You’re reading a story from Sidelines 100, a project showcasing a century of student storytelling at Middle Tennessee State University. Sidelines 100 plans to highlight 100 stories from the newspaper archives this fall and spring.
This story originally ran in the Apr. 11, 2012, edition of Sidelines. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay on top of all things Sidelines 100.
The new Center for Innovation in Media will showcase campus media outlets MT10, WMTS, WMOT, MT Records and Sidelines in an all-day media event tomorrow beginning at 10 a.m.
The John Bragg Mass Communication Building is slated to host a grand opening ceremony that will start at 4:30 p.m. in the Center.
The Center is a brand-new facility that houses all studentrun media organizations on campus. Now MTSU has a place for Sidelines, WMTS, WMOT, MT Records and MT10HD (formerly MTTV) to work together. That’s the objective for the Center- to converge media and content.
The Center’s main room is nicknamed “the egg:’ and it’s filled with rows of iMacs for writing, designing and editing. Branching off the egg is Studio A, which houses WMOT and Studio B, the home of WMTS. The front of the studios are glass, so mass communication students walking by can see DJs at work under the glowing red “ON AIR” signs.
Every morning at 9, students and faculty involved with Sidelines, WMTS, WMOT, MT Records and MT10HD meet in the conference room of the CIM to organize their plans for the upcoming weeks. These students mean business- they share ideas for stories, projects and resources. These meetings are open to anyone interested in pitching a story or getting involved.
The difference the new environment is making is simple: Now, a story that used to be told through one format (i.e., an interview with an artist on WMTS) can be told via print, web, radio, still photos, graphics, podcast, television and video.
Stephan Foust, the director of the Center, shared the idea with other professors and students as early as 2005. It was a response to the rise of new innovations in media for journalists.
To contact the Sidelines 100 editor, email sidelines100@mtsusidelines.com.
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