BEA2025

This panel features those who have made a quick turn-around from student to instructor prior to getting a Master’s degree, Ph.D. or other certification. From teaching at high schools to instructing at R1s, our panelists have found a variety of ways to head broadcast & digital media classrooms.

We will discuss the pros, cons, challenges, experiences, anecdotes and anything else relevant that might be helpful to others doing or thinking about doing the same or considering the hire of someone who might check different experience boxes than those on a more traditional pathway.
Moderator: Carey Higgins-Dobney, University of Kentucky
Panelists: Justin Wall, Roosevelt High School, Fresno Unified School District, justin.wall@fresnounified.org
Panelists: Kaitilyn Furister, Aims Community College | Freelance
David Ashley, University of Kentucky

Moderator: Ahmed El Gody, Orebro University
Hussein Amin, American University in Cairo; Case Study of Facebook in Egypt
Rasha Allam, American University in Cairo; Navigating Change: Assessing Social Media's Role in Reshaping News Distribution and Revenue Streams
Ahmed El Gody, Orebro University and Mahitab Ezz El Din, Linnaeus University; Clicks, Shares, and the Decline of Serious Journalism: A Content Analysis of Egyptian Newspapers in the Digital Age
Salma El Ghetany, American University in Cairo; Fast Moving Consumer News (FMCN): Context Deficit in News Consumption Among Younger Generations"

So You're the Department Chair: Guidance From Those Who Have Done It
This panel will feature a group of current and former department chairs from all over the country. We invite any department chairs who are new to the position or who are simply looking for new ideas on how to tackle the many issues and challenges that come with the position to attend. Panelists will provide tips and tricks that have helped them to make the most of their time in the Chair position. We will also be providing ample time for Q & A so that we can best try to assist with the specific challenges you are facing at your institution. This panel will share insights about how we acquired an administrative position, the challenges in the transition to the "dark side" and the expectations of leadership in higher ed.
Moderator: Lowery Woodall, Millersville University of Pennsylvania
Panelists: Sara Magee, Loyola University Maryland
Craig A. Stark, Susquehanna University


Teaching to Administration: How it started, How it’s going.
As faculty earn tenure and promotion, many higher education institutions tap these seasoned faculty to take on leadership roles and serve as an administrator. However, the transition isn’t as pleasant as one may think. Higher education is going through a change and leaders are seeking strategies to meet the workforce demands while also envisioning strategies to increase the value of a college education. From teaching to the classroom to solving higher education problems, the transition can be exciting, rewarding, challenging, and exhausting. Before faculty consider the leap to the “dark side,” they can hear stories of success and challenges, and ask questions of administrators who were once peers of the faculty membership.
Moderator: Angela Criscoe, Georgia College & State University
Panelists: David P. Burns, Salisbury University
Bradford L. Yates, University of West Georgia
Aaron Chimbel, St. Bonaventure University

This panel features faculty who have internationalized their course or curriculum to offer a more global perspective on the courses they teach. Such an effort is not difficult, but many faculty lack the knowledge of how to do it, or lack the understanding of why it is important. The panel will offer perspectives on why adding an international component is important, how to do so without completely rearranging the course or curriculum, and will offer some case studies that highlight the benefits of add an international component.
Moderator: Andrew M. Clark, University of Texas - Arlington
Panelists: Jeffrey Wilkinson, Florida A&M University; Roxane Coche, University of Florida; Erika Grodzki, Lynn University; Deborah Wilson David, Nottingham Trent University

LinkedIn, Indeed, Talent Portals-there is a variety of ways to look for the first job as you graduate from college. What will help you stand out in this still competitive job market? What should your resume and portfolio include? We will gather a panel of recruiters and hiring managers to help soon-to-be grads prepare to enter the job market.
Moderator: Heather Dunn, Talent Dynamics/ASU
Panelists: Kari Patey, VP of Producer Development, CBS News and Stations
Sinan Sadar, News Talent Recruitment, Hearst Television
Chip Mahaney, Emerging Talent Leader, E.W. Scripps Company
Patrick McCreery, Owner, Talent Dynamics and former President, Meredith Local Media Group

Just weeks away from entering the industry, graduating seniors reflect on what they've learned in their time in student media, how it has impacted their careers, the things they wished they were taught, and the things they wished they knew. This panel will benefit advisers looking to strengthen their programs and students looking to get the most out of their student media experience.
Moderator: Jasen Sokol, John Carroll University

Everyone understands the weight a practicing professional has on the
classroom. Appropriately, they are given higher regard and respect from students and their
advice is often received in a different light than that of the professor (even if it’s the exact same
advice). Well, what if the professor is a practicing professional? This panel explores how to
maintain an active engagement in professional opportunities, balancing paid client
opportunities with what scholarship institutions expect for promotion and tenure, and case
studies from faculty on the intersection of freelance work and pedagogy.
Moderator: Tyler Christian Welker, Huntington University
Panelists: Jonathan Vinson, Huntington University; Rodrigo Gomez, Middle Tennessee State University; Adam Widener, Huntington University

At BEA 2024 in Las Vegas, a panel on "extreme deadlines" veered into a tangent on accommodations--those official notes appearing in recent years that demand more time or quiet conditions for a student to take a test (among other things). But can you accommodate a student who needs more time when your newscast starts exactly at 5:00? For this one, we would invite two deans of students or HR professionals, one from a large state school, one from a small private school, in addition to a professor who leads live newscast labs. This should leave to extensive audience Q&A.
Moderator: Kevin Finch, Washington and Lee University
Panelist: Lydia Reeves Timmins, University of Delaware

This panel starts with a presentation of the latest developments in communication technologies, including electronic mass media, computers, consumer electronics, networking, and telephony, with special emphasis on how AI, regulatory climate, and climate change are impacting the communication industries. The second half of the session will be an interactive discussion among the attendees and the presenters, designed to allow all BEA participants to contribute to our understanding of the trajectory of these technologies.
Moderator: Augie Grant, University of South Carolina
Panelists: Jennifer Meadows, Chico State University; Sharon Baldinelli, Ph.D, MPH, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Eric P Robinson, University of South Carolina; Jeffrey Wilkinson, Florida A&M University

As published on the RTDNA website, “The RTDNA/Newhouse School at Syracuse University Newsroom Survey is the only comprehensive annual research of radio and television newsrooms.” This session, led by the survey’s researchers, will present the 2024 findings, providing an overview of the current state of local radio and television news. This includes information on staff demographics, worker safety, management hiring and retention decisions, and use of new technologies including AI.
Moderators: Keren Henderson, Syracuse University; Bob Papper, Syracuse University

Are colleges offering media literacy classes to help students put the media in context? This panel asks a number of questions of the panel and we hope for more answers from the audience. How do we teach media literacy? As a unit, a course, a sequence? Are we only teaching info literacy or examining the many elements of media content for effect? We will also offer ideas for exercises to better examine media literacy techniques.
Moderator: Richard Vogel, retired from Culver Stockton College
Panelists: David Crider, SUNY - Oswego
Jennifer Rachel Billinson, Nazareth University

Faculty are burned out. Perhaps some more than others, but it’s nevertheless a challenging time to be a faculty member in higher education. Panelists from across the country and at different stages in their respective careers will share their ideas and innovations to bolster motivation. This session is meant to be interactive, so please bring your suggestions and best practices too! Let’s help each other out to address the burnout.
Moderator: Adam J. Kuban, Ball State University
Panelists: Stacey O. Irwin, Millersville University of Pennsylvania; Jocelyn B. Millana, Missouri State University; Carey Martin, Liberty University; Chris Strobel, Northern Kentucky University

A panel of faculty and administrators who develop transfer/transition/articulation agreements for their media programs will discuss the benefits of helping media students make a seamless transition from high school to college and from 2-year to 4-year college programs by giving credit hours for courses they take at their original school when they enroll.
Moderator: Robert Maass, Metropolitan Community College
Panelists: Kevin Burke, University of Cincinnati; Donna J. Koskela, Pinkerton Academy

Top 10 tips to tell the story through visuals rather than relying on dialogue or exposition. Panelists will discuss translating emotions, themes, and actions into scenes that captivate the audience visually.

Attendees will have the opportunity to workshop their own work and receive feedback from peers and colleagues in the room.
Moderator: Andrea Baltazar, Weber State University
Panelists: Tom Provost, Chapman University; Dustin M Bessire, Weber State University

College campuses are in crisis. From active police presence on campuses, to active shooter drills, to protests, tensions on college campuses have been demonstrably difficult. This session will discuss best practices in preparing students for reporting crisis on campus. Crisis's where the student reporters may, in fact, have a pretty large stake. The panelists will discuss boots-on-the-ground experience, and provide insights on how to navigate experiences safely, and make sure reporting is neutral.
Moderator: Valerie Turco, SUNY New Paltz
Panelists:
Gregory Bray, Chair, Department of Digital Media and Journalism SUNY New Paltz
Darren Johnson, Publisher, Campus News and Incoming Editor in Chief, The Legislative Gazette
Dwayne Cheddar, Professor of Communication, Oakwood University
Emily Clayton, Managing Editor, The Oracle, SUNY New Paltz
Jeremy Sodergren, Editor in Chief, The Oracle, SUNY New Paltz

Videogames trace their history to the 1960s, but games did not feature content labels until the industry formed the Entertainment Software Raging Board (ESRB) after Congressional intervention in 1994. For 30 years, the ESRB has been the de facto regulatory body of videogame content, with practices informed by systems used in films, comics, and music. This panel reflects on the ESRB’s history, formation, and influence (for better and worse) in shaping videogame content and culture.

Moderator: Nicholas David Bowman, Syracuse University
Panelists: Amy Kristin Sanders, Pennsylvania State University; Blood-spatter effects and breasts that jiggle during combat: Are we effectively regulating video game content?
Nick Bowman, Syracuse University; Moral Panics and motivated myopia: How the ESRB influences broader views of videogames as (il)legitimate leisure
Sam Srauy, Oakland University; Violence? Whose violence: The imagined gamer, race, and the ESRB hearings 30 years later
Trystram Spiro-Costello, Temple University, Digital involution: Three decades of ESRB ratings

While equipment resources, major-centric curriculum, and portfolios are vital to a student's prospects in the industry, much of what employers are looking for in new hires have to do with "soft skills" including teamwork, problem-solving, adaptability, and dependability. In order to best prepare students for the workforce, higher education institutions must grapple with ways to address these demands. This panel explores tangible ways in which to challenge students in these areas both in and outside the classroom through curriculum and program adjustments, initiatives, and various other strategies. 
Moderator: Jonathan Vinson, Huntington University
Panelists: David Whitaker, Asbury University; Adam Widener, Huntington University

As funding for student media operations from administration continues to stagnate or be outright cut, student media advisors are faced with unprecedented financial dilemmas, especially as the costs associated with operation continue to rise. This panel will explore nontraditional revenue sources used by student media organizations to help fund operations in this challenging environment, including production services, event planning, digital advertising, and other various unconventional revenue streams.
Moderator: David Crider, SUNY - Oswego
Panelists: Shawn Isaacs, University of West Georgia
Steve Suess, Illinois State University
Derek Wood, Ashland University