St. John's News

CNN’s New York City Bureau; MTV Studios; the “Martha (Stewart) Show” set; 1010 WINS Radio; The New York Times; Time Warner; media-buying giant Katz Communications: St. John’s University students got an inside view of the media capital of the world visiting these sites during their eight-day “Communications in New York” course.

The course took the students behind-the-scenes at these key media operations to expose them to the wide range of career options available to them in the communications field. Although most of the students were communications majors, some majored in other fields and were taking the course to broaden their knowledge of the vast communications industry headquartered in New York City.

Computer science major Daniel Chartock says he plans to change his major to Communication Arts with a concentration in advertising or public relations as a result of the exposure to these areas he received by being enrolled in the course. Another factor in his decision could be his two years of hands-on experience at Attitude Media, an agency he and fellow student Roger Calderon (also enrolled in the course), created. The two young men are working with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, a national charity, to bring 10 children with life-threatening illnesses on a sightseeing trip to New York in December.

Group Is Well-Received
 “The reception our students received at the places we’ve visited this past week has been fantastic,” says Frank Brady, Ph.D., Professor of Communications and Chairman, Mass Communications, Journalism, Television & Film in the College of Professional Studies. “John Buergermeister, Director of Field Operations for the “Martha (Stewart) Show” wants to offer our students internships there.”

At least 50 Communications department alumni work at Katz Communications, according to Professor Brady, who believes it is the most profitable television- and radio- media-buying agency in the world. Adjunct Professor Rob Russo, who works at Katz, addressed the group.

At CNN, the students learned that the cable network started by Ted Turner in 1980 now employs more than 4,000 people and is watched by more than 2 billion people internationally. Billing itself “the most trusted name in news,” CNN claims to verify its information with three sources before broadcasting to thousands of TV and radio stations and affiliates. The tour was led by Laura Annis, a recent college graduate, who confided to the group that “some of CNN’s anchors started here in entry-level positions.”

‘Leg Up on the Real World’
The course gives students a leg-up on the real world, Professor Brady explains, and helps them decide on their career direction. It also familiarizes them with New York City and the many cultural, artistic and professional resources available there: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the International Center for Photography, Barnes & Noble, and the World Financial Center were included on the itinerary.

In addition, Professor Brady, Advertising Professor Thomas McCarthy, and Public Relations Professor Phyllis Shafran also briefed the students on the communications field. In an introductory lecture, Professor Brady discussed New York’s preeminence in so many fields, including the financial and fashion industries, the performing and visual arts, and the advertising field, often referred to as “Madison Avenue” because so many ad agencies were headquartered there.

Professor Shafran, a public relations professional who is the publicist for Queens Assemblyman Brian M. McLaughlin, gave students an overview of career options in the “P.R.” realm: “You could be a company spokesperson or work behind-the-scene; a writer, media-relations expert or a special-events planner. These are all options to consider,” she concludes.

Learned About the City
Bionka King, a healthcare major, took the course “to learn more about the City.”

Her softball teammate, Lisa Geer, says, “I learned more about New York in the past two weeks than I’ve learned in two years here.” The course also helped her decide on a career path: “Going to the radio station made me think it would be fun to work in broadcasting. It’s opened my eyes to this area of the communications field.”

“I liked getting a first-hand view of the communications technology available,” says Nicole Bowman. “We’re also learning from experts about how to break into the field.”

“This is my final class at St. John’s,” says graduating senior Eric Maryea, “and the best three credits I’ve taken. A screen-writer who expects to go into film production, he adds, “It’s given me great experience in a real-world atmosphere.”
 
Other guest speakers included these professionals:

• St. John’s alumnus Tony Dibari ’87SVC, who works at MTV
• St. John’s alumnus Vincent Mallozzi ’86SVC, New York Times reporter 
• St. John’s alumnus Nick Plakoris ’77SVC, ’84CBA, Vice President, Time Warner
• Ben Mevorach, WINS News Director
• Calia Brencsons-Van Dyk, “The Martha Show”