Those who communicate best achieve more!
We are assaulted daily by thousands of messages. Some are good, some bad, and most we ignore. It depends on the quality of the communication. Excellent communications skills can be taught, and that’s what we do best.
Students pursuing a Communication degree learn to speak and write well as they apply multimedia skills in and out of the classroom. Innovative courses prepare them for hundreds of jobs that require a foundation of communication skills: TV anchors, radio show hosts, bloggers, photojournalists, graphic designers, social media managers, speech writers, public relations specialists, reporters and scores of others.
Faculty members with professional experience engage students in all forms of media, and internships and student media experiences prepare students for the real world and a successful future in professional media.
Earning a bachelor’s degree in Communication at NSU puts you on the fast track for success. Ask us about the exciting opportunities awaiting you with a Communication major or minor. Available concentrations include Strategic Communication, Journalism, Broadcast, and Digital Media Production and Sports Media.
The department also offers Undergraduate Certificate in Strategic Communication.
Strategic Communication
Encompassing organizational communication and public relations, this concentration offers a course of study for students to learn how individuals and organizations use communication and media to deliver messages to targeted audiences. Courses will focus on how organizations and media influence opinions and the behavior of key publics. The curriculum will emphasize an ethical approach and will analyze societal effects of strategic communication practices.
Journalism, Broadcast, and Digital Media Production
Students become expert storytellers, employing digital tools to create, produce, and disseminate content that informs audiences with original, accurate and well-produced and well-written stories. Students become proficient in all forms of journalistic storytelling – combining text with images –video, sounds – to deliver content to digital platforms. This concentration prepares students for next-generation careers in online and traditional news media.
Sports Media
Students receive hands-on training and skills to enter the booming field of sports media as sports journalists, sports communications professionals or other roles with media companies, teams, leagues, conferences, athlete agencies and more. The concentration emphasizes cutting-edge forms of storytelling and content creation, live streaming, marketing strategies and sports audience analysis. Students become effective sports communicators, writing, editing, brand-managing, creating video, podcasting and posting to social media platforms. Courses feature professional work experiences with the NSU sports teams and athletic department.
Advising
All students are encouraged to consult with a departmental adviser prior to enrolling each semester. The department will assign a faculty or staff member for each student. Students will find their adviser’s name on NSU’s DegreeWorks. For questions or assistance with advising, please, contact newmedia@nsula.edu or call 318-357-5360.
For general planning purposes, please, see the Major Requirement Checklist below. The University Catalog provides course descriptions and other academic requirements. Please, see page 76 for the Department of New Media, Journalism, and Communication Arts.
Annual Events
JaM DAY (formerly J-Day): Friday, November 5, 2021, from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.
About JaM Day: Journalism and Media Day (JaM) Day is an annual half-day event that provides high school students with the opportunity to meet industry professionals and participate in competitions that test skills in new media, journalism, and communication. Future media professionals hear from the experts, including faculty, alumni, and visiting communication professionals about careers in the new media, journalism, and communication fields. They also meet current students and will tour the campus to see our media labs, TV studio, and equipment.
NEW MEDIA STUDENT SHOWCASE: TBA
The New Media Student Showcase is an annual gallery exhibition featuring photography from students, faculty, and alumni of the Department of New Media, Journalism, and Communication Arts.
Alumni
Denise Lewis Patrick
Denise is a Louisiana native transplanted to New Jersey. She received an undergraduate degree in Journalism from Northwestern State University of Louisiana, and an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of New Orleans. Her published work of over 30 titles includes fiction and non-fiction for all ages, short stories, and poetry. Among recent works are: middle grade novel Finding Someplace (Holt, 2015), the Y/A short story collection A Matter of Souls (Carolrhoda Lab, 2014), and historical fiction novels No Ordinary Sound and Never Stop Singing (American Girl, 2016). Her adult short story, “Mr. Bird,” was published in University of New Orleans anthology, Monday Night Lights (2016). She is a contributor to the anthology We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices (Crown, 2018), and is an adjunct professor at Montclair State University.
Lane Luckie
Lane is the anchor of Good Morning East Texas, the top-rated morning newscast in East Texas. He joined KLTV, the ABC affiliate in Tyler, Texas in 2012.
Lane previously served as evening anchor and executive producer at KTRE-TV in Lufkin and Nacogdoches. He came to East Texas from KTAL-TV in Shreveport, where he was a general assignments reporter. Lane also spent four years working for the Natchitoches, Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau.
A native of Lake Charles, Louisiana, Lane earned a bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism from Northwestern State University. Read More.
Cindy Chapman
I am a 1988 NSU Graduate, with a Journalism major/German minor. I’ve spent the last 31 years in the tv news business at stations in Columbus, Ohio, Fort Wayne, Indiana, Green Bay, Wisconsin and most notably Minneapolis/St. Paul. I’m in my 25th year at KARE 11 TV, currently the Senior Executive Producer but I’ve produced every newscast, been on the air, started a mom’s website and helped create one of the most innovative shows in the “news” space called Breaking the News. Awards include national Murrows, Emmy’s and a Cronkite.
My passion: teaching young journalists how to become powerhouse producers!
Faculty
| Name | Job Title | Office Phone | Address |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dr. Jie “Jessica” Zhang | Department Head New Media, Journalism, and Communication Arts | 318-357-6166 | 239 Kyser Hall |
| David Antilley | Manager/Director NSU TV | 318-357-4417 | 104A Kyser Hall |
| Kenneth Burns | Student Media Coordinator | 318-357-5364 | 225E Kyser Hall |
| Tiffany Burrell | Administrative Assistant | 318-357-5368 | 239 Kyser Hall |
| Dr. Jon Croghan | Associate Professor | 318-357-5363 | 237B Kyser Hall |
| Arthur Dew | Instructor | 318-357-5572 | 237C Kyser Hall |
| Dorian Elaine Eaton | Instructor | 318-357-5367 | 237D Kyser Hall |
| Dr. Paula Furr | Professor Emerita | 318-357-5666 | 239E Kyser Hall |
| Dr. Brian Gabrial | Wise Endowed Professor of Journalism | 318-357-5666 | 239 Kyser Hall |
| Melody Gilbert | Assistant Professor | 318-357-6176 | 225F Kyser Hall |
| Dr. Ron McBride | Instructor | 318-357-5360 | 239 Kyser Hall |
| Jerry Pierce | Assistant Professsor, Vice President for External Affairs | 318-357-6588 | 103 Prather Coliseum |
| Dr. Nick Taylor | Assistant Professor | 318-357-5366 | 225H Kyser Hall |
| Thomas Whitehead | Professor Emeritus | 318-357-5360 | 239D Kyser Hall |
| Emily Zering | Instructor | 318-357-5365 | 237C Kyser Hall |
Student Media
The Department of New Media, Journalism, and Communication Arts is involved with the following student media: newspaper, yearbook, radio, and television.
APPLICATIONS FOR STUDENT MEDIA MANAGERS
Applications are now being accepted for the 2020-2021 managers of NSU’s student media outlets: Potpourri yearbook, Current Sauce newspaper, KNWD radio. Students interested in being editor-in-chief of Potpourri, editor-in-chief of the Current Sauce or general manager of KNWD should submit an application to Student Media Coordinator Kenneth Burns by 4:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 17. Email questions to burnsk@nsula.edu or call 318-357-5364.
Student Media Job Listing
Potpourri, the NSU yearbook
318-357-4636
NSU’s yearbook, Potpourri, is an independent student media organization. Students plan, design and produce it. Many editorial staff members receive performance scholarships related to their responsibilities. One scholarship is also awarded each year to an incoming freshman. The book’s coverage runs from March to March of each year, allowing the staff to feature many campus events.
The Current Sauce, NSU’s student newspaper
318-357-5456
The Current Sauce, the independent, student-operated newspaper at NSU, is published weekly during the fall and spring semesters and twice over the summer. It is continuously updated online at https://currentsauce.com/. The paper covers campus and community activities as well as social issues that concern students. Student scholarships are available for staff members and for one incoming freshman.
KNWD, the student radio station at NSU
318-357-5693
KNWD 91.7 FM is a noncommercial radio station licensed to the Board of Trustees of Northwestern State University and operating out of facilities at 109 Kyser Hall. KNWD transmits a digital stereo FM signal 24 hours a day to the university community, the city of Natchitoches and surrounding areas. Only students are allowed to work for KNWD. Staffers learn skills in radio management and on-air hosting and production. Scholarships are available for some positions, and one scholarship is awarded annually to an incoming freshman. Any student can apply to work without pay at the station.
NSU TV
The university’s official television channel, NSU TV, provides students broadcast experiences in reporting, writing and producing video for television and digital outlets. Some of these experiences are part of Department of New Media broadcast classes, and others are extracurricular. Each semester, students across campus are encouraged to audition for the various positions needed to air a live newscast. For more information on NSU TV, contact NSU TV Manager/Executive Director David Antilley at 318-357-4417. NSU TV is available in Natchitoches on Suddenlink Channel 22, CP-Tel Channel 55, and University Place 1 and University Place 2 Channel 8.
Student Media Coordinator
For more information about student media and scholarship opportunities, contact Student Media Coordinator Kenneth Burns at burnsk@nsula.edu or 318-357-5364. The student media suite is in 225 Kyser Hall.
