In keeping with the sweeping technological changes in the media industry, the UF College of Journalism and Communications will be opening the 21st Century News Laboratory today.
The invitation-only grand opening, which will take place in the lab on the ground floor of Weimer Hall at 3:30 p.m., represents the first installment in the three-part Center for Media Innovation and Research.
The 21st Century News Laboratory will allow journalism and telecommunication students to receive hands-on experience working with multimedia platforms in print, TV, radio and the web.
Students will also have access to a 1,200 square foot production studio with high-definition video cameras, a green screen, an interview set and a video wall containing nine 46-inch HD LCD monitors that will display current projects and recent news.
The lab will contain five workstations where students can plug in their computers and access research materials simultaneously. In addition to the laboratory, there is a conference room where students can plan, discuss and present projects on a 52-inch HD monitor.
David Carlson, executive director of the Center for Media Innovation and Research, expressed his excitement at the prospect of unveiling the news lab.
“The center will allow faculty and students to tell stories in new ways,” he said.
