by Erica Hanko
Reporting Student
Ken Garland
Thousands of Americans tune into their local news stations every day to listen to clean cut, well-dressed men and women talk about the world’s happenings. Journalism instructor Ken Garland was part of that industry.
Garland has had a broadcast career spanning over 18 years in five different markets.
From being a news anchor for WVTV-TV in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to doing play-by-play sport broadcasts for the Anchorage Bucs, an Alaskan baseball team, Garland brings those qualities to the classroom where he helps young students learn the skills to become successful in the broadcast industry.
For his dedication, Garland is being promoted to lecturer.
“He has done a really great job with everything we’ve thrown at him,” Jim Foust, chair of the Department of Journalism and Public Relations, said.
Foust said Garland is a really hard worker who always wants to work with students. “I am always seeing him out and around campus carrying cameras and getting ready for live shoots with the BG24 News,” Foust said.
Foust said the department recommended Garland for promotion based on his involvement with student media, positive teaching evaluations, and good service to the department.
Garland began his career with Bowling Green State University six years ago this May.
His position was originally created in 2011 by Terry Rentner, then director of the School of Media and Communications.
Garland said, “The job description was Instructor, News Broadcaster Operations. I thought, ‘Oh yeah! I can see that on a business card.’”
The position was to teach two courses and advise the campus student media news organization BG24 News.
Rentner wanted to have an instructor in the position who could divide their time between teaching and overseeing BG24 News. Garland was the man for the job.
Bob Bortel, director of student media, said Garland has been very much a team player. “He is a great listener and has a good background to draw from professionally,” Bortel said.
Garland said he loves the moments when students get what he is teaching, when he can spark students’ excitement.
“Some students have come back and said they are doing something now because of
something I’ve said, something I did, or something we worked together on because I got them excited and that to me is the big deal,” Garland said. “That is the most rewarding part.”
A story Garland likes to share with his Visual Editing classes illustrates the rewards of teaching. Garland tells about a student who said he was ruined because of taking the editing class with Garland. The student said he couldn’t watch movies without looking at the editing.
“The guy noticed it so he obviously learned something and on top of that he got excited about it,” Garland said.