Students are encouraged to take advantage of co-curricular opportunities that exist on-campus.
These opportunities include WBSU 89.1 The Point, Talon Television, The Stylus, and professional organizations. Students find their experiences with campus media an invaluable part of their preparation for successful careers in journalism, radio/television, and related fields.
WBSU
WBSU 89.1 The Point is a non-commercial, student volunteer station operating year-round with 7,300 watts serving seven counties in Western New York. The station may also be heard online. Supervised by a broadcast professional and the station mission is to provide a “working classroom” using professional radio operations as its model. Programming a mix of alternative, Top 40 and rock daily, The Point is affiliated with Associated Press providing national news, sports and weather which is supplemented with local material. The station is affiliated with the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), New York State Broadcasters Association (NYSBA), College Broadcasters, Inc. (CBI) and the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ). It is professionally structured with student directors running departments such as: Programming, News, Production, Marketing, Public Relations, Sports, Engineering, and Website. WBSU 89.1 The Point has carried live sports broadcasts including Golden Eagles football, hockey, women’s and men’s basketball; high school football and hockey as well as spring sports.
The station’s 15 room complex features state-of-the-art software and equipment including RCS/Zetta audio playback system, Adobe Audition digital editing, Selector music scheduling software, 360 Systems and a four renovated digital studios opened since 2008 featuring Wheatstone Evolution series consoles.
WBSU has been recognized with 34 awards since 1988 from state and national organizations in college and professional competitions; students attend two industry conferences and broadcast live from the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland each year and hosts its own Hall of Fame ceremony every two years.
Over 180 WBSU alumni are currently working in media-related fields. In addition to journalism, broadcasting, and public relations, professional experience can be gained for preparation in fields such as business, public relations, writing, sports management, theatre, and political science.
The Stylus
The Stylus Stylus is the weekly award-winning student newspaper, distributed free at most campus locations and throughout the village. The Stylus is also available online — with both social media and website (brockportstylus.org). It is staffed, operated and edited entirely by Brockport students. In 2009, the newspaper received a First Place in Best of Show for four-year college weekly tabloids at the Associate Colligate Press National College Newspaper Convention and Fourth Place in Best of Show category for four-year college weekly tabloids at the Associate College Press/College Media Advisors National College Media Convention. In 2019, The Stylus received Ninth Place in Best of Show for four-year Newspaper Weekly and Carson Werner received Sixth Place for BoM Individual Award for Single Page Design at the Associate Colligate Press National College Newspaper Convention.
The Stylus is always looking for new members and joining the staff is simple: contact the Editor-in-Chief. Students are also welcome to check The Stylus social media pages, office hours will be posted weekly. The Stylus is located in room 30B on the lower level of the Seymour Union.
Talon Television
Students interested in television production may join Talon TV, a Club which produces weekly programming seen on the Youtube channel, the on-campus television Channel 19, and on Time Warner Cable Channel 4. Student-written, student-produced, and student-directed regular programs include News 4 Brockport, a sports show, and the weekly entertainment show, What’s Up What’s Down.
PR Club
The Department’s PR Club invites students from all majors to join. This is an opportunity for hands-on experience planning and executing public relations activities for the department and campus. Previous events overseen by the club include campus visits from alumni working in the public relations industry as well as a basketball game between former members of the Buffalo Sabres and the Brockport faculty. The Club also engages in fundraising activities for charitable organizations.
Society of Professional Journalists
The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) chapter at SUNY Brockport is one of only three undergraduate SPJ chapters in the SUNY system. Students in SPJ network with working journalists and work on projects to increase student awareness of the gift of free speech. SPJ is a national professional organization that offers professional development and advocates for free speech and journalism ethics. For more information about how to join Brockport’s SPJ chapter, please email brockport.spj@gmail.com..
Alpha Epsilon Omicron Chapter
The Department of Journalism, Broadcasting, and Public Relations at SUNY Brockport recognizes the academic achievements of students and the promise they bring to the future of Journalism. Broadcasting, Public Relations, and Media Studies. The department is proud to sponsor a chapter of the Lambda Pi Eta (LPH) National Communication Association Honor Society.
The Alpha Epsilon Omicron Chapter of LPH provides students with the opportunity to be part of an extraordinary group of communication scholars. The Alpha Epsilon Omicron Chapter of LPH is a student led organization that plans a variety of activities, meet the professors social events, campus lectures, trips to academic conferences, mentoring programs for new students, and community service projects.
LPH is a prestigious honor society that recognizes Department of Journalism, Broadcasting, and Public Relations majors and Department of Communication majors who meet the following eligibility criteria:
- Minimum 3.25 in CMC or JRB classes
- Minimum 3.0 overall GPA
- Completion of 12 or more CMC or JRB credits
- Junior or senior status with 60 or more credits overall
Members are inducted into LPH in the spring semester.