The MediaPlex hosts annual game show

By Miranda Monahan

What is the game show where journalism, media convergence and public relations students at St. Clair College’s MediaPlex compete and answer questions about popular headlines?

The answer is the MediaPlex Headline Challenge. The challenge was hosted on Tuesday, April 9 and aired in the place of MediaPlex News Now’s Tuesday night show on YourTV cable channel 11.

This year’s challenge was the sixth annual Headline Challenge, members of the general public were invited to come and participate as the live studio audience.

The games consisted of three rounds. The first was about local news. The second covered national news and the third round tested knowledge about international news.

Veronique Mandal, the coordinator of the college’s journalism and media convergence programs has been an instructor with the college for approximately 15 years and said getting the MediaPlex did not start off easy.

“I think probably the biggest change in the entire program was actually getting a building like the MediaPlex, so that we could offer real world experience to our students,” said Mandal during the broadcast. “And then of course bringing in the media convergence graduate year, so that our students can go through the two year program and then get a very high level of polish coming into the graduate year and of course we take university graduates into that program as well.”

Having a building like the MediaPlex with a fully functioning television studio has allowed the Headline Challenge to be produced.

Emma Butler is a second year journalism student whose job during the broadcast was interviewing guests.

“When you’re hosting and you are going to do an interview, you feel confident,” said Butler. “Then just before you are going to interview them you start getting those butterflies in your stomach.”

The journalism and media convergence team were victorious, beating the public relations team 15-10.

For more information on programs offered and what happens at the MediaPlex, visit the MediaPlex.com.