience because they assume you will learn such tools before joining them.”
The presentation detailed the three main functions of Cision: plan, monitor and analyze. Ochoa sat with the students and walked them through an example for each function to demonstrate how to build media lists, then monitor and analyze coverage.
“Cision is one of the most valuable things a public relations student can learn,” said Pamela Chinawah, CSUN PRSSA president. “Being able to go into an interview and say ‘I know how to use Cision’ puts you ahead of the game because the company won't have to spend resources training you on the program. … Every company appreciates hiring someone who will save money and bring value. ”
Ochoa concluded the presentation by allowing students to access Cision in order to gain more of a hands-on experience.
“Work on being a curious student as much as possible,” he said. “Don’t just talk about wanting to succeed or achieve something, demonstrate your desire in your actions and be about it.”
PRSSA seeks to advance the public relations profession by nurturing generations of future professionals. It is made up of more than 10,000 students and advisers organized into 300 plus chapters in the United States and one in Argentina. PRSSA is headquartered in New York City, and led by a National Committee of PRSSA and PRSA members. For more information about CSUN’s PRSSA chapter visit https://www.csunprssa.org/.
All the Journalism clubs have many exciting events planned for Spring 2014. For information on joining a Journalism club, see the links on any page on this website.