Dear Colleague:

Thanks to the generosity and drive of one alum, the apparent interest of
others, and the encouragement of Dean Janet Rifkin, we are outlining the
potential for a strengthened emphasis in radio/broadcast/electronic journalism/
media at The University of Massachusetts Amherst.  I invite your involvement
and suggestions.

With the great help of alum Marc Berman, initial work on the emphasis began
last year in Journalism, focused on radio.  The effort described here builds
from there, helped along by Dean Rifkin, who called two meetings last month to
clarify issues with Karen Schoenberger, Michael Morgan, Karen List, Mr. Berman,
and me.

Several radio/broadcast/electronic journalism/media courses already are on the
books and being taught here in Journalism, Communication, the Information
Technology program, and elsewhere.  Part of our work will be to consider how
best to use existing courses.  (For example, Michael Morgan noted that his Comm
222, Media Programming and Institutions, could be part of a “cluster of
courses” approach, like that taken with other areas taught in Communication).
Another will be to identify the range of interest and support available.

In view of the interest, we seek this summer to answer two basic questions:

1) What, specifically, might be the best approach for such an emphasis; what
form might it take?   What models are in use elsewhere (we’re not finding them,
and could use help here, to start)?  And what are the essential pieces of a
program that would best grapple with these issues, looking 20-30 years down the
road?

What might the intellectual/theoretical focus of the program be?   What are the
personnel, equipment and physical plant needs and issues, to produce such a
program well?  What might be the roles, to begin, for example, of WMUA, UVC,
WFCR, perhaps WGBY and other broadcast units, public and private, regionally
and more broadly, in pursuing the effort?  What of Web-based streaming audio
and video, podcasting, and the next generations of media, beyond the Web?

2) Second: what resources might be raised to accomplish the effort we outline?
Which alumni, regional neighbors, friends from the University, and from around
Massachusetts and New England and beyond, might help us?

Finally, given good answers to items 1) and 2), what is the logical sequence of
steps for us to take?

This is a rough outline of our intentions.  We begin by looking for models and
ideas from interested colleagues like you. Graduate student Brian Levine
([log in to unmask]) is helping me conduct research.   We aim to wrap up
this stage of our work by the end of summer, and, with a good plan and
resources identified, begin to take next steps.

Mainly, we wanted to bring you up to date.  I appreciate your attention. If you
might consider the possibilities, I would welcome your interest, insights, and
direction.

Best wishes,

Bill Israel