By Kristopher Andre

Delaware State University held its annual Mass Comm. Day, on Thursday, March 15, 2018, at 9:30 am.

The event, which was held at the Martin Luther King Center, in the upstairs parlors, included panels, which allowed students to communicate and learn from employers and Delaware State University Alumni, who are involved in the Mass Communication field. This allowed students to gain knowledge and hear from people who have actually been in the business and know what it is like.

The first event of the Day, was about “The First Amendment: Your Right but at What Cost? This is important for journalists to know because they must understand their rights and acknowledge the way they gather information because their legitimacy is coming under attack. “Whether you’re behind the scenes or in front of the camera, what you’re practicing is to protect that First Amendment right,” commented Francine Edwards, the Interim Dean for the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. This was important to know because future Mass Communication graduates need to understand that the First Amendment is vital for their career because that is what gives them the opportunity to practice their chosen profession.

Ben Bullock, DSU Mass Comm. Class of 2010, receives the Michael J. Feeney Outstanding Alumni Award from presenter Renee Marine, Mass Comm. program coordinator.

Furthermore, Mass Comm. Day included many other events, such as the panel titled “Covering Washington D.C. and Beyond.” This event allowed students to hear from actual professionals who work in the business. But one specific topic mentioned during this event was how quickly news information is spread. “The speed of things has changed. Because of social media, because of cable news, 24/7 news cycle, the pressure to get things on quicker to move faster has ratcheted up,” said Brian P. Cunningham, a key spokesperson for HFHNCC speakers bureau.

There were many more interactive panels at Mass Comm. Day, such as the panel titled “Social Media: How Far is Too Far? This panel was very informative for students because it taught them that what they post online is crucial because employers do look at those things. The panelists also emphasized the importance of being accurate in journalism. “Accuracy not only is about your reputation, but you want to be a reputable journalist, you want to make sure that you do a good job of representing…” urged Charlisa Edelin, attorney, and teacher for Media Law and Ethics.

Delaware State University’s Mass Comm. Day was successful, interactive, and informative. It allowed students to get a grasp of what they need to do to make sure they are prepared for jobs in their career. Students learned that networking is an important aspect of being a young, mass communications student and, that it can open doors for them in the future. Students should be aware of the harsh realities that can come along with being a future Mass Communications professional. But hopefully their eyes were opened to this experience and they should make sure that they continue to do what is needed in order for them to be successful in their career.