Tiger Media Network

by KELSEY STREMEL photos by TIGER MEDIA NETWORK & KELSEY STREMEL

Number 32 Whitney Randall and number 33 Oliva Hollenbeck as Whitty knocks down the three to open up the scoring for the Tigers!”

“That’s a huge defensive play by Fort Hays State. The Tigers have possession with five seconds left to play — and they do it. Whitty cashes in another three!”

“And the final score here inside Gross Memorial Coliseum, Fort Hays State 77, Emporia State University Hornets 72. Fort Hays State is able to avenge its earlier loss and pick up a five-point victory!”

Omar Alvarez, a finance major and TMN sportscaster, calls the play-by-play analysis for the MIAA semifinal victory of the Fort Hays State University women’s basketball team over Emporia State University. Behind the scenes, Lexi Gross and several more students produce the show, running cameras, switchboards, and microphones.

They are all a part of Fort Hays State’s Tiger Media Network, the student-run convergent media hub, and the often unrecognized behind-the scene’s talent — bringing sports, news, and entertaining content to Tiger Nation and the world.

What is convergent media? Convergent media is the study of telling stories and sharing information using different media platforms such as print, broadcast, radio, and social media. At any time, TMN employs up to 60 students (from any FHSU major), providing them real-world experience and a supplemental income.

“TMN is a paid opportunity for students to build their creative content portfolio. Students can be as creative as they want to be and explore their options, whether that’s visual, audio, production, print and design, or anything with multimedia broadcast or content creation,” said Russell Heitman, TMN sports and broadcast director and an FHSU alum. “TMN is like a learning hospital for students to learn those skills and be ready to explore their career options.”

There have been many changes and challenges in the media industry over the years, forcing the closing of hometown newspapers and an epidemic of fake news on social media. According to the UNC Hussmand School of Journalism and Media, Kansas lost 28 newspapers from 2004 to 2019, resulting in a 36% decrease in newspaper circulation. If this decline continues, much of Kansas may likely become a “media desert,” as 58 counties only have a single news source and one county already has lost all local print news publications.

UNC defines a media desert as “a community, either rural or urban, with limited access to the sort of credible and comprehensive news and information that feeds democracy at the grassroots level.”

In Kansas, even though most counties have at least one local newspaper, nearly one-third of those papers are owned by only five different private organizations. Large private investment groups have bought out many small-town newspapers nationwide. A 2019 Gallup/Knight Foundation poll found that these consolidations erode community trust in local news, with 9 in 10 Americans expressing that they are “very” concerned (66%) or “somewhat” concerned (22%) that news company consolidation would result in biased news coverage.

As local newspapers have shuttered, consolidated, or decreased their publishing frequency, many Americans have turned to digital content. Newsrooms and startup media groups have invested in convergent media, such as the content produced by TMN, to meet the need for local news. Local news makes a tangible difference in rural communities — just like local politics have a significant impact at home. Good local news can help to ground local communities in their collective identity and galvanize them during periods of turmoil and change.

“People in the industry haven’t always been able to adapt or aren’t willing to make changes. They are just stuck in the ways things have been done,” said Nick Schwein, the director of TMN. “We try to teach our students that if change needs to be made, they have to be willing to innovate and adapt. The media industry for them is different than it was 20 years ago, and 40 before that. We’re preparing students for careers and media that haven’t even been imagined yet.”

TMN was launched in 2013, combining campus print, radio, television, and web production in one convergent media model. The program is part of the Department of Informatics in the Robbins College of Business and Entrepreneurship and housed on the main floor of Hammond Hall. Schwein, an FHSU alum who has covered news and sports in western Kansas since 1999, and Heitmann are inspiring students and collaborating with campus and community leaders to expand experiential learning opportunities.

“TMN is a growing entity, and it’s something that a lot of people can get involved with especially if they have any passion for content creation,” Heitman said. “When students pitch ideas, we find a way to publish 99% of the time. We encourage creativity and people with a drive to publish, so they have that experience in journalism or any field and come out of here with a solid portfolio.”

TMN’s convergent media model allows students to build skills aligned with today’s diverse media and communications technologies. The successful and growing program has received accolades from the Society for Professional Journalists and The Broadcast Education Association.

Schwein and Heitmann encourage students to gain experience as soon as they set foot on campus. Students are encouraged to check out equipment and start creating content immediately. Students are welcomed to the TMN team from any academic program on campus and encouraged to create content that resonates with their interests.

“We have people who are business majors, education majors, biology or agriculture majors,” Lexi Gross said. Gross, a native of McCook, Neb., graduated this spring with a Bachelor of Science in Information Networking and Telecommunications with a concerntration in digital media production and journalism and is a TMN content creator, producer, and entrepreneur.

“That’s one thing I love about TMN is how inclusive it is,” Gross said. “There is something everyone can do or be a part of, whether you enjoy writing or being in front of a camera, or audio. No matter what your interest and views are, there is a spot for you.”

TMN wouldn’t be successful without the support of university leadership, the Student Government Association (the program and its staff are funded through student fees), the Department of Informatics, and Robbins College of Business, the TMN Board, community partners, and many individual faculty, staff, and students. These essential supporters provide the resources, mentoring, expertise, talent, and opportunity required to offer the diverse learning opportunities and immersive experience that TMN delivers. Upgraded switchers, running scoreboards, and additional equipment are essential to ensuring that any student, from any department, with an interest in convergent media, has the opportunity to learn and apply their talents.

“I realized many years ago that I was put here to support others,” Schwein said. “We (speaking of all the TMN staff) are devoted to helping people find that talent hidden inside them and to help prepare them for the future. These students are the future of the industry.”

In addition to the material and financial resources necessary to support the thriving media program, advocacy and protection for students’ First Amendment rights are crucial elements to the program’s success. Student content creators and producers with TMN cover many familiar events such as sports and athletics, but they aren’t afraid to tackle tough subjects such as the university’s move to remote operations, race and culture on campus, and student challenges with mental health.

Sometimes, these subjects can create difficult conversations on campus, but it’s all part of the learning process and integral to TMN’s mission. Today’s politics have complicated the idea that different viewpoints, perspectives, and the open exchange of ideas can generate positive outcomes, but TMN students are confident in their ability to take on these conversations and support free speech and ethical journalism on campus.

“Russell and Nick always push that we are professionals, and we are going to tell the truth like it is,” Gross said. “You have the ability to say what you want, but we can’t be biased, and we have to get perspective from all areas. We have to work to gather all the information and push the truth.”

TMN offers affordable services for schools and organizations to collaborate with students to produce print, digital, and broadcast media. Some of its clients include the Salina Diocese, RPM Speedway, regional school districts, and community and campus partners. These projects generate revenue to help support TMN’s mission, financially support students, and provide partners with media content they might not otherwise afford or access.

The team at TMN hopes to continue growing to fill the news void left by shrinking newspaper coverage and to become one of the comprehensive media outlets in the region, pushing beyond the boundaries of a traditional campus, community, and state media outreach.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the TMN team responded quickly to help FHSU and rural K-12 schools broadcast news, entertainment, and youth sporting events when in-person attendance was limited. High school sports are often the pulse of rural communities, and TMN was able to bring in the talent and technology to keep communities connected during the pandemic.

TMN coverage of USD 293 Quinter school athletic events this year was one of those local news events where the team stepped up to help meet the need for news and media coverage in rural Kansas. Alvarez, Gross, and a TMN team traveled to Quinter throughout the winter and spring to live stream Bulldog athletics on YouTube. What they found in that small town was more than just an opportunity to practice their technical skills. They found a second family grateful for their talents.

“They would greet us with a smile,” Alvarez said. “Everyone was friendly, like welcoming another member of the family, and we got to be pretty personal and feel like part of the team.”

Alvarez and the TMN team won awards for their production of the Quinter games, and their success led to further career opportunities. Soon after he was recognized for his play-by-play talent, Alvarez received an invitation to commentate games for the Dodge City Gamblers and the Oklahoma Outlaws, minor league basketball teams.

While the TMN quick response to the need for news coverage or sports in rural Kansas taught the team critical lessons about technology and allowed them to practice their professional skills, some of the most valuable lessons had nothing to do with technology. Qualities such as humility, innovation, creativity, patience, and adaptability are important to any career field, just as quality media coverage is needed for all communities.

“You have to learn to adapt to whatever situation you may be in,” Alvarez said. “When I’m commentating, there might be a bad camera angle or a graphic, and I have to go with the flow. You have to be flexible, and you can’t always expect everything to work out the way you see it working out. Nothing in life will be that way, so it’s a great lesson to learn how to be comfortable with some uncertainty and adapt to change, whether I’m calling a game or when I start my career in finance.”

The media industry is continuing to change rapidly as the demand for immediate convergent media content continues to grow and technology accelerates change. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the rapid adoption of a new multi-channel media ecosystem and increased community expectations for live streaming, and there is no sign the need for new media will slow. No matter how that media or those channels evolve, there’s one thing that is for sure — TMN will be there encouraging student learning and growing to meet the media needs of FHSU and Kansas.

You can learn more about TMN at tigermedianet.com and follow TMN on social media, KFHS Radio, and Eagle Communications cable channel 17.

The BEA Festival of Media Arts competition and Society of Professional Journalists recognized Fort Hays State TMN students for their excellence in media production in 2020.

Award of Excellence in Radio/TV Sports Event PlayBy-Play Talent: Omar Alvarez First place, Public Affairs Program for the RCOBE Virtual Commencement

Honorable Mention and second place, TV Public Affairs Program for the Battle for the 111th Kansas House of Representatives: CJ Gibson, Jessalyn Kirchhoff, TMN

First place, Hard News Package for the feature on FHSU students moving out of residence halls amid campus closure: Kerisa Brown First place, Enterprise News Package for Holiday season shopping: Kerisa Brown First place, Complete Sports Feature for Tiger Baseball 2020: First home series, Ethan Booe

Honorable Mention for Complete News Feature and second place for Enterprise News Package for the FHSU annual lighting of Christmas Tree: Kerisa Brown

First place, Sportscast for Quinter vs. Rexford-Golden Plains high school basketball: Jaxson Webb, Omar Alvarez, Lexi Gross, CJ Gibson, Alexis Arasmith, TMN

Second place, Sportscast (Radio), and first place, TV Sportscast for FHSU women’s basketball knocks off Pitt State in MIAA tournament quarterfinals: Lexi Gross

First place, Sports Play-by-Play: Omar Alvarez First place, Entertainment Program for The Attic Sessions-Ryne Timken: Trevor Pfeifer Online Opinion & Commentary for Forget About Politics, Why Black Lives Matter: Carmen Fanning