Audio Visual | News
Journalism Students Get Hands-on Experience
Journalism students at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) are getting a real-world education, thanks to new handheld camcorders recently purchased by the university. The acquisition supports the San Luis Obispo, CA. institution's "learning by doing" approach.
Cal Poly this semester invested in 10 GY-HM150 ProHD camcorders from JVC, a provider of audio-visual products. The cameras enable students to get hands-on experience with gear they'll use in their professional careers, according to Harvey Levenson, interim chair of the Journalism Department and head of the Graphic Communication Department at Cal Poly.
"This partnership with JVC enables us to educate students using equipment that they will encounter in the journalism profession when they enter it," said Levenson, in a statement issued by the company.
The cameras record on non-proprietary SDHC and SXHC media cards, a feature which Richard Gearhart, professor and news anchor for KSBY, NBC's affiliate station in central California, appreciates. "The ability for students to easily go to any electronics or even drug store to buy additional cards is really, really helpful," said Gearhart in the prepared statement. "In addition, the ability to remove and replace cards without stopping the camera is a very impressive feature."
Gearhart further noted that this acquisition moves the Journalism department closer to a full HD and file-based workflow.
"Commercial news operations are using tapeless formats," he explained. "We need to have our students learn what is standard in the industry. With these cameras, we can now conduct our advanced broadcast news production class utilizing an entirely tape-free system. Using the cameras for classes and on-campus video projects will give the students a big advantage in the job market."
About the Author
Kanoe Namahoe is online editor for 1105 Media's Education Group. She can be reached at knamahoe@1105media.com.