JALC to Offer Courses in New Media

Published on April 20, 2022

The rise of new media has increased communication between people worldwide by using digital technologies like the Internet and social media. It has allowed people to express themselves through blogs, websites, videos, pictures, and other user-generated media.

To serve students and local businesses interested in using social media more effectively, John A. Logan College will offer two new courses in new media this fall. The College will offer COM 215, an introduction to new media, and COM 210, a production course that will be the vehicle through which students create and publish online content.

According to Assistant Provost for Academic Affairs, Dr. Stephanie Hartford, these courses are another example of how community colleges can recognize needs and design courses to meet those needs.

“The way we consume news and information is ever-changing in society, and these courses address this issue and give students practical experience within this landscape,” said Hartford. “We want to allow our students to develop their communication skills here at the College while working with our social media, website, news information, and more. It’s exciting to incorporate this real-world learning experience into our daily operations.”

In addition to the new courses, the College’s Office of Marketing, Public Relations, and Communications added two student internship positions this semester. The interns, Abigail Cullum of Johnston City and Enan Chediak of Herrin, are getting first-hand experience in news writing and editing, photography, graphic design, and social media content.

According to Assistant Vice President for Marketing, Public Relations, and Communications, Dr. Steve O’Keefe, the students are not the only ones benefiting from the internship.

“Both students are very talented, and they have captured some excellent content for us this semester,” said O’Keefe. “We also get the student perspective and vision regarding photos and information that will translate well to social media.”

Provost Dr. Melanie Pecord believes these courses are ideally suited to the College’s students and local businesses that want to improve their brand.

“I am happy that our students can experience social media in various ways through these courses.  The real-life experience they will gain will provide a tremendous amount of knowledge and opportunities to begin their career path at a community college,” said Pecord. “I also believe that individuals from local businesses who want to improve their presence on social media can benefit from these courses.”

Registration for summer and fall classes at JALC is currently underway. For more information about the College’s new courses in New Media, call 618-985-2828, ext. 8070 or email registration@jalc.edu.