Demetria Kalodimos, prize-winning local journalist, joins School of Communication

Demetria Kalodimos, prize-winning local journalist, joins School of Communication

Nashville journalist and former longtime WSMV anchor Demetria Kalodimos will be joining Lipscomb’s School of Communication during the incoming school year. Through her role, Kalodimos is expected to share her experiences and expertise alongside developing “digital media ethics” workshops and programming. In addition, Kalodimos will co-teach a class with Chair Alan Griggs. “She [Kaladimos] is one of the best journalists I have had the honor and privilege to know,” said Griggs in a press release issued by the university. Griggs and Kalodimos worked together at WSMV for 20 years. “With her experience and knowledge, our students will benefit significantly, and so will I.” Kalodimos has been a trusted and recognized figure in Middle Tennessee media for nearly 40 years, receiving 16 Emmys, three Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) National awards, three Edward R. Murrow Awards for investigative reporting and the Gracie from American Women in Radio and Television. As well as being inducted into the Tennessee Journalism Hall of Fame and the NATAS Silver Circle. Recently, Kalodimos has produced award-winning documentaries, music videos and other visual content through her company Genuine Human Productions. Her songwriter series, Barnegie Hall, aired nationally on PBS stations across the country. “Educating future journalists about the state of the industry and how to navigate that well while training them to be good storytellers, utilizing the many tools they have available to them, is critical,” said Kalodimos. “While content delivery methods continually change, the fundamentals of good storytelling will never cease to be important. So, I am excited to be able to share my knowledge and experiences with students and to have an impact on the next...
Sports broadcasting veteran Kalis talks of faith and being real at Media Masters

Sports broadcasting veteran Kalis talks of faith and being real at Media Masters

Rudy Kalis, former WSMV sports broadcaster, shared his insight with a room full of young aspiring journalists and faculty on Monday evening, at the Media Masters event hosted by Lipscomb’s communication and journalism department. Interviewed by student Tia Calvin, Kalis answered each question with enthusiasm. The room filled with laughter at moments and hushed quiet at others as the students and faculty leaned in to hear the advice and stories from the spritely professional. His story began overseas. Born in Germany to Russian parents, Kalis immigrated to the United States at the age of 5. After serving in the military police force, he decided to go to the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee to earn his degree. It was his love for sports that prompted him to choose journalism as a career path. After graduating from college and working a short time for the Green Bay Packers, Kalis moved to Tennessee to further his career in broadcasting. It was never his intention to stay in Nashville. He reflected on this time in his life saying, “…in 1974 (I) got the opportunity to come to Nashville. Thought I’d stay here a year or two, and then I’d go off to the big time and be somebody. Forty-five years later God said ‘no this is where you are’.” He offered Proverbs 16:9 as a way of explanation. This verse talks about how we may make plans for our life but, ultimately it is the Lord who directs our path. He also warned against ego and pride and how they got in the way of his career and relationship with God along...
Anchorwoman Demetria Kalodimos shares stories, advice at Media Masters

Anchorwoman Demetria Kalodimos shares stories, advice at Media Masters

Former WSMV news anchor Demetria Kalodimos visited campus to speak to students at Monday evening’s Media Masters hosted by Lipscomb’s communication and journalism department. Senior journalism and new media major Erin Franklin interviewed Kalodimos about her experiences working in broadcast news and her perspectives on the journalism industry. Kalodimos’ career in journalism began after she earned a bachelor’s degree in music education from Illinois Wesleyan University. During her time in college as a music major, Kalodimos said she realized she had a passion for journalism. She went on to get a master’s in journalism from the University of Illinois. In a virtually unheard-of situation, Kalodimos immediately began her career working as a weekend anchor and weekday reporter. “That first big break was super important,” Kalodimos said. Kalodimos joined WSMV in Nashville in the 1980s, and said that although the news climate has changed over the years, she thinks there’s still good to come. “Some of these nonprofits that are forming to do news without a slant or do more in-depth or real news, that’s maybe where the future is,” Kalodimos said. “When you take the dollars out… I think you can get back to the real mission, which is informing people and questioning what’s not right.” Currently, Kalodimos is continuing journalistic work — documentary-style. “I’ve been running around doing longer form stories — just things that I’ve always wanted to do that weren’t necessarily ready for primetime…it’s just part of me. I can’t see a good story and ignore it.” Most of those in attendance were communication students, and despite the changes facing the news business today, Kalodimos said...
Geena Davis, local leaders advocate for change of women’s roles in media

Geena Davis, local leaders advocate for change of women’s roles in media

Geena Davis says the media’s role in reshaping the image of women in society is simple: “If they see it, they can be it.” The problem is that the media is not doing its part in representing women and men equally, Davis says, and when women are portrayed in television and film they, often are sexually provocative or stereotyped characters. Davis, who has embarked on a mission to change that and offer more hope and empowerment for young women in popular culture, brought her message to a gathering at Lipscomb’s Andrews Institute.  That institute partnered with the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media Thursday for “A League of Their Own,” an event starring the acclaimed actor and also featuring Deborah Taylor Tate and female local media leaders to discuss the role of women and girls on screen. Davis — who starred in movies like A League of Their Own, Beetlejuice, and Thelma & Louise — founded her institute in 2004 after watching children’s entertainment with her daughter and realizing the lack of female characters present in TV programming and family movies. Davis’ institute, which focuses on research, education and advocacy, conducted the largest body of research on gender prevalence in the media and discovered that only 17 percent of characters in family films are women. Davis noted those few female characters often are portrayed in stereotypical or hyper-sexualized ways. It’s not just popular media.  Davis said women are not fairly represented in most areas of society, noting that the U.S. ranks 90th on the list of countries that have female representation in government. “It’s astounding,” she said. “The fact is that women...

Lumination Newscast – March 16, 2012

This week, anchors Caitlin Selle and Michael Fox are behind the news desk. Also, Clay Smith fills you in on some warmer than usual temperatures, Connor Prady gives us the scoop on the latest Bachelor drama and Hunter Patterson gives you the Bisons’ lucky number. <iframe src=”http://player.vimeo.com/video/38650026?title=0&amp;byline=0&amp;portrait=0″ width=”549″ height=”309″ frameborder=”0″ webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen...