Second-semester classes
POSTED 2013-01-09
I'm working on syllabi and course webpages. If you're in one of my classes this semester, I'll send you login information soon—probably no later than Tuesday of next week.
Find me on Twitter
POSTED 10/26/2012
This is mostly a platform for organizing my class websites—I rarely post anything here. Please find me at twitter.com/dabaird.
Checkers speech
POSTED 09/13/2012
Sixty years ago this month, Richard Nixon took to the new medium of television to deliver his so-called "Checkers" speech—and save his political career. Here's how the New York Times evaluated this memorable episode in television history.
Lessons learned
POSTED 09/12/2012
Times TV writer Jack Gould discusses what was learned from the 1952 convention telecasts.
Dems plan 1952 convention
POSTED 09/11/2012
Here's the second article sampling press coverage of TV's appearance on the political scene in 1952—this one explaining how the Democrats planned to improve on what the Republicans had done at their convention.
TV and the 1952 campaign
POSTED 09/10/2012
Television played only a minor role in the 1948 presidential election, but by 1960 the new medium commanded a large audience for the Kennedy-Nixon debates. In between, in 1952 and 1956, television was coming of age in terms of news coverage and advertising. It's interesting to look back and see how the press tried to sort out television's role in that 1952 campaign. I'll post a sample article from the New York Times each day this week. This article about an "I Like Ike" rally was published on Feb. 2, 1952.
Class pages and syllabi
POSTED 08/31/2012
The class pages are slowly coming to life. If your class's tab is not yet active, please hold on a bit. You'll receive login information via email.
Class webpages
POSTED 05/23/2012
These webpages are inactive for the summer. I'll try to post syllabi a couple days before classes open on Sept. 4.
Academic open house
POSTED 03/29/2012
The Communication Arts Department will be participating in tomorrow's event. We'll be in the Broadcasting Center's TV studio. Here are the details.
WW II propaganda
POSTED 01/19/2012
Propaganda and communication theory go back many decades. In fact, propaganda fueled some of the early communication research. We have a chance to view a collection of World War II propaganda posters in AU's Wilson Galleries through Feb. 18. Here's an Andersonian story on the exhibition.
Semester-two classes
POSTED 12/28/2011
The tabs at the top of this page will be activated shortly before classes begin on January 11. I'll send login information via email.
Staff jobs for 2012-13
POSTED 12/20/2011
The student-staffed media operations in the Communication Arts area are getting ready to hire for 2012-13. Paid staff positions are available on the Andersonian, Covenant Productions, Fifth Street Communications and WQME. Here's more.
Homecoming
POSTED 10/21/2011
If you're a Communication alum and you're in town for Homecoming, we'd love to catch up with you at the dessert reception after the football game on Saturday.
Department chapel
POSTED 09/20/2011
Please join us this Thursday (Sept. 22) at 11 a.m. in FA 169. Also, please note the Oct. 29 date for the Indiana Broadcasters Association Career Fair.
Trip to the Moon
POSTED 09/01/2011
Enjoyed the following item from today's Writer's Almanac. We just happened to view a few minutes of this film in a class yesterday.
On this date in 1902, the silent film A Trip to the Moon was released in France. It was written and directed by Georges Méliès and it was loosely based on two novels: Jules Verne's From the Earth to the Moon (1865) and H.G. Wells' The First Men in the Moon (1901). It ran about 14 minutes, which was considered a long feature in those days, and told a fairly simple story about a group of astronomers traveling to the Moon and meeting a group of aliens. Their spacecraft is shaped something like a bullet, and is fired from a giant cannon. In the film's iconic shot, the rocket crashes into the eye of the Man in the Moon.
Méliès was the first director to think of using the new moving picture technology to tell a fictional story, and as a professional magician, he was especially interested in the way that the new medium could be used to create illusions. He made hundreds of fantastic movies featuring special effects, mostly using stop-motion photography: He would begin to film a scene with an object (or person) in it, stop the camera, remove the object, and begin filming again, which made it appear the object had suddenly vanished. But innovative as he was, it never occurred to him to change the camera angle, or move in for a close-up. He treated the frame of the film just like the proscenium of a stage, and the camera like a stationary observer.
Méliès produced a black-and-white version and a hand-colored version. A copy of the colored version was discovered in 1993, almost completely decomposed; it was restored over the course of the next 18 years and premiered at the Cannes Film Festival this year, with a new score by the French band AIR.
Office hours
POSTED 08/31/2011
Welcome back. New office hours are at right.
Fall classes
POSTED 06/10/2011
Things will be pretty slow on this site during the summer. The class pages should be activated shortly before the fall semester opens.
Guest in Advanced News
POSTED 04/04/2011
Loretta Cooper will be speaking in our Advanced Newswriting class at 3:00 today (Monday, April 4). We'll be in Hartung 101. Guests are welcome. Loretta, an Anderson grad, formerly worked for ABC radio and television news.
Workshop on motion design
POSTED 03/14/2011
Wanted to post this item about a Heartland workshop that had to be rescheduled because of bad weather in February.
Jobs in AU student media
POSTED 02/17/2011
Our department is now accepting applications for paid leadership positions in our various student-media organizations. If you're interested, here's a good place to start.
Internship opportunities
POSTED 02/15/2011
Here's information on summer internships at the Sagamore Institute and in the office of Indiana's secretary of state.
Institute on Philanthropy & Service
POSTED 02/10/2011
Passing along word that applications are due March 3 for this program in Washington, D.C.
IBA scholarship
POSTED 01/27/2011
I understand that this scholarship is offered to AVC majors as well as journalism majors who take a broadcast-journalism course.
Filmmakers in class Friday
POSTED 01/11/2011
In our Visual Communication class this Friday (Jan. 14), we'll have several AU alumni stopping by to talk about their work in film—Todd Edwards, Timothy Hooten and Katie Hooten. You've probably seen some of their projects, including "Hoodwinked." Class meets from 11 to 11:50 in Hartung 167. We're opening the class up to visitors, so feel free to join us.
Job fair update
POSTED 01/11/2011
Organizers report that interview slots are still available for the IAPME and HSPA job and career fair on Jan. 29 in Indianapolis.
Finals week
POSTED 12/10/2010
My posted office hours won't apply next week because of the schedule changes associated with final exams, but I'll be in the neighborhood. Just email me if you want to set up an appointment for advising or anything else.
Heartland president on campus today
POSTED 11/15/2010
Heartland Truly Moving Pictures president and CEO Jeff Sparks will speak in my Media & Society class today from 2 to 2:50 in Fine Arts 169. Visitors are welcome.
Journalism job fair
POSTED 11/11/2010
Aspiring journalists might want to put Jan. 29, 2011, on the calendar. The IAPME and HSPA job and career fair includes a free lunch.
Internship
POSTED 11/10/2010
Here's an internship opportunity from Church of God Ministries. Might be possible to earn some money. Let me know if you're interested.
PR and journalism guests
POSTED 11/03/2010
We plan to have guest speakers representing journalism and public relations in our “Communication Professional” class this Friday, Nov. 5. They are Scott Underwood, editor of the Anderson Herald-Bulletin, and David Farlow, communication director of Church of God Ministries. Class meets from 2 to 2:50 in FA 169. Feel free to join us.
Heartland Film Festival
POSTED 10/14/2010
The festival opens today. Here's what's showing—lots of reasons to head to Indy over break.
Representative on campus today
POSTED 10/13/2010
Posting this for our friends in a neighboring department: "The History and Political Science Department invites you to visit with Congressman Mike Pence today, Wednesday, October 13. An informal question/answer session will be held in the Edwards Dining Room of Olt Student Center from 3:00-4:30. Feel free to come and go as your schedule permits. Please make your students aware of this opportunity."
Guest in COMM 2000
POSTED 10/11/2010
AU's spiritual emphasis speaker this week is Dean Nelson, a journalism professor at Point Loma Nazarene University. But in addition to his chapel appearances, he'll also be speaking in our COMM 2000 class on Tuesday (Oct. 12) from 2 to 2:50 in FA 169. This class is open to all Comm Arts majors. Join us if you can.
Comm alumni breakfast
POSTED 10/01/2010
We're having our annual Homecoming gathering of Communication alumni tomorrow morning (Saturday, Oct. 2) from 9 to 10 a.m. This will take place in the Broadcasting Center TV studio. A free continental breakfast will be provided. Current majors are invited to join us.
Change in office hours
POSTED 09/01/2010
I've made a slight change in my Wednesday office hours since the course syllabi were published. The revised hours are in the sidebar at right. Sorry for any confusion.
Film-editing workshop
POSTED 08/31/2010
AU grad Chris Witt will lead a film-editing workshop at the Heartland Institute in Indianapolis on Sept. 10. It's free, but advance registration is required. Here are the details.
Hollywood trip
POSTED 08/28/2010
Audio/video/cinema students may be interested in the Department's trip to Hollywood next spring break. Here's a fact sheet.
Saint John's Bible
POSTED 07/20/2010
For more than a decade now, Saint John's Abbey and University (Collegeville, Minn.) have been working on what they describe as "the first handwritten, illuminated Bible commissioned by a Benedictine Abbey in over 500 years" (in other words, since Gutenberg). The "Saint John's Bible" has turned out to be quite an undertaking, and for those who have an interest in communication and religious history, publishing, typography, art, etc., it is a noteworthy project indeed. Today I learned that the Saint John's Bible touring exhibition will be at the Benedict Inn Retreat and Conference Center in Beech Grove (southeastern side of Indianapolis) during much of August. The exhibition will be complemented by various lectures and workshops. Details are included in the links below.
http://www.saintjohnsbible.org/
http://www.saintjohnsbible.org/see/exhibit.htm
http://www.benedictinn.org/benedictinn.org/Welcome_Inn.html
http://www.stjohnsbiblebenedictinn.org/
http://www.saintjohnsbible.org/assets/pdf/August_2010_Schedule.pdf
http://www.stjohnsbiblebenedictinn.org/Schedule.html
Job opening
POSTED 07/20/2010
This position at Cornerstone Center for the Arts (Muncie, Ind.) might be of interest to some of our recent grads. The organization also is advertising internships that might be suitable for PR majors. E-mail me if you're interested in the latter.
Textbooks for fall semester
POSTED 07/08/2010
I won’t be doing a lot with the website this summer, but I’ve at least posted textbook information for those of you who like to get a head start on things. Please note that some of the links won’t be activated until the beginning of the semester.