Published on April 4, 2013  

The Journalism and Mass Communication Department has added a “Reality TV” course to its curriculum, allowing students hands-on experience in the creation of a reality television show.

In collaboration with the athletic department, students in the course will follow five student-athletes throughout the Fall 2013 semester. Students will take part in scripting, directing and filming the reality show, with the goal of creating 20 episodes by May 2014.

Dr. Bernie Ankney, the chair of the department, said the course and the reality show to come out of it will highlight Samford’s athletic department and its JMC program.

“We think the athletic department will benefit from video being shot by JMC students,” he said. “At the same time, we think JMC students will gain new skills that will make them more employable.”

“It’s a unique partnership,” he added. “It hasn’t been done before and we think it will be wonderful exposure for Samford and for Samford student athletes.”
 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 5,791 students from 49 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.