Listopad speaks on journalism at Rotary

Steve Listopad, assistant professor of journalism and media communications at Jamestown College, shared the latest in technology at Jamestown College. Three JC students who work in these areas also attended. Richard Smith, a junior, is editor of The Collegian; William Oren, also a junior, works with the television station; and Matt Nygard is a senior and the advertising manager for the college’s media department.

The Collegian has been around for almost 100 years sharing news for students as well as being used as a communication tool for activities going on at the college. Recently, through a grant and a large donation from Dakota Central Telecommunications, a television station has been set up at JC. They also received a special stipend in memory of Kurt Schork. A scholarship was donated in honor of Schork, a former journalist for Reuters, an international wire service. Schork was a former Jamestown College student. After his death, his colleagues put some money together and Jamestown College received donations.

Listopad discussed how the media is changing. Newspapers, television and radio are all becoming more closely associated. He gave the example of Forum Communications Company which owns radio and television stations as well as newspapers including The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead. The business model is changing and there are not enough people to cover all the news. Most of the news comes from journalists who work for newspapers, but now they need to share the information because so many people don’t necessarily just read the newspaper. Some people watch just television news. Others go on the Internet. Jamestown College now has an environment it has been able to create so students can get the information, the knowledge, the experience and the tools they need to go out and work in the real world upon graduation. It is a live laboratory where they get hands-on experience.

Listopad said Jamestown College recently received approval for a construction permit for a full power FM station and has three years to complete this project. It will take additional fund-raising to get it up and running and then they will need a stream of income to keep it operational. When it comes up as a full radio FM station, it will not only be available for just college students, but people within the surrounding James-town area depending on the power of the transmitter and it will run around the clock.

Schmidt handed out a variety of copies of The Collegian showing how it has changed over the past few years. The size has changed, it has been downsized, yet has more information, more color and readership is up. They reported on the presidential candidates, having student reporters who were able to take their press passes and go to Grand Forks when Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton were vying for the presidential nomination of the Democratic Party. Schmidt said the student correspondents from Jamestown College were treated with the same respect and dignity that full-time reporters for the other media received.

Oren works in the television portion of the media. He said there are daily news updates at 6:30 p.m., 8:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. The students can see these reports on JC TV, channel 16, on the Daktel television network. They can also pick it up again as it streams over the James-town College Web site. Student announcers give live updates, go to sporting events and film games and provide playback for students to see.

Nygard is responsible for selling the ads and has other students assisting him. They have sold more than $23,000 in advertising for this year.

The Dec. 9 program was presided over by Darrell Losing, past president. Vince Gregor gave the invocation, Marv Tokach led in Christmas music, and Rick Pfeifer collected numerous “Happy Dollars” for Rotary projects.

Student guest at the meeting was Jenny Flitton, a senior at Jamestown High School. Other guests were Jason Bitz, who works for Insure Forward which is the insurance division for Bank Forward, and Eric Tuchscher who is working with Mike Smyth at Edward Jones.

Today is the Rotary Christmas dinner with spouses. The Jamestown High School show choir will be special guests with Jamestown Rotary’s foreign exchange student Alison Balty being one of the performers.

For today’s meeting, Tom Eckstein will give the invocation, Gail Martin will lead the music, and Tim Ottmar will be sergeant at arms. Curt Liechty is responsible for the program.

Tags: club news, community