Video Blog - Tuition at Glendale Community College

Video Link:

Tuition Costs at GCC

Script:

Anchor: Wayne Young

SLUGLINE: Tuition Costs at GCC

Timecode: 02:33

INTRO: Hello. I am Wayne Young and this is Reflections on Online Media. The date is December 9, 2016. A pleasant winter day in Phoenix, Arizona.

WY: Today I’ll I would like to talk about the rising cost of college tuition; especially here at Glendale Community College. One of the most important issues for students at GCC is the cost of tuition. For the 2016 - 17 school year, the cost of tuition was increased 2 dollars per credit hour. While this seems to be a small amount, it adds up to a 2 (point) 4 percent increase for full-time students with 30 credit hours of classes per year. In addition to the tuition increase, there have also been increases in many of the course fees paid by the students.   

WY: Research into this issue has revealed one of the reasons for this increase. Funds to operate GCC come from a combination of tax revenues, class tuition and course fees, and state aid. The budget of the Maricopa County Community College District, which GCC is a part of, was reduced by 68 million dollars with the removal of this state funding. This, combined with reduced enrollment, has led to increased tuition cost. Fortunately for GCC students, the increase is the smallest in several years.

WY: To find out what GCC students thought, I spoke with Shannon Crosby and Dawn Creighton. They both agreed that while the increased tuition costs were of concern, the overall costs of attending GCC was reasonable, especially when compared to a state university.

WY: After speaking to Shannon and Dawn, I did additional research and found out that tuition and fees make up a relatively small part of the overall budget; only 18 percent overall. It appears that the students of Glendale Community College are receiving a great value for the tuition they pay.

WY: For more information and other stories, go to wayne-young-online (dot) blogspot (dot) com.  

OUT-RO: Thank you for watching this Reflections on Online Media vlog. Be sure to keep watching.  

Online Journalism Philosophy Statement

Four months ago I started the class Writing for Online Media with the idea that it was merely a requirement for the Associate’s in Digital Media Arts that I am pursuing. However, I have learned the true importance and power of online journalism in our current connected age. While I do not plan on pursuing journalism as a career, I can see the usefulness in being a citizen journalist.

Being able to report on and respond to current events, be they worldwide or local, is a powerful tool that needs to be exercised by all who are interested in affecting change in their communities. Learning about online journalism, provides the needed tools and standards for the individual journalist to be seen by the internet audience as bona fide. To be seen as someone whose words and thoughts should be taken as more than mere opinion or a rant.

Part of being seen as a bona fide journalist is portraying oneself as such. This comes down to branding and the marketing of that brand. In freelance journalism, the journalist is that brand. Having a consistent and professional presence on the internet builds leads to recognition of the journalist. Once the audience becomes familiar with a journalist, they will tend to return to him in the future. However, this will only happen if the reporting is done using good standards and practices of journalism.

The biggest step towards practicing good journalism is if the journalist has verified and provided the sources of his information. Other practices include covering all of the pertinent information; the who, what, where, when and why of the story being reported. Putting this all together using proper grammar and using the proper style of the news organization that the story is being reported through is also part of being a good journalist.

In journalism, an image, still or moving, depicting what is happening in the story is certainly very powerful. This is just as true in the internet age as it was in the heyday of print news. As a photographer, I certainly see myself continuing to look for stories that can be conveyed in images. Since taking the Writing for Online Media course, I have the tools to make those images even more meaningful and hopefully more impactful.

I also have gained a greater understanding of the power of social media and the role that it plays in our current society. Also, I have a gained an understanding of the roll that I might play in driving social media. As a citizen journalist following good practices and presenting a consistent and recognizable internet presence, I have the opportunity to provide the information that others need to make informed decisions. Overall, my goal is to continue to be both a content creator and an aggregator of stories affecting myself and my community.