Campaign organization is one of many crucial skills needed by young professionals in today’s media. That’s why Debora Wenger, associate journalism professor, assigned her journalism 101 class a campaign project on a topic about which they feel passionate.
“The power of media is very apparent to those who work in the industry for a while,” Wenger said. “As a student learning about journalism, PR or IMC, I think that it’s not always that clear to you both the power and the responsibility that comes with media.”
Wenger said she hopes, through working on the project, students will be more prepared in their career field after graduation.
#LockThePhone is a student-run campaign encouraging other students to decrease the use of cell phones during class. (Photo by: Royce Swayze)
“This assignment, to me, is a way of getting students to understand what they’re learning and how it applies to the world that they live in,” Wenger said. “So, it’s a form of media literacy.”
The online course has 300 students in just under 60 groups. The project is expected to raise money, raise awareness or motivate people to act. Another benefit of this project is how it encourages students to interact with one another in the class, virtually or in person.
The topics of the campaigns are extremely diverse and can have an impact across the spectrum.
“There is a group that is trying to get people to write letters to veterans for the holidays,” Wenger said. “There are several groups that are trying raise money or donations for The Pantry or Good Food for Oxford Schools.”
Other groups include Rebels for St. Jude and a body positive initiative that intends to encourage young women to appreciate their bodies.
Students have used various methods to fulfill their task — from setting up a donation table outside the Union to hanging up flyers or collecting canned goods as part of an EDHE class.
Another campaign, #lockthephone, is aimed at challenging students to put away their phones during class.
“We wanted to choose a subject that is a real struggle for many,” said Nicole Covington, a junior and IMC major. “But not necessarily something that everyone thinks about on a daily basis.”
Covington said she believes, due to the rise of social media, it is extremely difficult for students to stay off their phones.
“Knowing that there is an unlimited supply of entertainment and news updates right at one’s fingertips can be extremely challenging in class,” Covington said.
Another journalism 101 student, Alexandria Paton, is working with her group to create awareness of cell phone usage. Their slogan and Twitter account are called “lock it and pocket.”
“We have been able to poll people in their usage of cellphones while walking to class as well as what happened when they did not use the cell phone on their way to class,” Paton said. “We found that when people were off of their phones, they were more aware of their surroundings, were able to interact with others and see friends more readily.”
The idea for the group’s project came about during their first meeting when one of the students proposed the idea. Paton said she had experienced someone bumping into her because they were on the phone, not paying attention to where they were walking.
“We have also cited the new app, Pocket Points, in our project as being a good way for students to be rewarded for staying off of their phones not only during class, but while on campus as they commute to and from class,” Paton said.
“Understanding how to raise awareness is important for a journalist in addition to that there is more and more of what I call ‘journalism with a point of view.’ Journalists are realizing that they can use their skills and their power to help bring about changes in communities,” Wenger said. “And it can be controversial. Some people don’t feel that that’s the role of journalism, but I am seeing more and more of that happen. And so I want our students to at least understand it, even if they don’t do it.”
