Students in the School of Journalism and Electronic Media are “learning by doing” as they produce a weekly news program called UT Today for WBIR-TV Channel 10 in Knoxville.
The half-hour program, now in its twentieth season, is scheduled to broadcast Sundays beginning March 9 at 11:30 a.m. and will run for eight consecutive weeks. UT Today was named the best student newscast in the state by the Tennessee Associated Press Broadcasters Association in 2013.
The program is produced by an advanced television news class taught by Sam Swan, professor of journalism and electronic media. The class functions like a TV news department, with Swan serving as news director and students performing all television studio production roles, such as reporting, anchoring, and producing. Stories for the program are generated by students and approved by Swan, and topics include state, national, and international issues; sports; and special features related to the economy, environment, and education.
“The program provides opportunities for students to gain real-world experience in a professional environment,” said Swan.
Swan said UT’s School of Journalism and Electronic Media is one of the only programs in the nation that offers its students the chance to write, report, and produce for a program that is broadcast on a local network affiliate not connected with the university.
For more information about the School of Journalism and Electronic Media, visit the website.
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C O N T A C T :
Sam Swan (865-974-5123, Samswan@utk.edu)