Patrick Wiggins

Reporter

The Spectator now offers a new way for you to keep up with what’s going on around campus and around Columbus.

“The Weekly Update” is a broadcast-style show being produced by the some of the newspaper’s staff and other communication students. The broadcasts will be available at www.muwspectator.com, on YouTube and through The Spectator’s Twitter account, @MUWspectator.

Each week will feature a new edition that will be about five minutes long and will take a look at stories from The Spectator. The format will resemble other news broadcasts. It will consist of two anchors bringing the news to the campus, alumni and other viewers.

Dr. Melissa Smith, assistant professor of communication and advisor for The Spectator, came up with the idea of a news broadcast during the 2014 spring semester.

“The goal of the communication department is to develop students in as many different areas as possible to better help them with finding a job once they graduate, and this show gives students another opportunity to learn outside of print and radio,” said Melissa Smith.

But before the first episode could even be produced, things on the technical side needed to be improved.

Over the summer, a brand new TriCaster switcher was purchased for the studio, replacing an old analog switcher.

Dr. Barry Smith, associate professor and the chair of the department of communication, was quick to list a few of the many improvements the new switcher brings to the studio.

“The new digital TriCaster allows us to use virtual sets and to live-stream if we wanted to,” Barry Smith said. “It allows us to use four cameras at a time and to import previously shot video segments.”

Even though the TriCaster brings many new possibilities, that doesn't mean they will all be used — at least not at the very beginning.

Evan Fox, a senior communication major and managing editor of The Spectator, says this is a learning experience for everyone involved. The show will only use two or three cameras at the start, and students will rotate positions every week to ensure everyone gets a chance to learn as much as they can about putting together a broadcast.