Nathan Stevens is a broadcast journalism professor for the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism. On top of teaching classes such as Advanced Studio Production and Virtual Production Using Unreal Engine, Stevens also dedicates his time to assisting a team of student volunteers in the behind-the-scenes production of CNS-TV, a UMD-centered student news show that airs every Tuesday and Thursday at 5:30pm. I visited Nathan to see the preparation for the CNS-TV broadcast during the Tuesday, March 3rd, news broadcast. The top news stories the night that I visited involved interviewing Iranian American students and further reporting on the international news of the war in Iran. When I visited Nathan for the Tuesday night broadcast, I observed him instructing students on how to use various tools in the studio such as the teleprompters, studio cameras, and audio equipment. The control room of CNS, AKA Stevens' stomping ground, is full of photographs of old production students, with the names of ten production teams scrawled in sharpie marker onto the studio's very walls. Describing Nathan's teaching style, I wouldn't necessarily say that he is the initator of his own lessons. Instead, the
students come to
him: Throughout the night, groups of students from reporters, producers, to even documentary filmmakers, were approaching Nathan looking for guidance on how to best execute their specific roles. Speaking of documentary filmmakers, Nathan is also working with a team of journalism students in creating a documentary on the history of Camden Yards, and was advising one of his students in editing one of the documentary’s interviews when I first arrived to meet with him. In speaking with Nathan’s students, it’s clear that they all admire the work that he does for UMD’s journalism program. The volunteer student director of CNS, Jan Lapira, said “I feel like Nathan is bringing production into the spotlight for UMD. He’s what got me to switch majors to journalism!”
Nathan Stevens shows a student CNS production volunteer how to use a smartphone vlogging rig in the hallway of the CNS-TV studios.
Student reporters, production volunteers, and producers prepare for a CNS-TV broadcast surrounded by studio cameras.
Nathan admires the photo collage wall inside the control room of CNS-TV.
A student presses a button on the Tricaster Switcher of the CNS-TV control room.
Nathan laughs while advising a CNS reporter on one of their video packages.
Nathan advises the teleprompter operator student volunteer on how to operate the telemprompting software
Nathan stands in front of the large green screen of CNS-TV's Studio B broadcast space.
Nathan and his production team prepare in the control room.