Fall 2010 - St. Cloud State University

S t u d e n t M e d i a
Media Convergence
UTVS Joins Times Online
By Jason Tham
SCSU’s student-run television station has
partnered with the St. Cloud Times to
produce online news.
“This is not our fathers’ world anymore; this
is a huge media convergence in journalism,”
said Mark Mills, chairman of the mass
communication department and professor of
broadcast journalism.
Initially, UTVS news directors Ryan Ruud
and Raquel Hellman launched a news
website apart from the UTVS main website
(www.utvsnews.com) in a move to expand
the UTVS news audience and content.
Mills said this partnership allows students to
work with professional journalists from the
St. Cloud Times.
Every Wednesday, UTVS news directors
meet with the St. Cloud Times to sort out
ideas for news content and video.
Mills said the partnership gives students
a more diverse journalism experience in
convergence journalism, while providing the
St. Cloud Times with more online content.
UTVS student reporters are featured on the
St. Cloud Times’ website.
“I think this partnership is a win-win
for everybody,” said Gregory Martin,
UTVS adviser and professor of television
production.
“The Times is getting additional website
content,” Martin said. “UTVS is getting
more substantial journalistic assignments.
So, both of the media are getting more
exposure.”
Mike Knaak, assistant managing editor
of the St.
Cloud Times
said, “The
p a r t n e r s h i p
with UTVS has
benefited our
viewers and the
St. Cloud State
U n i v e r s i t y
j o u r n a l i s m
students. Our
viewers are
seeing more
news videos
p r o d u c e d
under the direction of Times editors. The
journalism students have the opportunity to
work in a professional newsroom covering a
wider variety of stories than they would be
producing for a campus audience.”
Mills said the partnership means more work
for the UTVS team because they have to
produce two videos, one video for UTVS
News and the other for the Web.
A second challenge is that, “they are still
students and they tend to make mistakes,”
Mills said.
“Students have to be sure to meet the
journalistic standards of the local paper. I
think it is a great motivation to reach for the
best possible standards in everything that
they do,” Martin said.
Mills said the Times has a very strict
accuracy policy and they always help with
editing the videos.
“Sometimes it is hard working with students
but we maintain a very professional level of
expectation,” Ruud said.
Ryan Ruud and Raquel Hellman
Both news directors of UTVS expressed that
they also faced some challenges because the
TV journalism approach may be different
from print.
“Putting the editing pressure on student
reporters is actually a huge benefit to them,”
Hellman said.
Initially, UTVS planned to produce only
one or two stories a week for the St. Cloud
Times, but UTVS is doing three to four
stories a day for the St. Cloud Times, Ruud
said.
Knaak, and John Bodette, executive editor
of the St. Cloud Times, have been very
helpful in training UTVS students through
this partnership, Mills said.
“I think it is something the University as a
whole should be very proud of; it shows the
innovative spirit of St. Cloud State,” Ruud
said.
“It is also an example for other student
organizations looking to partner with
community leaders and businesses,”
Hellman said.
Ximena Tejada Wins SCSU
2009 Outstanding Thesis Award
Ximena Tejada, who completed her master’s
degree in mass communications in April 2009,
won the SCSU Outstanding Thesis Award for
the year.
Her thesis, “A Study of Community Video as
a Tool in the Creation of Public Spaces for
Participatory Communications and Community
Development with Women, People of Color and
Ethnic Minorities,” described the strategies used
by community groups and analyzed them in
light of mass communication theories.
Her adviser, Professor Marie Dick, said Tejada
“has identified important descriptive elements
of current industry practices, developed positive
relationships between academia and industry
professionals, and provided a prescription for
improvement within the industry she studied.”
Tejada is continuing her research as a graduate
student at the University of Minnesota.
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