OIDJ Sports Broadcast
A note to our readers: OIDJ 2020 virtual workshop
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the normal in-person weeklong OIDJ workshop at Gaylord College shifted to a one-day virtual event conducted via Zoom. From the OIDJ directors, Yvette Walker and Melanie Wilderman COVID-19 changed so many planned events starting in March, and the Oklahoma Institute for Diversity in Journalism was not excluded from the shuffle to make changes for the safety of our participants and staff. Normally, OIDJ is a solid week or more full of experiential journalism and media training for high school students. Normally, these students stay on the OU campus and experience an introduction to dorm…
Students discuss trends in media use during pandemic
Story by Silas Bales, Highland Park High School—Dallas, Texas The media has been a prevailing part of the world for years, and with the rise a global pandemic, the use of technology has been pushed to the forefront. Information about anything and everything can be accessed at any time through the use of technology. According to a study by Emarketer earlier this year, adults are spending 82 minutes on average on social media alone, whereas last year the average was around 76 minutes. With people spending more time on technology and less time with in-person social interaction, many find themselves…
Students, educators weigh in on plans for 2020-21 academic year during COVID-19
Story by Miranda Renteria In the spring, COVID-19 took many by surprise with its impact closing down businesses, suspending travel, and making most schools switch to virtual learning for the rest of the year. With school already underway at some schools and universities and rapidly approaching for others, many changes and restrictions have or will be applied because of the constant increase in virus cases. Teachers, parents, and students alike are all learning how to live through these unprecedented times. There’s a 104 days of summer vacation… As children, everyone wished for summer to last 104 days like the the…
SAT, ACT testing poses challenges for high schoolers amid ongoing pandemic
Story by Bailey Coyle The coronavirus has introduced many challenges to high school seniorsgraduating in spring 2021 when it comes to applying to college. The biggestchallenge may be the inability to take standardized testing. Testing centers for SAT and ACT closed in March and left the class of 2021unable to take the standardized tests before college applications opened. Many U.S. colleges and universities have eliminated the SAT and ACT scores from the application criteria for the fall 2021 semester, but that still leaves seniors with mixed emotions. Ellory Liles, an incoming senior at Hebron High School in Carrollton,Texas, said she…
Media’s portrayal of mental health improving but still problematic
Media and shows like 13 Reasons Why have played an important role in how viewers perceive mental health. Screengrab courtesy of Netflix.
By Mariah Wheeler With media becoming more prevalent in daily life, more movies, television shows and news outlets are covering a variety of issues, including mental health. People’s perceptions of mental illness are formed in part by dramatic scenes and characters that the media portrays. Movies like Split (about a kidnapper with dissociative identity disorder), and shows like HBO’s Euphoria (highlighting the life of a 17-year-old girl with mental illness) and NBC’s This is Us (examining the mental health of male characters), have been the focus of discussion about how Hollywood shapes ideas of mental health in audiences. Michelle Strain,…
Applications for the 2019 workshop are open!
Every summer, the Oklaoma Institute for Diversity in Journalism brings top-performing high school students to Gaylord College at OU for several days of intensive, hands-on experiences in broadcast and digital journalism. This year, the workshop is July 13-19, 2019. The program is open to qualified high school students. Students will be selected on a competitive basis and notified on or before May 1. APPLICATION DEADLINE: April 22, 2019 (the earlier your materials are received, the better your chances for acceptance) Apply here!
A day at The Oklahoman, and pondering Gaylord College
My experience at OIDJ so far has been eye opening. I got to visit The Oklahoman, and what I experienced was not what I expected it to be. The atmosphere was very modern and it felt very friendly. It did not feel intimidating to be there, while speaking to those who work and intern there I realized there are different parts that help the industry function and make it what it is. For example, I did not know they had a website, let alone an actual person that was specifically in charge of running the sports part of…
OU fights ‘rape culture’ with education and awareness
As the subject of campus rapes from Stanford to Baylor to Vanderbilt and beyond grab headlines across the nation, it resonates at the University of Oklahoma as well. According to the 2015 Sooner Safety and Fire Report, OU had 12 sexual offenses reported to law enforcement in 2012, 22 in 2013 and 18 in 2014. However, many more cases have been reported to the Gender and Equality Offices, OU Advocates and Title IX. Data released to The Oklahoma Daily in fall 2015 shows the university’s Title IX Office has received 70 more sexual assault reports since 2012 than the safety…
Destyni Williams
If you ask Destyni Marie Williams what her interests are, the answer will surely involve writing. As a passionate copy editor on her yearbook staff at Edmond Santa Fe High School, she assumes most of the responsibility in her position editing the various stories that go into her high school’s yearbook. At the ripe age of 16 she has already declared a double major in professional writing and broadcast, with a minor in psychology or business. Driven is an understatement for Williams. In the long run, the goal for Williams is to become a New York Times Best Seller and…