NATCHITOCHES – Thirty-five high school students from Red River High School’s student media group visited Northwestern State University’s Department of New Media, Journalism, and Communications Arts Nov. 14 for an engaging seminar day organized by Department Head Dr. Jessica Zhang.
During the visit, students started their day with an investigative journalism case about the tragedy of Ronald Greene. NMJCA’s Wise Chair, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist James Mustian, walked students through the case and highlighted the key differences between reactive reporting and proactive investigative journalism.
Students then enjoyed hands-on experiences with modern TV studio technologies and ESPN+ broadcasting. David Antilley, director of NSU-TV, and James Stanfield, NSU’s coordinator of ESPN+ productions, made fact-based presentations and led a field trip to the ESPN+ trailer.
The day concluded with a communication exercise with Dr. Fran Lemoine, dean of the College of Arts and Science, and an interview with NSU President James Genevese. Lemoine encouraged students to think about perspective-taking in day-to-day communication through a creative exercise. Genevese opened the floor for interview questions from students. Students asked him questions about his background, his motivation to pursue a law degree and become a judge, why he chose NSU and how he plans to make the university better.
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jim Mustian, a professor journalism at Northwestern State University, spoke to visiting Red River High School students about the importance of investigative reporting.
