Pictured: Mais Attyeh, a Caldwell College Senior and Communication Arts Major, and MY 9 News Anchor Brenda Blackmon. Attyeh and several Caldwell College students in Communication Arts Professor Bob Mann's Senior Seminar class attended the Annual Journalism Retreat for College Seniors sponsored by Brenda Blackmon Communications, Inc. on December 6 in the MY 9 studios in Secaucus, NJ. |
Caldwell College Communication Arts Students Attend Journalism Retreat with MY 9's Brenda Blackmon
Communication Arts students at Caldwell College in Professor Bob Mann's Senior Seminar class attended the Annual Journalism Retreat for College Seniors sponsored by Brenda Blackmon Communications, Inc. on December 6, 2008.
Brenda Blackmon is an Emmy award winning veteran broadcast journalist who has been with the WWOR-TV news team since 1990. The seminar was held at the MY 9 studios in Secaucus, NJ.
Writers, reporters, anchors, cameramen and women, editors and managers provided the students with insight and advice on pursuing a career in the news and television business. Prof. Mann said it was a wonderful opportunity for students to get information directly from broadcast professionals on career choices.
Students also had the opportunity to display their on-air skills. For Professor Mann, it was very gratifying to see how well his students performed. "It's important to me that the outside world gets to see that Caldwell College is a leader in teaching broadcast journalism and T.V. performance." Mann works closely with his students throughout the semester to help them develop their on-air kills. "At the Channel 9 event, they made me proud, as they made a big impression with their on-camera abilities."
Caldwell graduating senior Nicole Burrell said the seminar was impressive. "Brenda Blackmon was a very dynamic person who I immediately liked. I appreciated all of the work she put into the day, bringing in many industry professionals to speak to students. The result was a variety of presentations that gave me and my fellow students a better understanding of each aspect of television production and performance."
Senior Nick Peros appreciated being able to talk people in various types of positions in the news business, not only on-air talent and producers. "We talked to everyone. This really allowed all of the students to get a feel for the industry, no matter what their desired field was within the realm of communications."
Hearing how the professionals broke into the television business was an eye-opener for Peros and many of the students. "What I learned, that I didn't know before, was just how much sacrifice is involved to get in the business to begin with. You really have to earn your stripes and work your way to be successful. You find that not many people got to where they are in the business without working up from the bottom first," Peros said.
For Burrell, the best part of the seminar was the address given by Ian Moore, a V.P. at News Corp. "He had such a great personal career story, and he really gave us sound advice."
Mann said Brenda Blackmon has built the seminar "into an impressive, multi-faceted event which is unique in the industry," and that "it has become so valuable that it is no longer an option, but is a requirement" in his Senior Seminar class.