“Increasingly, the way that we're learning about the world … is by what we watch on the screen, so the stories that are being told matter and they help shape our world view. Academics can help shape how that happens,” says Anne Vasquez, executive director of the Television Academy Foundation, the charitable arm of the Television Academy. A career journalist, prior to her position with the foundation Vasquez served as chief executive officer at EdSource, a nonprofit newsroom focused on covering equity in education.
The Television Academy Foundation recently held its annual Media Educators Conference, which engages college and university media arts educators. The three-day conference aimed to bridge the gap between the television industry and academia, aiding educators in teaching the next generation of media professionals.
Conference
“It's important that we partner with educators, not just here in California, but around the country to meet their needs so that we can better serve students,” says Vasquez.
Each year, the conference evolves to ensure it is meeting the needs of educators by focusing on the pressing issues in the industry, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the delicate nature of labor negotiation. Vasquez says the planning process focuses on building engagement and interactivity. Over the course of the conference, educators have the opportunity to network and discuss what they can do to help shape the future of the television industry.
Among the topics presented at the conference were the state of the industry, AI and the future of entertainment, insights into the unions and guilds, an interactive model for media education and a masterclass in directing.
“This year we took into account topic proposals from previous attendees, which is why we had a session on understanding the unions. We have the masterclass on directing because we've heard from previous attendees that they found that session really valuable,” says Vasquez.
The conference will include “The Power of TV,” a quarterly offering of the foundation. This one will be “Democracy in Focus”, which explores the ways in which television—both scripted and unscripted—plays a role in impacting civic engagement.
Innovations
“Considering the rapid changes in technology; it's really important that educators keep their fingers on the pulse,” says Vasquez. “At the end of the day, it's storytelling. The nuance, the accuracy and the depth in which we tell stories—that are there for entertainment, to tackle some of the meatier subjects and to feel all the range of emotions—it's important we acknowledge that the delivery and platforms of that storytelling are ever changing and we have to be OK with that.”
Vasquez says the foundation needs to be a facilitator of conversations on important topics, like AI. This involves bringing groups together to brainstorm and develop a path forward. The TV industry and academics must adapt and find new ways to incorporate AI and other new technologies so that students are equipped with the necessary skills to succeed.
“We need to take the lead in figuring out what responsible AI for the creative workforce looks like,” says Vasquez.
In advance of the conference, interested parties were able to apply for one of the Foundation's Alex Trebek Legacy Fellowships, which provides support for college educators interested in attending the conference, with an emphasis on individuals from minority-serving institutions. It was created to eliminate barriers to participation in the conference.
Engagement
The conference is not limited to media arts and journalism educators. Vasquez says all academics can benefit by incorporating storytelling into the classroom. Many faculty are focused on launching the careers of future storytellers, crew members and industry leaders.
“It's particularly helpful for educators who are coming from parts of the country that have more limited access to the entertainment industry,” Vasquez says. “Here they have the opportunity to connect directly with the industry professionals and hear the latest about what's happening. I think their goal is to get more in touch and not just work in theory but work in actuality and understanding what the current industry climate is.”
Other foundation programs and events useful to higher education include the College Television Awards, the College Television Summit, internships and An Oral History of Television, a project funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. There is a curated and searchable online archive of over 4,000 hours of video interviews with TV legends and innovators from both in front of and behind the camera, which can be of use to both professors and students.
“It's a different type of engagement for the students,” says Vasquez. “There are homework assignments, research papers and projects you can do about diversity, equity and inclusion in storytelling in television and how that's evolved. There are so many different aspects and angles in which to carve out lessons and conversations in the classroom from this archive. My goal is to make sure we amplify that and make sure that it gets into as many classrooms as possible because I think it's an innovative way to learn about a medium that is crucial and important to our society.”