Journalism Students Explore New Media Platforms

Journalism students at the University of Guelph-Humber are getting creative in the studio, developing their broadcasting and videography skills with the introduction of a new media initiative.

Emerge Magazine and the Emerge conference is student run venture put on and created by fourth-year media studies students.

Kalyna Taras, a fourth-year journalism student says the idea for Emerge new media was conceived when students expressed interest in producing TV news stories as opposed to being constrained to exclusively writing for Emerge Magazine.

Andrew Budish, a fourth-year journalism student pitched a branch of new media, Emerge TV, to professor Kimberley Noble.

“I had helped her last year with a conference of journalists and branched off of that concept to create Emerge TV,” said Budish. “I’ve always wanted to get in the studio at some point during my four years at GH and found the perfect opportunity to do it.”

Budish describes new media as great opportunity for students to gain experience working in the studio and to become comfortable with the equipment to pursue a career in broadcast journalism.

The Emerge TV team has produced a pilot episode that shows an exclusive glance into what PR students are preparing for the upcoming Emerge conference and magazine.

Budish said his team is working on coming out with new behind-the-scenes episodes of the Emerge conference and magazine each week.

“People can expect a new, edgy take on news. We want to deliver the news in a different manner than the typical, CTV [or] Global news,” said Budish.

The new media team also produces videos with pictures and articles to enhance storytelling.

“Multimedia is focusing on more creative storytelling and using multiple platforms to do that, Emerge TV focuses on more ‘one-off’ stories with a newsy approach to the storytelling,” said Taras.

“Multimedia work is so crucial in this day and age for news – and the media industry in general – that it is necessary and essential for new media to be part of Emerge.”

“Unmasking Cirque: The Journey Begins,” as an example, the team produced a backstage at Cirque Du Soleil, including a show review, photo gallery and documentary.

Taras said there will be four multimedia stories on the website by the semester’s end. The team is working on producing content, feature articles, documentaries, reviews and photo essays in the coming weeks. “Our goal is to use as many media as possible to tell one story,” she said.

The team has also produced a photo essay on Toronto Comicon, as well as a recap of what happened the first two days at the convention. A longer documentary featuring convention culture and cosplay will be published this coming week as well.

Natalie Quinlan a Guelph-Humber alumna said adding the new media group caters to a larger market of young professionals and change Emerge for the better.

“Everyone receives messages in different ways and for me personally, I’d prefer to watch something rather than read it,” said Quinlan. “So, in my mind, adding a TV production component to it will only add more depth to the conference overall.”

Emerge new media is also working on a multimedia piece about tattoos in the workplace, produced by journalism student Ariel Vogn-Bento and Becky Gilchrist.

Taras said she is also producing a documentary that will come out mid-April, highlighting the definition of beauty and the distance people will go to achieve society’s standard of beauty.

Emerge started off as a print magazine in 2011, and later progressed to encompass an online publication.

The magazine will also host its annual conference on April 22 at the University of Guelph-Humber. To purchase tickets for the conference or to find out more about Emerge visit www.emergemagazine.ca.

Tags: emerge, guelphhumber, journalism, media