On Oct. 17 students taking classes in Sinclair’s communications department were given the opportunity to attend an event put on by Cox Media Group called “A Day in the Life” at the Cox Media Group building.
The event was geared toward communications, journalism, business and advertising majors.
The goal of the event was to help students develop a better understanding of careers in the media, and to show them some real world skills they will need to be their best in their field.
The day started off with a drone demonstration. The students were able to get an idea of how journalists can take photographs from very high places to achieve difficult shots, such as the tree lighting in Carillon Park.
This would be a particularly difficult sight to photograph but, with the help of drones, the media has had an opportunity to really further their abilities to provide the best news achievable.
The students then got to tour the Cox Media Group Ohio Media Lab. They saw how commercials are made, attended a tour of one of the largest newsrooms in Ohio and were shown how daily newscasts are made.
The tour groups even got a sneak peak in the on-air rooms where local radio stations are hosted, including 101.1 FM The Eagle, a popular classic rock station for Dayton-area residents.
The students then had the opportunity to hear from a variety of men and women employed by the Cox Media Group on a panel. They received insight on how to prepare to begin a career in journalism and business advertising.
Brianne Armstrong, a communications major at Sinclair, who was in attendance said, “I found the panel particularly eye opening because it really stressed the fact that getting exposure, having a willingness to put in work, and being open to experiences is important.”
Lastly, the students in attendance were asked to participate in what Cox Media Group called a “Design Thinking Lab”, where students were to use elements of newscasting to make reporting the weather more interesting. The winning group wanted to use Snapchat to make weather interesting by implementing historical weather facts. They all were awarded VR headsets.
When asked about whether she would encourage other students interested in journalism to attend this event in future years, Armstrong said, “I would highly encourage students to attend this event because it’s a way to get your foot in the door, possibly get an internship, and just a great time in general. I felt very encouraged and motivated after the event.”
The students in attendance are provided with internship opportunities, and are able to submit applications a week earlier than the rest of applicants, having received various forms of information about how the Cox Media Group works.
This was the event’s second year running and was open to students in surrounding areas of Dayton from several colleges. Cox Media Group hopes to continue to host more of these events.
This event gave students experiences that can supplement their learning in the classroom with real life examples of what careers in their field look like.
It allowed students to potentially walk away with a different perspective on journalism and the media. Whether or not the experience was positive or negative, it could encourage them to make alterations to their plans for their futures.
Kelsey Fitzpatrick
Reporter