By David Tisdale
University of Southern Mississippi

A collaboration between The University of Southern Mississippi School of Communication, the Mississippi Association of Broadcasters and the Mississippi Scholastic Press Association brings the Broadcast Boot Camp back to the USM Hattiesburg campus a second year.

The event’s programming took place through July 14 and offers, without charge to rising sophomores, juniors and seniors, hands-on experience in the creation of digital and television news and information, as well as introductions to the various career options in all aspects of broadcasting and production.

Through this event, the coalition seeks to identify underserved high school students who have an interest in and would benefit from programming exposing them to the skills needed for potential career options in the media and broadcasting fields. Media industries face a growing expertise shortage as the explosion of social media and other digital platforms demand ever more sophisticated content, with the broadcasting industry in particular needing talent, technology, and marketing expertise to serve broad audiences across multiple platforms.

Goals for the Boot Camp included the following:

*Providing opportunities for the students to create digital packages, primarily geared for television and web presentation.

*Expose students to the skills needed for the expanding careers across media, including news, sales, social media, and a variety of digital production methods.

*Provide home schools with a year’s membership to the MSPA, which includes free entry into all “Best of Mississippi” statewide high school broadcast competitions.

*Provide attendees with ongoing relationships with USM School of Communication faculty and administrators to help smooth their transition to university environments and options.

For information about the USM School of Communication, visit https://www.usm.edu/communication/index.php.