BEA2015 | April 12-15, 2015 | Las Vegas Westgate

Curriculum, Assessment and Administration

Curriculum Swapshop: Spotlight on Teaching Tools from the Cloud
This year’s Curriculum Swapshop focuses on cloud-based tools for teaching. From the established to the lesser known and recently launched services, how are professors using these easily accessed and often free tools to enhance teaching and learning? Panelists will share their experiences and ideas for using cloud-based tools in the classroom.
Moderator: Candace Lee Egan, California State University – Fresno

Envisioning the Future of Media Education:  Where do We Go from Here?
As the BEA celebrates its 60th anniversary, it is a good time to reflect back and project forward where media education may be heading.  The panel is comprised of past chairs of the Curriculum, Assessment, and Administration Division representing five different decades of leadership.  Each person will be given up to 6-minutes to lay out their vision of the future of media education.
Moderator: William Christ, Trinity University

Joan of Arc was NOT Noah’s Wife: The Need for Religious Literacy Among U.S. Reporters
Religious illiteracy in the U.S. has reached a crisis point. The use and misuse of faith often dominates the news at even a local level, but journalism students have never been so unprepared to ask good questions. As a result, accurate reporting is often problematic especially for religious minorities. This panel addresses the growing need for a fundamental level of religious literacy as a requirement for graduation.
Moderator: Ian Case Punnett, Arizona State University

One Stop Pedagogy: Logistics and Challenges to Building a Convergent Instruction Center
Effective curriculum delivery is dependent on several factors including pedagogical approach, instructor expertise, and physical space. This panel will detail the pedagogical approaches that drive the design and layout of the physical facilities built for classroom and laboratory instruction in mass communications programs. Too, the discussion will detail opportunities to secure administrative support and funding for the construction of the physical space that are anchored in sound pedagogy.
Moderator: Bradford L. Yates, University of West Georgia

Shun the academic ‘silo’: Interdisciplinary collaboration — pedagogical revolutions toward an integrated media curriculum
Division Co-Sponsor: News
University presidents call for it. Academic incentives exist to promote it. Yet personal and professional impasses remain. Media educators and industry professionals want students ready for an integrated marketplace. Programs of study typically require students to complete coursework outside of their chosen major, but many fail to make the connection. Join our panelists as they share pedagogical strategies for and administrative implications of interdisciplinary endeavors. All have reached “across the aisle” — you can too.
Moderator: Laura Mulligan, Ball State University

Staying Ahead of the Digital Evolution: Conducting Effective Assessment of Broadcast and Digital Media Programs
The broadcast and media industries are changing so fast in this period of digital evolution and for colleges and universities periodic program assessment is no longer sufficient. This panel is designed to help guide those running broadcast and digital media programs through a system of continual assessment. This practice will keep their programs ahead of the curve in digital evolution as well as satisfy regional accreditation.
Moderator: Keith Corso, Westminster College

The evolution of service-learning experiences in the digital media revolution
Division Co-Sponsor: Management, Marketing and Programming
The digital and social media platforms push the evolution of service learning for media and journalism students to new, creative real-world experiences. This panel shares first hand findings from faculty moving service learning into digital platforms. Panelists explore best practices, curriculum design, project pitfalls and assessment
Moderator: Bradley L. Weaver, Westminster College, Pennsylvania

Turning the odds in their favor: Retaining media students through mentoring
Division Co-Sponsor: Multicultural Studies
Mentors must be highly knowledgeable about different instructional philosophies to provide the best fit for learning Ediger, 2011:.  Cultural considerations, personal situations, student athletes, first generation, adult learners and at-risk students represent facets of today’s heterogeneous student body.  This diverse panel comprised of instructors, tenure-track faculty, tenured faculty and deans and will discuss successful strategies for mentoring and building relationships to help our multimedia broadcast students be successful.
Moderator: Justine Stokes, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh

Documentary

A Conversation with Documentary Editor Sam Pollard
Division Co-Sponsor: Multicultural Studies
Sam Pollard has produced, directed, and edited with some of the greatest documentary filmmakers, including Spike Lee’s When the Levees Broke:  A Requiem in Four Parts and Four Little Girls, and Henry Hampton Eyes not the Prize and I’ll Make Me a World:. In this workshop, documentary writer Sheila Curran Bernard will host a conversation with Mr. Pollard.
Moderator: Michael R. Ogden, Central Washington University

A Conversation with Jon Alpert
Jon Alpert has distinguished himself as an award-winning journalist. He has won three Primetime Emmy Awards, eleven News & Documentary Emmy Awards, one National Emmy for Sports Programming, four Columbia DuPont Awards and a Peabody Award.  In 1972 he and his wife, Keiko Tsuno, started the Downtown Community Television Center, one of the country’s first community media centers.
Moderator: Ryoya Terao, New York City College of Technology

Defining the Documentary:  What Have We Learned?
“Defining the Documentary” is an ongoing series exploring issues concerning the documentary. This year, in celebration of the Documentary Division’s 10th Anniversary, we’ll revisit some of the most important and interesting questions that you’ve raised so far – ethics, technique, technology….  Following a brief introduction, we will break into groups, each with its own moderator, and discuss a variety of questions – allowing all attendees to participate in the ongoing conversation to explore the meaning of “documentary.”
Moderator: Michael R. Ogden, Central Washington University

Documentary Research in Progress
This panel discussion features graduate students from various programs presenting their research in documentary studies, including dissertation research, papers in progress, and articles for consideration.  Graduate Students will present summaries of their key questions and findings.
Moderator: Jes Therkelsen, California State University – Fresno

Extreme Videography: Using New Visual Storytelling Technologies for Field Production
Division Co-Sponsor: Interactive Media and Emerging Technologies
With the growing popularity of Point-of-View POV: videos, compact high-definition cameras are being used for acquiring time-lapse, underwater, and aerial drone footage e.g., “Brinno” and “GoPro cameras: for creative storytelling purposes. Electronic Field Production EFP: students must understand how to use these exciting new tools effectively for creating powerful visuals in often-extreme conditions. The panel focuses on the practical realities involved with EFP applications for these new POV technologies: camera mounting options, underwater use, compression technologies, editing issues, and legal-ethical concerns with drone platforms. This session will demystify these POV technologies and provide useful teaching tips for EFP instructors contemplating using them for creative video production.
Moderator: Peter B. Seel, Colorado State University

Frontline’s Tablet App Workshop
Division Co-Sponsor: Interactive Media and Emerging Technologies
The Frontline documentary series rolled out a new tablet app in late 2013. This workshop covers the procedure and process for how to develop a digital communication application that honors journalistic standards.
Moderator: Dan Kimbrough, Misericordia University

Marc Starowicz and Canada’s Documentary Tradition
Division Co-Sponsor: International
Mark Starowicz heads the CBC’s documentary unit. He received a B.A. from McGill University in 1968. He has been a reporter for the Montreal Gazette, McGill Daily, and Toronto Star; producer for CBC Radio; and from 1982 to 1992, he was the executive producer of the CBC Television newsmagazine, The Journal. Since 1992, he has been an executive documentary producer for the CBC. He was the executive producer of the mini-series, Canada: A People’s History.
Moderator: Evan Johnson, Normandale Community College

The Backyard Documentary: Community Stories Revealed through the Inside Lens
Division Co-Sponsor: Documentary
Many filmmakers focus on stories that stem directly from their own communities and produce films ranging from issue driven documentaries to character driven films. This panel will examine the documentary filmmaker working in his or her community and revealing the story as an insider. Panelists will share their experiences and insight on collecting, preserving, interpreting, critiquing and sharing the stories of their own communities.
Moderator: Helena Vanhala, Robert Morris University

Gender Issues

And in This Corner!  Men vs. Women or Men and Women on US TV and in print advertisements in the 21st century
Based on an argument that television and print advertisements are powerful means of influence on an individual’s gender identity through various means including creating and supporting certain gender stereotypes, the panel aims to explore and evaluate if since 2000 there has been any particular/substantial shift in gender representation in media; whether current gender images shown on TV and in print support or oppose the claims of gender inequality; and if there has been any change in gender schemas represented by male and female media characters.
Moderator: Jay Start, Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Death Takes a Selfie: Complications of Body Image and Gender Identity in Electronic and Social Media
Division Co-Sponsor: Multicultural Studies
This panel seeks to promote discussion of prevalent and controversial issues related to the depiction of gender in social and electronic visual media. Do content producers feature constructive depictions of female and male gender roles? What are the dangers of perpetuating physically unattainable images of beauty? Why do producers continue to create such fare? What are the effects, intended or unintended, upon their audiences? This panel will research these issues and more.
Moderator: Roger Allman, Central Michigan University

Revolution or Evolution: How media describes the change in gender roles in the early 21st century.
Division Co-Sponsor: Research
This panel has gathered together case study style presentations that look at the ways media is “playing out” gender roles on our multiple screens in a wide selection of programming.  We wonder, are past gender roles being reified, or do newer media platforms bring out new gender roles and issues?  This panel aims to deepen our understanding of what might be revolutionary, and what might be evolutionary about today’s programming in the area of gender roles.
Moderator: Stacey O Irwin, Millersville University of Pennsylvania

Sports Media as the Lab for Teaching Gender Issues
Division Co-Sponsor: Sports
This session discusses strategies for using sports to examine the social construction of gender identity, and how media can inadvertently reinforce existing stereotypes and gender dynamics and at other times challenge existing preconceptions. The session will offer practical advice – lesson plans, class discussion topics and evaluation rubrics – as well as discuss broader concepts such as the intersection of gender, race and sexuality and their impact on sports coverage.
Moderator: Brad Gorham, Syracuse University

History

Film Digital: at 11: The Electronic News Media & Las Vegas, Changing Channels While Preserving  History
Division Co-Sponsor: News
The electronic news media has come a long way since “film at 11,” creating & recording history through changing times and technologies. Hear two 30 year Las Vegas news veterans and a current video archivist talk about the way the media has changed complete with historical video/pictures:…yet stayed the same over the past three decades as well as what fast growing technologies and fragmented audiences mean for the future of the electronic news medium.
Moderator: Sara Magee, Loyola University Maryland

Media in Warsaw Pact Member States
Division Co-Sponsor: International
Twenty-five years ago the Warsaw Pact began dissolving as the member states’ governments lost the support of the weakening USSR and their citizens fomented revolutions.  This panel will explore the history of media in Eastern Bloc countries during the years of the Warsaw Pact 1955-91: and media development in those countries in the years since its dissolution.
Moderator: Susan L. Brinson, Auburn University

Motion Capture Technology
Since the invention of film, equipment has fluctuated from the weight of a boat anchor to a helmet clip-on. While image-capture camera technology has evolved, the skills of the users have as well. As legacy media outlets and information/education channels continue to evolve, how does the trend of adding quick and easy video clips impact the work of the professional videographer? How does one learn the art and craft of effective visual storytelling?  The primary goal is to investigate the following research questions: -How do visual storytellers using motion image capture technology adapt to each succeeding technology to remain effective in their jobs; -who makes decisions on when to adopt a new technology and –what have these changes meant to curriculum development.
Moderator: Joanne Littlefield, Colorado State University

Radio and Media During World War II
World War II ushered in the era when media played an important role in the war effort.  As a nation, the war completely transformed our lives with media leading the charge  This panel will look at some of the ways that media was used and contributed to the war effort, how censorship in documentary film prevented us from telling the story of the Tuskegee Airmen, and a how advances in radio were used to extend our intelligence gathering.
Moderator: Michael C. Keith, Boston College

Technology Over the Decades and Influences on News
Division Co-Sponsor: News
This panel present an historical perspective on the development of technology and the influence on news consumption and production. The panelists will document the influence of radio from the 1930’s to present day use of blogs and the internet.
Moderator: Mary Beadle, John Carroll University

Trolling for Treasures:  Finding AV gems in the Vietnam Archive and Southwest Collection
Division Co-Sponsor: Documentary
Every year more researchers discover the treasures hidden in archival collections across the nation.  These repositories literally have boxes of materials waiting to be used in all kinds of projects from documentary films to the local news channel’s nightly broadcast.  This panel will not only show the audience how to mine archival collections for some hidden gems, but will also lead them through the process of licensing the materials for use in their own projects.
Moderator: Ed Youngblood, Auburn University

Interactive Media and Emerging Technologies

10 Things You Should Teach About Mobile
Mobile newsgathering and production are no longer a novelty. A study recently published in Electronic News found that a broad range of broadcast journalism positions require mobile skills. Regardless of media platform, journalism employers want new hires to understand how to use mobile devices for newsgathering, production, and audience engagement. Panelists will discuss how to create a class dedicated to mobile journalism skills as well as how to integrate mobile into existing classes.
Moderator: Anthony Adornato, Ithaca College

Culture/Conversations/Screens: Where and how are the issues of the day being discussed? Important cultural conversations—those discussions about social, economic, and political issues-have played out across a variety of screens since the middle of the 20th century. Major release films and television have, by turns through the years, played host to serious examination of significant cultural issues. The last twenty years have seen the television screen become the main arena to these cultural conversations through the proliferation of news shows, niche entertainment programming, and specialized cable channels. The recent developments in mobile distribution of content have changed the nature of these conversations. In this media ecology, where content is pulled by (rather than pushed at) the information consumer, is the marketplace of ideas as vigorous as it should be in an age where context and subtlety in communications are of increasing importance?  The panel will examine the changes in how cultural conversations are conducted. It will examine the historical, pedagogical, journalistic, and technological forces that shape the current state of how our media systems interact with media consumers in the creation of cultural conversations.
Moderator: Carol Schlagheck, Eastern Michigan University

Digital Evolution to Revolution in Modern Pedagogy
The purpose of this panel is to share how mobile and global technologies are used to facilitate and enhance student learning. Topics include converting a traditional media production class to an online environment, engaging students in an online classroom setting, and use of social media to access community needs for localized journalism. Panelists will not only share what they are doing, but how instructors can incorporate these technologies in their own pedagogy.
Moderator: Samuel H. Edsall, Western Illinois University

Drones and Media Studies: A Multi-dimensional Look at the Past and Future.
Division Co-Sponsor: Research
Drones are cheap, fairly simple to use, and could potentially change the way we advertise, collect news, and see the world. As we enter the uncertain terrain of drone technology and its journalistic, message delivery, advertising, surveillance, and other media applications, new research opportunities lend themselves to us. This diverse panel examines several angles of this technology including its visual aesthetic, legal, technological, philosophical, and cultural implications.
Moderator: Olesya Venger, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Engaging News Project: Making News More Democratically Beneficial and Commercially Viable
Division Co-Sponsor: News
The Engaging News Project is a research group that helps newsrooms meet their business and journalistic goals. We will show how our research on social media, comment sections, and online polls and quizzes can be applied to the classroom and in newsrooms.
Moderator: Natalie Jomini Stroud, University of Texas at Austin

From Quarters to Semesters to Online: The organic digital evolution of a production intensive undergraduate course at Ohio University What business does a University in rural Appalachia have in moving a production-intensive course online? As it turns out, quite a lot. This Panel will discuss this revolutionary migration of an undergraduate production course from a large-lecture to a hybrid-digital space using custom video lectures and materials, four former graduate students (and current industry professionals) from across the globe as course facilitators, and a new way of conceptualizing e-learning and student feedback.
Moderator: Eric R. Williams, Ohio University

I always feel like somebody’s watching me: Location-based advertising
As products get closer and closer to their target markets—literally—the study of advertising is changing.  This panel is a close-up view of the newest aspect of interactive advertising and  the audiences who love it as well as those who are creeped out by it. Current definition: “LBA integrates mobile advertising with location-based services such as GPS, pinpointing consumers’ locations and providing location-specific advertisements on their mobile devices. LBA allows marketers to reach specific target audiences and improve the importance of ads with relevant information, personalized message and targeted offers. This can also be used to research consumers and tailor future offers.”
Moderator: Linda Thorsen Bond, Stephen F. Austin State University

Leaving the Lecture Behind: A Hands-on, Digital Era Approach to Teaching Intro to Mass Media
Division Co-Sponsor: Radio & Audio Media
This panel looks at teaching an introductory mass media course using a practical application approach rather than focusing on lecture-based content. This approach acquaints the first-time media student with hands-on techniques and equipment to produce not only multi-media content but provide a realistic “first touch” of convergence, distribution methods and standard industry practices. We teach a multitude of concepts while we compare/contrast the advantages/disadvantages of audio, video, still photography, graphic design, web design and multi-media storytelling.
Moderator: Jonathan Ash, Northwest Missouri State University

Making your case: Technology and Media in tenure materials
Division Co-Sponsor: Production Aesthetics & Criticism
Professors are expected to teach cutting edge technology, so it must be part of your research and creative endeavors. But how should such work be showcased to your tenure and promotion committee? This open format, roundtable discussion brings together experienced faculty from a variety of institutions to offer suggestions and answer questions about your application. Whether you are part of a Research I, Teaching I or professional institution, you will come away with ideas and confidence to pursue your tenure and promotion goals.
Moderator: Sandy Henry, Drake University

Mobile First: An Experiment in Reporting for the Small Screen
Division Co-Sponsor: News
Members of a faculty, student, and Innovator-in-Residence team share their approach, process and lessons learned in a new experimental storytelling course. The course was designed to incubate an in-depth, mobile first reporting project for smartphones that incorporated a mix of data visualization, audio, video, social media and traditional boots-on-the-ground reporting.
Moderator: Dana Coester, West Virginia University

The Reality of Virtual Reality:  Applications of the Oculus Rift
Since its acquisition by Facebook, the Oculus Rift has become known to a more general population beyond that of its origins in the more hardcore computer gaming sector and its Kickstarter backers.  Although the Oculus aims to finally realize the decades-old dream of virtual reality to computer and console users, what exactly is the reality of its application?  This panel will address the use of the Oculus Rift for video games, simulations, and business development.
Moderator: Stefan Hall, High Point University

Transmedia Storyworld : Revolution or Evolution?
Division Co-Sponsor: Writing
Transmedia Storyworld: As compelling as this is for media producers and media marketers, it’s even more compelling for storytellers. This panel will explore the dynamics of transmedia team-building, the role of the producer in the story world, and perhaps the ultimate question: But, is it revolutionary?
Moderator: Carey Martin, Liberty University

International

Back to Square One? The future of Post-revolution Media in North Africa
Since 2011, the Arab Spring revolutions in Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya have led to pivotal shifts, twists and turns and cyclical narratives in the evolution of their media landscapes. The story of how media in these countries adapted from dictatorship to democracy, and how Western news outlets covered the region will be the focus of this panel. Social media, news innovation, public sector media reform, framing analyses and future challenges will be discussed.
Moderator: Douglas A. Boyd, University of Kentucky

International Consumer Concern in the Age of Digital Evolution and Revolutionary Times
Previous generations of consumers were considered to be passive receivers of messages crafted by professionals of media organizations. A protectionist paradigm was intended to provide safe-guards for the audiences. In the digital evolution, consumers are interactively engaged with the producers of media content, acting upon the messages as they are received. These revolutionary times are global. This session looks at the role consumers in various cultures are taking as they are engaged in the process of interacting with messages created by professional content providers.
Moderator: William G. Covington, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania

International Teaching and Research Opportunities
Division Co-Sponsor: Research
This panel features university faculty who have done international teaching and research, current faculty at non-U.S. universities, and a representative from the Council for International Exchange of Scholars. All will focus on helping others learn of research and teaching opportunities worldwide and will provide some of the basic guidelines, procedures and tips.
Moderator: Tony DeMars, Texas A&M University at Commerce

Location and Theme as Challenges and Opportunities in Study Abroad
Division Co-Sponsor: Multicultural Studies
There are many options one faces when considering the creation of a study abroad program. Successful student recruitment needs to consider the desirability of the location and the theme of the program, while balancing the desire for a rich experience with safety and security. Faculty considerations must also be taken into account. This panel brings organizers from several study abroad programs who will discuss issues related to location and theme.
Moderator: Steven D. Anderson, James Madison University

National Media Policies and Transnational Media Contents
Division Co-Sponsor: Law and Policy
This panel’s research papers examine national policy development and transnational media content around the world, with a specific emphasis on Asia. Policy and content are intertwined in the recent spate of media policy revisions resulting from technological evolution, political change, and the appearance of new media platforms. This panel will look at the relationships between policy and media content through analyses of five case studies.
Moderator: Drew McDaniel, Ohio University

Net Neutrality and the Media: A Transatlantic Comparison
Division Co-Sponsor: Law and Policy
Net neutrality has been a core issue of the Internet since its creation. With its rapid expansion, based upon technological innovation, and with changing structures of related industries this “basic right” is being challenged.  Foremost telecommunication companies, having invested billions of dollars into the building of broadband networks, are reminded by their shareholders to show more profit on their investment. Telecommunication companies argue that times have changed and in order to continue improving upon their broadband infrastructure, they propose to create “fast lanes” for commercial content providers, including media companies, and charge them accordingly. Individual users, NGOs and for profit companies which depend on a well functioning Internet fear that they will be discriminated, charged exorbitant fees or eventually forced out or even silenced, shut off, from getting onto the Internet at equitable terms. A fierce debate has been sparked in the US and in Europe. Even President Obama has stated his position on the subject. Moreover, some argue that utility regulation, a possible outcome of this debate,  was never envisioned by Congress and that it thus should be taken off the table as an inappropriate tool for the dynamic and open Internet. More than 1.1 million Americans recently submitted comments and opinions to the Federal Communications Commission on Internet openness. Again, the Internet has arrived at a critical junction in its evolution.
Moderator: Manfred K. Wolfram, University of Cincinnati

Shooting Global: The Challenges and Rewards of International Production Courses
Division Co-Sponsor: Documentary
This panel will examine the perils and pitfalls of taking production students out of their domestic comfort zone, the benefits of internationalizing students’ coursework, and the long-term results of such projects. Logistics, educational outcomes, assessment, and how students and faculty work together in these experiential environments will be discussed.
Moderator: Frank Barnas, Valdosta State University

Transatlantic teaching in broadcast journalism
Division Co-Sponsor: Curriculum, Assessment and Administration
With a greater internationalisation of the journalism environment, there has never been a greater need to look outside of our respective countries’ borders to ensure that the next generation of journalists are being taught current and globally-aware practices.  This panel will explore two major themes: the needs and opportunities of internationalising the curriculum and the challenges of keeping up with new technologies in our teaching.
Moderator: Andrew David, Siren FM, University of Lincoln, UK

Law and Policy

Broadband Expansion, Spectrum Auctions, Net Neutrality and the IP Transition – Legal and Policy Challenges in the Digital Age
This session – populated by academics, legal practitioners and government officials – will provide updates and analyses on issues that, when resolved, will govern and influence American telecommunications systems for the foreseeable future.   What’s the status of the FCC “forward and reverse” spectrum auctions?   How will FCC and Congressional actions affect the “open Internet.”   What steps can federal and state governments, as well as telecommunications carriers, take to expand  broadband  in both urban and rural areas, and to further a problem-free transition to fully Internet-protocol systems?
Moderator: Robert Yadon, Ball State University

Copyright Confusion in the Digital Age (combined with PAC session)
How can I protect my work against being ripped off or share it selectively:? When, if ever, can I safely re-use someone else’s work without needing to purchase the rights? A legal discussion about intellectual property rights in the “everything’s-online” digital age.   The panel will include academics, attorneys and others with experience and expertise in this complicated area of copyright law and digital production.
Moderator: Dom Caristi, Ball State University

Current Issues in Law and Policy
This longest continuously-offered convention session in BEA history again this year looks at a wide range of important legal and policy issues.  These are issues being addressed by Congress, the Administration, the FCC and other agencies, as well as in the courts, the states and in academia.  Representatives of the federal government and industry trade associations, plus leading communications law and technical experts, will provide attendees with insights and answers on key topics relating to electronic communications and media.  Barry Umansky, BEA’s President and former Deputy General Counsel of the NAB, will moderate the session and pose questions to panelists.   Following commentary by the expert panel, session attendees will be able to pose their own questions to the presenters.
Moderator: Barry D. Umansky, Ball State University

Getting the Shot Without Getting Shot
Division Co-Sponsor: Student Media Advisors
In Ferguson, MO, and throughout the country, videographers and photographers are clashing with law enforcement over access, despite recent court rulings reaffirming the First Amendment right to record. How can journalists stay safe and get the access they need?   What remedies do they have if police overreach?   And what’s myth and what’s reality about “privacy rights” when recording in public?  The panel will be populated by academics/attorneys, a representative of the Student Press Law Center along with others having first-hand experience on the issues to be addressed.
Moderator: Frank D. LoMonte, Student Press Law Center

New Technologies for New Publics: Public Media, Policy, and the Digital Revolution
Division Co-Sponsor: Interactive Media and Emerging Technologies
This panel explores how public media providers are reacting to and also shaping new media policies and ecologies. As public media face defunding by national and local governments, they must also adapt to new, digital technologies.  The panel will provide both case studies and policy overviews of how these challenges are pushing public media to reinvent their delivery systems, storytelling techniques, and funding strategies, and even modify their notions of the publics that they serve.
Moderator: Robert K. Avery, University of Utah

Return the Fairness Doctrine, or Raise the Titanic
Division Co-Sponsor: News
Abstract: In 1949 the Federal Communications Commission put in place a requirement that broadcasters offer equal opportunities for controversial issues presented on their station. Eventually that became known as the “Fairness Doctrine.” Furthermore, in 1976 the FCC said that stations had an obligation to present controversial issues. However, by the early 1980s the Commission began to back track their support of the Fairness Doctrine because of various court decisions and the deregulation environment. Recently the FCC removed from the books any mention of the Fairness Doctrine. In a panel last year some audience members expressed support for the Fairness Doctrine and it was felt that more time should be spent discussing government involvement in content regulation and whether the return of any kind of Fairness regulation might be feasible.
Moderator: Lionel Grady, Southern Utah University

Telcom Update 2015
Should the FCC approve the Comcast/TWC merge?  Will spectrum auctions be successful?  Can we expect new fights over retransmission?  What are the current First Amendment and privacy issues?  With issues facing media from many vantage points, this year’s Telcom Update will be jam-packed with useful information.
Moderator: Paul MacArthur, Utica College

The Conversation with Dick Wiley
The Honorable Richard E. Wiley – renowned communications attorney, former FCC Chairman and former head of the government-industry advisory committee that developed the digital television standard for the United States – joins us again at BEA2015.   His conversation with Barry Umansky, former Deputy General Counsel of the NAB and now BEA’s President, will run the gamut of key legal and policy issues for the Congress, the Courts, FCC regulators, communications industries and the public.  Wiley, the recipient of the BEA Law and Policy Division’s inaugural “Lifetime Achievement Award” in 2012, also will answer questions from the audience.
Moderator: Barry D. Umansky, Ball State University

Management, Marketing and Programming

Current Issues in Management, Programming & Promotions
This panel consisting of senior faculty members and highly placed professionals will explore and discuss current management, programming and promotions issues and concerns in the areas of broadcast, cable and newer delivery platforms of television and radio content. While each of these areas will be examined, attention will also be paid to the interrelationships among and between the various media and functions.
Moderator: Mitchell Shapiro, University of Miami

Marketing Yourself In This Century’s Job Market
Division Co-Sponsor: Student Media Advisors
Two international consultants and a thirty year broadcast vet provide guidance on how to effectively market yourself in these digitally revolutionary times in order to make your employment search successful.
Moderator: Michael Taylor, Valdosta State University

New Media, New Marketing: TV Marketing Strategies in the 21st Century
This panel deals with new challenges and opportunities that television content distributors face when marketing programs in the “television everywhere” era. We will address case studies of traditional networks that increasingly market their programming using social media influencers, OTT providers that use compelling digital strategies to draw fans to early-released pilots and binge-ready full season releases, and marketers who tap into a changing set of viewer motivations behind the viewing of television programming.
Moderator: Evan Kropp, University of Georgia

Programming/Marketing In Era of Abundance
Division Co-Sponsor: Interactive Media and Emerging Technologies
The Digital Evolution has revolutionized the options facing audiences – shifting from an era of relative scarcity and limited choice, to the modern age of hyperabundance.  Marketing and programming strategies must also shift to accommodate this new reality.  Panel members will examine various strategies: Programming for multiscreen, active audiences Dr. Ben Bates:; The Appeal of Free: the Apple/U2 strategy Dr. Steve McClung:; Lessons from ONA [Online News Association] Dr. Reggie Murphy:; Attracting the Multiethnic/Multilingual Audience Todd Chambers:; Exploiting Abundance in broadcast news sources Dr. Maria Fontenot:
Moderator: Philip Napoli, Fordham University

Social Media as Marketing and Programming Content
This panel looks at the ways that social media suffuse electronic media marketing and programming content, with direct applications for educators and industry professionals.  Twitter, Facebook, and other social media are ubiquitous in the marketing of television and movies.  While jaded audience members have tired of sales messages being pushed at them, they continue to respond to fresh marketing approaches, such as trans-media storytelling, content-related games, and unique challenges.  In addition to their use in marketing, social media now comprise content within programs themselves; examples include Twitter-based segments and Twitter crawls, and programs that promote dual screen viewing such as those of the CW, Tosh.0, and reality shows, as well as major live events such as the Academy Awards.
Moderator: Shelley Jenkins, California State University – Fullerton

Understanding The Complicated World Of Online Advertising
Division Co-Sponsor: Research
Online advertising presents unique opportunities and challenges. How is online advertising performance measured? How can businesses develop effective advertising strategies in the online environment? How can Internet sales people communicate their message to potential clients? How should clients use standard banner ads, rich media banner ads, pre-roll video, homepage takeovers, and peel downs? Join Dennis Precthl, a media research veteran with more than 25 years of experience, as he helps makes sense of the online advertising environment.
Moderator: Paul MacArthur, Utica College

Multicultural Studies

A Global Village: Insights into the Universal Nature of Media
There has been much debate over the years in regards to the role culture plays in media productions. This panel investigates the universal nature of the media. Marshall McLuhan’s idea of a “global village” has now become a reality. Dave Marash 2011: in an article titled “Fade to Black” explained, “For the first time in history, mankind is developing a universal language: video. People now communicate with video on two billion computers and more than one and a half billion television sets.” These statistics, much enhanced today, bring together all of the entertainment, infotainment and business of the creative, technical, and management media arts and sciences strengthening the idea that video has become one entity, a combination of three separate mediums, which speaks to all nations and cultures in a single voice.
Moderator: Erika Grodzki, Lynn University

Either underrepresented or misrepresented: Racial minorities on screen
This panel examines contemporary representations of racial and ethnic minorities on TV and film, and discusses the social politics of racial identity influenced heavily by how minorities appear in media contents. Prior literature has found that popular TV shows and films are prone to misrepresentation of racial minorities. Hypersexuality, typified domestic and social roles, and stereotypical character personalities are common in popular visual media. For example minority females are often depicted in traditional gendered roles, while male characters are described as being shallow or buffoonish in character. The rapidly changing landscape of demographics has not been correctly reflected on screen either, indicating the persistent problem of underrepresentation. Albeit the explosion of visual media products due to new technologies the representation of minorities has remained a critical topic in media communication, and, therefore, needs to be investigated with frequent scholarly updates. This panel will contribute to the scholarship with discussions about contemporary cases and agendas.
Moderator: Choonghee Han, Hope College

Media Salon:Modeling Diversity
This open session discusses the successes and challenges of diversifying American media operations.  While it appears to some that every station has reached  diversity at some level, not many of found the magical mixture of race, creed and cultural inclusion.  Not all have gender parity in positions of leadership.  Not every sales force mirrors the communities served.  Some media entities, however have found a way to model diversity at every level.  Presenters will discuss what works and does not work in his or her efforts to diversify and where there is room to grow.
Moderator: Chetachi Egwu, Nova Southeastern University

Mixing it up: Interracial Couples in Romance-Themed Hollywood Films
In the light of the controversy over the recent Cheerios commercial showing an interracial family, the researchers seek to determine the relevance of such relationships on screen. The primary focus of this pilot study is to examine the frequency and roles of  interracial couples in romantic-themed  Hollywood films from 2003 through 2013. This research seeks to discuss the frequency of such portrayals, whether the film focuses on the interracial relationship as a focal point, the quality of the relationships and relevance of the relationships to the plot.  The intent is to determine the salience, or lack thereof, of interracial relationships in Hollywood’s depiction of romance.
Moderator: Chetachi Egwu, Nova Southeastern University

Television and Socialization
This panel explores the impact of television upon the social construction of reality. Television provides a window through which  many view the world. Often people act not upon first-hand knowledge of phenomena, but upon the images provided by television. These images often determine how certain groups are perceived by others as well as self-concept.  This panel examines television’s impact upon socialization in five areas: Television News, Advertising, Sports, Religion and Film.
Moderator: Edward Welch, Grambling State University

The inclusive classroom: Creating assignments that promote and value diversity
Division Co-Sponsor: Gender Issues
An inclusive classroom is one in which all students from varying cultures, backgrounds, races, ethnicities, etc., feel comfortable participating in class discussions and are encouraged to explore numerous perspectives while being respectful of everyone’s differences. There are assignments that can promote this enriching dialogue by introducing students to new viewpoints and allowing them to feel safe as they discover them.  This panel will discuss various assignments they have used to foster this type of inclusive environment and share tips on how faculty can create some of their own.
Moderator: Phillip Powell, Valparaiso University

The Price of Reality TV – The Destruction of the African American Woman
Division Co-Sponsor: Gender Issues
The wave of reality television shows depicting African-American women has bombarded the public with new stereotypes. Why are there so many reality shows illuminating African-American women in unhealthy relationships and violent situations? Producing reality television is cheap. However, what is the true “cost” of reality television when specific shows convey certain messages that influence the perceived perceptions of individual and collective beliefs of people within our society about other cultures?
Moderator: Traci Easley-Williams, Kent State University

Who Watches What How: Media Viewing Preferences of College Students by Race/Ethnicity and Gender
The primary focus of this research paper is to investigate the media viewing preferences of various college students. The researchers of this pilot study will administer a survey to a sample of college students to gauge the levels of  traditional movie going versus online movie and TV streaming, in addition to the type of content watched. With the spike in options for online media content, students are now able to view their favorite TV shows and movies without needing to leave their beds. Key variables in this study will examine race/ethnicity, gender and age to determine their salience on viewing preferences.
Moderator: Victor D Evans, Thiel College

News

AIRCHECK: making the most of your student newscast
Many of us are producing newscasts with students.  The variables may be different live/taped, daily/weekly, volunteer/for credit: but the challenges are likely the same.  Some of us have found unique or clever ways to work around the problems and get the most for our efforts.  In AIRCHECK, we’ll show examples, share experiences and solutions, and hopefully send you on your way toward a new and improved news product on your campus.
Moderator: Dana Rosengard, Suffolk University

Deconstructing the Television News Package and Landing your First Job
Students often have difficulty understanding what it takes to shoot, write and edit a news package just by watching finished stories in a classroom setting. This panel will dissect raw video, show how each written word needs to complement the video, and how efficient shooting and tight writing can make it easier in the edit room. . Panelists will provide helpful tips and tricks for instructors AND students to quickly learn the package basics. Students will also learn how to apply these techniques to build a winning resume portfolio that news directors will spend more than 30 seconds watching.
Moderator: Bob Gould, Michigan State University

Engaging Audience Beyond the Broadcast
Division Co-Sponsor: Interactive Media and Emerging Technologies
It’s not enough to simply produce compelling stories, today’s multimedia journalists must interact with the audience on multiple platforms.  From crowdsourcing, to user-generated content to understanding audience analytics, you’ll learn how to incorporate best practices in audience engagement into your classroom.
Moderator: Serena Carpenter, Arizona State University

From Classroom to Newsroom to Classroom
This panel proposes to explore the benefits — expected and unexpected — to themselves, their students and local news organizations when full-time faculty members choose to either continue working part time in a local newsroom, take a sabbatical to work in a newsroom full time or get a grant to work in a newsroom during the summer. What are the results when faculty are participant-observers in the digital revolution that is transforming modern newsrooms? How does it make their careers, their teaching and their research more relevant? What voice do they bring to newsrooms that often look askance at “the ivory tower”?
Moderator: Tim F. Brown, University of Central Florida

Partnering with the Industry: Funding, Content Sharing, and Employment Opportunities
Division Co-Sponsor: Management, Marketing and Programming
The revolutionary times brought forward by the expanding digital media universe have forced academia and the industry to adjust to consumer demands: Millennials and Digital Natives are driving an increase in television viewing in multiple platforms. The digital evolution requires partnerships between educational institutions and the media industry to develop strategies securing the future of broadcasting. This panel exposes partnerships in both English- and Spanish-language media that go beyond traditional internships and into the realm of professional mentoring, content production for on-air and digital platforms distribution, and production space/technology sharing.
Moderator: Julian Rodriguez, University of Texas – Arlington

Revolutionary dress up games get serious: Evolving your wardrobe to match your credibility
Division Co-Sponsor: Student Media Advisors
Television news image consultants agree – looks matter. Presenting how you look is as important to your credibility as what you say. Your audience will make several judgments about you as a journalist within seconds of seeing you on air – you don’t even need to say a word. To be a credible journalist, you must look the part. This panel will show you how those childhood dress up games need to be taken seriously at the anchor desk or in the field.
Moderator: Tom Hallaq, Kansas State University

The News Directors Speak:  The Path to my Dream Job
The popular news director panel returns this year with a new focus: The path to the job I want.  The news directors will describe what is needed to get on the right track.  We’ll ask these questions:  what is the most direct path from the first job to the dream job? Web producer to anchor, for example, doesn’t seem like a straight path, but it might be.  Of all the entry level jobs that are out there – Job A, are some a better path to a specific Job B than others?  Or is the most important thing getting your foot in the door?
Moderator: Mary Blue, Tulane University

The Package is no Longer Enough: Incorporating Social Media into Radio and Broadcast Television Classes
No longer can a “traditional” radio and television broadcast curriculum focus only on the video and audio content. Young reporters must know how to use social media for storytelling, promotion, and engagement. Panelists will discuss their real-life experiences incorporating Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other platforms into an already tight curriculum. The importance and obstacles encountered while teaching students, who seem to know it all about social media, will be explored.
Moderator: Sherice Gearhart, University of Nebraska at Omaha

Top Teaching Tips: It starts with the curriculum
The changes in broadcast news are requiring journalism programs to adapt to new skills – from social media and mobile journalism to producing more content for an increasingly faster news cycle.  Programs are asking what should we be teaching and how should we teach it.  Those decisions begin with a discussion of the curriculum.  This panel features faculty members from several universities that are in the middle of curriculum revision who will share their “best tips.”
Moderator: Gary Hanson, Kent State University

What We Wish New Hires Knew…
Division Co-Sponsor: Curriculum, Assessment and Administration
What do hiring managers want broadcast journalists to already know when they walk in the door?  This panel brings in the experts to answer your questions and includes the latest research on journalism job skills required by the industry.
Moderator: Debora Wenger, University of Mississippi

Production Aesthetics & Criticism

Creative Digital Filmmaking Projects for the Classroom
Division Co-Sponsor: Student Media Advisors
The Digital Evolution means academic production programs can easily do filmmaking classes and activities. But, can you make it realistic to film industry experience?  This panel features professors and professionals demonstrating digital filmmaking projects that work, and that you can take back to your classroom.
Moderator: Tony DeMars, Texas A&M University at Commerce

Digital Disruptions: Experiments in Creative Practice and Research
Division Co-Sponsor: Research
As new media evolutions rupture traditional modalities and paradigms, it becomes crucial for scholars to remain open to experimentations in both research and creative practice. In this panel, scholars from a variety of disciplines will explore how communication research is shifting and changing in the contemporary mediaspcape.
Moderator: Nancy MacKenzie Dupont, University of Mississippi

Distributed Authorship in Creative Media: Relevance for Promotion and Tenure
You have a letter that acknowledges you worked on an independent film in several capacities, but you don’t have a primary author credit. You were asked to produce brand specific content for a company’s social media outlets, but the public sees the brand name, not yours. Will these scenarios pass muster during the promotion and tenure process? This panel will discuss the obstacles of documenting distributed authorship in creative media so that it satisfies promotion and tenure criteria. Issues related to branded content creation, electronic billboard production, film making, digital media production, and static and motion graphic design will be discussed.
Moderator: Bradford L. Yates, University of West Georgia;

Have you thought about just putting it on YouTube?: Exploring the benefits and challenges of linear media for student productions
Student-produced programming is an important pedagogical tool, but securing the best form of distribution can be challenge.  The digital revolution has opened up more forms of distribution, but is it always the best choice to “put it on YouTube?”  What are the benefits and challenges of producing content for traditional linear distribution models? This panel will examine the pedagogical, financial, and organizational factors that faculty and administrators face when deciding how to distribute content.
Moderator: Amy Crawford, Youngstown State University

Little Black Boxes: The Importance of Troubleshooting In Our Digital World
A discussion between academics and industry professionals regarding the importance of students being able to troubleshoot equipment issues.  Instead of tinkering and toying until they come up with a workable solution, many students seem willing to accept defeat and blame the equipment.  During our discussion, industry professionals will highlight the importance of troubleshooting skills, while those in academia will discuss how we work with students to further develop their troubleshooting skills.
Moderator: Aaron J. Jones, Central Michigan University

New Facilities, New Opportunities:  How Updated Production Facilities Increases Student and faculty: Opportunities
Division Co-Sponsor: Curriculum, Assessment and Administration
While no program can maintain true “state-of-the-art” production facilities many do receive significant upgrades from time-to-time.  This panel would include a discussion of how new facilities has improved and increased the opportunities for both students and faculty.  The panel would look at the type of work that’s being done as well as how employers are looking at graduates with these improved experiences. Additionally, an undergraduate student perspective will be included.
Moderator: John J. Lombardi, Frostburg State University

The 168 Film Project: A Unique Opportunity for Students and Faculty
Division Co-Sponsor: Two-Year/Small Colleges
The 168 Film Project invites participants to compete for cash and prizes by producing a narrative or documentary film, based on a theme and a Judeo-Christian scripture. Films are produced in one week’s time 168 hours:, offering a crash course in real-world experience for both student and faculty competitors. In this panel, Professor Kara Jolliff Gould and 168 Board Member Brian Bird TV writer and producer best known for Evening Shade, Touched by An Angel, and When Calls the Heart: explain the outstanding opportunities offered to competitors in the 168 Film Project, and recent 168 filmmakers share their stories of struggles and miracles from the “168” trenches and show some of their outstanding work. Learn all you need to get your students involved in this competitive storytelling opportunity, and to become involved yourself! Winners receive cash and film industry recognition.
Moderator: Kara Jolliff Gould, John Brown University

Understanding Legal Licenses and Clearances in the Digital Age: The Use and Misuse of Third-Party Content in Faculty and Student Productions (combined with Law & Policy session)
Division Co-Sponsor: Law and Policy
Digital content providers enable easy online access to a vast repository of third-party production elements such as clip art, fonts, images, music, sound effects, stock video and audio clips, etc. With so many assets now merely a mouse-click away, it is imperative that faculty and students understand how to legally and ethically use the intellectual property of others. Covers practical tips on how to obtain legal clearances and permissions for the copyrighted works of others.
Moderator: Vic Costello, Elon University

What does “good” mean? Professionals and educators on 21st Century video production
Most have HD video cameras in their pockets. DSLRs bring high-end production within reach. GoPros and drones change what’s possible. 4k video is here, and 8k is on the horizon. Changes in technology are blurring the lines between consumer and professional video quality, but what does it all mean for educators and students? Current and former video professionals sort out the changes, where we need to adapt, and what should stay the same.
Moderator: Glenn Hubbard, East Carolina University

Radio & Audio Media

Any Way You Run It: College Radio and the Future of the Industry
Division Co-Sponsor: Interactive Media and Emerging Technologies
Now more than ever, college radio has become integral to preparing future broadcasters and producers for a career in the radio industry. And, as online radio becomes more of a player in the industry game, college broadcasters have the opportunity to impact what the radio industry’s future may be. Our panel of premiere college radio advisors will debate the virtues of strict versus more free-form running of college radio, as well as the importance of utilizing social media, in-studio cameras, blogs, and other traditionally non-radio elements to enhance the medium and help define its future.
Moderator: Gina Baleria, California State University – San Francisco

Integrating Social Media and Web Management into Radio Broadcasting Curriculum
Division Co-Sponsor: Interactive Media and Emerging Technologies
Social Media and Digital strategy are key to radio’s future. How can Colleges teach and evaluate large groups of students in the holistic approach to content delivery in the “Age of the Smartphone”? A social media and web management company for radio, SoCast, has teamed up with a couple colleges to do just that. Utilizing the same platform as the largest broadcasting companies in Canada the college students are getting first hand experience managing content and analyzing data. With panelist from top broadcasters in the US and Canada, two colleges will walk ‎ the audience through a first hand experience to see how we have successfully integrated into the Radio Broadcasting curriculum.
Moderator: Dan Pihlainen, Algonquin College

It’s the Medium and the Message: The Digital Evolution of International Broadcasting in Revolutionary Times
Division Co-Sponsor: International
This panel examines the historical principles of international radio broadcasting, and how stations have evolved both technologically and in terms of who the target audience is. Even with turmoil around the world, governments are questioning the usefulness of these stations and the wisdom of continuing to fund them. The panelists will address these issues and argue that in revolutionary times international radio broadcasting is still effective and needed.
Moderator: Andrew M. Clark, University of Texas – Arlington

Seeing Radio as a Visual Medium:   Sound Art, Science and Data Analysis
Division Co-Sponsor: Multicultural Studies
This panel reviews visual elements employed in early radio theater, songs/videos centered on radio, stations embedded into games, and huge online radio archives images/data/artifacts:.  Radio’s visuality is explored, from early artistic conceptions by Italian Futurists to the meaning behind Video Killed the Radio Star to powerful  images conveyed by promotions and personalities. Panelists contend radio has always employed visual elements; its emergence on the Web and mobile phones is merely an extension of that phenomena.
Moderator: Phylis Johnson, Southern Illinois University @ Carbondale

Social Media: The Great Equalizer in Radio
Broadcast radio continues to be a viable media content provider, but satellite and online radio are formidable competitors as a result of the great equalizer: social media. Whether you are a broadcast, satellite, or online outlet, you must have a social media strategy. This panel will examine how social media has leveled the playing field for other delivery platforms to compete with broadcast outlets and how all types of stations are becoming multimedia content providers. Attention will be given to social media’s impact on news delivery, programming strategies, and production techniques as well as how teaching about radio has changed.
Moderator: Andrew M. Clark, University of Texas – Arlington

The Class in Radio Broadcasters Want You to Offer
Division Co-Sponsor: Curriculum, Assessment and Administration
A research study on the state of radio revealed that when it comes to jobs, the most in-demand job is in the area of radio sales. However, most colleges don’t provide any training in radio sales. Learn why the industry wants you to be more active in this area of your media education program and why they will hire virtually every student you train.
Moderator: John Potter, Radio Advertising Bureau

The State of the Radio Industry 2015
This will be a roundtable discussion examining the state of the radio industry and radio research as it exists in 2015. This panel consists of both leading industry professionals and academics who teach and conduct research about the radio industry.
Moderator: John Allen Hendricks, Stephen F. Austin State University

Your College Radio Station: Programming, Promoting and Recruiting – The Saga Continues!
Division Co-Sponsor: Two-Year/Small Colleges
This popular panel returns to BEA ‘15 with more college radio Station Managers/PDs/Faculty Advisors sharing some of their best practices, experiences =read: “lessons learned the hard ways”:, and advice!  If you are in charge of a college radio station, need recruitment tips, looking to make a splash in your community with a killer promotion, or want to revitalize your programming, this panel will address several questions:  When & how do you know to adjust your progamming choices? How do you best recruit and train your students?  Feel to bring copies of your own station’s handbooks, training documents or procedure/policy manuals and share with other colleges! What are some creative and cost-effective promotions that have worked with your target demo or increased sampling/cume? Our experienced panelists will answer these questions and discuss their own experiences, but we hope you bring your ideas, questions, and best practices to share! You’ll walk away full of practical ideas ready to implement at your station as soon as you get home!
Moderator: Albert Kim, Manchester Community College

Research

Social Media vs. Legacy Media in the New Multi-Gated Media Landscape
Division Co-Sponsor: Interactive Media and Emerging Technologies
Recent dramatic, far-reaching, and viral news events, including the Syrian crisis, Ferguson, ISIS, the Olympic games, or the ALS campaign, had gatekeepers – from journalists to strategic communicators – look for alternative ways to inform their audiences and influence the public agenda. This panel aims to explore the opportunities and challenges presented by the new multi-gated media landscape, to identify the most influential gatekeepers, and to ascertain the reach and effects of this emerging flow of information.
Moderator: Raluca Cozma, Iowa State University

Social Media, Technological Advances, and Parasocial Relationships: How New Technology Changes the PSRs that Change Our Lives
Horton & Wohl 1956: called for research into how parasocial interactions “are integrated into the matrix of usual social activity” p. 228:. In light of social media, this panel answers that very call and will explore the characteristics of parasocial existence that demand additional research. The panel will examine how social media and increased 2-way communication between audiences and celebrities, politicians, and fictional characters alter our current understandings of PSRs as we seek new operationalizations of existing parasocial research concepts.
Moderator: T. Phillip Madison, Stephen F. Austin State University

Teaching communication and media theory
Division Co-Sponsor: Curriculum, Assessment and Administration
This group will share how they teach theory in graduate courses. Several studies examining the state of theory show that we as academics do little to extend theory. Bryant and Miron found in a content analysis of journals that theory was merely referenced if it was included. Potter and Riddle discovered that most 65%: journal articles were not guided by theory. One way to address this problem is to critically address how we teach theory.
Moderator: Serena Carpenter, Arizona State University

Sports

Beyond the Announcer’s Booth: Alternate Careers in Live Sports Broadcasting
Many of our sports broadcasting students are focused on careers behind the mic. However there are exciting career opportunities for students behind-the-scenes. Sports industry professionals, including the Chief Technical Officer of NEP productions, will talk about maximizing  career opportunities in live remote sports and entertainment.
Moderator: Michael Bruce, University of Alabama

Developing a Sports Cirriculum
As the field of sports becomes more popular at the collegiate and academic level, there are more sports specific majors, minors, or fields of study for students to become involved.  This panel will look at different programs and different points of emphasis that might exist from school to school along with differences in types of classes, curriculum, and student interest.
Moderator: Matthew Harmon, Monmouth University

Digital Opportunities, Possibilities, and Challenges for University Sports Media Programs and Curriculum
Division Co-Sponsor: Student Media Advisors
The evolving digital media environment is offering both opportunities and challenges to university sports curriculum programs, and student media sports coverage and programs.  More important are the possibilities that the new digital environment offers university programs and student media in multi-platform sports production, delivery, and, now engagement.   This panel explores this and more as panelists discuss the current practice concerning sports, what plans are on the horizon and what they see as the possibilities.
Moderator: Max V. Grubb, Youngstown State University

Running the Option Play: Can or Should: Sports Journalists Be Taught How to Be Sports Personalities?
Division Co-Sponsor: Radio & Audio Media
Never before have sports journalists been under so much pressure to raise their public profile in digital media and to maintain a “personal brand.” This all-star panel addresses how journalism schools could better prepare students to become “sports personalities.” To be considered: What is the line between being a sports journalist and being a sports personality?  And how does a social media-friendly “personal brand” affect the editorial judgement of a sports journalist?
Moderator: Kenneth A. Fischer, University of Oklahoma

Rural Sports Broadcasting;  Small Towns, Big Payoff
This panel will discuss the growing sports broadcasting opportunities across the upper Midwest and beyond.  Many are experiencing a surge in sports through cable television with a local sports television flare.  This panel will address some of these opportunities in more detail along with what applicants need to do to be ready for this opportunity when it arrives.
Moderator: Kenneth A. Fischer, University of Oklahoma

Sports Broadcasting Program Showcase
This session will feature panelists from several university programs that produce sports programming. The programs may come in the forms of sports segments in radio or television newscasts, weekly shows or specials. The program carriers vary from campus closed circuit to community cable to public broadcasting stations. Some universities have full fledged sports majors while other colleges include sports activities as part of a general broadcast major. The panelists will highlight their programs including how students, staff and faculty are involved in the process. The balancing act of how to both produce quality programing and provide students a positive learning experience at the same time will be discussed. Excerpts will be shared with the audience. The relationship between academics and the Athletic Department will also be considered.
Moderator: Kenneth A. Fischer, University of Oklahoma

The ESPN Effect: Studying The Worldwide Leader in Sports
ESPN has grown from a start-up cable network in 1979 to a $50 billion global enterprise. This panel focuses on research in the upcoming book, “The ESPN Effect: Academic Studies of the Worldwide Leader in Sports,” examining some of the network’s economic, journalistic, and cultural impacts.
Moderator: John McGuire, Oklahoma State University

We’ve Added Sports Curricula.  Can Our Graduates Get a Job?
The creation of the BEA Sports Division was a partial reflection of the number of colleges and universities adding courses and programs that included the word “Sports.”  While those courses and programs have generated significant student interest and credit hour production, have they misled our students into thinking a nifty job awaits them after graduation day?  This mixed panel of professionals and academics will explore that question.
Moderator: Max Roy Utsler, University of Kansas

Student Media Advisors

A Multicultural Experience: Student Learning through Media
Division Co-Sponsor: Multicultural Studies
To be successful in their careers, it is necessary for students to have a diverse learning experience. This panel will discuss how students at Valparaiso University incorporated their learning experience into programming on their cable television channel.
Moderator: Phillip Powell, Valparaiso University

College Radio at a Crossroads: A “GPS” for Student-Run Stations
Division Co-Sponsor: Radio & Audio Media
College radio has always been at the forefront of revolution and evolution by airing innovative music and programs. This philosophy is important today because young adult listeners have many entertainment and information choices. Advisors are key to helping student-run radio stay relevant. This panel will discuss: innovative programs on select stations, helping students develop programs, how students can make their shows sound professional, and how to recruit and get students actively involved with the station.
Moderator: Andy Curran, University of Cincinnati – Clermont College

Creating a academic department production company? How to benifit your program when asked “Do your students need a project?”
Most college professors and advisers are inundated with request from the community and others on campus with inquiries about their students producing media content. This panel will explore ways to leverage this for the benefit of the students and for the faculty. The panel with discuss important questions like: Is this REALLY a good teaching opportunity for students? And, how can faculty balance these outside projects with their normal workload?
Moderator: Randy Ray, West Texas A&M University

Definitely Not Necessarily the News—Programming to Rejuvenate Broadcast Programs
Four broadcasting programs seeking alternatives to news programming take on four distinct programs in varied genres.  Integrating multiple disciplines, the programs seek to energize students, introduce new curriculum and in one case, reinvigorate a dispirited student body.  The process of choosing the genre and platform to meet curricular and student interests and overcoming obstacles to disseminating the programming will be discussed.
Moderator: Richard Vogel, Lincoln Memorial University

Join the Club:  BEA Student Clubs and Advising
This panel will discuss ways to get your communications and media student club recognized as a BEA club, and will overview incentives for creating a BEASC at your campus.
Moderator: Ian Todaro, SUNY New Paltz

Mary Jane Goes to College: College Media Policies You’ll Need When MJ Comes to Your State
Division Co-Sponsor: Law and Policy
This session will explore the unique challenges facing college media after the legalization of recreational marijuana. While Colorado and Washington are at the forefront, many experts agree that the national trend will be for many states to follow. With a mix of federal, state, and local ordinances to consider, it is important that student media policies address issues related to marijuana use by staff, implied or explicit endorsement in student media, and potential advertising/underwriting revenue.
Moderator: Samuel Ebersole, Colorado State University – Pueblo

Perspectives on Student Media Advising
Division Co-Sponsor: Curriculum, Assessment and Administration
The panelists share insights and observations on the experience and impact of student media on the education, careers and lives of students involved in student media operations. With almost 100 years of collective experience in student media advising and significant involvement in BEA leadership, these panelists bring a much needed perspective to the impact and importance of Student Media in both the academic curriculum and the lives of media students.
Moderator: W. Dale Hoskins, Northern Arizona University

Reboot/Student Media Organizations in Smaller Schools & Programs
Division Co-Sponsor: Two-Year/Small Colleges
This is a sequel to last year’s well-received media advisor panel.  This year, media advisors TV & Radio: will discuss issues pertaining to content quality, student leadership, maintaining consistent membership etc.  Central to this panel will be an open forum with others advisors, faculty and students in the audience.  This will allow people to present their dilemmas and get input from the panel as well as the other advisors in attendance.
Moderator: Robin Cecala, Point Park University;

The Signatures: SMA’s Créme de la Créme
Four years after the introduction of the Signature Station Contest, five stations have been crowned the best of the best. This panel will include station directors and advisors from the Signature winners. A lively discourse will center on purpose, submission materials, competitiveness, plus tips and suggestions for stations applying for consideration in 2016.
Moderator: Sam Lovato, Colorado State University – Pueblo

Two-Year/Small Colleges

Audio for video: Techniques to increase effectiveness in a digital world
Audio design for video/film productions is a complex process. This panel examines ways through which audio design and productions can be improved to best support video content.
Moderator: David Farrell, Aims Community College

Flipping your classroom: A practical discussion of methods and available tools
Flipping the classroom has been a topic of much discussion lately. People who are new to the concept will gain an greater understanding of what it means to flip a classroom and discover some relevant tools to help facilitate this process.
Moderator: Gwin Faulconer-Lippert, Oklahoma City Community College

Funding the small school radio station: Challenges and solutions
Division Co-Sponsor: Radio & Audio Media
This will be a discussion panel regarding the challenges faced by small schools to adequately fund student-run, terrestrial broadcast radio stations.
Moderator: Troy L. Hunt, Northwest College

Leveraging Social Media
We are taxed with teaching and keeping up with trends in social media and often implementing them on campus. The question is are we meeting outcomes that are actual real world strategies? Do students understand SEO vs SMO and PPC vs CTR, can they use Google Analytics and other online SMO apps, can they effectively re-purpose traditional media for the web and can they create campaigns across social and traditional media platforms?
Moderator: Eleni Konstas, Misericordia University

Preparing for an Accreditation Review
Preparing for an Accreditation Review can be stressful and time consuming.  Cinema and Media Arts departments face unique challenges that will be discussed in this workshop with practical solutions in making the site visit and audit a success.
Moderator: Alan C. Hueth, Point Loma Nazarene University

Student Production Showcase
Student productions from 2-Year/Small Schools are showcased. This is an opportunity for student works to be displayed and the challenges discussed that are facing small schools.
Moderator: Thomas McDonnell, Metropolitan Community College

Technology On A Budget: Surviving And Thriving In A Changing Environment
Division Co-Sponsor: Interactive Media and Emerging Technologies
The ever changing reality of colleges and universities has created uncertainties and new challenges for Broadcast Educators. Historically Black Colleges and Universities HBCU: face additional challenges in the ever shifting collegiate environment. This panel explores how one HBCU is tackling the difficulties of evolving media technologies and post-convergence curriculum changes.
Moderator: Donna L. Gough, Clafin University

Writing

Across the Divide?: Writing Characters vs. Action
We often talk about “character-driven” vs. “plotaction:-driven” scripts. But is it possible to balance the two? Do techniques for writing characters vs. action vary from genre to genre, or format to format? Should we encourage students to write action-oriented/big budget scripts, or to start with character-driven pieces that they might be able to produce themselves? Panelists will address these questions, and session attendees will be encouraged to contribute their thoughts as well.
Moderator: Kevin J. Corbett, Central Michigan University

Can We Effectively Teach Video Production Online?
Division Co-Sponsor: Production Aesthetics & Criticism
Have digital technology and online student interest advanced to the point where we can teach the fundamentals of video production online?   Would it be a studio or field production, and encompass how many globally-distributed students?  Or is this still not yet a feasible or desirable option?  We brainstorm on the future of teaching video production.
Moderator: Dennis Patrick Conway, Valdosta State University

The Dark Side of Teaching:  FERPA, Clery & Classroom Safety
Division Co-Sponsor: Curriculum, Assessment and Administration
This panel will focus on how faculty can and should protect themselves.  We will address campus safety and how FERPA and the Clery Act impact faculty.   Experienced teachers will present their research findings and provide tips and advice that can protect you in your classroom.  An experienced administrator will be the panel’s moderator.  One panel member worked in criminal law as a DA for many years and has a reputable background in criminal defense work.
Moderator: Edward J. Fink, California State University – Fullerton

The PITCH Session: Tell Your Story Idea to an Industry Professional!
Many wonderful stories and scripts go unproduced because the author or originator has not or can not make a convincing oral summary or “pitch”: of its value, appeal, and marketability to a producer or agent. In this annual panel, we encourage all student BEA attendees to “pitch” their story to industry professionals, who will evaluate the “pitch” and their script’s merit in the current marketplace.
Moderator: Micheal McAlexander, California State University – Fullerton

Writing the short film: Not a feature, and not just an exercise
Division Co-Sponsor: Production Aesthetics & Criticism
Rooted in both narrative research and decades of pedagogical experience, this panel will discuss the unique challenges, opportunities, and strategies of the most common format of narrative media education today — the short film. Panelists discuss short film writing not as a mini-feature, but as a format all its own.
Moderator: Michael C. Smith, Pepperdine University