Chinese Students’ Experience in News7

By: Li Jialu, Hou Yaling, Yang Zi

Xi’an International Studies University

"Stand by Camera 1, mix to Camera 1, stand by VTR 1, roll VTR 1," Adam Donnelly, is directing the 5:30 p.m. news show in News7 today. He guides everybody including reporters, photographers and anchors to work together here.  

News7 serves 14 towns in local area of Vermont. Everything here is done by students majoring in Electronic Journalism Arts (EJA) at Lyndon State College. It is an innovative model of Journalism education in U.S. 

Meaghan Meachem, professor of EJA department, thinking one of the benefits in American education systems is they cater to different types of learners. She said, "The theory is great, but practice helps everybody." 

Fifteen Chinese students from Xi’an International Studies University, Shanghai International Studies University and Beijing Foreign Language University are visiting EJA, LSC for three weeks.

“In China, we have plenty of theoretical courses such as Mass Communication, Journalism Theory, and Global Journalism History; however, we don’t have such a professional studio to practice,” said Beixi Xu, majors in Radio and Television Journalism, involved in this program.

Kelly O'Brien is a VJ in News7. She shots, reports and writes a story by herself. "The biggest thing I have learned, honestly, was probably working as a team. It took a long time to work well together,” said O'Brien.  

Nick Aresco, the member of News7, said he has been acting as a reporter, an anchor, and a producer. He thought being a producer was most challenging.

However, it is totally different in China.

Chinese students don't have the opportunity to develop their overall competence. "I am eager to be an anchor, but I cannot because my major just focuses on editing television news,” said Xu of XISU.   

Another Chinese student, Yile Di, editor of Pace, a monthly English newspaper run by students in XISU, said, "Teachers always help us to compare which news story is more news worthy." In other words, it is up to the teacher in China to determine which stories will be printed.

In contrast with the Chinese situation, student performance is ultimately judged by their audience in News7. “Community members rate and comment on students’ newscasts twice per semester,” said Meachem. “Those comments are available for anyone to see.” 

It is LSC student Adam Donnelly's third year in News7. "I am old," Donnelly jokes. "I want to be a photographer or editor. I love my job. This is my career."