Lethbridge College will receive $52,000 to go toward remodelling a classroom into an active-learning newsroom for student journalists thanks to a donation from Corus entertainment.
It will both help to modernize classroom technology and fund a new Global News Journalism Award, which will be given to two students each year for at least 10 years, according to Paula Burns, president and CEO of Lethbridge College.
“This partnership is in no small part due to Troy Reeb, who I know we are so lucky to count amongst our alumni,” she said.
The distinguished alumnus visited from Toronto for the gift announcement on Monday.
“I am hopeful that we can start the next revolution now by really thinking about how multimedia journalism is evolving in the future and equipping all of the students who will come from this institution for the years to come to be prepared for that future,” said Reeb, executive vice president broadcast networks for Corus Entertainment, Global’s parent company.
While at the college, he spoke with digital communications and media students about a competitive internship he has offered for the last 14 years.
Students in the program research and pitch an original story to Reeb every year and the best pitch wins the chance to spend 10 days working in Toronto and Ottawa in Global’s TV, radio and online offices.
Reeb said the internship, which he pays for himself, is meant to show students in Lethbridge that they are just as able to compete and succeed in the difficult industry as graduates from more prominent schools.
“He really gives the college a leg up on other programs that are similar to it, so I just believe Troy’s continued investment in the college is such a great thing for students in this program,” said Skylar Peters, Lethbridge College alumnus and last year’s internship winner.
Peters won with a story revolving around social media influencers in his second year of the program. He said he feels his education at the college gave him an advantage over other graduates from similar programs since he has a broader range of skills.
“Journalists that graduate from Lethbridge College are people who go on to tell the stories of Lethbridge and of southern Alberta,” said Reeb.
The college and Global have a long-standing relationship, which Reeb is excited to keep alive.
“I’m part of the past of this organization – it’s exciting to be able to be part of the future as well. I know the excitement that comes from walking out the doors with a good education and into a good job,” he said.
Reeb and the college are excited to train future multimedia journalists in the modern newsroom.
“A newsroom of the future is nothing without the journalists of the future to help fill it,” said Reeb.
$32,000 from the gift will go toward the re-modeling of the college’s Endeavour news room – any additional funding will be to up to the college to produce. The other $20,000 will be set aside for awards to digital journalism students.
