Open house to showcase multimedia newsroom, communication center

ECU student AnnaMaria Gallozzi is shown in the School of Communication’s new multimedia newsroom. (Contributed photo)

The East Carolina University School of Communication will show its new multimedia newsroom and communication center in an open house from 4:30 – 5:30 April 20.

Visitors will tour facilities on the second floor of Joyner East, across the plaza from Joyner Library. Room 215 houses the multimedia newsroom, and Room 205 is actually a four-room communication center with separate spaces available for research and meetings. Faculty and students from the school’s Student Ambassador program will demonstrate equipment.

“The newsroom is designed to mimic a real world newsroom giving students real world experience in creating and delivering content for a television newscast,” School of Communication Director Linda Kean said. The facilites includes new computers, three studio cameras, a TriCaster, an audio board, an anchor desk and a green screen. The newsroom’s virtual sets enable the plain green backdrop of the anchoring desk to be transformed into a city skyline and numerous other scenes.

The communication center features a two-way mirror for focus group research, an eye tracker and a biofeedback machine. In addition to providing a controlled research environment, the center will be available for workshops and one-on-one help with presentation preparation and delivery.

“We’re excited to show alumni and friends the improvements we’ve made recently in terms of technology and facilities,” said Glenn Hubbard, who teaches in the newsroom. “We are offering great experiences for our students, which is something our supporters can be proud of.”

Newscasts created in the newsroom are available under the name Pirate News Network on YouTube.

Following the open house, the School of Communication/CommCrew Seventh Annual Spring Reception will be held at 6 p.m. at the Greenville Museum of Art.

The open house is free and open to the public. The evening reception requires a ticket, which can be purchased by calling 252-328-4227.