Professionals in the communications field spoke at a program for students that gave them an opportunity to ask questions about mass communication and to discuss how journalism affects modern issues.
Residential Life and the Association of Black Communicators co-sponsored “Mass Comm Up and Down” Tuesday night in Acadian Hall.
Guest speakers included John Hamilton, dean of the Manship School of Mass Communication, Jennifer Hale, a reporter for WAFB, and State Rep. Sharon Weston-Broome, D-Baton Rouge.
Molly Byrne, a mass communication freshman, said she went to the forum “just to try to get some insight” into the profession.
Hale and Weston-Broome shared their experiences in the communications field and gave students tips for success.
Hale, an LSU alumna, works at WAFB in Baton Rouge as a reporter. She said her experiences as an intern for various journalism outlets, including CNN, and her graduate degree in journalism were invaluable in helping her get a job at a television station.
“I love the station where I work,” Hale said.
She said she never could have made it to a larger outlet like Baton Rouge if it wasn’t for her extra training.
“Prepare yourself for when that next opportunity comes,” Hale said.
Martin Holmes, a mass communication junior, gained a lot of insight into the real world of communications.
“Communication is key,” Holmes said. He said the speakers “just let you know what’s true is true” and that their frankness was very helpful.
Weston-Broome, a self-proclaimed visionary, told students that a good journalist must want to see change take place.
“Too often I come across students who want to go without paying any dues,” she said. “For the average person, it doesn’t happen like that.
“A strong foundation of good oral skills and good writing skills certainly will help you,” Weston-Broome said.
Tammy Sam, a psychology and English junior and residential adviser in Acadian, helped organize the event.
“A lot of our students are looking to getting into mass comm,” she said. “We wanted to provide them with answers firsthand.”
Hamilton said there are three characteristics of a succesful journalist.
“Writing. That is the most important thing,” Hamilton said. He listed curiosity as “absolutely essential” and also stressed the need for a willingness to work hard.
Hamilton explained the changing Manship School entry requirements to the mass communication majors at the forum.
“We want to reduce the total number of students in the program,” Hamilton said. He said this will result in a more selective admissions process at the Manship School.
“I heard mass comm was an easy thing to go into,” Byrne said. “Maybe it’s not that easy.”