MTP student wins national audio award

Jake KislinskyWhen Jake Kislinsky put together his audio feature Western Charmed by English Prof, he was originally just fulfilling an academic requirement for his Media Theory and Production (MTP) program.  But ultimately, the piece that he constructed under tight deadline for an assignment would win him a Broadcast Educators Association of Canada (BEAC) award for best “Feature/Documentary.”

“This was a piece that had originally been just part of another edition of 30 Purple Minutes (a weekly radio-news magazine produced by MTP students),” said Kislinsky, explaining that the feature was produced in a few hours on a Thursday afternoon.

“Hearing I had won alongside other winners who spent weeks on their piece was surprising, yet it was also encouraging to see that the work I had been recognized for had turned out so well in such a short amount of time,” explained the 21-year old, third-year Specialization in Journalism student.

Kislinsky’s doc features Western professor Gabrielle Ceraldi, who in 2013 launched an innovative new course titled “The Many Faces of Harry Potter.”  The course examines the seven Harry Potter books, alongside other fictional material.

With his work turning out well, Kislinsky was encouraged to enter the competition by his instructor Brian Nuttall.  

"I encouraged Jake to submit Western Charmed by English Prof because it included solid writing and a strong focus on character and personality development,” said Nuttall. “Jake's creativity and production values made him a strong contender in this award category.”

Kislinsky was notified of his award in early May, while at his summer job as a Reporter/Producer for the Fanshawe College radio station.

“I was working at the news desk when my boss, program co-ordinator Jim Van Horne came up, shook my hand and congratulated me. I had completely forgotten I had applied for the award so I asked, ‘For what?’ Of course then he jogged my memory and preparations for the conference could then begin,” he said.

The BEAC awards were handed out at their annual conference, held this year in Banff, Alberta, May 24-26, 2013. Kislinsky said he was able to obtain some special funding from the Faculty of Information and Media Studies at Western to help pay for his travel so he could accept his award in person.

“Banff was a blast. BEAC picked a great place to house educators and students from across the country, and also put on great weekend activities. It was great to meet my fellow award winners as well,” he said.

Despite his success in radio, Kislinsky said that he could see himself migrating to video or television in the future. Specifically, he has an interest in Youtube and web-based news. He notes that the basic tenets of the disciplines are the same.

“In the end I want to continue feeling the rush of being on-air and the satisfaction that storytelling brings.”

Listen to Jake's feature - Western Charmed by English Prof:
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