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Multimedia Journalism

  • Broadcast Concentration

  • Sports Concentration

  • News-editorial Concentration

  • Photojournalism Concentration

Welcome

The Bachelor of Arts degree in Multimedia Journalism is divided into four concentration areas: broadcast, news-editorial, photojournalism and sports. Students select the focus that most interests them, but they are exposed to a variety of media in the curriculum.

Located in the Donald M. Reynolds Center for Music and Communication, our operation includes a nationally recognized cable television station and two radio stations that broadcast and stream live news, sports, music, and other events 24 hours a day. Our student publications deliver award-winning content through The Bison newspaper, Petit Jean yearbook and Shockwave Radio podcast. A lot of our student media (newspaper, radio and TV) are accessible on the department’s digital platform, The Link. Yearbooks can be found in the library and in the Student Publications office, and the Shockwave Podcast can be found on Spotify, PodBean and other podcast platforms.

Many student media positions are paid. Our students have been honored with national and regional awards from industry and academic organizations. Our faculty is made up of media professionals with their own impressive accolades, including Emmys and Peabodys. As a result, our graduates leave Harding with real-world skills that translate well in the workplace.

Multimedia Journalism majors are required to complete an internship that allows students to work alongside industry professionals. Students have interned at their hometown news media as well as national outlets, including Fox News, CNN, NPR, The New York Times, and NBC’s Today Show.

Curriculum Plan

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Jobs, publications and on-campus work opportunities

There are multiple work-study opportunities, depending on your media interests.

HU16: Our live weekday newscast is staffed by student producers, writers, directors, operators, on-air talent and others. Some positions are paid hourly, some are covered by scholarships, and others are given course credit. Applications and auditions for the newscast are held at the beginning of each semester. Those interested in participating should contact our News Director Dr. Ginger Blackstone.

Harding Sports Network: Our live sports production team produces around 150 live sporting events on campus during the academic year and hires students for positions including operating cameras and directing the game productions. On-camera opportunities are available for sideline reporting for football and conducting players and coaches interviews for each sport that is broadcast on Harding Sports Network. Students also produce sports content for social media including the HU16/Harding Sports Network Instagram account. Those interested in participating should contact our Director of Sports Programming Tim Hamilton.

Student Publications: Our student publications hire editors-in-chiefs, page editors, copy editors, online editors, photographers, graphic designers, and business managers for The Bison newspaper, Petit Jean yearbook and digital production team. Applications for these positions are available in the spring semester for the following year. Students are paid through scholarships. Course credit is also available. For more information, contact Student Publications Adviser April Fatula.

Additional student opportunities in the department include working in the department’s equipment checkout room, assisting the TV station’s studio manager, contributing to live productions for sports and other streamed events, and overseeing radio announcers on our FCC-licensed radio stations, KVHU 95.3 FM and AM 1660. Those interested in technical positions at the TV station should contact the HU16 General Manager Mark Prior. Those interested in positions in the radio stations should contact the KVHU General Manager Dr. Dutch Hoggatt.

Learning opportunities outside the classroom

  • Student Media
    • The Bison student newspaper
    • Shockwave Radio podcast
    • Harding Sports Network live football, basketball, softball, baseball, volleyball and soccer games
    • HU16 television productions, including live news, live chapel and other specials
    • KVHU 95.3 and AM 1660 radio stations
    • The Link web platform
    • Petit Jean yearbook
  • Broadcast Education Association electronic media competition and academic conference
  • National Broadcasting Society/Alpha Epsilon Rho, the oldest student electronic media organization and academic honor society
  • Radio Television Digital News Association professional electronic news media organization
  • Society of Professional Journalists professional journalism media organization
  • Travel opportunities with conventions and other learning experiences in major media markets like New York, Washington, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Chicago and other cities. 

Awards and honors earned by students

Broadcast

Society of Professional Journalists (Region 12) Mark of Excellence Award for HU16 News Election Special, 2019

Southeast Journalism Conference Award for Best College TV Station (2nd place), 2019

Broadcast Education Association’s Festival of Media Arts Award for Best College Television Newscast (2nd place), 2018

Mid-America Emmy Crystal Pillar Student Award, Long-Form Nonfiction Television Programming for HU16 Breaking News Tornado Warning Live Coverage, 2017

Harding Sports Network 

National Broadcasting Association-Finalist Live Sports Production for basketball play by play, Jackson Duncan, 2019

South Central Broadcasting Society "Sports Program Grand Prize" for the "Chasing the Herd" Show, 2017

South Central Broadcasting Society- Finalist/TV Program for Chasing the Herd. Finalist/Television Talent, Abby Loring, anchor for Chasing the Herd, 2018

South Central Broadcasting Society Grand Prize for "Informational Video" for Harding University Softball, 2015

Student Publications 

Student Publications editors attended the 2019 Associated Collegiate Press/College Media Association National College Media Convention in Washington, D.C. and received Best of Show Awards for Shockwave Radio Digital Team, The Bison and Petit Jean.

In addition to a number of awards for individual staff members, The Bison won Third Best College Newspaper in the 2020 Best of the South competition at the Southeast Journalism Conference. Other Best of the South awards went to the following Bison staff members:

  • 10th best news writer - Emily Nicks
  • 2nd best arts and entertainment writer - Danielle Turner
  • 10th best press photographer - Ryann Heim
  • 3rd best news graphic designer - Darrian Bagley
  • 2nd best journalism research paper - Hannah Wise

Bison staff members also won the following awards in the on-site competition:

  • 1st feature writing - Emily Nicks
  • 2nd op-ed - Danielle Turner
  • 1st page layout and design - Darrian Bagley
  • Tied for 4th as On-Site Journalism Championship team

Student Publications editors Emma Aly (Petit Jean), Emily Nicks (The Bison) and Hannah Wise (Shockwave Radio) attended the annual 2020 College Media Association conference in New York City. The winners of the 2020 David L. Adams Apple Awards contest included The Bison in third place for Best Newspaper, and Shockwave Radio in third place for Best Podcast.

Student Publications received more than 70 awards from the Arkansas College Media Association’s 2020 College Media Contest, including second place overall in general excellence for The Bison and Petit Jean.

Student Portfolio 

Contact Us

Communication Department is part of the College of Arts & Sciences

501-279-4445

communication@harding.edu

Fax: 501-279-4065

Mailing address:
Harding University
Department of Communication
HU 10765
Searcy, AR 72149-5615