Ohio University on Friday announced a long-term investment plan for the future of its student media by expanding the role of The post officeThe current Student Media Sales Internship Manager to serve all student media on campus.
Scott Titsworth, Dean of Scripps College of Communication, says Andrea Lewis’ role on campus will be secured in an exclusive interview with The post office Friday. Lewis is currently The post office student in charge of internship in media sales at Scripps College.
This summer, OR dedication to the student media was called to question by many, both inside and outside the university space. June 17, NEWS from Athens reported the funding for the position of student internship manager in media sales had been cut and, if the funding was not obtained within the year, the position would no longer exist. The position costs the university about $45,000 a year, according to The post officefrom 2019-20 Salary Guide.
Lewis will transition from student media sales internship director to student media director at OU. She will be responsible for developing, maintaining and serving all student media organizations on campus beyond The post office. Lewis’ salary will not change immediately following the transition.
Lewis’s position allows student journalists working at The post office focus on creating and publishing content without having to work on the business and financial side of publishing. The post office and the implications of deleting this post made national securities in July after NEWS from Athens‘ the story broke.
“There is a common need to increase revenue through advertising and other types of support. There’s a common need to navigate university bureaucracy to do things like buy equipment and pay students,” Titsworth said. The post office. “I have the utmost confidence that she will not only be able to do this well, but through her leadership we will be able to elevate the way we view student media at Ohio University. .”
WOUB Public Media, Scripps College, the Division of Advancement and university leadership have all teamed up to provide financial support for Lewis’ post through at least 2027. Scripps College will be solely responsible for funding the position after that.
“The speed with which the university and the Dean of the College of Communication came up with a solution to this issue speaks volumes about how much they value student media and our on-campus journalism program and ensure that these students can focus on being good reporters and not worry about the processes behind the scenes,” Lewis said.
Titsworth also shared plans to create two advisory boards in partnership with Lewis. The first is tentatively called the “Student Media Advisory Group” and will be made up of OU alumni and industry professionals. The second group – the Student Media Leadership Council – will include the leaders of all student media organizations on campus. Titsworth said he hopes this group will allow student media leaders to collaborate in a positive way.
The groups have not yet been formed but will be during the school year, Titsworth said.
In addition to advisory groups, Titsworth is exploring the possibility of internship credit for students who work in media organizations at OU. Currently, the Speech and Debate Team receives internship credits, giving OU a model to apply to student media.
Titsworth also said he was assessing spaces that were unused due to the COVID-19 pandemic and how they might be used in the future. These spaces can be used as student media centers for publications that do not have a newsroom or central location.
“The idea of having a space for student organizations is one of the priority items on this list,” Titsworth said. “If we can find a space that we don’t need, that would be a really good alternative to using it that would have an impact for students.”
OU also announced on Friday a $100,000 donation to The post office by the Richard Salomon Family Foundation. The money was used to create the Laura Landro Salomon Fund to provide support for students working at The post office.
Laura Landro Salomon graduated from UO in 1976 and holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Salomon has worked as a copy editor, reporter and feature section editor at The post office while he was at OU. After graduating, Salomon spent 35 years working as a journalist and editor at The Wall Street Journal.
“The Post and other similar organizations provide invaluable real-world experience to students in a multitude of disciplines at Ohio University,” OU President Hugh Sherman said in a press release. of the University. “We are grateful to the Richard Salomon Family Foundation for recognizing the importance of independent student journalism, and we are committed to expanding opportunities for student media organizations at OHIO.”
Lewis said the money will give the more than 120 students who work at The post office the opportunity to grow technologically and explore the limits of journalism while a sales force raises additional funds to cover its operations.
“It can be used for things like supporting student salaries, promoting and facilitating the purchase of needed technology and other equipment,” Titsworth said.
Titsworth said all student media on campus will now act as if they were a professional or private media organization within OU. However, he said there is a definite line in which the university will not attempt to police or censor content, leaving editorially independent media practices intact.
“I think there is tremendous potential for appropriate interactions with our student media on campus, so they can all step up and have access to a sales team to bring money to their organizations and their enable us to do greater things,” Lewis said. “I’m very excited about what this potential means.”
