VCU InSight grows in status and reputation

By Cheryle Rodriguez

A decade after the launch of VCU InSight, a student-run public affairs television program, the value of a “real-world” television production experience for students remains evident.

The half-hour show, which is videotaped in a ground floor studio in the T. Edward Temple Building, is the focus of a senior-level class in the School of Mass Communications, part of the College of Humanities and Sciences.

“We started with a competition among the students for a name of the show,” said Clarence Thomas, Ph.D., associate professor of mass communications, who partnered with Paula Otto and Debora Wenger, both former VCU professors, in developing the class. “We wanted to inform the VCU community and the greater Richmond community of the great things going on at VCU.”

Wenger said students were eager to participate from the start.

“We had more students auditioning than we knew what do with,” Wenger said. “I think both Paula and I knew that this was a terrific opportunity for the school and the students, but I'm glad that through all the changes – with faculty, school leadership, etc. – that the program continues to be a success.”

It has been 10 years since students combined their skills and talents to produce the first episode of VCU InSight, which airs monthly on Richmond PBS station, WCVW-TV. The programming goal included featuring university news and profiles of students, faculty and alumni.

“The first shows were shot ‘live to tape,’ which kept us on our toes,” Thomas said.

“Those early shows were indeed hectic, as we were ramping up to produce a professional broadcast quality show,” Otto said.

While some of the program’s focus remains the same, VCU InSight, part of a Newscasting course for seniors, has evolved into a media platform for issues that concern the larger community.

Recently, student Emily Satchell interviewed Robert Sarvis, the Libertarian candidate for governor. “It was a great opportunity,” Satchell said. “But I was so nervous.”

Satchell spent more than five minutes feeding the candidate questions that included his plans for the economy and education.  

 “A lot of students downplay the gubernatorial election compared to the presidential election, but the governor often has more say in our education than the president does,” Satchell said to the candidate. “So what are your plans for higher education?”

Under the direction of Tim Bajkiewicz, Ph.D., associate professor of broadcast journalism and news director of VCU InSight, students get hands-on experience in all aspects of program production, including working as photographers, editors, anchors and reporters.

“VCU InSight has been a great experience so far,” said student Vernon Freeman. “It can be stressful and pressure packed, but it is also a ton of fun. I love journalism, so for me I look at VCU InSight as a great chance to grow and learn.”

According to Bajkiewicz, of the 240 students who have participated in the production of VCU InSight since 2003, an estimated one-third of them are working in broadcasting.

Justin Lowenhagen, a former student, is a news producer at WWBT-TV, the NBC affiliate in Richmond. Of his experience on VCU InSight, he said, “You really do get a chance to try out everything. From producing to on air to working behind the camera, it gives you a glimpse into each role that it takes for a TV show to make it on air, while forcing you to do all of them at virtually the same time.”

Chris Davis, who graduated in 2010 and is now a reporter at KCEN-TV in Temple, Texas, said VCU InSight prepared him for the workforce.

“I went into my first job knowing how to shoot on multiple cameras and formats and knew a lot of little tricks for the editing process that apparently others didn't learn,” Davis said. “Nothing can really prepare you for the stress of working in a real newsroom – trying to cut a story in 10 minutes to make it to air -- but VCU InSight did as good of a job as any program can.”

VCU InSight recently began producing the entire show in high-definition.

“We’d been shooting in HD prior to that, but WCVW-TV didn’t have their HD signal until recently,” Bajkiewicz said. “This is huge.”

The quality of the VCU InSight program is being recognized. Last year, VCU InSight won the Mark of Excellence Award for best all-around television newscast from the Society of Professional Journalists in Region 2, which includes Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia and Washington, D.C. The awards honor top collegiate journalism each year. VCU InSight beat out programs such as those at the University of Maryland and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.  

“We're now a multiple award-winning student newscast,” Bajkiewicz said.

 

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