Behind the Scenes: Bulletin TV on Hiatus

Founded by former communications student Kalie Calder, who paved the way for students that were interested in expanding their on-air camera communications skills, "Bulletin TV" launched its first episode in September 2017.

This would be the beginning of adding a digital component to the newspaper by offering a television news broadcast covering some of the same stories as The Bulletin newspaper. The format was to upload new 10- to 15-minute episodes every two weeks on its YouTube channel. But, after just three seasons, "Bulletin TV" went on an indefinite hiatus.

However, the Communications Department is hoping that will change and has been interviewing potential faculty candidates to integrate more broadcast journalism into their curriculum.

Currently, the Journalism major program offers various course options like sports journalism, multimedia interviewing, digital media production, digital magazine production, entertainment and lifestyle reporting, but there are plans to continue diversifying course offerings to include a broader range of journalism classes. This includes broadcast journalism, as well as adding a Spanish-Language Journalism certificate, under the guidance of Assistant Professor Dr. Ana de la Serna and with the help of the brand-new faculty member, Dr. Fernando Severino.

This campus, which resides in South Bay Los Angeles, is in the epicenter of the entertainment industry and it would be beneficial for Journalism majors to get experience with a broad array of news media. That is why continuing to offer Bulletin TV would be so beneficial for our journalism program.

According to American Student Search, "Broadcasting degrees are without exception strongly in demand by employers these days, and graduates of these programs almost always have several job opportunities ready for them when they enter the job market."

Malena Lopez, a Journalism major, was on the staff at the college newspaper in Rio Hondo Community College for three semesters. She gained experience there in a short amount of time there by being versatile and familiarizing herself with podcasting, broadcasting, and the newspaper. She hopes that Bulletin TV could be offered here again so Journalism majors get more of these types of experiences.

"I got the experience with the newspaper, now I want to get experience with broadcasting," Lopez said. "I want to get experience with podcasting, and in today's generation of journalism, you kind of need to be well rounded."

Journalism students interested in broadcasting need to have strong writing, analytical, and storytelling skills, while also being able to improvise and navigate those skills on-air in front of the camera.

Former Bulletin TV anchor and journalism senior Julissa Casillas thought having the Bulletin TV was particularly beneficial. She says it created new opportunities for students to be more well rounded and found it crucial to have on-air experience. But after only one semester in the class, Bulletin TV went off air and she wishes it could have continued.

"Every other Cal State has a broadcast program so we should too, and it doesn't help us out that we don't have one," said Casillas. "I came in as a transfer student from Cypress College and they had a broadcasting program. So, I think it's just sad that a four-year university doesn't have someone to be running it. I won't be graduating with the stuff that I wanted to learn. Yes, the writing is important, but having on-air experience is as important as writing."

According to Joel Beers, the advisor who oversees the student-run newspaper on campus, The Bulletin, getting Bulletin TV back on air should be a priority.

"I believe the Bulletin TV is very [significant]," said Beers. "Students, especially in this day and age, are drawn to visual much more than they are to written words, so if there is a need for it, [we] should offer it."

Dr. Nancy Cheever, the Chair of the Communications Department and Journalism Program Coordinator, hopes to do just that. She played a crucial role in helping former Communications student Kalie Calder establish Bulletin TV when it was launched in September 2017. Though it is currently on hiatus, her plans are to bring it back under the guidance of new faculty.

"We are going to be offering a Broadcast Journalism course in the fall and it's going to be taught by our brand-new faculty member Dr. Fernando Severino," said Dr. Cheever. "I hope that in the future we can expand our broadcast offerings and, maybe with our new faculty member, he would be able to find a student or maybe he could even take on being the director of the Bulletin TV program. We just have not been able to get it going because of the lack of interest, believe it or not. So, we need students to come together and approach Mr. Beers and [I] and let us know that you're interested."

She's confident in the direction that the Journalism program is transitioning to and hopes to have students continue to get more involved in programs as they restructure the Journalism curriculum.

"In the fall, we are offering some exciting new electives, along with our excellent curriculum, and we also have the accreditation team coming to evaluate our program for accreditation by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications," said Dr. Cheever. "That's our immediate future and, of course, we would love to expand Bulletin TV and also get some more student-run products out of the Journalism program, and then, of course, we [always want] to expand are number of majors."