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Special to the Gazette by Leigh Ellen Martz, senior journalism student
Talent is innate, some say. One must be born a painter, a musician or a
videographer.
"When someone has a good eye, I can develop that," said C.A. Tuggle, assistant
professor of electronic communication in the journalism and mass communication
school. "But I can't create it. You have to come to the table with visual
acumen."
This fall, Tuggle's students are bringing many talents to the classroom and
the studio. And he is honing their skills for the school's weekly television
news show, Carolina Week, which will begin airing on Orange County cable Jan.
26.
Tuggle's extensive experience in the television industry as a videographer,
reporter and producer means he knows what good news programming looks and
sounds like. And his teaching experience helps him funnel that expertise to his
students.
Professor Richard Simpson also is helping students prepare for the news show.
He works on the production side of things, teaching students how to operate the
cameras, TelePrompTer, microphones and all the other technical equipment.
"It's my job to get the crew up to snuff," he said. "We hope to produce really
excellent material -- interesting, informative and well-done shows."
To do that, it takes more than just a well-trained crew. It also takes the
right infrastructure. The journalism and mass communication school's new home
in Carroll Hall has it. A spanking new, state-of-the-art television studio with
lights and cameras is ready for action.
Combine that with the help of so many eager students and "curmudgeony
professors" who won't settle for anything but the best, and the school's
history of excellence will rise to new heights, Tuggle said.
Eighty-five undergraduates and eight graduate students have signed up to be a
part of Carolina Week. Tuggle says the players are the undergraduates, the
position coaches are the graduate students and the co-coaches are Simpson and
himself.
"I do kind of take a coach mentality into this thing," he said. "If I prepare
the students well, and they execute the game plan, then there's no reason why
we can't be the broadcast-journalism equivalent of UNC basketball."
During one three-hour training session, students practiced a newscast from the
top. The student director gave the orders: "Ready on set. Ready on cam three.
Ready music. Cue talent. Cut to cam three."
After several minutes of commands, the director fumbled his words. They rolled
off his tongue out of order and camera switchers missed their cues.
Tuggle stepped up to the director's microphone. He looked at the camera
switcher. "Ready on one," he said. He readied each person, then led the student
technicians and the anchor through several news stories -- flawlessly.
He stepped back and let another student try directing. Senior Leigh Skinner
led her team through several news stories with few mistakes.
The performance earned a compliment from Tuggle: "Leigh has a commanding
voice."
Another one of the players is Michael Winston, a fifth-year senior who has
been to most of the studio training sessions.
"Under the guidance of professors Simpson and Tuggle, I think Carolina Week
will be a smoothly run ship," he said. "They are more than willing to pass on
their knowledge and experience of broadcast journalism to anyone who is
enthusiastic about the field and wants to get involved."
The compliments flow both ways. Simpson said he is thrilled to see students'
work get on the air in front of a real audience and is happy about the
opportunity Carolina Week gives them.
"It lets them learn about deadlines," he said with a gleam in his eye.
Both Simpson and Tuggle said this newscast has added many hours to their work
days, but neither said it in a complaining voice.
For Tuggle, Carolina Week is the most important part of his work because it
encompasses everything he does, he said. A little teaching, putting out a
product, applying his research -- these are all ingredients of running a
top-notch student newscast.
The newscast is not limited to students in the electronic communication
sequence. Students from each sequence in the journalism school can contribute.
For instance, students in the visual communication sequence are designing
graphics that will be used in the program.
"It's a living, ongoing project to which people from across the University can
contribute," Tuggle said.
Faculty and staff can air their views
Along with giving journalism students a capstone experience by having their
pieces rolled into shows, Carolina Week. will give the campus community a
chance to participate in University life through viewership and feedback.
Faculty and staff can begin that involvement by completing a survey that will
help determine the campus community's preferred content of the news show.
Please fill one out and mail it to the journalism and mass communication
school. It's available at http://www.unc.edu/~lellen/survey.html
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