After attempting to put on a successful daily show for the past seven months, broadcast journalism has reverted to weekly shows. The shows, which were meant to replace the morning announcements, struggled to consistently create broadcasts and circulate information throughout the school.
Adding to Broadcast Journalism’s struggles was the program’s lacking viewership. Only 10 out of 140 students watch “Saxons on Six” regularly, according to a poll taken by The Saxon Scope. Furthermore, when asked whether or not they watch “Saxons on Six,” many students were unaware of what the program even was.
However, the program is staying positive as it looks ahead.
In describing why Broadcast Journalism made the jump to and ultimately back from daily shows, Ms. Phyliss Jaffe said, “when you first get an idea it’s ‘Oh, I can do this and I can do that.’” At the start of the year, the school “envisioned” the Broadcast Journalism program as “being like a newscast,” a goal that proved unfeasible. Ms. Jaffe points to basic organizational problems such as the limited time as the main factor of the program’s previous struggles.
Rather than focus on the past, Ms. Jaffe and the students are looking towards the future, hoping to use their newfound time to improve both the quality and content of the shows. For example, the show is trying to include stop-action segments in some of their broadcasts.
Many broadcast journalism students agree with Ms. Jaffe’s approach towards the program: taking more interest in the process of learning than the popularity of the broadcast.
Junior Alexis Hogge argued that the show’s limited viewership was actually beneficial to the broadcast journalism program, making her feel “like there was more freedom,” and allowed broadcast journalism students to create segments that mirror “what people in class find interesting,” rather than what the school as a whole would enjoy.
Junior Laurie Shapiro agrees, noting she is “more interested in the process of creating the broadcast rather than the final product.”
Ultimately, broadcast journalism’s fight to make a memorable part of the week will continue, and the future looks positive. “The number of students signed up for next year is very high so apparently some people are watching,” said Ms. Jaffe.