The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, October 13, 1980, Page Page 6, Image 6
Editorials?eb
Broadcasting's
fuzzy picture
Television broadcasting at USC's college of journalism is
in trouble. They are having problems meeting their deadlines
and in producing their scheduled half hour news/feature
program "Perspectives" for a local cable station.
If the show produced were only for in-house use it wouldn't
maKe any aiiierence ? 11 wouia men De purely a learning
experience for broadcast students ? but it isn't. It goes out
on the public airways and its South Carolina audience expects,
not a simple classroom exercise, but a regular and
acceptable program.
It isn't the staff's fault, nor entirely the fault of the journalism
department, but they need the support of the
university so they can put out a program that will reflect a
good image of USC to its South Carolina audience.
Starting this year the journalism department created a
print practicum in which journalism students for one
semester of their senior year work full-time putting out a
weekly newspaper. It is an excellent system because while
still in school students are getting the feel and experience of a
real-life working situation.
For the print practicum there are four professors, two
r* Mn j-Ii 1 r% fnnntotnrtio n nrl r*\ rv full f 1 n ? 1 t ? r\ r? 00
giduuciic dddiduiiiio anu unc tuiriiuic piuuutuun w ui i\ci ao
well as journalism students with a minimum of three years
undergraduate training.
Then there is radio. A half hour nightly newscast is sent out
over three National Public Radio stations. Working on this
program are one professor, one graduate assistant, four paid
undergraduate assistants and between seven and nine radio
reporters earning three hours of credit.
Compared to the television practicum the above practicums
are in heaven. For its weekly television show there is
onp nrofpssnr (who donhlps for radio) nnp Graduate assistant
and six students earning three hours of credit. Yet TV is
acknowledged as the most demanding, time consuming and
physically strenuous part of the industry
Granted there are problems ? money is always in short
supply and equipment is expensive (about $100,(XX) was spent
tor equipment last year) and staffing. This summer the
journalism department received the go ahead to establish a
broadcast news section and now any more moves are up to
the dean of the college.
The print practicum is proving successful, and the answer
to the problems of broadcasting is to establish a broadcasting
practicum with students engaging in full-time production.
Dean Scroggins admits that eventually he wants to
establish a broadcast practicum winch will produce not only
a weekly newscast but a nightly one. Luckily, the head of the
local cable stations, Richard Gainey, has enough faith in the
college to agree to air the programs. But if no programs are
forthcoming, will he continue to offer them the chance of
airing a show? That's unlikely.
Asked if he had a time-table in mind for a practicum, the
dean was not reticent, only vague.
It took ten years to get the print practicum off the ground
Yet, as one spokesman for the journalism department said
broadcasting should learn from the mistakes print made
One mistake is to offer a limited practicum, since no one has
any time to devote to production ? yet this is exactly hou
broadcasting is set up.
Since there are money and staff problems, the university
chnnlH malo euro innmolicm hoc tirKof i# if rvnKlw
U..V/UIV4 II1MIW UUI V JVU1 liUUOIll I1C40 VYIIUI II ll^UO, 11 1 Ul ^UUIH
relations reasons if no other. That way students, by working
full-time in a practicum, will know what it is like beinf
professionals, meeting deadlines, and will hopefully produce
a more professional product.
In the long run, establishing a broadcasting practicum wil
not only help the students, but enhance the standing of USC ii
the South Carolina community.
Footnote for cowards
Several writers of letters to the editor have received
anonymous phone calls from people disagreeing with theii
opinions. Some of the phone calls were threatening, and all
were annoying.
The proper place for a response to a letter is the editorial
page...to call anonymously is the mark of a coward.
Q amecock
Founded 1908
No* sroom: 7 7 7 7 181 Advert.stny /7/ 4?49
Bus ness Office: 777 3888 Production Z /7 2833
Stephen Riddell . Ed.tor Richard Movers Asst Sports Ed
Brian Melton Copy Desk Chief John Parneli Graphics Editor
Carl Bafocock . . . Editorial Pa<je Editor Cylindo Calvort Wire Editor
Mark Platte. . News Editw Jeannie Ralston Features Editor
Kevin Johnson. Asst News Editor Jean Hatched . . . Business Manager
Leesa Bainbridge Ent. Editor* Jerry Brewer General Manager
Ward Borden Ajsi. Ent Editor Anthony Gray Advertising Manager
Mike Chibbaro Sports Editor William Tinsley . Production Manager '
Michelle Burchotte . Asst. Sports Ed. Mark Ethridge Jr Adviser
Sole reproduction rights granted to the Associated Press. All other mater,al
contained herein may not be reproduced without the permission of the editor
Opinions expressed in the Gamecock are those, if signed, of the writer, and. if
unsigned, of the editorial page editor
Letters & Columns
The Gamecock welcomes letters and columns. All letters and columns must be
typewritten, triple spaced on a 65 space lino.
Letters should be no longer than 300 words and columns should be limited to one
newsworthy subject no longer than four typed pages. Letters and columns must be
signed with the writer's correct name, telephone number, mailing address, class
standing or faculty position and major. Pseudonyms are unacceptable, but the
writer's name may be withheld on letters, upon request, if the circumstances
warrant it
We reserve the right to edit columns and letters for space and stylo and we
reserve the right to reject any column for any reason.
Address letters and columns to: Editorial Page Editor. Gamecock, Drawer A, USC, j
Columbia, S.C. 29208.
Btlkj <5)G)AI
? ?-L
We ai
(Editor's Note: The dean
of the College of Journalism
was shown the first draft of
today's editorial and asked
for comments about it. Here
is his reDlv.)
To the Editor:
Elsewhere on this page,
Editorial Page Editor Carl
Babcock displays a great
deal of concern about what
he feels is neglect on the part
of the College of Journalism
toward a weekly cable news
program.
We share his concern.
However, we also feel that,
as an ethical and respons 'ble
journalist, he should make at
least a minimal effort to
determine the facts and the
background of this particular
situation. To say no
one is concerned belies the
activity of a log of concerned
professors and staff.
FACT: There is a print
practicum for senior
newspaper students, with
Studen
at IJSC
To the Editor:
Much has been said about
drunken, rowdy, and unruly
fans and students at college
football games, but at last
Saturday night's USC-NC
State game I witnessed what
*
mill1
*ieoccx i<*eo
ettens to t Y
re conc
lOui professors involved, |
plus two graduate assistants
and a production assistant.
Point one: Four instructors
are used because
the senior practicum consists
of four different
courses, each taught by a
different staff member, and
the students get 12 hours
credit, not three as in
Journalism 534, Broadcast
Journalism Practicum.
Point two: The print
practicum does more than
publish the laboratory
newspaper; it serves the
typesetting and layout needs
of all sequences in the
College, including Broadcasting
and Advertising/Public
Relations.
A full-time production
assistant is thus a necessity,
as the area stavs busv eieht
^ ? ?/ o
or more hours a day, five
days a week.
Point three: The print
practicurn has evolved
slowly over the past ten
years, irom aimosi no
facilities to the present
t drunks
| football
had to be the most disgusting
event I've ever seen at a
football game.
Throughout the first half
an obviously intoxicated
quartet of three females and
one male screamed,
wmmmm?mmmmmmmmmKmmmmMmmmammmmmmmmm?Kmmmmmmm
^ffii
ne Editor ?
rernec
barely adequate ones.
Point four: The cable
news practicum is brand
new and is in the process of
evolving just as did the print
practicum. At the present, it
consists of one course taught
by one instructor. This fall is
actually the third semester it
has been offered. /
f
Point five: The
television equipment used in
the broadcast practicum is
not only quite expensive, but
also is heavily used by other
broadcasting and advertising
students and
r* nwc* \17/\ /"4 A r>/\4
U1CS3U1 O. VY U UU 11UI I1VW
have all the equipment we
need, but ? just like the
print practicum ? we are
adding to it as funds become
available. In fact, just this
summer, we have added one
portapack camera (for three
altogether) and equipment
to upgrade both TV studios
to broadcast quality.
The College's small annual
equipment budget must be
disgust
[ games
stumbled, shouted obscenities,
and generally
made nuisances of themselves
in "support" of the
Gamecocks. I can usually
take this in stride, for
children will be children.
At the beginning of the
halftime show, however,
after two of the women had
left, I glanced to my left to
l- I ~ I r
uuaci VI- lilt' nielli* IllCIIlUt;!" UI
the group relieving his full
bladder off the top of the
stadium!
Fortunately, there were
two highway patrolmen
about four feet in front of
me, and I quickly directed
their attention to this
moron's sick behavior. A few
seconds later, after being
allowed to zip up his pants,
the guy was handcuffed and
led out of the stadium, much
to the satisfaction of us in
that area.
1
spread over all areas of the
College. When you consider
that one professional color
television camera costs
more than two or three times
our entire annual equipment
budget, it is going to take us
a while to have the complete
facilities that we need.
Point six: We are just as
desirous as Mr. Babcock of
having a senior semester for
broadcasting as does the
print area. However, it was
not until this past September
that the Faculty Senate
approved changes in our
broadcasting sequence that
specifically calls for a
broadcast news area. It
takes time to build this up, to
say nothing of the difficulty
of getting authorization to
add sufficient faculty,
graduate assistants and
additional funds for
equipment.
Albert T. Scroggins, Jr.
Dean, College of Journalism
ing
The ooint of this letter
should be clear ? being an
obnoxious, disgusting drunk
at our games is hardly
mature at all, and I'm very
glad most of us aren't that
way. Don't get me wrong ?
I'm not out there tailgating
before and after every
game, and I'm not a "holierthan-thou-Bible-toter"
either.
It's just that I (along with
98 percent of USC students)
know when to quit drinking
and enjoy the game in a
civilized manner.
But to the other 2 percent
or so who ruin things for the
rest of us ? grow up, people.
You're acting like children,
not responsible adults, and
it's going to catch up with
you very soon.
K.A. McFerrin
accounting junior
i