On March 2nd, we launched as Channel PNU, a new integrated media of three press companies of Pusan National University (PNU). It is reborn from the PNU Newspaper, The Hyowon Herald, and PUBS into the new platform by functionally reorganizing. Channel PNU is composed of seven teams; Reporters, Communications, Broadcast News, English News, Video Production, Yangsan Production, and Miryang Production. We are trying to strengthen in uploading the weekly-produced contents on the website, sending Newsletters, publication of newspapers and magazines, broadcasting of videos and audio, and SNS promotions. 

The beginning of this change was not smooth. On August 5th, 2021, “The Kookje Daily News” raised the issue of the crisis of survival and abolition for the first time in the local media. They reported that “The more students wanted external activities that are useful for their employment, and the reporters who felt burdened by the organization's hierarchy have disappeared.”

On September 1st, 2021, the newly appointed weekly professor pushed for the reissue. And on November 4th, 2021, “The Kookje Daily News” informed of the reissue of PNU Newspaper in online Newsletter form.

On January 31st, “Yonhap News Agency” reported about organizational restructuring and online services provision of Channel PNU. They said that “Until now, the three press companies recruited their cub reporters and created the news separately, but they operate as seven teams under three directors with a ‘Faculty Administrator’-centered system.”

On March 14th, through their Newsletter “Mweo-ra-no,” “The Kookje Daily News” looked forward to us, reporting “PNU Newspaper’s concern and the challenge is progressive.” Also, on March 16th, “Busan Ilbo” highly evaluated the operation form of Channel PNU, reporting “Gyeongsang National University tried this form for the first time in Korea, but PNU is the first attempt in Busan.” 

On March 22nd, “Figure Focus” of “KNN” cast and recorded Lee Chae-Hyeon, Editor-in-Chief of PNU Newspaper. Chief Lee said, “For the survival of Channel PNU, we have to establish a media that contains the stories of students and can convey the voices of youth well.”

However, despite the high interest of the local media, Channel PNU still has a long way to go. First of all, the infrastructure is insufficient. In January and February 2022, Channel PNU completed the office remodeling due to organizational restructuring, repairing school speakers to normalize audio broadcasting, and installing DID monitors for video content transmission. Nevertheless, the number of speakers and monitors is significantly insufficient, and equipment and studios for video content production are aging, so improvements are urgently needed.

Hwang Sung-Wook (Prof. of Media & Communication, PNU), Faculty Advisor of PNU press, said, “Channel PNU aims to foster future-oriented journalists and educate about practical journalism. So, we will improve the job satisfaction of student reporters, give the award for outcomes, diversify the promotion routes, and do benchmarking compared to the other universities. For these, we are trying to call for the attention of the university headquarters and to secure the budget."

Meanwhile, there are some voices of PNU members who support us. Cha Jeong-In (President, PNU), Bae Ji-Yeol (Reporter, The Kookje Daily News), who graduated from PNU Newspaper, and Nam Yoo-Jin (Prof. of Architecture Engineering, PNU) are sending us congratulatory messages for the launch of this Channel PNU. Furthermore, participants of the Instagram subscription event have conveyed various wishes such as “I hope Channel PNU can act as a communication channel between school and students,” “I hope that a lot of useful information will be provided to PNU students,” and “It would be nice to include honest and diverse stories.”

Reporter Lee Yeo-Jin

Translated by Lee Yeo-Jin