JMC department gets new still cameras

 

The Journalism and Mass Communications (JMC) department acquired seven still cameras that were delivered at the beginning of January. The new Nikon D300s will be used exclusively by photojournalism students. This is the second major purchase of new equipment by the JMC department since the Spring 2008 semester.

"In Spring 2008 the [JMC] department put together equipment wish list with budget for equipment in all the areas - video, TV, radio," Chair of the JMC Depratment Dinka Spirovska said. The total budget was around $140,000. Now, the JMC department receives approximately $35,000 from the university budget each year for new equipment.

"Equipment is expensive and it requires training," Spirovska said. She added there are 40 students enrolled in the photojournalism classes and only seven new Nikon and five old Olympus cameras available.

The JMC committee, which consists of the four full-time JMC professors, will meet to discuss the next equipment purchase and make a budget proposal. "I don't know what it will be for the next year," Spirovska said. She added that the next equipment purchase will be "determined on the basis of vision on where the department is going." The deadline for the proposal is February 15.

Spirovska mentioned a possible need for the new software. "If we start doing more classes in multimedia then we will need much different software." She added that the overall goal for the department is "to keep improving and upgrading."

Journalism professor Phelps Hawkins suggested purchasing virtual portable TV studios, so that "everyone here would be able to do a TV program."

"My argument all the time to the university is not about JMC, but trying to bring the whole university together. [...] I see TV as a university-wide resource," Hawkins said. Currently there are five JVC, four Sony, and four Panasonic video cameras available for TV and Multimedia Reporting students, More Honors, JMC Rocks, and AUBG Public Relations office.