“Convergence” journalism refers to the reporting of news across all media platforms from radio and television to print and on-line. Thanks to this new facility, St. Clair College's Journalism program will have the ability to teach students how to write and produce their stories for each of these platforms. Students focus on quality writing and reporting. They practice their craft by being assigned
to cover a story, returning to the newsroom with photos, audio clips, video shots and interview notes to write a story for their newspaper, their radio show and podcast. The video files are used for their TV show. There is also a public relations component of the program so graduates are not only marketable in the media but are also sought after by companies and PR firms. The MediaPlex houses four classrooms, three computer labs, an open computer lab for student projects and the heart of the newsroom - a learning lab for television, radio, print and on-line news filing experiences that will simulate for students what it's like to work in a newsroom. It is complete with cameras, studios, editing suites and news feeds from around the country,
The central newsroom is state-of-the-art with a simulated television news anchor set, complete with “green screen,” two robotic cameras, teleprompter and large video monitors which allow the floor director to visualize what is going to air. There are four editing suites so students can watch and edit their stories, two professionally equipped sound booths that are ideal for recording audio tracks for radio or to support a TV broadcast, and “master control” with state-of-the-art computerized switching and editing where students will learn how to direct their own newscasts.
