Outsourcing Local New Jobs...to India?

Many American manufacturing jobs disappeared as they went overseas to cheaper markets without unions. Much of the animation for The Simpsons is done abroad. Then telemarketing jobs went to India, Central America, Mexico...as did other middle management jobs for all sorts of companies.

Now look for outsourcing to come to a newsroom near you as American journalism is exported. Is this the shape of things to come? Consider what a Pasadena paper is trying to do as it looks to outsource “local” coverage for city hall to a reporter based in India. NPR provides an interesting examination of what could happen with news jobs in this country. Imagine the implication for American Democracy, public opinion, schools of journalism, etc.

Commencement 2007- Follow Your Bliss

Follow your bliss.
If you do follow your bliss,
you put yourself on a kind of track
that has been there all the while waiting for you,
and the life you ought to be living
is the one you are living.
When you can see that,
you begin to meet people
who are in the field of your bliss,
and they open the doors to you.
I say, follow your bliss and don't be afraid,
and doors will open
where you didn't know they were going to be.
If you follow your bliss,
doors will open for you that wouldn't have opened for anyone else.
Joseph Campbell

From titanradio.net

More than 325 graduates received degrees on Old Main's Senior Terrace as the sun peaked out on a breezy Saturday afternoon in New Wilmington marking the 153rd commencement for Westminster College. Titan Radio presents highlights online from this year's graduation ceremonies. The highlights are available here on tiitanradio.net and on You Tube.

Westminster's commencement speaker, Dr. Dianne D. Aronian, encouraged each graduate to do as Joseph Campbell wrote and "follow your bliss." Aronian, a 1962 Westminster graduate and former College trustee and accomplished ophthalmologist, created a program to bring eye care to southern Belize in Central America. The program responded to a health crisis where there was no eye care available to the poor in the region. Aronian noted her work in that program was one of the more recent occasions where she discovered her newest "bliss." She described her life after her college graduation as a journey of finding her bliss a number of times from medical school and throughout her professional life. She urged the class of 2007 to open themselves up to discover the bliss that will lead them as they leave Westminster.

BC Capstone 2006-07 Tribute

Titan Radio Invites You Back to Westminster for Homecoming 2007

MONDAY, APRIL 30: BC Capstone Presentations!!!

• Monday, April 30, 2007
• Mueller Theater inside the McKelvey Campus Center
• Day Session Begins @ 11:45 Featuring Elizabeth Farry & Stevi Nelson
• Evening Session Begins @ 6:00 with an Intermission and Light Refreshments at 6:45

The public is invited. Students will make presentations addressing their senior project, the liberal arts experience, their body of work as professionals and frame it with their career goals.

Elizabeth Farry
Presentation Title: Telling the Story of my Future
Description: My presentation will highlight the things I’ve done during my time at Westminster, both on campus and off, which have not only prepared me for a career in broadcasting, but have shaped who I am today. I’ll show some of my work and talk a bit about how that’s going to help me get where I’m going.


Stevi Nelson
Presentation Title: My So Called Life After Westminster
Description: I will present my capstone presentation be highlighting elements from my radio and television resume tapes. I will connect this to how my experience in broadcasting as well as my course work at Westminster inside and outside the major has helped prepare me for what lies ahead after commencement.


Mike Wolenski
Presentation Title: Famous Last Words
Description: San Francisco, California; Youngstown, Ohio; New Wilmington, Pennsylvania. A collision of cities shape the college experience for Michael Wolenski. This presentation is a review of my senior project, liberal arts experience, and body of work.


Aidan Mewha
Presentation Title: It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time...
Description: I will demonstrate how my strong skills in broadcasting have combined with rest of my liberal arts education to create a supernova of creative energy that was released in the form of my sitcom script and short film screenplay. I will also showcase some of my broadcasting highlights at Westminster and possibly perform an interpretive dance.


Amy Lavallee
Presentation Title: Our Own Little World & Beyond
Description: I plan on talking about my years at Westminster, what I did in broadcasting and how it worked for me, and finally...I will show my E-portfolio.


Leanne Veres
Presentation Title: Experience Is Major Stepping Stone
Description: I will explain how my liberal arts education and experience in broadcasting has opened doors for me in other fields, and also showcase my works with Titan Radio, The County Line, WKST (Forever Broadcasting), FSN Pittsburgh, and the Holcad.


D.J. Yokley
Presentation Title: Pursuit of Happiness
Description: I've been thinking of my time here at Westminster. Ive also been thinking about the people I want to be at my capstone presentation, and why? Obviously I want my mom there, I'd also like my girlfriend and her family...All of my friends, ESPN producer Denny Wolfe, and a few select teachers from my days as an East Palestine Bulldog. I want to share highlights of my senior project as well as touch on my work with sports broadcasting-- on Titan Radio, WCN and Titantown Sports. My goal is to someday work at ESPN and with hard work and determination I know I can get there.

Watch the TCL Vlog Tribute produced to the 2007 BC Capstone Students! Produced by Thomas Miller.

"Education, therefore, is a process of living and not a preparation for future living." John Dewey

It's now time for BC Capstone students to focus on wrapping up projects for other classes as they also finish the last episodes of The County Line. I'm sure these folks will make trips down memory lane during DJ shifts and in the newsroom as they play out the final days of the semester. The countdown is underway for exams and graduation. Monday's capstone presentations gave this bunch one last chance to stand in front of the campus community and their families as the big dogs in the BC department-- one final chance to shine-- to show us what they've achieved as they move on to the next big thing.

This round of presentations were on target and showcased the e-portfolios, senior projects and the professional experience that will serve them well in the next phase of their lives.

Stevi Nelson's presentation was exceptionally memorable as she gave it an ending with a twist that no one will forget-- she revealed she had a job offer in sales at WTAE-TV in Pittsburgh. Congratulations, Stevi! I'm confident success will also find our other capstone students.

Mike's Wolenski's presentation focused on his achievements and growth over the past few years. He worked to showcase his efforts while entertaining the audience. While Mike didn't slip in any surprise ending, he also has a head start on his future. He currently directs the news on weekends at WYTV. However, I'm sure bigger and more challenging things are headed his way. Congratulations Mike!
Congratulations, Leanne!
Congratulations, Amy!
Congratulations, Liz!
Congratulations, Aidan!
And, Mr. Yokley, good luck on things for this summer!
The learning and experience does not end now. It's continues.

Lessons learned from the presentations:

• BRING YOUR E-PORTFOLIO. If all else fails (jump drives, portable hard drives, network drives and internet connections) you can access your work on the portfolio.
• Shorter is better. Keeping presentations under 15 minutes is a big plus over previous years. Perhaps we should consider 10 minute presentations?
• Chose a venue that will remain cool. While the Mueller Theater is a new facility, it was stuffy and hot. It's heavy usage on a class day added to the stale environment.

First Time in Las Vegas & First TIme @ the BEA

I'm recovering from BEA fever as the Broadcast Education Association converged with the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB)/Radio-Television News Directiors Association (RTNDA) Conventions in Las Vegas this week. I served as BEA panel presenter on Saturday afternoon talking about "Convergent Projects for Student Media Groups."

My presentation was titled "Convergence as Part of the LIberal Arts Mission." My panel was nearly the last to present on the last day of the convention so the crowd was spread a bit thin. We had about 15 in the audience.

I did bump into one of my instructors from the University of Kansas. Max Utsler presented on "Turning Pracitcal Newsroom Experiences into Practical Pedagogy." Utsler spent a summer working as a reporter at an NBC affiliate in Peoria, Illinois, as a way to get back to his roots in teaching broadcast journalism. I also attended a number of other presentations and panels including one on the "VJs, One-Man-Bands and the Realities of 21st Century Television News" chaired by Greg Stuart Smith of Hofstra Univerisity.

Max Utsler introduced me to Greg Smith and here's the twist-- Utsler taught Smith while Smith was a grad student at Mizzou. The Mizzou-KU journalism connections have always seemed to follow me since I am married to a Mizzou graduate.

BC Capstone Presentations 2007

BC Capstone students will make their senior presentations on Monday, April 30, 2007 in the Mueller Theater inside the McKelvey Campus Center.


Elizabeth Farry & Stevi Nelson will make lunchtime presentations beginning at 11:45.

Mike Wolenski, Leanne Veres, Amy Lavallee, Aidan Mewha and DJ Yokley will make evening presentations beginning at 6 p.m.


The public is invited. Students will make presentations addressing their senior project, the liberal arts experience, their body of work as professionals and frame it with their career goals.

Love the Blog! Be the Blog!

I wanted to offer these cartoons as a plea for Mr. Wolenski to keep on blogging after graduation.

More Fake News More Often

If you like The Onion and The Onion Radio News, then check out The Onion News Network. Fake TV news online!!! What better way to celebrate April Fools' Day than with a blog post about The Onion News Network.
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WORTH A LOOK! Listen to how he lets the nat sound and the talk outside the interivew TELL THE STORY and move it forward.

WTAE Welcomes Westminster BC Students

Capstone students traveled with students in the Producing/Directing class (BC 308) to Pittsburgh this week for a tour at WTAE-TV. Westminster grad and Channel 4 assignment editor Sarah Bowers came to work early to oversee our group of 14 as we shuffled through the newsroom, studios and master control. She even arranged some time with news director Bob Longo who sat down in the studio to talk with us.

I want to extend my appreciation to both of them and to everyone else at Channel 4 we visited and met. Look for more on our conversation with WTAE's top news guru in the days ahead.