• Technology enhances McKinney

• The Masters of Corporate Media builds leaders

• A ‘Renaissance’ media program

• Mass Media has long, rich history

• Changes will improve mass media program

Technology enhances McKinney
By Amy Wells

The McKinney Media Center computer labs have a new look.

The computer lab was expanded to hold 16 new Macintosh G5s with the latest software of QuarkXPress, Adobe Suite and Dreamweaver MX 2004.

Also, eight of the computers include FinalCut Pro, a nonlinear video editing software. The building has two additional FinalCut Pro stations in the television studio and on the main floor that students may use.

An old album storage facility was refitted to create a second computer lab with a dozen more computers.

And the old photo lab, which was strictly a “wet style” operation, was enhanced to allow for digital photo processing.

There’s still a darkroom for traditional photographic development, but the lab has enhanced its computer capabilities.

The computers replaced in the editing/newswriting lab are being used to create a graduate student computer lab, which doubles as an extra classroom.

“Our technology reflects real world experiences and prepares students for a variety of jobs,” said Assistant Professor Marilee Morrow.

Along with an additional classroom, the photo lab was remodeled and sized down. This reflects the shift towards more digital media; a trend throughout the building.

This trend is seen with the television studio as well. Students now can record CNN video and local digital video to a computer, where the video can be edited and sent directly to the studio.

“The trend is towards digital television,” said Morrow, “but this technology is cost-prohibited for us. We try to fill in the gaps with more digital video cameras to give students better opportunities to use nonlinear editing software.”
Even radio is becoming more digital. The school hopes to update the computerized automation system to allow students more behind-the-scenes experience.

“The technology is a great tool,” said graduate student Amy Wells. “My degree focused on desktop publishing, and learning about the television and radio equipment will give me an advantage in the workplace.”

“We focus on keeping current with the technology and so we always have to be changing,” said Morrow. “We must make good choices for the future and find technologies that will stay current.”

Also enhancing the McKinney Center’s upgrades is the retrofitting of a storage room into a news bureau for WTAP-TV, the Parkersburg, W.Va. NBC affiliate.
WTAP General Manager Roger Sheppard said he hopes to have the news bureau operating full time by January and called the bureau a “win-win” situation for both the college and the local television station.

With a local news bureau in the McKinney Mass Media Center, it will afford students the opportunity for internships.