An Echo360 Case Study
ASU Walter Cronkite School of
Journalism and Mass Communication
Breaking News: Lecture Capture for the “In My Hand, On-Demand” Generation
An education at the Arizona State University Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication emphasizes the integrity and ethical reporting exemplified by its famous namesake. The School prepares students for careers as reporters, editors, producers, broadcasters, and public relations professionals in online, on air, print, and corporate environments.
“A product is only as good as the people behind it. We needed a solution that integrated into our vision for the program, rather than the other way around. The Echo360 team took the time to listen to us.”
Director of Computer Services
Renamed in 1984 and spun out as an independent entity in 2005, the Cronkite School is consistently ranked among the top j-schools in the United States.
Recognized for its sophisticated technology, the Cronkite School is home to 14 digital newsrooms and computer labs, the Cronkite Theater, and the First Amendment Forum. The School embraced lecture capture to continue this tradition and educate up-and-coming journalists in a way that prepares them for an industry that is undergoing a transformation.
“Suddenly the pen and pencil has been replaced by blogging, code and HD video, and a story can reach all corners of the globe in minutes,” said Sasan Poureetezadi, director of computer services at the Cronkite School. “Technology plays an important role in reaching the ‘in my hand, on demand’ generation.”
“Journalists today interact with a story as it unfolds, so they must be dexterous in a multitude of skills, including writing, editing, video and production. These backpack journalists need a different type of training than their predecessors, one that embraces their own love of technology,” said Christopher Callahan, dean of the Cronkite School. “Echo360 lecture capture is a natural fit for the digital journalist of the 21st Century.”
Investigative Journalism: Uncovering a Partnership that Works
The Cronkite School’s track record of integrating technology into classrooms and curriculum is in large part due to the formation of vendor partnerships. Successful relationships with the likes of Sony® and Apple® served as a model for the desired partnership with a lecture capture company. “A product is only as good as the people behind it,” said Poureetezadi. “We needed a solution that integrated into our vision for the program rather than the other way around. The Echo360 team took the time to listen to us.”
The Cronkite School selected the EchoSystem capture appliance as its preferred deployment option because of the ability to mesh with classrooms already outfitted with cameras, room control systems and more. Poureetezadi continued, “We were amazed at the seamless audio/visual integration with the EchoSystem. Set up was a snap.”
The ease of installation was just one benefit of the EchoSystem. The automation provided by the robust scheduling capability, combined with the appliance-based approach, gives the Cronkite School confidence in their captures. According to Poureetezadi, “We simply set the EchoSystem and forget it. Because the EchoSystem capture appliance can operate during a network outage, we trust we aren’t going to miss any captures.”
This hands-off approach is an advantage for instructors charged with teaching budding journalists the critical thinking skills needed in their chosen careers. Dr. Tim McGuire, Frank Russell Chair for Journalism, concurs. “I never touch the system – and that’s a good thing.”
National News: Reaching Professional Journalists Around the Country
Continuing journalism education is another priority for the Cronkite School. The Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism offers free seminars on financial reporting, the green economy and social media. More than 9,000 journalists from 1,200 news outlets have participated in the Center’s workshops and online seminars.
Despite the success of its workshops, enrollment was limited to those able to attend in person. Echo360 lecture capture is used to record seminars on campus and at remote workshop locations. The seminars are published and publicly available at the Reynolds Center website: www.businessjournalism.org.
“Using Echo360 has expanded the reach of the Reynolds Center to more people than those who can only attend in the classroom,” said Linda Austin, executive director of the Reynolds Center for Business Journalism. “Now there is no limit to where and how they participate in our seminars – journalists can attend on campus or be in their bathrobe at home.”
Trend Piece: What’s Next for Capture at the Cronkite School
EchoSystem personal capture will be tested for skills-based training and applications outside the classroom. Popular seminars, including those on timely immigration and border issues, can be recorded and shared with a broader group of students. Poureetezadi predicts that the Cronkite School will continue to innovate with capture: “We will continue to explore how we can integrate lecture capture into a curriculum fit for the modern journalist.”
