March 13, 2002
Careers in PR seminar

    About 20 people attended the Journalism Club's "Careers in Public Relations" seminar March 13 to learn what PR is, why people do it and how to get into it.
    Speakers were: Amy Rankin, vice president of Scott-McRae Advertising; Jane Belz, assistant director of News and Publications at UNF; and Bobbi Reid Doggett, instructor of communications at UNF and former statewide communications director for the American Lung Association.
    To explain what PR is, Belz described a recent incident in which an acquaintance asked for her guidance in publicizing a project local schoolchildren did. Belz helped get the attention of the media, and the project was covered by local TV stations and the Times-Union.
    PR frequently involves media relations such as the incident Belz described.

Careers in PR panelists (from left): Jane Belz, Amy Rankin, Bobbi Reid Doggett.

    Because media relations is a critical part of PR, an understanding of the media is important for PR professionals, the speakers said. PR people need to understand what the media's interests and requirements are. Rankin suggested reading newspapers as much as possible to help gain an understanding of journalism.
    All three speakers had some sort of background in journalism. Rankin was a sports reporter in college; Belz worked as a reporter after graduating from UNF; and Doggett took journalism classes in college, along with PR classes.
    They said students should avoid PR if they do not enjoy writing, because PR usually involves a lot of writing.
    Also, they said students will be able to compete for PR jobs more successfully if they have portfolios of stories they have written for newspapers, magazines, newsletters, etc.
    A portfolio is not required, Rankin said, but it is a definite plus that distinguishes a candidate from other candidates with the same degree.
    Rankin suggested writing for The Spinnaker, UNF's campus newspaper, as a possible way to build a portfolio.
    The speakers said students should not be too concerned about money when choosing a career. Rankin said students should do whatever they enjoy, regardless of what it pays, because they are going to spend a lot of time at work during their lifetime.
    Doggett briefly described some of the PR classes she teaches at UNF - PR campaigns, PR writing and PR principles. (For more information about these and other classes, see the course schedule descriptions in the UNF Undergraduate Catalog). Doggett said those PR classes are important for people who want to get into PR.
    In addition to studying PR, Rankin recommended studying liberal arts and sciences - history, religion, philosophy, culture, sociology, psychology, etc.

Sept. 12, 2001
Former intern panel discussion

    Internships are essential. That was one thing all the panelists agreed on during the Journalism Club's first-ever seminar.
    Despite the tragic events of the previous day, about 20 people came to the Sept. 12, 2001 seminar focusing on internships. They listened to the discussion, voted in the club election and ate free pizza.

The speakers at the internship seminar (from left): Jeff Minton, Jason Matheny, John Harrell, Laura Burns and Jamie Walker. (Photo by Jason Pratt)

    John Harrell, news director for 102.9-FM The Point, was the discussion moderator. Harrell completed internships in radio and television that helped launch his radio career. The panelists were: Jeff Minton, former Beaches Leader intern; Jason Matheny, former 600-AM The Ball intern; Jamie Walker, former White Publishing intern; and Laura Burns, former National Foundation for Women Legislators intern.
    During Minton's internship, The Beaches Leader offered him a permanent job, which he accepted. He said he is grateful to have a job at a small newspaper, because he can be a "big fish in a small pond" instead of vice versa.
    The panelists explained how they obtained their internships and what type of things they did at work. All agreed that doing an internship is a positive experience that they would recommend to others.

Oct. 18, 2001
Guest speaker: Josh Talkington, anchorman, FOX-30 WAWS

    When Josh Talkington spoke at a club seminar Oct. 18, students were able to ask the local anchorman questions about his job and get valuable advice regarding careers in television news.
    He advised students to get experience while in college by doing internships and being involved with campus media.

Talkington

Talkington explained that students who want good on-air jobs should have an excellent tape to send to potential employers. He also reminded students to be realistic about their goals for their first job. They shouldn't expect to get a job in a large market right away. Instead, they'll have to work their way up into bigger and bigger markets throughout their careers, he said.
    Attendees at this event enjoyed free subs and bread-sticks from the Italian restaurant Fazoli's.
    The club leadership was pleased with how the seminar went. Cicely Pontiflet, the club's historian, said she thought the event was extremely successful and that Talkington was an excellent choice for a guest speaker.
    Club members who assisted the president in putting on the event were: Caitlin Pearson, Alex Pazos, Andrea Ocampo, Cicely Pontiflet and Cathleigh Winningham. The event would not have run smoothly without their help.

Oct. 22, 2001
Guest speaker: John Burr, assistant managing editor, The Florida Times-Union

    Another prominent guest speaker who visited the Journalism Club is John Burr, assistant managing editor at The Florida Times-Union.
    Burr, who handles recruiting for the Times-Union's newsroom, said he likes job applicants who have demonstrated a passion for journalism. Examples of passion for the field include involvement with campus media, freelancing and the completion of internships, he said.

Club members (from left) Ann Luce, Shannon Walsh and Kelly Donovan hang out with John Burr in the Spinnaker office. (Photo by Jerrell Pennington)

    Also, he hinted that it might be helpful for students to have both broadcast and print journalism skills, because some newspapers, including the Times-Union, are forming partnerships with television stations.
    One student asked about the value of getting a master's degree. Burr said that many journalists find graduate school fulfilling, but master's degrees are not required for journalism jobs.
    Audience members at this event were treated to pizza.
    After the seminar, David Johnson, Spinnaker editor-in-chief, brought Burr and a group of club members to the Spinnaker office. Burr spent several minutes hanging out with the Spinnaker staffers and other students present.
    The club president organized the seminar with help from club members Caitlin Pearson, Cicely Pontiflet and Andrea Ocampo.

Nov. 6, 2001
Breakfast with the Faculty

     The Journalism Club's "Breakfast with the Faculty" event allowed students to meet journalism faculty members and ask them questions about UNF's journalism program. Dr. Mark Workman, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, was the guest of honor. He discussed the value of getting a broad liberal arts education to prepare for a career in journalism. The Journalism Club leaders were thrilled to have a VIP at the club's first breakfast seminar.

Dr. Workman

    Journalism faculty members who participated were Dr. John Parmelee, Dr. Berrin Beasley and Dr. Robert Bohle. The professors introduced themselves and talked about their educational and professional backgrounds before starting to answer questions.
    Questions addressed included the SACS/adjunct situation, the accreditation issue and the number of spring classes.
    The professors said students should not worry about the fact that the communications program, as of 2001, is not accredited. Bohle said the department meets some of the criteria for accreditation, but not all. Parmelee said that employers will be much more interested in a student's portfolio than in whether the department is accredited or not.
     The breakfast event featured free food from Dunkin Donuts. The breakfast was organized by Kelly Donovan, president, with promotions help from active club members Caitlin Pearson, Cicely Pontiflet and Andrea Ocampo.

Nov. 8, 2001
Guest speaker: Gary Corbitt, WJXT-TV4

     This breakfast seminar featured Gary Corbitt, Channel 4's research director, who also recruits interns for the station.
    He discussed his work, which involves the study of television ratings. Additionally, he gave students career advice for pursuing jobs in broadcast journalism. Corbitt said that all students, even freshman, should try to network and meet broadcast journalism professionals. He also said that internships are a good way to get one's foot in the door of the television news industry.
    Like the previous breakfast seminar, this event provided free Dunkin Donuts food. Club members who helped promote the event were: Caitlin Pearson, Andrea Ocampo, Cicely Pontiflet.

The club has fun, too ...

FCCJ graduate Michael Fitzgerald attended the club president's holidays party, along with several other club members, at the end of November 2001.