While the conversation about the lack of access to the media center has become common for both student leaders and faculty when it comes to discussing remote production, one aspect of this conversation that I feel has been largely ignored is the issue of income inequality.
It has become painfully obvious to many of the producers that some reporters and multimedia journalists (MJs) have access to faster Wi-Fi and better equipment. This has become apparent in every stage of the editing process from recording, cutting, presenting and uploading interviews or voice overs (VOs). After all, advanced editing skills can’t overcome the challenges of an overheating or laggy computer. This issue is especially concerning when you factor in that not every student can afford to purchase better equipment or internet access just so they can run Adobe Premiere for a one unit class.
The best part about having access to the media center was that it provided the same level of equipment to every student involved in the production process. Everyone had access to the same cameras for conducting interviews and the same computers for editing videos. The only thing that prevented people from producing and editing content in that scenario was their own ability, and I am more than confident that I can teach the skills required to be more proficient in those areas. However, I can’t teach someone to have better Wi-Fi.
I am honestly afraid of how ATVN will deal with this issue and much of that fear stems from the fact that I don’t have a solution to this issue. On one hand it’s unfair for our executive producers and our editors to work extra hours because someone is having issues with uploading their videos. There have been several cases throughout this semester when the only thing preventing a show from being finished was the work of a single anchor, reporter, or MJ. Yet if we were to prioritize individuals with faster Wi-Fi and equipment when deciding our anchors or assigning tasks then we would be taking away opportunities from those less privileged.
While I don’t expect the university to provide better equipment for all MJs and anchors or even student leaders and faculty, I do hope that USC makes an effort to tackle these issues of income inequality that have become more apparent during remote production.
Working remotely has been an eye-opening experience. Whenever I get frustrated with an anchor or MJ because of their slow upload speed I have to remind myself that I had the privilege of buying new equipment and better internet access for the job.
With only a few weeks of production left, I hope to experiment more with uploading and editing procedures to better utilize the resources that people have. I hope to find solutions by talking with our media production supervisors Tom Norris and Bobby Prom. There must be ways that students can optimize their existing equipment to run software such as Adobe Premiere and speed up the uploading process. We just need to figure it out.
If all else fails, I hope that my experience as a producer can help address these gaps that have been exposed this semester during remote production. ATVN is supposed to be a learning opportunity for everyone involved, and I hope we can return to the place that gave us all a chance to improve.