Like many others, I developed some new viewing habits during the pandemic. In an unexpected turn of events, I’ve become a devotee of YouTube aviation channels. Through the magic of user-generated content, the aviation YouTube community has given this non-aviator an opportunity to get inside cockpits and gain insights into how pilots are trained. (Shout out to Captain Joe, Mentour Pilot and 74 Gear!) And, believe it or not, I see relevance to my role as director of the School of Media and Journalism (MDJ) during these Covid Times. Let me explain.
When talking about managing mid-flight crises – engine failures, explosive decompression, etc. – seasoned aviators all adopt the same mantra: Aviate, navigate, communicate. When something goes very wrong at 30,000 feet, a pilot has a list of priorities. Aviation triage, if you will. The highest priority is to keep the plane in the air. That is, aviate. Pay attention to the ringing alarms. Run the necessary checklists. Try not to create new problems while doing everything to keep the plane aloft and everyone onboard alive. When I joined MDJ in July 2020, the highest priority for all of us in the School was to ensure that we had the right classes scheduled for the fall, instructors in place to teach them, and technology available to facilitate their delivery. This was the aviate part of the equation.
After the initial aviate crisis is addressed, pilots can begin dedicating some attention to steering the plane in a direction that makes sense. As the 2020-2021 academic year unfolded, aviating remained the highest priority, but slowly the opportunity to navigate emerged. The faculty and I began to engage in conversations about the School, the curriculum, evaluating outcomes and responding to concerns that emerged during the initial crisis period. We navigated our way through to the end of that difficult academic year.
With the start of the 2021-2022 academic year, I was delighted that enough of the crisis had passed to finally allow meaningful communication with members of the extended MDJ family – alumni, faculty, friends and others. We launched the School’s podcast, Around the Sphere, which is turning out to be a lot fun. (If you haven’t heard it yet, please give it a listen!) We also resurrected Jargon, this publication dedicated to communication with our valued alumni and other members of the MDJ family. We’re still aviating and navigating, but we’re very excited to be communicating, too. We’re not back to normal yet, but we’re getting there. So, make sure your seatbelt is fastened tight across your waist and that your baggage is stowed safely under the seat in front of you. We’re delighted to have you on board!