Contact: Kenneth Billings
STARKVILLE, Miss.--Three short documentaries produced by nine Mississippi State students are being included in a Web chronicle of how digital technology impacts Americans.
The videos were part of a final semester project for a university media and society course that challenged students to investigate how digital technology is changing life on and off campus.
Course instructor Kevin D. Williams selected the trio for submission to Digital Nation, a documentary site that includes both traditional, fixed-videos and interactive submissions that constantly change.
"This was a great opportunity for our students to be a part of a nationwide effort to examine just how much our lives are impacted by technology," the assistant professor of communication said.
Digital Nation is a component of a Public Broadcasting System documentary series of the same name produced by Frontline Documentaries that aired during February.
The MSU student videos include:
--"Digital Divide," by public policy and administration graduate student Kenna J. Walsh of Starkville and senior communications/public relations major Blaine L. Walters of Columbus. Their entry examines how a lack of computers and technology access can put students at an educational disadvantage.
--"Twitter Journalism," by communication majors Jordan L. Britt of Brookhaven; and Robert M. "Bob" Carskadon, Omar Logrono and Zachary A. "Zach" Phillips, all of Starkville. The production examines how social media affects the way journalists report news and sports. Britt is a senior focusing in public relations; Carskadon, a senior focusing in public relations and broadcasting; Logrono, a senior focusing in broadcasting. Phillips is a sophomore.
--"iPhone's Impact at MSU," by senior communication/journalism major Elizabeth A. "Liz" Lange of Olive Branch, junior communication/public relations major Sarah B. Printz of Brandon and senior educational psychology major Alan O. Whitfield of Amory. "iPhone's Impact" explores how the handheld device has changed the way many cell phone users look at organizations and communication. Whitfield is pursuing a second degree, having graduated from MSU in December with a bachelor's degree in communication.
The PBS documentary may be viewed at www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/digitalnation/.
Entries of the MSU students, along with others from around the world, are available at www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/digitalnation/participate/.
For more information about Mississippi State University, see http://www.msstate.edu/.