Mass communication students returned from NYC

After an eventful spring break, seniors Diana Levy, Brooke Holden, Sommer Turner and juniors Eric Pearson and Melanie Mitchell have returned from the 2013 Media Discovery Trip in New York City.

The students engaged with on-site professionals as they toured various media outlets the city has to offer. This year marks the first time that the Mass Communication Department allowed its students to embark upon this journey, and most of the students found that visiting the city equipped them with both knowledge and real-life exposure.

Some of the outlets the students toured include CBS This Morning, Good Morning America, ABC News with Diane Sawyer, The Katie Couric Show, The Chew and The New York Times.

Each participant feels that the trip catered to each one of their goals on a personal level. For some of them, the experience helped clarify their goals and made them seem more attainable.

“Before the trip, I had a general idea of what my career goals were,” Levy said. “After visiting The New York Times building, it made me think long and hard about what I really wanted. I thought about everything the newspaper has done to change the world. It made me want to be a part of something greater and work hard to really achieve my goals.”

The linking of classroom knowledge to real life also excited the students. Professor Lundberg hopes that the students are able to apply much of what she taught them to their hands-on encounters in NYC.

“I wanted to expose them to a lot of areas that they can consider as career options,” Lundberg said. “I hope that it inspired them—I also hope that it encouraged them to apply what they do in class to real life.”

Many of the participants were excited about meeting working professionals. The meeting with the professionals and their attitudes toward their jobs allowed the participants to see that the media is not as intimidating as they thought.

“It was a memorable experience,” Holden said. “I admit, I was starstruck at first, but their demeanor was so genuine that I soon snapped out of it. I’ll never forget how Robin [Roberts] waved to us the minute we walked in, or the genuine “thank you” she mouthed to the professor for supporting her fight against MDS. [They] made us feel so welcome and opened so many doors of opportunity for us! Their humility and work ethic made an impact on me.”

During an interview with the students, they were asked if they would have felt prepared to work in one of the media outlets if given the opportunity. Many of the students responded that they would have been confident in themselves enough to accept a real job.

“After being a part of this wonderful experience, I feel that I was always prepared for the real world,” Pearson said.“Being from a small town sometimes makes you feel as though you will not be able to handle a major city like New York. After talking to people at CBS and ABC, I learned that my professors have been giving me all of the tools that I need to compete. “

Holden and Mitchell created an online blog journal for the Mass Communication Department. They will upload videos and pictures showing others at FMU what they did while in NYC.