Eight local media professionals recently switched roles and acted as instructors for students in Associate Professor of Mass Communication Maria Lundberg’s broadcast journalism courses.
When Lundberg learned she must undergo shoulder surgery, she decided to reach out to local journalists.
“I was worried about how to make sure my students would all continue to learn during my absence from school,” Lundberg said. “It’s great for students … to interact and network with media professionals that they wouldn’t otherwise have an opportunity to meet.”
Rusty Ray, an anchor at WBTW, spoke to students about the importance of good writing in storytelling.
“TV writing is all about taking the viewer to the story, showing the viewer the way and then letting the people, the characters, in our stories do the real work,” Ray said.
Allyson Floyd, an anchor and assistant news director at WPDE, discussed what a typical day at a news station is like and how she got started in the industry, including how she lost her Lake City accent.
Floyd encouraged all mass communication majors to complete an internship.
“That will give them real world experience, and they may just change their minds about which job is the best fit for them in a newsroom,” Floyd said.
Digital journalist at the Marion Star and Mullins Enterprise newspapers Andy Golden, an FMU graduate, also stressed the importance of completing internships.
“If you want it enough and you prepare yourself, by taking internships, asking professors for help, joining The Patriot staff … there are jobs out there to be found,” Golden said.
David Hart from WBTW and The Morning News, Paula Caruso and Matthew Nordin from WMBF, and John Sweeney and Rebecca Ducker from The Morning News also filled in during Lundberg’s absence.
“I’m really grateful to all of them for so generously sharing their time and insights with our students, in hopes of better preparing them for their future careers,” Lundberg said.