By Caroline Embleau
Chandra Clark remembers a "serious situation where a man had taken people hostage" at Alabama Credit Union Bank in 2017.
Clark, an assistant professor at the University of Alabama in the Department of Journalism and Creative Media, was working with a team of student journalists at the time. She recalled a need for coverage of the dire story, as many professional staff writers and student journalists were traveling to cover a recent National Championship win.
Clark said one student she worked with at WVUA 23, a commercial television station operating out of the University of Alabama, stepped in.
"The student reporter handled everything, working with the local law enforcement on getting the information out that whole day," she said. "I just remember thinking to myself what an important function our student reporters had in our community."
Students at the University of Alabama cover stories that serve their community daily. They can join various programs through the college's Digital Media Center, housed in the College of Communication & Information Sciences. Operating inside the university's Bryant-Denny Stadium, students work alongside industry professionals through a combination of paid jobs, unpaid internships, and labs to strengthen the skills they need to prepare for a career in journalism, according to the university's website.
The Digital Media Center has 90 staff members and more than 100 students working in its programs each year, producing a wide range of media that serves communities in Alabama and audiences across the United States. The center is home to four media outlets, including Alabama Public Radio, The Center for Public Television, WVUA 23, and Crimson Tide Productions.
"We look at where the students are, and their needs, to help place them with the experience they need," said Clark.
Alabama Public Radio operates as a network of public radio stations that serves the western half of the state of Alabama with music, local news, and feature programs from National Public Radio, Public Radio International, and American Public Media networks. The radio's website says the program receives funding from listeners, underwriters, The University of Alabama, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
The Digital Media Center highlights video and sound at The Center for Public Television and Radio. The CPT&R is a multimedia production and broadcast facility, and according to Clark, “produces "quality, mini-documentaries" and "different video projects for clients all over the state."
The CPT&R website states two main goals: "to inspire, educate, and inform Alabamians through the production of high-quality television, radio, and new media programs" as well as to "provide opportunities and experiences for students interested in production, broadcasting, and new media."
WVUA 23, the commercial television station, broadcasts to the public communities of West Alabama, the Birmingham DMA, and the University of Alabama with news, weather, sports, and entertainment content. Student journalists collaborate directly with 15 professional staff who work in news, sports, and weather.
Crimson Tide Productions is operated by The University of Alabama's Athletic Department, allowing the program to work within a wide range of opportunities.
"The university has a great athletic program and athletic support," said Clark, “so [Crimson Tide Productions] is set up very differently."
Crimson Tide Productions handles in-venue screening productions for football, men's basketball, women's basketball, soccer, volleyball, gymnastics, softball, and baseball. These live-stream events are also broadcasted to SEC Network and ESPN, said Clark.
"They can do athletic events from all over campus… anywhere where there's a big screen out on the field, they can operate from in there," said Clark.
Crimson Tide Productions produces over 250 shows and events annually, including 100+ in-venue videoboard shows and 50+ studio and coaches shows. Over 100+ events a year are produced across linear and digital ESPN properties. Some students who worked with Crimson Tide Productions are now employed by ESPN, several professional sports teams, and even Hollywood blockbuster movie productions.
"I love seeing the excitement on the student's faces when they start, watching them learn through the process, then seeing where they go when they graduate," said Clark.
Other students who graduated from the University of Alabama's College of Communication & Information Sciences have gone on to hold different positions nationwide, landing jobs in Colorado, North Carolina, and New York at media platforms like Fox, ABC News, and News Nation.
"I get to teach students interested in news, sports, weather, and content creation overall," said Clark. "I don't really care which one they go into; I just love seeing that they love it, enjoy what they do, and make a good living at it. That's what I think it's really all about."