School of Communications Archives - BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications

Faith + Works Lecture Series: Professor Kris Boyle Shares How to Harness Heavenly Help

Capri Baker — Wed, 02 Mar 2022 20:50:28 +0000

Kris Boyle walked students and faculty through a few of life’s crucial moments he has faced and how the Lord has been alongside him through it all Third-generation BYU cougar Kris Boyle recently shared what “Harnessing the Power of the Lord in Our Educational Journey” has meant to him at the college Faith + Works Lecture Series on February 3. Boyle looked back on the challenges and opportunities life offered him, which led to his appreciation for the scripture in Doctrine and Covenants 101:16. This verse contains the two-word command to “be still,” a “phrase [that] has stuck with [him] first as a student, then as a journalist and now as an educator.” Boyle found that by encompassing the attributes of faith, action, sacrifice and love, we are enabled to access the power of God in the work we do. During the lecture, he expounded on how these characteristics have played a major role in the different circumstances he has faced. The first story he shared took place in the spring of 2019 when he and fellow School of Communications professor Ed Carter led students on a trip to the Colombian island of San Andrés for cultural preservation purposes. They hoped to document after-school programs and capture the unique influence of American sports on the island. Boyle explained that while the group did not know fully what to expect, it took faith and action from both the professors and students alike to journey to an unknown place with very few connections and try to accomplish their goals. He added that their sacrifice of time to be there allowed for a “spirit of love” to be shared among the youth with whom they worked. A later situation where the Lord’s hand was evident was when Boyle worked with other professors and students to celebrate the anniversary of the First Vision in upstate New York. They thought about pushing back the trip in order to have better weather, considering they were traveling in February, but something inside Boyle said they should move forward with the original plans. Boyle told himself that if this is what the Lord wanted them to do, they should do it. In faith, they took action. Ironically, the worst snowstorm of the year hit while the group was there, but miracles along the way proved they were right where they were supposed to be. Because of the intense weather, there was hardly anyone on site at their interview location, allowing for hours of work without disruption. They met a couple who were some of their most compelling interviewees. The lack of population also allowed for a time of personal spirituality when Boyle got up early to visit the Sacred Grove on his own. He said, “to have that Sacred Grove experience is something I will never, ever forget.” Upon reflection, Boyle realized that had the group decided to push their trip back, the work and preparation for the project may have been for naught, because the COVID-19 pandemic hit soon after and most likely would have made the trip impossible. Boyle continued with the final example of how he has witnessed the Lord’s hand in his life. He explained the miracles he and family identified despite the immense sorrow they felt after his father’s death from a bike accident. He said, “While losing Dad was so difficult…, I’m grateful that as I look back, I am able to identify several ways the Lord was preparing us for this trial.” In retrospect, Boyle has been able to recognize that despite the heartache, there have been blessings that have come of it. Boyle’s mother’s college car, Mustang Sally, is one that his father cherished and worked on extensively before he passed. While it had not run for 40 years, the car finally started weeks before his father’s death. Boyle felt that the Lord knew his father’s time on earth was limited and wanted him to finish the car repair as “a gift of love for his sweetheart,” allowing Boyle’s mother to drive Mustang Sally to the funeral. Another tender mercy came when family members received a letter from a man named Emmanuel, who was the recipient of Boyle’s father’s kidneys. Much like Boyle’s father, Emmanuel’s passions included swimming, running and biking. Reflecting on the experience, Boyle noted, “this was the work of the Creator.” While the family prayed for a miracle for Boyle’s father to recover, Boyle understood that “this was the miracle.” Boyle concluded with his testimony that Heavenly Father is in the details of our lives. “As we are willing to do the Lord’s work at BYU, He will make it so we will not be weary. He will make it so we will not faint.” Again emphasizing the importance of accessing heavenly help, Boyle said that through faith, action, sacrifice and love, the power of God is accessible. He said, “On occasion, we don’t have all the answers. We won’t be able to see the end from the beginning.” Boyle continued, “Instead, we need to step out of the light into the darkness, trusting that He will be there to guide us.”

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From the ice to the broadcast booth: BYU grad Kate Hansen in Beijing for Winter Olympics

Capri Baker — Wed, 16 Feb 2022 21:56:02 +0000

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Like Father, Like Son: Art Rascon Steps Down as Son Jacob Rascon Steps Up to Fill His Position as News Anchor

Capri Baker — Wed, 09 Feb 2022 18:35:55 +0000

Jacob Rascon takes the place of his father Art Rascon after 36 years in the journalism business, looking forward to filling the shoes his father wore so well Courtesy of Art Rascon News anchor, Area Seventy, BYU Comms alum and father Art Rascon has recently passed the torch to his son Jacob Rascon as he took over the anchor position at ABC13 in Houston, where Art Rascon has spent much of his career. On January 3, Art and Jacob Rascon shared the anchor desk as they were respectively working their last and first days on the job. It was a bittersweet day for the news team as they welcomed Jacob Rascon and bid farewell to Art Rascon. With a total of 36 years in journalism reporting on events in some 80 countries, Art Rascon worked for CBS NEWS and spent 28 years at ABC NEWS, anchoring many of those years in Houston. Art Rascon is the recipient of 19 Emmy Awards, two Edward R. Murrow awards, a Rotary International award and other notable recognitions. He has been serving since 2020 as an Area Seventy for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Courtesy of Art Rascon For the Rascons, journalism is a family affair. Art Rascon’s sons Jacob and Matt Rascon, as well as his brother Dan Rascon are all School of Communications alumni — evidence that the talent and passion for storytelling and love for BYU runs in the Rascons’ blood. As an Emmy- and Edward R. Murrow-award recipient, Jacob Rascon is an accomplished journalist in his own right. His career travels have taken him to places like Egypt, the Middle East, the Caribbean, Asia and all 50 states. He has covered such major events as the 2016 Presidential campaign — including conventions and inauguration — the X Games and the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics. Jacob Rascon remembers visiting the ABC13 station as a child and looks forward to following in his father’s footsteps. He said it is an honor to take on this new role and that the opportunity to succeed his father, “who is the consummate journalist and an even better person,” makes him immensely proud. Courtesy of Art Rascon

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Pop-Culture Power

admin — Wed, 12 Jan 2022 21:19:16 +0000

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Ira Glass Shares Lessons from Radio and Storytelling Career

admin — Fri, 19 Nov 2021 18:57:06 +0000

Ira Glass, radio personality and host of the award-winning podcast “This American Life,” addressed BYU on Saturday as part of the College of Fine Arts and Communications’ BRAVO! series. His presentation of “7 Things I’ve Learned” expounded upon key lessons of his career and an analysis of the craft of storytelling. Glass began with an hour-long masterclass for select students prior to his main presentation. Delving into his narrative theory, Glass expressed his intrigue in telling the stories of everyday people. In telling these stories, he emphasized that once you have a plot and an idea, you have a story that people will be interested in. A story, Glass explained, is really about motion: that forward movement propels the story forward and captivates an audience. Glass also encouraged writers to interview children. “We’ve always done a ton of interviewing kids on the show because I love it”, Glass said. “They are constantly getting into situations where they feel the stakes are very high because it’s the first time they are doing things, and they’re right.” To read the full story by Marissa Lundeen, click here.

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Notes From the Editor: Journalism & The Church

Elena Castro — Mon, 08 Nov 2021 20:28:30 +0000

Meet the editor in chief of the Church News and learn about her vigor for the field of journalism The Church News headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah is a “living record of the restoration” of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Like any organization, there is a leader at the helm looking over everything, getting things approved and keeping projects in motion. So who is it at the Church News? None other than one of BYU’s own: Sarah Jane Weaver, a graduate of the School of Communications’ journalism program. Even as a little girl, Weaver said that journalism was always the goal. “I declared my major before I went to BYU and I never changed it,” said Weaver. After decades of being in the business, the editor is still just as in love with journalism now as she’s always been. “I love the profession. I love everything about it. It connects people to their world, to their government, to their church, to their families.” Weaver never wavered. What she never expected, however, was the opportunity to report on the leaders of the LDS Church and see how they carried themselves and a global religion. “Early on, I wanted to be a political reporter. I did the Washington Seminar and did an internship with the Deseret News Washington Bureau,” said Weaver. It was through the Washington Seminar that she was able to meet editors at the Deseret News who would later suggest she apply for a position at the Church News. “Once I went to work at Church News, I felt very strongly about its mission and I really wanted to amplify the voices of prophets and apostles,” she said. “I loved the Church and I enjoyed telling stories about the lives of church members and all the good they do around the world.” Weaver has loved telling stories about the Church’s humanitarian efforts, as well as Church education, welfare services and temple dedications. “Suddenly, I was seeing this really beautiful picture of the Church unfold and that was very fulfilling to me to be able to be a part of telling that story for other Church members,” said the editor. She began her Church News career in 1995 and has had the unique opportunity to cover the Church under the leadership of three different prophets. Presidents Gordon B. Hinckley, Thomas S. Monson and Russell M. Nelson. “People say, ‘What’s it like to travel with the Prophet?’ I say, ‘I don’t travel with the Prophet, I follow him.’ It is a really profound privilege to observe prophets with the people,” she said. Weaver describes her job as no different than any other member of the Church. “We do, however, get to view the Church from a very unique perspective. I always call it, ‘the Church News window,’” she said. “There’s access that we have because of our job because we have a charge to amplify the words of prophets and apostles and to connect them to Latter-day Saints. And that is a beautiful view.” In a world that now presents news and information vastly different than how it did in the early aughts of 1995, the BYU alum has seen the role of journalism in the past and is still firm in her convictions about the importance of news today. “The industry is just as important now as it was then. In fact, it’s more important because people are desperate for information and they need to get it from a credible source,” said Weaver. “Information is empowering. It helps [people] make better decisions.” Weaver has navigated the two spheres of religious and world news through the Church News organization. “It is a great blessing to write about something that you care about and I cannot think of a greater cause in this whole world than the cause of Jesus Christ and the church he established,” she said. Even 26 years later, Weaver is still so grateful for the career life has given her. “Every day I wake up and pinch myself. I think, ‘How did this happen? How did I get the opportunity to write about something that I care about so much?”

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What is the PR Intelligence Lab? Q&A with Lab Manager Michael Burke Breaks it Down

Elena Castro — Fri, 05 Nov 2021 17:40:42 +0000

Take a look inside the Public Relations Intelligence Lab and meet the new manager: Michael Burke Last summer, the School of Communications announced that the Public Relations department would open up a new student lab and evolve the former lab known as Y Digital. Y Digital Agency was a full-service, student-run digital marketing lab where students worked with real, paying clients on actual digital marketing problems. The new lab is now called the PR Intelligence Lab and has a different mission. The PR department brought in Michael Burke, a PR professional with over two decades of experience and an advanced degree in data analytic is to run the lab going forward. Q: What initiated the change from Y Digital to the now PR Intelligence Lab? Michael Burke: There’s really not been a whole lot of data informing most of what’s done in public relations. The PR Intelligence Lab is an initial move towards the practice of big data analytics and public relations to demonstrate what organizations can do in terms of communications campaign development. The PR Intelligence lab will be working to push that forward. We’re focused on providing real-world experiences with the students, so the students are working with real companies and organizations to address communication challenges using data. Q: What is it that you do as the lab manager? Michael Burke: I work with the students to guide them through all the projects. The lab will be doing its own research as well outside of client projects. I have a background in both PR and in data science. I’m spearheading a lot of training here. The idea is to develop a new generation of data-savvy PR professionals. We have courses that we’re teaching on the different media monitoring platforms, and we are also analyzing data and spreadsheets. We’re working to help the students to understand many forms of data, including SEO, which has traditionally been thought of as a marketing discipline, but we’re approaching it from a PR point of view. Q: Can you explain in a nutshell what public relations and data sciences are for someone who might not be familiar with them? Michael Burke: Yeah, I think it’s essentially how an organization relates to the public and sometimes how different publics relate to each other. It’s also how different organizations relate to each other. People basically communicate and socialize [in] one of two ways: either just as individuals or as organizations. That’s really what public relations is; it’s the study and practice of how organizations relate to different audiences that are important to them. Q: The press release announcement of the PR shift said “The lab will be integrated more closely into PR curriculum and the lab manager will support client projects connected to classes, as well as running client projects that are not part of class.” How has that been going this fall? Michael Burke: There’s a learning curve, but the faculty has really been incredible in their support and enthusiasm for this project. I think everybody really put their heart and soul into this brainchild. It’s been great working closely with the professors on the process they’re doing in class. In some cases, they are projects that are carried out by the class and we come in and support them with different data analytics functions. Q: You are an industry hire to BYU. How did you get involved and come to get this position? Michael Burke: I have been working in PR in the Los Angeles and San Francisco area for almost two decades. I got into data analytics because I was working in Silicon Valley. I had been working with a lot of data-focused clients, so I had developed an interest in data storage and analytics. At one point, I decided I didn’t want to just promote what these data companies were doing, I wanted to actually be a part of it. I started graduate work in data science and earned a master’s degree in data science. I realized then that data science had not been applied to PR, so I started applying data science to PR in ways that really no one had ever done before. Along the way, I was fortunate to connect with Dr. Pamela Brubaker. We started a dialogue, and she called me up a few months ago. [The PR department] basically said, ‘We want to talk to you about something.’ I just assumed that maybe they wanted some advice on a new course or something. I had no idea they would be talking to me about a position, but I was very enthusiastic about it from the moment I heard about it. I love the mission of this department and on top of that, to have this unique opportunity to focus on something that I’m uniquely passionate about. Q: What have you learned so far in your first semester? Michael Burke: The students are really going to be the source of a lot of creativity and ideas here. We’re here to guide them, but they’re the ones who really are going to be figuring out what are the right questions to be asking. I’ve learned that BYU has got some great, great faculty here. Q: As a seasoned PR professional, what is your piece of advice to students launching in PR? Michael Burke: Take advantage of the real-world opportunities and don’t be picky. You probably won’t have that luxury when you get out into the real profession. You’ll be lucky if you’re passionate about 20% of the clients that you work with. For the rest of the clients, you will have to figure out things that are interesting about them. It really is kind of a rare thing to find someone who is data-savvy and has any sort of concept of how to apply basic marketing analytics to public relations. Those students are going to really stand out most. You’re often reporting to a marketing executive and a lot of times we speak very different languages. But if you can come in and you can speak the language of a marketing executive but understand the PR worldview; if you can talk frequently about Google Analytics and about SEO, you’re going to stand head and shoulders above other applicants. I promise you that. Learn more about the Public Relations [...]

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Extra! Extra! Read All About the New DU Magazine

Elena Castro — Fri, 22 Oct 2021 17:17:33 +0000

65 years after its editorial debut, the Daily Universe is entering a new phase The Daily Universe, or simply known as The Universe, has been a BYU journalism staple since 1956. Over the course of six decades, the publication has had many different looks and countless student contributors. The weekly paper was once a daily operation with new issues being printed Monday through Friday. In 2012, the daily paper transitioned into a once-a-week only issue. Now at the start of a new decade, the paper has reverted back to a former construct and undergone a bit of a facelift as well. No longer a weekly publication, The Daily Universe newspaper is now The Daily Universe magazine. This is not the first time the DU has appeared in magazine form. There were magazine-style issues in the early aughts of the publication before it officially landed on the newspaper format. Still on newspaper loose-leaf, the magazine is now a once-a-month issue boasting longer features, Q&As and more deliberate visual arts to accompany each piece. The features in the magazine will serve as more evergreen pieces with the ability to stay relevant for longer. For more “happening now” media, the institution’s website will still be able to provide day-to-day content for readers. Editor in Chief Emma Gadeski says this change allows students to become more informed before working on a story. “This will help students to find databases or research articles and really learn about a topic before starting on it. I think having that research element will serve as a strong backbone for bigger stories,” she said. When asked what has changed between the magazine and the paper, Gadeski said, “There’s definitely more of a graphic and visual element in the magazine. The paper had a very set template that we would plug stuff into. Now with the magazine, I feel it’s a little more flexible.” Communications professor and magazine overseer Ed Carter echoed the sentiments of the editor in chief when he said, “I think the ‘magazine’ is really a metaphor or vehicle for teaching good research skills, critical thinking, effective writing, professional ethics and using appropriate technology to deliver important messages to an audience.” Carter explained that the change from paper to magazine was brought on by wanting to bring more benefit to students as well as serve the campus community better. “There is a lot of academic research about the potential for magazines to contribute to community-building in various ways and I think we want to play a positive role on campus,” he said. How will students adapt from writing quicker stories for a weekly newspaper to more long-form pieces for a monthly magazine? Carter said that he tells his students they should relish the newspaper experience and use what they learned to aid in the cultivation of their journalism growth going forward. For students who are interested in being part of the Daily Universe team, the staff turns over yearly and the advisement faculty are always looking for enthusiastic and dedicated new students to get involved. “Most of them are students in the journalism program,” said Carter, “and thus far interest in the program has remained steady and strong for many years.”

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“All In” Podcast Host Gives 2021 Beckham Lecture

Elena Castro — Mon, 11 Oct 2021 20:19:42 +0000

School of Communications alum Morgan Jones guest speaks at the annual Beckham alumni lecture and shares about her career and the role God has played in it Just shy of her 10 years as a BYU communications graduate, alum Morgan Jones was asked back to give the annual Beckham alumni lecture put on by the School of Communications. Jones has worked with the Deseret News, LDS Living Magazine, Deseret Book and now acts as the voice behind the popular LDS Living podcast “All In.” Communications students and faculty alike welcomed the guest speaker and former student back with open arms on Friday, October 8. Students were invited to a pre-event networking breakfast with Jones’ lecture to follow. Jones opened with an experience she had when she was 15 years old. “I read a quote by Mother Teresa that said, ‘I am but a little pencil in God’s hands. He does the writing, the pencil has only to allow itself to be used.’ From then on, that quote gave me a vision for my life.” Jones continued to say that she knew she wanted her life to be used by God. She empathized with students by saying, “You want your professional pursuits to in some way fulfill a specific mission that God has in store for you, but it feels difficult to have a vision for what that looks like.” Jones’ key message to communication career hopefuls was to turn your life, professional pursuits and all, over to God so that He can utilize you and guide the path. The lecture was structured in five principles by which Jones hoped the students could find helpful. The first, “Take all the opportunities.” Jones shared how she became the first student to intern for professor and author Jeff Benedict at Southern Virginia University. After her stint interning, she was introduced to the CEO of the Philadelphia 76ers, Scott O’Neal and his wife, Lisa. She recounted how her professor who connected her to the O’Neal’s said, “I think that you and Lisa will be best friends.” Jones didn’t find that believable as she was a recent grad at the time. But now, years later, Jones considers Lisa to be one of her best friends. She has found great strength and belief in herself through her relationship with the O’Neals. Secondly, “Your future employer will be hiring all that you have ever been.” Jones used this principle to caution students to be mindful of their social media presence. Detailing the story of a job interview past, the employer had Jones’ Facebook page pulled up on his computer as she interviewed. She also encourages students to refresh themselves on Elder Jeffery R. Holland’s talk, “Don’t Check Your Religion at the Door.” “This is so important because we have to be ready and worthy for when an opportunity presents itself. President Henry B. Eyring said, ‘Part of the tragedy you must avoid is to discover too late that you missed an opportunity to prepare for a future only God could see for you,’” quoted Jones. Her third point was, “Bring all your strengths and all your weaknesses, God can use all of it.” Jones said members of the Church can turn to their patriarchal blessings to understand more of the strengths they’ve been given. “We have to look for where our gifts meet our passions and where those two things are aligned. That’s where we can see an opportunity [where] God might be able to use us,” said Jones. “I think that it’s so important that we set goals and have dreams, but we involve God in those dreams.” Jone’s fourth principle was, “Give all of your life to Him.” She opened this section with a quote by Ezra Taft Benson. “Men and women who turn their lives over to God will discover that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can…” She used this part to make the point that if people can give their whole lives to God, He will give them the opportunities to course-correct their lives into directions they never saw possible. Jones closed her principles with her fifth point: “Stand back and wonder of all God can do in a life.” Jones said if the audience got anything out of her lecture, she hopes it’s this: “I hope that you walk away knowing that God needs people who are willing to play big… When we’re willing to turn our lives over to Him, He can make so much more out of our lives than we ever could.”

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Intelligence Lab launches with Public Relations Fest

admin — Tue, 14 Sep 2021 21:27:26 +0000

The BYU School of Communications hosted a Public Relations Fest on Tuesday night in conjunction with the launch of the new Public Relations Intelligence Lab. The purpose of this event was to provide students with a place to discover opportunities within the public relations program, specifically through the new Intelligence Lab. Students filled the Hinckley Center to learn about the new changes to the public relations program. Lab account supervisor Georgia McGrath said this event is a launch for the new lab so students can get to know the program, staff and opportunities available. “Hopefully it will make the lab more approachable, that we want students to come and work with us.” The School of Communications announced the new Public Relations Intelligence Lab in June. According to the news release, the goal of the lab is to “provide mentored-learning experiences with real-world clients to all students in the public relations program.” To read the full story by Anna Wilson, visit the Daily Universe.

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