Career Perspectives In Electronic Media

To many people, telecommunications is a glamorous enterprise in which the most important personnel are those whose voices stream through our radio speakers and whose faces glow on our television sets. But on-air jobs are, in many ways, just the tip of the electronic media iceberg. In Career Perspectives in Electronic Media, author Orlik offers a focused career guide that comprehensively covers job roles throughout the electronic media, as well as the industry issues, structures, and challenges with which the holders of these jobs must contend. The most salient aspect of the text consists of mini-essay profiles from practicing professionals throughout the industry characterizing their positions ' duties, talents, gratifications and drawbacks. These conversationally written profiles - nearly 50 in all - help to illustrate and further illuminate the industry issues and operations Orlik discusses. Coverage of job functions is extensive and contemporary, ranging from performance and conceptual positions (e.g., on-air entertainers, copywriters, art directors, Web writers) and production functions (e.g., audio and video engineers, camera operators, film and video editors, lighting directors) to sales roles (including station salespersons and representatives and Web sales executives), directive functions (e.g., program directors, news producers and directors, entertainment producers, sales managers) and evaluative functions (e.g., regulators, communication attorneys, lobbyists and public relations specialists, critics, media analysts, media educators). Career Perspectives in Electronic Media can effectively serve as a text at either the beginning or the end of the student 's program - the ideal second text for an introductory course sequence for the beginning student or as the provocative primary text in a senior-level capstone course in which students assess their honed abilities and attempt to match them with career opportunities.

Peter B. Orlik, Ph.D. has been a broadcast educator since 1966 and is the founder of the Broadcast & Cinematic Arts Department at Central Michigan University where he is currently chair and full professor. In 2001 he received BEA’s Distinguished Educator Service Award and in 2003 was named to the Michigan Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame – the first educator to be so honored.