• Phillip Merrill College of Journalism

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Overview

Phillip Merrill College of Journalism has a rating of 1 star from 1 review, indicating that most customers are generally dissatisfied with their purchases. Phillip Merrill College of Journalism ranks 471st among Colleges And Universities sites.

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Top Critical Review

“Undergraduate Broadcast Journalism Program Fails Its Broadcast Students”

Jack B.
6/21/16

I had some professors and classmates at the University of Maryland's Philip Merrill College of Journalism discouraging me saying "you don't have a broadcast voice. You can't talk. Go be a producer or a production assistant" - Cassandra Clayton. And some saying, "Is this too much for you? Can you handle this? Video is too hard for you." - Bethany Swain. Between October 2015 and March 2016, I applied to be a news reporter for the University of Maryland's Capital News Service Broadcast Bureau television newscast, Maryland Newsline and its sister, The ViewFinder, but I was not accepted for the first time. I did not had any options from the University of Maryland to do television news reporting. My option from Undergraduate Dean Olive Reid and Academic Affairs Rafael Lorente was to take a capstone course that had nothing to do with my career aspirations. I realised I need more help than what the University of Maryland's Philip Merrill College of Journalism were providing as I sent my work to television news reporters, anchors, producers, and news directors in the field from small to large markets. I also was not accepted to Capital News Service TV and the The ViewFinder for the second time. I realized that I need help since the University of Maryland and the Philip Merrill College of Journalism didn't help me and failed to provide me with what I actually needed to be a television news reporter and the real-world experience to actually do television news reporting. Capital News Service TV (CNS-TV)/Maryland Newsline (http://cnsmaryland.org/join/) and The Viewfinder (http://viewfinderumd.com) has limited amount of seats for undergraduate students. The masters students in the graduate broadcast journalism program are the only ones who can do CNS-TV and The ViewFinder because it is already in their curriculum. The undergraduate broadcast students do not have this option. Only 7 to 8 undergraduate students are able to do CNS-TV and The ViewFinder per semester. So, the majority of the undergraduate broadcast journalism students are unable to do it, especially with having a resume and internships, cover letter, 5 samples of best news story packages work (2 self-shooting and editing video packages for The Viewfinder), and a completed online application and everything that both The ViewFinder and CNS-TV have requested. Majority do not know what CNS-TV and The ViewFinder are looking for from students. The students are not interviewed for these programs and the school does not know the actual predicament they are putting the students in who are unable to do Capital News Service and The ViewFinder. Some cannot get a news video reporting opportunity with school's newspaper, The Diamondback. Internships, career events, and others opportunities in the school might not be enough or even be helpful in this. Even CNS-TV and The ViewFinder does not show the true real-world reality of working in the field as a reporter. The students are then forced to take a capstone course that has neither to do in being an on-air television news reporter nor preparing them in being one. The other courses do not have any opportunity for students to do tv news reporting or make a reel for tv news. The students have to do that on their own time which can be difficult. Many news organizations do not have resources to help their employees make a demo reel. They are forced to either make a reel using material from previous broadcast classes or doing an internship reel or a combination of both. Then, when it comes time for jobs, these students cannot apply for reporting jobs without an excellent reel showcasing their work, their skills, and their personality. They are forced to take a job as a desk assistant, news assistant or a production assistant and other jobs where the news organization or company do not have resources to help their employees make a demo reel and will tell applicants and employees that this is something they have to do on their own. This means the company or news organization is neither responsible nor liable in making a demo reel for its employees. Merrill College is playing a game with its current students, prospective students, and transfer students' career goals in regards to CNS-TV and The Viewfinder, and not publicly telling them the truth and seriously impacting their career goals. There are some students out there that truly takes CNS-TV and The ViewFinder for granted and some do not pursue a career in reporting or producing. They pursue a career outside of tv news or be a desk assistant or a production assistant or working in a law firm. Advice: Please go to another undergraduate journalism school that will fully allow you to be a tv news reporter or anchor guaranteed. Capital News Service TV, The ViewFinder, Philip Merrill College of Journalism, and the University of Maryland are not worth it.

Reviews (1)

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Thumbnail of user jackb188
1 review
0 helpful votes
June 21st, 2016

I had some professors and classmates at the University of Maryland's Philip Merrill College of Journalism discouraging me saying "you don't have a broadcast voice. You can't talk. Go be a producer or a production assistant" - Cassandra Clayton. And some saying, "Is this too much for you? Can you handle this? Video is too hard for you." - Bethany Swain.

Between October 2015 and March 2016, I applied to be a news reporter for the University of Maryland's Capital News Service Broadcast Bureau television newscast, Maryland Newsline and its sister, The ViewFinder, but I was not accepted for the first time. I did not had any options from the University of Maryland to do television news reporting. My option from Undergraduate Dean Olive Reid and Academic Affairs Rafael Lorente was to take a capstone course that had nothing to do with my career aspirations.

I realised I need more help than what the University of Maryland's Philip Merrill College of Journalism were providing as I sent my work to television news reporters, anchors, producers, and news directors in the field from small to large markets.

I also was not accepted to Capital News Service TV and the The ViewFinder for the second time. I realized that I need help since the University of Maryland and the Philip Merrill College of Journalism didn't help me and failed to provide me with what I actually needed to be a television news reporter and the real-world experience to actually do television news reporting.

Capital News Service TV (CNS-TV)/Maryland Newsline (http://cnsmaryland.org/join/) and The Viewfinder (http://viewfinderumd.com) has limited amount of seats for undergraduate students. The masters students in the graduate broadcast journalism program are the only ones who can do CNS-TV and The ViewFinder because it is already in their curriculum. The undergraduate broadcast students do not have this option.

Only 7 to 8 undergraduate students are able to do CNS-TV and The ViewFinder per semester. So, the majority of the undergraduate broadcast journalism students are unable to do it, especially with having a resume and internships, cover letter, 5 samples of best news story packages work (2 self-shooting and editing video packages for The Viewfinder), and a completed online application and everything that both The ViewFinder and CNS-TV have requested. Majority do not know what CNS-TV and The ViewFinder are looking for from students. The students are not interviewed for these programs and the school does not know the actual predicament they are putting the students in who are unable to do Capital News Service and The ViewFinder. Some cannot get a news video reporting opportunity with school's newspaper, The Diamondback. Internships, career events, and others opportunities in the school might not be enough or even be helpful in this. Even CNS-TV and The ViewFinder does not show the true real-world reality of working in the field as a reporter.

The students are then forced to take a capstone course that has neither to do in being an on-air television news reporter nor preparing them in being one. The other courses do not have any opportunity for students to do tv news reporting or make a reel for tv news. The students have to do that on their own time which can be difficult. Many news organizations do not have resources to help their employees make a demo reel.

They are forced to either make a reel using material from previous broadcast classes or doing an internship reel or a combination of both. Then, when it comes time for jobs, these students cannot apply for reporting jobs without an excellent reel showcasing their work, their skills, and their personality. They are forced to take a job as a desk assistant, news assistant or a production assistant and other jobs where the news organization or company do not have resources to help their employees make a demo reel and will tell applicants and employees that this is something they have to do on their own. This means the company or news organization is neither responsible nor liable in making a demo reel for its employees.

Merrill College is playing a game with its current students, prospective students, and transfer students' career goals in regards to CNS-TV and The Viewfinder, and not publicly telling them the truth and seriously impacting their career goals. There are some students out there that truly takes CNS-TV and The ViewFinder for granted and some do not pursue a career in reporting or producing. They pursue a career outside of tv news or be a desk assistant or a production assistant or working in a law firm.
Advice: Please go to another undergraduate journalism school that will fully allow you to be a tv news reporter or anchor guaranteed. Capital News Service TV, The ViewFinder, Philip Merrill College of Journalism, and the University of Maryland are not worth it.

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