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School of Communication

Students Thrive During Hurricane Debate Institute’s Virtual Summer Camp

By: Karina Valdes As summer camps all over the country were closing due to COVID-19, professors at the University of Miami School of Communication worked quickly to move the annual Hurricane Debate Institute (HDI) to an online format. This summer camp offers instruction in public speaking, argumentation, and debate to students in grades 6 through 12 and is normally held in-person at UM’s Coral Gables campus. “The transition from in-person to online has gone very well,” said Patrick Waldinger, co-director of the Hurricane Debate Institute. “The nature of debate and public [...]

2020-08-20T11:18:06-04:00July 28, 2020|Communication Studies, School of Communication|
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Documentary Filmmaker Billy Corben Shares Career Advice with Students

By: Karina Valdes For students pursuing a career in motion pictures, advice and humor intertwined during the Career Conversations Series with guest Billy Corben, B.S.C. ’03. A documentary filmmaker known for Cocaine Cowboys, The U, and Screwball, Corben graduated from the University of Miami School of Communication and has led a successful career that includes co-founding the Miami-based media company, Rakontur. “I've been quarantining, but I have been blessed to have a job, number one and, number two, to have a job that enables me to work remotely,” said Corben. [...]

2020-08-20T11:06:14-04:00July 23, 2020|Motion Pictures, School of Communication|
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The Future of the Entertainment Industry

By: Amanda M. Perez Experts from across the University of Miami and those in the entertainment business weigh in on how the global pandemic has affected the profession and how it could shape the dynamics moving forward. For many people who make a living in the entertainment industry, life as they knew it abruptly changed in late March when the spread of COVID-19 forced every aspect of the business to shut down. With movie theaters going dark, concert halls closing their doors, and film sets delaying production indefinitely, the global [...]

2020-08-20T10:33:51-04:00July 22, 2020|Motion Pictures, School of Communication|
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Billy Corben to Share Insights on Film Industry During the Next Career Conversations Series

By Karina Valdes The Career Conversations Series continues on July 22 with University of Miami School of Communication alumnus Billy Corben, B.S.C. ‘03. A documentary film director and co-founder of the Miami-based studio Rakontur, Corben is a world-renowned filmmaker known for Cocaine Cowboys and ESPN’s The U and The U: Part 2. “Billy is an alumnus with a lot of experience, is outspoken, and does not shy away from difficult truths, which makes him someone capable of dispensing noteworthy advice to our students,” said Kebrina Maharaj, manager of career services [...]

2020-10-21T14:30:49-04:00July 21, 2020|School of Communication|
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Career Conversations Series Brings Networking and Professional Advice to UM

By: Karina Valdes Over the summer, communication professionals from various companies including WLRN, ESPN, Miami Marlins, Miami Herald, and American Way have been networking over Zoom with students from the School of Communication during the Career Conversations Series. Hosted by the Stein Family Office of Career Services and Internships, the guest speakers have shared insights on what students can expect when entering the workforce, as well as opportunities within their respective organization. “Even though the pandemic has altered our students’ summer job and internship plans, the Career Conversations Series is helping [...]

2020-08-20T09:13:00-04:00July 14, 2020|School of Communication|
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Opinion: What are the expectations for the nation’s public global media channels?

By: Karin Wilkins Recent appointments and terminations at the U.S. Agency for Global Media raise serious questions about the nation's strategic global communication. Whatever credibility the United States may have had as a global leader is lost when key institutions become more explicitly partisan. Current U.S. plans to envelope the Voice of America (VOA) into a more right-wing broadcasting system raise concerns, recently described in articles published in The Washington Post and The Atlantic. Now led by conservative and controversial filmmaker Michael Pack, the U.S. Agency for Global Media is changing guard within [...]

2020-06-25T15:51:27-04:00June 25, 2020|School of Communication|
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Knight Chairs Pen Open Letter Regarding Arrests & Violence Directed at Journalists During Protests Demanding Racial Justice

Twenty-three Knight Chairs from across the country, including two from the University of Miami School of Communication, penned an open letter bringing attention to violence directed at journalists covering the protests against police brutality. Alberto Cairo, Knight Chair in Visual Journalism, and Lindsay Grace, Knight Chair in Interactive Media, both signed the letter condemning the attacks on members of the press. Below is the letter in its entirety. AN OPEN LETTER REGARDING ARRESTS AND VIOLENCE DIRECTED AT JOURNALISTS DURING PROTESTS DEMANDING RACIAL JUSTICE In recent weeks, the latest killings of [...]

2020-06-18T18:11:25-04:00June 18, 2020|Interactive Media, Journalism, School of Communication|
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School of Communication Statement on Racial Injustice

Our School of Communication at the University of Miami values this opportunity to contribute our institutional voice to those of the stalwart millions decrying racial injustice, police brutality, and anti-Black racism in our country. We stand firmly against all forms of discrimination and oppression, across multiple identities, and steadfastly in support of policies, such as the recent Supreme Court decision on behalf of LGBTQ rights. Our School colleagues have contributed to this statement articulating our concern with serious inequities and our sincere intention to foster a more just society. Our [...]

2020-06-18T11:58:49-04:00June 18, 2020|School of Communication|
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Are Journalists Being Targeted During This Current Civil Unrest?

By: Barbara Gutierrez Dozens of journalists have been injured during the protests against the death of George Floyd. Some were caught between demonstrators and police, and others were assaulted or detained. Television reporter Kaitlin Rust in Kentucky kept shouting repeatedly, “I’ve been shot, I’ve been shot.” Freelance photographer Linda Tirado was permanently blinded in one eye because of a rubber bullet fired by police in Minneapolis. CNN reporter Omar Jimenez was arrested on live television because he allegedly refused to move. These journalists were suffering attacks as they were doing [...]

2020-06-10T11:38:31-04:00June 10, 2020|Broadcast Journalism, Electronic Media, Journalism, Media Management, School of Communication|
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COVID-19 Observatory: Bungled Response Compounds Misery in Brazil

By: Michael R. Malone The initiative has been tracking public health policy response data to determine how swift or lax implementation of mitigation efforts have impacted the spread of the virus in Latin American countries. Brazil, which has followed the inept example of Mexico in failing to swiftly enact national public health policies to contain the coronavirus pandemic, has now become the world leader in terms of infections and daily deaths, according to the latest round of data provided by the Latin America COVID-19 Observatory. In a trilingual webinar Tuesday, [...]

2020-06-09T11:18:31-04:00June 9, 2020|Journalism, School of Communication|
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