Why Media and Communication at E&H?

MCOM students in mac lab

Our broad-based mass communications program provides the opportunity to explore speciality areas and experiences—preparing students for a wide variety of internships and careers.

Why major in mass communications at E&H?
- Broad-based curriculum: You will be well-prepared for today’s professions with a broad set of skills including reporting and editing, digital and graphic design, audio and video media production, and marketing and public relations.
- Liberal arts foundation: You will be grounded in theory, research, ethics, and other concepts within the mass communications program and from your general education core.
- Individual specialization: You will build a specialty area through mass communications electives and internships.
- Required minor or second major: You will stand out to employers with an additional specialty area. Our mass communications program requires at least a minor in another academic area, but most of our students double major. Popular pairings include sports management, business, art/graphic design, sociology, psychology, civic innovation, theatre, music, and history.
What kinds of jobs do E&H Mass Comm majors land after college?

The options are vast for employment including TV, radio, magazines, newspapers, public relations, advertising, marketing, social media, and film. A large number of our alumni work in strategic communication, but they also move into a range of other careers including sales and education. Additionally, some of our students may proceed directly to graduate studies, especially those who have focused their coursework on the intersection of media and culture.
Are internships part of the program at E&H?

Yes! Internships are necessary to be competitive in today’s job market. Our mass communications program requires at least one 3-credit internship, but we encourage two 3-credit internships, and it is not unusual for our graduates to complete three internships before graduation. You may do an internship during the summer anywhere you choose, and there are more internships available near the college than we have students to place in them—which is convenient for doing internships during the fall and spring semesters. (All internships for academic credit must meet certain criteria with the department and the Career Center.)
What kind of campus media opportunities are available at E&H?

Campus media experience is an important part of a student’s resumé. Options include WEHC–FM, 90.7, our community radio station; EHC–TV, our departmental television studio; and The Whitetopper student newspaper.
What else should I know about the E&H mass communications program?
- Our alumni network loves to give back, and that includes offering informational interviews, shadowships, internships, networking, and jobs.
- Our program is collegial and collaborative—you’ll work closely with your faculty and the other students in the program.
- Our students get jobs. If you apply yourself in class and take advantage of experiential work opportunities, you will be ready to land a fulfilling communications job after graduation.

Handcraft this Major

<h4 class="lw_blurbs_title"></h4><div class="lw_blurbs_body"><ul><li>focus projects, internships, and campus media experiences around a speciality area: <ul><li>sports communication </li><li>strategic communication/public relations </li><li>journalism </li><li>videography and broadcasting </li><li>graphic design/visual communication </li><li>media studies </li><li>marketing </li><li>customize class projects to your interests </li></ul></li><li>specialize through your minor or double major </li><li>complete internships tailored for you </li></ul></div>

Meet Our Alumni

<span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/700-linda-coutant"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,690,390/350_b06bdc398b23aa435f6aae8e73873040_f1835.rev.1500320522.webp 2x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,690,390/350_b06bdc398b23aa435f6aae8e73873040_f1835.rev.1500320522.jpg 2x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,690,390/350_b06bdc398b23aa435f6aae8e73873040_f1835.rev.1500320522.jpg" alt="" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="690" data-max-h="390" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/700-linda-coutant"><p> Coutant to Serve on National Board after Opening Non-profit Restaurant</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> A 1989 Emory & Henry graduate has teamed up with members of the Boone, N.C. community to start a non-profit restaurant aimed at helping to relieve hunger in Watauga County.</p><p> Linda Coutant and her partner, Chris May, have joined with other residents of Boone to start the F.A.R.M. Cafe, which stands for Feed All Regardless of Means. The pay-what-you-can restaurant opened in May 2012 to help relieve the issue of hunger in Watauga County – where nearly 25 percent of the population lives at or below the poverty level.</p><p> As a founding board member, Linda was responsible for public and media relations and was involved in fundraising. She did a series of local media interviews, led a team of Appalachian State University students in creating communication pieces to bring attention to the cause, developed a website and interior signage, and helped raise more than $65,000 to get the cafe started.</p><p> As a result of her involvement, she has been invited to serve on the national board of the One World Everybody Eats Foundation starting in 2013. The Foundation is an outgrowth of the first pay-what-you-can restaurant in Salt Lake City, Utah – also called One World Everybody Eats. The Foundation helps communities across the United States start and maintain their own non-profit, pay-what-you-can restaurants to help alleviate hunger</p><p> F.A.R.M. Cafe is located in downtown Boone, in the historic Boone Drug building on King Street. It serves lunch only and runs almost entirely on volunteers. Patrons can pay what they can toward a suggested price, pay a little more than the suggested price to help their neighbors in need, or volunteer for an hour in the café in exchange for a meal. The cafe’s menu changes daily and offers nutritious meals made primarily from local sources.</p><p> “I was attracted to this business model because it was innovative and added a new dimension to how we solve the issue of hunger in the United States,” Linda said. “So far, F.A.R.M. Café is working. It serves on average 75 people a day for lunch. Each month, more than 70 of these individuals work in exchange for a meal for themselves or their families – people who otherwise might not have a hot meal. We’ve also built partnerships with local farmers and other organizations toward strengthening our local food system.”</p><p> While at Emory & Henry, Linda majored in mass communications and was a former president of Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity and editor of The Whitetopper. She lives in the Boone area and works as an editor/writer in Appalachian State University’s University Communications office.</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/700-linda-coutant" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
<span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/695-marika-katanuma"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,350,332/345_9f9c447b28ffba96f88152703eb9ebd9_f6458.rev.1500313660.webp 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,350,332/345_9f9c447b28ffba96f88152703eb9ebd9_f6458.rev.1500313660.jpg 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,350,332/345_9f9c447b28ffba96f88152703eb9ebd9_f6458.rev.1500313660.jpg" alt="" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="350" data-max-h="332" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/695-marika-katanuma"><p> Marika Katanuma (E&H ’16) Lands Job with Yahoo!</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Marika Katanuma graduated in May of 2016, and by June of 2016 she had an exciting update for the E&H Alumni Office. “I finally got a job! I will be an editor at Yahoo! Japan.”</p><p> Marika is a native of Tokyo, Japan, who completed a double-major in mass communications and sociology Emory & Henry in only three years. She came to E&H because she says she “simply wanted to learn English and the culture of Southwest Virginia. I know many Japanese and other international students go to the west, like California or the north like New York and Massachusetts. But, I thought that doesn’t represent the experience in the states. I wanted to experience something different.”</p><p> She is back in Tokyo now, but while here she dove into studies, and began to discern her true interests. “I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I came to Emory, but the education I got and the people that I met during my college years made me realize that I love all sorts of communications.” She compiled an impressive online portfolio that includes examples of her writing, interview skills, and video news reporting, and she says she feels like the information she shared in the interview about her Emory & Henry experiences helped her get the job in Tokyo.</p><p> We aren’t sure why she said, “I finally got a job” – because in fewer than 30 days, she has landed a job with one of the largest corporations in the world! “I will be editing the start-page of Yahoo! Japan website that includes many services, like online news, shopping, and search engine. I am excited to contribute to the job to improve people’s lives through the power of internet and information.”</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/695-marika-katanuma" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
<span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/676-tyrone-bachman"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,685,386/271_Screen_Shot_2017-06-08_at_11.52.56_AM.rev.1496937201.webp 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/png" srcset="/live/image/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,685,386/271_Screen_Shot_2017-06-08_at_11.52.56_AM.rev.1496937201.png 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,685,386/271_Screen_Shot_2017-06-08_at_11.52.56_AM.rev.1496937201.png" alt="" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="685" data-max-h="386" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/676-tyrone-bachman"><p> Tyrone Bachman ’98 Directs Atlanta Television Station to Emmy Gold</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> An Emory & Henry mass communications graduate was recently honored with an Emmy Award for his outstanding efforts in live sports coverage. Tyrone Bachman, E&H class of 1998, and WXIA 11Alive received an Emmy award for Best Live Sports Show.</p><p> Bachman served as the technical director for the show “Falcons Game Day Live” which airs on the NBC affiliate in Atlanta, Ga. He gives credit for much of his success to his former professor and mentor, Dr. Teresa Keller, chair of the E&H Mass Communications Department, who he calls “the backbone of my dedication to my career.”</p><p> “I remember a time in Dr. Keller’s class when we had to do our resume and then pass it around the classroom, and I only had football on my resume.” After a long conversation with Keller, he became inspired to pursue additional activities that reflected his wide variety of interests, including the Multi-Cultural Society, E&H Gospel Choir, the campus newspaper staff and staff for the campus radio station.</p><p> “It’s my great joy in life to watch former students become outstanding professionals, and Tyrone Bachman could be Exhibit A,” said Keller. “He made a very wise choice to get serious about his career during his senior year, and this Emmy makes it very clear that he has become a great success. The kind of work he does requires rapid fire thinking while juggling a lot of information in a high-pressure situation.”</p><p> Bachman joins a growing list of Emory & Henry alumni who have been honored with Emmy awards. That list includes:</p><p> Jay Webb (E&H class of 1999) – meteorologist, WDBJ-TV in Roanoke, Va.<br/> Joel Hilton (E&H class of 1998) – photojournalist, WAVY-TV in Portsmouth, Va.<br/> Eric Scott (E&H class of 1985) – photojournalist, WJZ-TV in Baltimore, Md.<br/> Bonnie Wood (E&H class of 1990) – promotions producer, WJLA-TV in Washington, D.C.</p><p> “I’m so very, very proud of Tyrone, of the other award winners from this department, and of all of our graduates who are doing good work and making this world better,” added Keller.</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/676-tyrone-bachman" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>

Media and Communication Department

Why Media and Communication at E&H?

World of Work

Handcraft this Major

Meet Our Alumni