Journalism is not a declining field — it’s an evolving one. According to a 2019 Education Week Research Center survey, 44 percent of teachers reported “a rise in journalism class enrollment and more than 30 percent noticing an increase in students’ interest in majoring in journalism in college or pursuing a career in the field later in life.” With the large increases, high school journalism programs need to make sure their technology and programs are up to date with today’s society to keep students interested, and Hoover is no exception.
The broadcast journalism/video production programs is halfway through its renovation to not only bring about a new outlook but to also allow for the much needed technological advancements. One of NCtv’s seniors, Maisyn Whitt, is very excited for the renovation and believes it’s going to “really improve our control room.”
“We’ve had our studio for years so getting a little refresh will be very helpful for the program,” she said. “I think we really need it because some of our older computers, monitors, and control panels have been glitching out and not working that well.”
NCtv’s broadcast teacher, Mrs. Danielle Wackerly, believes that the renovation will not just re-embellish the studio, but also make the behind-the-scenes work easier.
“Hopefully the renovations will not only ‘look good’ on the surface, but they will also help with productivity as things will run more smoothly,” she said. “I’m hopeful that we will run into fewer tech issues, which will allow us to focus on other ‘stuff .’”
Whitt only has one concern with the modernization of the studio, that being the disruption of class time. With the renovation originally set to happen this past summer and being pushed back to October, their fear was that “we [had] to stop news for a while and we [were] missing all of the learning and hands-on working.”
“Some of the new people in the class haven’t been doing it for too long and I’m scared that that long of a break will just hurt their experience in the long run,” Whitt said. “In the end though, I think this is going to be a great update for this program and it will be fun to create our show with it.”
Video Productions junior Siena Lange is looking forward to the updates even though there will be a temporary shut down.
“I am excited to update our equipment to make our show better than ever,” she said.
With the renovation, Lange is hoping to see more lights incorporated into the studio.
“Though we do have lights now, they are burning out if they aren’t burnt out already,” she said. “I feel that new lighting can really change the look and feel of our broadcast for the better.”
With the upgrade to the studio also comes a change in equipment. After the renovation, all NCtv staff members need to relearn how to work all of the technology. Although Whitt is nervous about the changes, she believes the goods will outway the bads.
“When I first heard about the new renovation I was a little skeptical that we would have to navigate a whole new system,” she said. “Now since I’ve thought about the benefits ts I think it’s what is best for the program and its future.”
Although the upgrades may bring up nerves in the NCtv staff , Lange believes that even with the “getting back into the swing of things,” they will pull through and make NCtv the best it can be.
“…Our production team is one of the best we’ve ever had and I am confident we can handle any challenges that come our way,” she said.
With all of the technology being upgraded, large televisions are being added, as what Whitt believes will “elevate the show a ton.”
“It will make the set look more modern and more exciting to look at,” she said. “Another thing I’m excited for is to see how everything looks and walking into the new and improved studio setting. I’ve been so used to the old system so I’m excited to see what they have in store for the new NCtv.”
Despite the fact that the renovation is targeted towards the program’s high school students, Wackerly believes that it will also “help us stay up with current technology which gives our students a leg up when they enter the fi eld whether that’s in a higher education setting or in a job.”
“We’ve had students in the past tell us that they already know how to run a lot of the technology they see once they leave here and go onto whatever is next,” she said. “We want to make sure we continue to provide those opportunities to our students.”
With Wackerly not only looking out for each student’s well-being both in and out of high school, she wants to provide her broadcast students with the experience to work with the technology of the future, with NCtv being NCCS’s fi rst all Mac-lab, and the chance to be the best they can be.
“Whether or not students choose to go into this field, we want to expose them to technology they may see and teach them important concepts like team building, time management, communication, creativity and more,” she said. “The renovations will help us to focus on these aspects.”
