Commonwealth Times

Media Credit: Courtacy of Deb Weger [Click to enlarge]

As co-author of a textbook that has been adopted by four universities around the country since its release in early November, Deborah Wenger is in charge as of ensuring VCU's mass communications students are equipped to excel after graduation.

Wenger, associate professor of convergence and news media, said she has spent the past couple of semesters producing the textbook, titled "Advancing the Story: Broadcast Journalism in a Multimedia World," designed to prepare students for convergence, or the merging of mass media, in America's newsrooms.

"What I'm hoping to do is at least expose students in our advance broadcast- writing classes to the tools and the skills they need to produce content for the Web as well as for television," Wenger said.

Before accepting a teaching position at VCU in 2001, Wenger was involved in local news. Her previous job before coming to VCU was assistant news director for a station in Tampa, Fla.

After spending years working with the multimedia side of news, Wenger said she was ready for a break from the hectic reality of television news.

"I very much enjoyed teaching, and when I felt like I needed an extended break from the newsroom in mid-2001, I thought I'd like to try teaching full-time," Wenger said.

Wenger also said that while balancing being a mother, wife, professor - and now author - was a difficult task, the School of Mass Communications was a big help in the process.

Judy Turk, director of the School of Mass Communications, allows faculty who are working on major projects to request a course reduction.

"It would have been nearly impossible to (write the book) … without that extra time that was given to me by the university," Wenger said.

One of the classes Wenger is assigned to teach is VCU Insight, a student-run news magazine show that airs on a PBS affiliate station. Tinisha Mason-Nolan is a senior mass communications major and is enrolled in Wenger's class. Mason- Nolan said she has learned a great deal from her.

"She's been very helpful in teaching me the basics of journalism," Mason- Nolan said. "She makes the classroom feel like a real newsroom."

Adjunct professor Mary Ann Owens said she has known Wenger for about a year and a half. Owens said she's very impressed with Wenger as a professor and as a person.

"I think she's great," Owens said. "Smart, talented - I don't know how she does all that she does."

Wenger said she's still learning how to be more effective in the classroom and instill a passion for TV news, as well as multimedia, in her students.

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Media Credit: Courtacy of Deb Weger [Click to enlarge]

As co-author of a textbook that has been adopted by four universities around the country since its release in early November, Deborah Wenger is in charge as of ensuring VCU's mass communications students are equipped to excel after graduation.

Wenger, associate professor of convergence and news media, said she has spent the past couple of semesters producing the textbook, titled "Advancing the Story: Broadcast Journalism in a Multimedia World," designed to prepare students for convergence, or the merging of mass media, in America's newsrooms.

"What I'm hoping to do is at least expose students in our advance broadcast- writing classes to the tools and the skills they need to produce content for the Web as well as for television," Wenger said.

Before accepting a teaching position at VCU in 2001, Wenger was involved in local news. Her previous job before coming to VCU was assistant news director for a station in Tampa, Fla.

After spending years working with the multimedia side of news, Wenger said she was ready for a break from the hectic reality of television news.

"I very much enjoyed teaching, and when I felt like I needed an extended break from the newsroom in mid-2001, I thought I'd like to try teaching full-time," Wenger said.

Wenger also said that while balancing being a mother, wife, professor - and now author - was a difficult task, the School of Mass Communications was a big help in the process.

Judy Turk, director of the School of Mass Communications, allows faculty who are working on major projects to request a course reduction.

"It would have been nearly impossible to (write the book) … without that extra time that was given to me by the university," Wenger said.

One of the classes Wenger is assigned to teach is VCU Insight, a student-run news magazine show that airs on a PBS affiliate station. Tinisha Mason-Nolan is a senior mass communications major and is enrolled in Wenger's class. Mason- Nolan said she has learned a great deal from her.

"She's been very helpful in teaching me the basics of journalism," Mason- Nolan said. "She makes the classroom feel like a real newsroom."

Adjunct professor Mary Ann Owens said she has known Wenger for about a year and a half. Owens said she's very impressed with Wenger as a professor and as a person.

"I think she's great," Owens said. "Smart, talented - I don't know how she does all that she does."

Wenger said she's still learning how to be more effective in the classroom and instill a passion for TV news, as well as multimedia, in her students.

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