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A publication of the Ohio University

Society of Professional Journalists Meeting
Thursday, 7:00
SCRIPPS 111
Live From Bethlehem

SPJ Welcomes Live From Bethlehem

The documentary returns to Athens after a run at the 2009 Athens Film Festival.

T
story Graylyn Roose
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art Lauren Smith

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This week all students on campus are invited to a special screening of night,” said Sienkiewicz, noting that one of the best parts of the process
the independent documentary, “Live From Bethlehem.” was “getting to know the ways that professional life and family life
The showing, sponsored and put on by the Society of Professional come together and create their own challenges and benefits.”
Journalists, will take place on Thursday evening from 7-9. In addition, the When SPJ Programming Chairman Kevin Zieber saw “Live From
film’s co-producer Matt Sienkiewicz will speak at the event. Bethlehem” at the 2009 Athens Film Festival, he became very interested
According to the documentary’s Web site, “Live From Bethlehem” is a in showing the documentary to SPJ. However, because the movie was
film that details the hardships and triumphs of the Ma’an News Network,
which is the only major independent news organization in the Palestinian
territories. The documentary heavily details the lives of the journalists
who risk their lives to report the news in a challenging climate.
“The mission of this program is to create a layered, meaningful portrait
of the Palestinian people,” notes the Web site.
“Live From Bethlehem” producer Matt Sienkiewicz says that he
thinks that the documentary will provide a very different perspective on
journalism, particularly for those who are studying the field.
“You get to see how journalism works in another place, the actual
tangible stuff,” said Sienkiewicz. “You can get a perspective that you
probably would not have gotten from an American introduction to
journalism.”
According to Sienkiewicz, the project began when his co-producer
Joseph Sousa worked for a person who had been sent to Bethlehem to
train the Ma’an News Network journalists. However, he soon found that
they didn’t need to be taught rote journalistic theory. Rather, they needed
help with the production-related part of journalism.
Sienkiewicz and Sousa teamed up to film the documentary, which was still in the film festival circuit, it was not yet available for purchase or
shot over the course rental. Zieber emailed Sienkiewicz and began to arrange a personal
of 2007 and 2008. showing of the film.
Sienkiewicz says that “It’s really funny when I think about how it all started,” said Zieber.

Inside Inc.
he enjoyed seeing “It was totally unforeseen to me.”
the subjects of the In light of the challenges that the main characters have to face, Zieber
movie evolve over says that the film reminds him of the true definition of what it means to
the course of a year be a journalist.
and a half. “It’s a really inspiring story of people who have so much less than
Page 2: Scripps News “My favorite part
in making it was
we do and how much we take for granted,” said Zieber. “I think it’s an
exercise in humility.”

Page 3: Internship Info

really getting to know
a group of people
For students who aspire to produce documentaries, Sienkiewicz has
a few words of advice. He says that much of the process of filming an
who are very self- informational movie is in the drive to go do it.
Page 4: Standing Out aware as journalists,
really getting to see
“It’s amazing how much you can get away with by just showing up...
going somewhere and just talking to people,” said Sienkiewicz. “You’d

Page 5: From the Editor them from morning to be surprised how interested people are in telling their stories.” n
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SCRIPPS
A publication of the Ohio University
Society of Professional Journalists

NEWS
RTNDA Offers Opportunites for Students
The Radio Television News Directors Association begins the new year with new possibilities for its members.
From weekly meetings to national workshops, OU’s broadcast organization has many benefits.

S
story Gina Mussio
l art Rohan Kusre
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Scripps students, freshman or not, are probably accustomed
to the lecture about the necessity of getting involved and gaining
journalism-based experience, whatever the sequence. The difficult part
is choosing which organization is most fitting, especially out of the
numerous organizations associated with the E.W. Scripps College of
Communication at Ohio University.
The Radio and Television News Directors Association is the largest
trade organization for broadcast and electronic news journalists. RTNDA
is dedicated to “training and developing future professionals to maintain
the highest standards in broadcast journalism.” OU was among the first
universities to create a student chapter of this professional organization
when RTNDA founded its Student Chapter Affiliate Program in 1987.
Faculty Advisor Mary Rogus has served as an education liaison on
the national organizations board for just over a year and will continue to
serve until spring of 2010.
“We try to bring in people and talk about what is going on in the
industry, what’s going on in the business, and prepare them for a job,”
Rogus said.
Students can become members of the student chapter for 10 dollars
a quarter or 25 dollars a year. They also
have the option to bypass the student
dues by going straight to the national
organization and paying their dues of 65
dollars a year. This will get them access to
all of RTNDA’s Web resources, including
their job bank and research tools.
During the weekly meetings on
Wednesdays in the Radio and Television
Building room 371, students hear
professional journalists speak, participate
in workshops and learn specific skills,
such as résumé building and critiquing.
Potential new member Matt Digby is
interested in RTNDA for the experience he
will gain from it.
“Jobs are more interested in hands on
experience than course work,” he said.
Many students’ plan of attack is to
attend a variety of meetings to get a feel
for their options and to learn what they
want to do in the future.
President of RTNDA, junior Pat
Henderson, differed from many students
because he knew he wanted to do
broadcasting from the start and chose OU specifically for its broadcast
program.
“I wanted to get as involved as possible, because you as an individual
want to do what you can to stand out,” he said. He cites the organization
as a great “learning experience” and has plans for every meeting this
quarter including a producing workshop, a crisis reporting session and
a visit from OU’s new broadcast professor Kevin Greives, a former
producer for CNN International.
Henderson said his responsibility is to make sure “everything is going
according to plan and everyone is doing their job” and also stressed that
RTNDA is a great place to take education outside of the classroom with
people who are willing to help.
“One of the biggest benefits for freshmen in RTNDA is the chance
to interact with upperclassman and meet broadcasting majors and learn
about WOUB,” Rogus said.
OU freshman Cathy George agrees. “It is such a competitive market
and just to get a chance for a hands-on experience, I wouldn’t want to
pass this up,” she said.
On top of the informational meetings, RTNDA’s national organization
holds an annual spring conference that
is perhaps their most popular event. The
conference provides a chance for students
to meet professionals who are national
RTNDA members.
Students can gain résumé skills and
critiques and hear many network speakers
such as last years speaker, Mary Tyler
Moore. This conference has produced many
internships and job opportunities for past
students and continues to do so today. As
Rogus said, “it’s as much about who you
know as what you know.”
If a student is unable to attend the
national spring conference, there is always
the local conference held by OU’s RTNDA
chapter. It is a daylong event that offers
multiple chances to network, often with
many graduates of The E.W Scripps
College of Communication. Many students
have successfully found internships simply
through the local conference and by
becoming members of OU’s student chapter
of the Radio and Television News Directors
Association. n
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A publication of the Ohio University
Society of Professional Journalists INTERNSHIP
NEWS
MTV Offers Dream Jobs
MTV networks give students an opportunity to work with what they know.
story Caitlin Ash art Rohan Kusre listings Sarah Grothjan

A
l l l

At some point in their lives, every teenager and twenty-something
has flipped through channels and stopped at MTV or one of its affiliates.
Students now have the opportunity to intern for the stations they grew up
watching. MTV Networks is offering multiple internships at its various
stations across the country during the fall, spring and summer.
There are many positions available in a large variety of departments
including animation, communications, finance, marketing, production,
radio network, wardrobe, graphics, off-air print, online media and many
more. Positions are available for students in all majors with various
focuses.
There are nine locations available for internships in California,
Illinois, New York, Tennessee, and Florida. The networks offering work
include MTV Networks, Nickelodeon Studios, CMT and MTV Networks
Latin America, all of which are units of Viacom Inc. The locations
offering the most positions are the MTV Networks locations in Santa
Monica and New York City.
Priority for these internships is given to juniors, seniors and law
students and interns must be receiving course credit for their work. In
addition to these qualifications, students must be available to work a
minimum of two full days per week during the business hours of 9:30am
– 5:30pm, Monday through Friday. However, specific programs may
require more days per week. The programs last for at least 10 weeks at a
time.
For the MTV Networks Latin America, located in Miami, Florida,
applicants are recommended to have strong skills in both written and
verbal Spanish communication.
Students are also required to submit a cover letter and résumé,
two letters of recommendation and college transcripts for most of the
internships.
MTV Networks has a rolling application policy for fall and
spring internships and accepts application from Jan. 1 through April
1 for the summer program. All applications can be sent to MTV
Networks Internship Program, 1515 Broadway, New York, NY 10036.
Applications may also be emailed to internships@mtvn.com. More
Information about each specific location and network can be found at
www.mtvncareers.com. n

Who What When Where Why How

INTERNSHIPS

Meet the Press Winter Break Email Résumé to

with David Internship (November Washinton D.C. Internship Sean Balewski
Gregory 30 thru end of Credit at sbalewski@
December) gmail.com

Interns will Contact David

Alfa Fellowship Internship February Russia receive monthly H. Mould at
Program and Exchange 2010-April stipends and 740.593.4855
Program 2011 free housing.

Online PR and As soon as

Online (no Can earn up Email dperro@
Zzapps brand develop- intern can
travel) to $8000 per zzapps.com
ment internship begin. design.

John R. Wilhelm Applicants list

Foreign Internship Fall (Flexible their top three Cover breaking Students must
Correspondence Schedule) countries with international complete JOUR
Internship application. news. 466 and 467.
Program
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A publication of the Ohio University
Society of Professional Journalists COMMENTARY
NEWS
How to: Stand Out from the Crowd
Become recognized as an active member in a large student organization.
story Melissa Ferguson art Rohan Kusre
l l

Many Ohio University students are actively involved in student
organizations on campus. Because many of those organizations have an
excessive amount of members, it is not uncommon for a student to feel
lost and unnoticed while at meetings or events. Although it is not always
easy to become recognized, there are a few tricks and tips that can be
used to help you when in similar situations.
A few good ways to start sticking out in a big group is to be polite
and friendly, to demonstrate your abilities in a creative way and to do
something original or unexpected. Always maintain a positive attitude
and volunteer regularly, such as participating in meeting forums when a
guest speaker is visiting.
The Ralph and Luci Schey Sales Center is one of the largest student
organizations on campus. Human Resources Director of the Sales Center
and senior Kelly McCreedy advises students who are members of large
groups to take initiative to participate in small projects from the start of
your membership. She said it is an effective way to get noticed early and
can be used as a way to be recognized for other leadership positions in
the future. She also stressed the importance of sticking to deadlines when
working on projects and always contributing above and beyond the bare
minimum.
“I make sure I get to know everyone, and I get people to know my
face so that I have a good network set up,” McCreedy said.
McCreedy said that many of these and similar skills are necessary
to possess during college in order to practice and use them in students’
future careers. In the professional world, employers want to see the real
side of who you are and the skills that you personally bring to the table.
Do not be afraid to reveal some of your personal characteristics that
you possess, such as your sense of humor or infatuation with technol-
ogy, with future employers as well as current peers. Remember, practice
makes perfect.
Making your presence known in a large group setting can be a daunt-
ing task, but as long as you are dedicated, motivated and confident
standing out can come natuarlly. So, the next time you show up for a big
meeting, don’t hesitate to introduce yourself to someone you don’t know
or raise your hand and ask a question to a guest speaker. There is nothing
wrong with getting some attention for the right reasons. n

Have a big event coming up? Want everyone in the J-School to know about it?

Place Your Ad Here

Contact Cameron Glover at cg197008@ohio.edu or Graylyn Roose at
gr341107@ohio.edu to find out more about having your event preview
mentioned in the next issue of Inc.

Correction: In the last issue of Inc, Jill Mapes was incorrectly listed as the editor of Speakeasy Magazine.
Jeremy Bookmeyer is this year’s editor-in-chief and interested students can contact the managing editor at
speakeasyeditor@gmail.com.
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A publication of the Ohio University
Society of Professional Journalists
The Risks of Being Overly Involved
Columnist and editor Cameron Glover discusses the possibility that there is a limit to what one student can do.
story Cameron Glover
l art Rohan Kusre
l
As many of the J-School students already know, joining student
organizations is a vital part of the college experience at Ohio University.
Seriously, just ask any upperclassmen – they will tell you exactly that
and more. But what happens when those organizations that you must be
involved with consume everything that is your college experience? Or
when you can’t maintain respectable grades because all of your focus is
on getting published, noticed or accomplished?
While investing time and energy into student organizations is neces-
sary, it is not uncommon to hinder your sanity.
Take my story for example: When I transferred to Ohio University last
year, I could not wait to get involved. I had spent two years at Ball State
University in Muncie, Ind. as a decent student and an active member in
“ “
several journalism and leadership organizations, but I knew that I needed
to boost my printed portfolio. To be honest, I had only been published
once as a freelancer for the
student newspaper. I was after
some clips. I’m okay with knowing that there
I remember walking around
Scripps and being so intimidated are students doing more than I am
by the school’s reputation. I
definitely felt like a freshman because I know what my limits are and
again – no offense. Pretty soon how to work comfortably around them.
the mass e-mails were clutter-
ing my inbox informing me of
what organization was meet-
ing when and where and why I should be there. The opportunities were
everywhere, but I had convinced myself that I needed to spend my first
quarter getting acclimated with my new surroundings and the quarterly
academic schedule. Trust me, semesters are way better, so be glad that
OU is making the switch.
Winter quarter finally rolled around and the
mass e-mails were back in my inbox. This time I re-
sponded. I even went to a bunch of different meet-
ings, especially if they had pizza. Well, then I made
a mistake that I didn’t really pay for, or admit, until
the next quarter.
Before we get into that, I need to explain that
there are two more-than-necessary components
in my life that I adhere to the best that I can. One,
I absolutely must have a full eight hours of sleep
every night. If not, you can count on me being mis-
erable the next day and probably making everyone
around me just as miserable. Two, I thoroughly en-
joy and depend on my social life. It basically gives
me something else to look forward to and think
MISCELLANEOUS
NEWS
about, besides journalism, of course. I find it necessary to reveal those
components because I know of a number of students who forgo both of
them just to become more active on campus. I applaud you but can never
imagine being in your shoes.
Anyway, I ended up getting involved with the Association for Women
in Communications, the Society of Professional Journalists, Inc. and
Speakeasy. I also looked into The Post and Backdrop, but those didn’t
work out because of some scheduling conflicts. I started writing for Inc.
and Speakeasy right away, which pleasantly surprised me. It added on
some extra work, but I was more than happy to accept the challenge.
The problem that I ran into during that quarter was trying to juggle
writing for two publications while maintaining good grades and at-
tending a handful of meetings every week. I remember waking up and
leaving my house on Mill St. to head to class at 9 every morning, and
then I remember not returning to
my house until after dark. Almost
every night I’d return home to
have one of my five roommates
ask me 20 questions in our kitchen
about where I’ve been and what
I’ve done all day.
To make a long story short,
it didn’t take long for me to get
burnt out and admit that I had too
much on my plate. My grades
were dropping and I was spending an excessive amount of time in Alden.
So, I realized that I wasn’t Wonder Woman and backed off my over-in-
volvement. Soon enough I was back to my regular schedule of returning
home before nightfall.
The lesson here is that everyone has his or her own amount of com-
mitment to student organizations that they can
handle. Dozens of J-School students are able to
manage twice the amount that I was attempting
and they still have time to sleep and go uptown
on the weekends. I’m okay with that. I’m okay
with knowing that there are students doing more
than I am because I know what my limits are and
how to work comfortably around them.
Now in my senior and second year at OU, I’m
proud of the contributions that I’ve made and the
success that I’ve accomplished. I’m the only one
that is in control of my college experience and
can honestly say that I have no regrets. As cliché
as it sounds, everything happens for a reason,
even if it’s just to give you a wake-up call. n