“13th Hour Reprieve” is a multimedia project conceived, reported and edited by students in the Spring 2009 Multimedia Journalism class at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. Students divided up into reporting teams and began the project with a little more than one month left in the semester. Reporting for the project required students to get out of their comfort zones at UMass Amherst and into Boston and its surrounding communities. Each reporting team made multiple trips to the Boston area to try and capture the many complicated elements of the story, including trying to get a sense of what The Boston Globe means to Boston, the region, and the state. The result is an impressive package capturing the story with words, sounds and images.

As of this writing, the future of The Globe remains unclear. Multiple news outlets, including The Globe, Dan Kennedy and Mark Potts are reporting that there is still uncertainty regarding contracts, union concessions and the relationship with The New York Times Co. So, as with much in the journalism business these days, “13th Hour Reprieve” was a headline that was good for the moment. Things may still change.

– Steve Fox, Multimedia Journalism Instructor

Photo by Matt Rocheleau.

When news hit the stands about the potential closing of the Boston Globe, industry insiders and academics expressed mixed feelings of what it would be like without this significant news entity that has existed since 1872. Many wondered how the citizens of Boston and surrounding regions would react without a print version of one of the most popular area papers and whether or not the Globe’s Web site, Boston.com, would remain online.

Industry insiders were generally surprised at the thought of the Boston Globe shutting down.

Ed Kubosiak, the online editor at MassLive, feels a deep connection with the Globe even though he lives in western Massachusetts. He admits to being “upset at the thought of the organization going away; it’s jarring.”

Wayne Braverman, senior editor at Gatehouse Media at the Community Newspaper Company in Needham, expected the Boston Herald to close first.

“I was really surprised that the Globe was on the block to be eliminated. Just a year ago, people were wondering about the Herald. No one thought the Globe would be facing elimination from the publishing world,” said Braverman.

Insiders remained optimistic regarding the Globe’s future, even before the union agreements. Erik Gallant, a sports blogger and producer at MassLive, believes that the Globe (along with all newspapers) will eventually move online only.

“Even if they stop printing the physical paper, I think they will be pretty well set up and continue on and the reason for that is because I think they have a lot of great writers. I think those writers are the people who draw people to the paper and the Web site,” said Gallant.

For many insiders, the future of the industry is deeply tied to how media Web sites are connecting with their communities. MassLive is the Web site for the The Republican, a newspaper based in Springfield. It’s run by a five-person team, which includes TV and local sports bloggers. The Web site posts headline news in addition to message boards. They thrive off reader comments and try to connect with their audience. The MassLive team has become community oriented.

Massachusetts also saw The Christian Science Monitor go online-only last year. They now publish a print version once a week.

Senior lecturer B.J. Roche, who teaches in the journalism program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, is also looking at the future of the Boston Globe as an online-only entity with a smaller newsroom, and believes the troubles faced by the Globe are “a problem of advertising.”

“People will see a lot less real reporting because they won’t have the bodies to do it,” said Roche.

Roche had a weekly column about New England titled “Peaks and Valleys,” in the Sunday edition of the Boston Globe three years ago.

“To get something published in the Globe was a huge accomplishment,” said Roche, “where are you going to get an audience of half a million viewers?”

Roche’s column was cut, because, she said, “it wasn’t necessary.”

MassLive senior producer Jeff Hobbs has faith in the Globe’s innovativeness.

“If the print went away, it would still be a highly successful Web site,” said Hobbs.

Some question whether an online-only model would work. The Globe is not charging for content on Boston.com now, but that may change in the future.

Braverman, whose paper has a weekly paid model, wonders, “Why would I want to pay for the Globe? I can read the whole thing online… the newspaper industry has given you a free plate online.”

Over the past few years, the Globe has changed its focus of coverage. It covers big world and national news and happenings inside of Boston. The Globe only covers western Massachusetts (and other regions of New England) when a big story breaks there, therefore leaving some readers to gravitate towards local papers, such as The Daily Hampshire Gazette or The Republican, the print version of MassLive.

The closing of the Globe would affect the Boston area the greatest, but would affect the rest of Massachusetts differently.

Roche does not think the closing of the print edition of the Globe would “affect anywhere outside of that tight suburb of Boston… I don’t think it would affect the Amherst area at all.”

Kubosiak is based in Springfield and deals with mostly western Massachusetts news. He said, “There’s been a pattern of thinking that eastern Massachusetts doesn’t care about western Massachusetts, whether on the political news front [or elsewhere]. I haven’t felt that all that much. The Globe would usually cover UMass basketball. I think they need to do a great job with Boston, there’s a lot going on there.”

Andres Caamano, the assistant editor for the Gardner News, would be affected by a shutdown of the Globe. He values the content that the Globe sells to the Associated Press.

“The stories that the Associated Press has sent out about the Craigslist killing have been mostly from the Globe. The impact would be felt in small newspapers in Massachusetts and throughout the country.”

The Globe has been a watchdog organization for the City of Boston for many years. Citizens rely on its strong reporting to keep politicians in check and inform them of the happenings at City Hall. Braverman believes it would be a problem if the Globe shut down.

“If the Globe or the Herald went away, they wouldn’t be watching them (politicians). They would go scot-free. The good things that the politicians do wouldn’t be known either,” said Braverman.

“I think of the Globe as an important entity, both for the community and as an institution. They’ve proven over the years to be a watch dog,” said Kubosiak.

Roche is worried about the impact on politics and that there will be lighter coverage of City Hall. “No citizen blogger is going to know how to go in and research public documents,” said Roche. “They don’t have the skills like someone who has worked twenty years on a political beat.”

“Quite honestly I don’t know how they’ll prevent something like this again,” said Marshall Ingwerson, managing editor of the Christian Science Monitor. “They are in the same situation as most metro newspapers making financial cuts.”

While the Globe may be fine for now, it is likely that in the near future they will be faced with making more financial cuts as readers continue to rely on the Internet as their main source of news. As a result of the warning from the New York Times Co., on May 6, 2009 the Boston Globe proposed pay cuts, unpaid furloughs, and the elimination of lifetime contracts to ensure that the Globe would not shut down. The Boston Newspaper Guild still needs to vote on the wage cuts.

Printing press at the Boston Globe.
Photo by Matt Rocheleau.

The newspaper industry is in the process of a painful evolution. The past year has seen the closure of the Rocky Mountain News and the Albuquerque Tribune. The Tribune Company, owners of 12 newspapers, including The Chicago Tribune and The Los Angeles Times, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December. The Christian Science Monitor moved to an online only format in March. Even The New York Times was forced to borrow money against its Manhattan office building – well before it threatened to close one of its other assets, The Boston Globe.

From October, 2008 through March, 2009, 395 daily newspapers reported a drop in circulation on average of seven percent from the previous year, according to a report issued by the Audit Bureau of Circulations. The Globe was down by 13.68 percent, The Times by 3.55 percent. The New York Post suffered the greatest loss at 20.55 percent, while another News Corporation publication, The Wall Street Journal, was the only major publication to report an increase – 0.6 percent. But the decrease in circulation is only one of the factors plaguing the struggling industry.

The classified ad department at the Boston Globe is a shell of its former self. The large room is full of empty cubicles. Computer desks have turned into storage spaces with nothing to store on them. A staff previously numbering over 150 is now in the teens. Large signs above either door leading out of the ad department boast of its former glory, declaring the generation of $80 million in ad revenue in 2003.

“We are losing a million dollars a week,” said one staffer. “Craigslist is our largest competitor.”

Classified advertising has long been recognized as one of the main sources of revenue for the newspaper industry. With the rise in popularity of sites such as Craigslist, papers are now losing a large chunk of money. An employer in the Boston area can choose between placing a seven-day ad on Boston.com and one in the Sunday Globe for $367, or paying $25 for a listing that will run 30 days on Craigslist. For car sales the disparity is slightly less– ads start at $39 on Boston.com and are free on Craigslist.

Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist, said in an e-mail interview that suggestions his site has affected newspapers’ revenue stream are “largely an urban legend.”

Doug Kohl, Public Relations Consultant for Craigslist, said, “It is our understanding that the downturn in revenues has been primarily due to display ad sales and print circulation, which are both things that Craigslist has no influence over,” also in an e-mail.

Editorial content is available online for free. Ad space is available online for free – or at a minimal cost. Both circulation and ad revenue have plummeted. The newspaper industry, without adaptation, could soon be engulfed in the World Wide Web of destruction.

Smaller, more locally-oriented newspapers and Web sites – such as the Springfield Republican and its online offshoot MassLive – are adapting, finding the Internet as a way to develop a more intimate relationship with readers and also create a revenue stream away from traditional print media.

“We have to prove (to the Republican editors) there is revenue in editorial decisions,” said Ed Kubosiak Jr., Editor-in-Chief at MassLive. “We have to show there is a sales opportunity for project ideas.”

The online format allows MassLive the space for more in depth features, especially those utilizing user-generated content, than are available to its parent publication. These features will often draw in local advertisers whose companies would benefit from the feature-oriented advertising.

To cover local proms, the Republican would traditionally send out one or two photographers who would snap a few pictures then move on, according to Kubosiak. A few of the pictures would appear in the print edition of the paper and the coverage would end there. Online, MassLive has the capability to host hundreds of prom photos, most submitted by the students themselves. Most of the content costs MassLive nothing and they were able to sell advertisements to local prom-oriented businesses. The combination of user-generated content and a positive revenue stream is one way for news sites and newspapers to remain economically viable in these troubling times, but are not the final solution.

“I would love to figure out the business model that is going to save our profession, and be a part of it,” said Kubosiak.

Boston.com is seeking to learn from the success of local sites like MassLive. According to Director of Community Publishing, Teresa Hanafin, Boston.com has never had a shortage of user-generated content. Anytime there was a call for community participation, the readership was quick to chime in – often sending photographs and actively participating on forum boards. To harness this participation, Boston.com started smaller community oriented sites under the banner “Your Town.” The site currently hosts four smaller sites dedicated to communities in the Boston area.

“We were one of the last in the game (of hosting town sites), but we learned from other sites that have done it in the past,” Hanafin said. “Their traffic has continued to grow month by month.”

The success of the town sites has led to the creation of a site dedicated to mothers and a site featuring amateur photography. Like Kubosiak, Hanafin has found as online content expands, a revenue stream must be involved.

In the early 2000s, Hanafin said, the staff could just build a site and the advertising arm of the company would then try to sell space on it. If it did not work, they could just take it down.

“Now you have to prove the business model before anything gets launched,” she said.

Photo by Matt Rocheleau.

In the basement of the Boston Globe is a room with tall bookshelves; some are cramped with manila folders ready to burst with old newspaper clippings others are filled with history books and encyclopedias.

In a sense, this space was the Internet before the Internet.

“It was a completely different world,” Lylah M. Alphonse explains, “When someone was working on a story they would come down here if they needed to look something up – it was called ‘combing through the archive.’”

Now journalists can track down a wealth of information without leaving their desk and all the sources can be linked directly into the article for any reader to verify for.

“This has been a major, major, major change in how a lot of journalists have to adapt to today’s world”.

The Internet may have made finding information easier for journalists but it has also made it easier for news readers. Over the years more and more people are flocking towards the Internet as their primary source for the news, threatening the future of print media.

And if the archives felt a bit archaic, the printing press down the hall looked like a relic left behind from the Industrial Revolution. It was big, yellow, and making lots of noise. It is an impressive machine and also one of the reasons The New York Times wants to cut back on the Boston Globe.

“This costs a lot to run,” Alphonse yelled over the hisses and buzzing coming from the printing press. “Paper isn’t getting any cheaper. Ink isn’t getting any cheaper. Manpower, expertise, none of it is getting any cheaper but it is getting used less often.”

Nowadays more people are reading online articles over the print version. One of the major differences being that online is free for a majority of newspapers – including the Boston Globe.

Originally, with the advent of the Internet, it was seen as a tool to supplement the print version. Sure, online was free, but people would still buy the paper. Now the news has been available for free for so long, nobody wants to pay for it.

On top of people not feeling inclined to pay for the news, advertisements can only take up so much of the page. One of the greatest sources of revenue for newspapers were the classifieds ads. Today, consumers can advertise for free via Craigslist.com, a free open market for buying and selling. Craig Newmark declined to comment further on the situation saying, “not sure I want to make it worse”.

The Boston Globe lost an estimated $50 million in 2008 and the net loss for this year is not looking any better. There are still a number of changes that the Globe can make to more effectively manage their money. Alphonse said, “They still drive a Mack truck around the city to deliver the papers rather than a smart car, a hybrid, even a mini-van would be more cost effective.”

There is still the hope that there is a way to monetize the print and online material into a profitable venture. Teresa Hanafin, director of community publishing, reflected on the Globe’s path towards online journalism, known as Boston.com: “We were one of the last at this game but we learned from other sites.”

“I knew that when we started targeting specific slices of the population I really believed that it would be successful so the first thing that we did was launch three town sites,” Hanafin continued. While newspapers are dropping in readership, journalists are still looking towards making their online counterparts appealing to readers and it looks like community is going to be a key player in all this, as well as a more engaging type of journalism.

Alphonse mentioned the changes that are being made amongst employees, “A lot of staff writers are being handed cameras and said to go out there and shoot some video. We can do some video, a podcast, there are a lot of different options now.”

Just as the idea of looking up the facts from an encyclopedia seems outdated when put next to ease that Wikipedia offers so may the classic idea of a print news story when put next to the multimedia pieces that are taking over news websites.

This goal to succeed, not just from a journalistic standpoint but a financial standpoint as well does add a new dimension to the world of journalism. Hanafin explained, “Now you have to prove the business model before anything gets launched. There has to be market research done, what’s the population, the house hold income, is this site likely to attract people and is it the demographic that advertisers are interested in.”

This is leading to a double-consciousness amongst journalists creating a business mind as well as the impartial journalist mind. Alphonse worries, “that line is getting blurred a bit.”

The article, “Mediasaurus,” predicted the Web would bring a diverse flood of one-topic news websites, artificial intelligence systems that could find stories users are interested in, and a host of other ideas. He also suggested that newspapers, in the far off year of 2008, would be gone for good.

After the Globe’s month-long standoff with the New York Times Co., the debate over the future of the media has reached a frenzied pitch. As Crichton’s essay prophesied, the Internet is brimming with possibilities, but few certainties.

One of the main reasons for the newspaper industries’ decline has been the drop-off in both advertising and classifieds revenue. Due to the rise of the Internet, advertisers have found different venues and classifieds have become free.

While giving a tour of the Boston Globe offices, long-time photographer George Rizer pointed to a group of desks covered in old papers and unused equipment. “See those?” he said, “Those desks used to have tons of people taking classifieds, at all times of the day. Now, they’re gone.” Rizer went on to predict that in the next five years, one third of all newspapers will fold.

Veterans of the newspaper industry have their own ideas for how to keep the presses running. Jim Foudy, editor of the Daily Hampshire Gazette in Northampton, thinks requiring payments for online content will keep the Gazette in print.

“The newspapers shot themselves in the foot by providing free content, and Craigslist has done a number on our wanted ads and classifieds,” he said. To stay afloat, the Gazette requires a subscription to view much of its web content.

The Gazette model is a rarity in the online newspaper circuit because it requires money from users. Foudy admits that needing a subscription probably keeps readership from reaching its full potential This roadblock has led other editors take a different approach.

Boston.com, the site on which the Boston Globe posts all of its material, is free for anyone who chooses to use it. Bennie DiNardo, one of the deputy of managers of multimedia content at the Globe, has a different philosophy. “Our business is to deliver the news, no matter what the format,” he said. “To quote Arthur Sulzberger, head of the New York Times, we need to be agnostic about how people get their news.”

While newspapers continue to experiment with possible business models that will allow them to put content on the web while making a profit, other groups in the media are trying different methods.

One development occurring in the media sphere is the rise of citizen journalists. Often unpaid, these men and women report on issues that affect their communities. Opinions on the future of citizen journalists are mixed. Critics of mainstream media feel that citizen journalists offer news without agendas, a fault that the mass media is often accused of having. Others, like Rizer, say that amateur journalists practice an exercise in egomania that will lead to news without substance.

Some branches of the media are working overtime to fill in the gaps left by the newspapers‘ decline. Cambridge Community Television, a public-access television station operating in the Boston area, trains citizen journalists for a project called NeighborMedia, with the eventual goal of putting a journalist in every zip code in Cambridge.

Colin Rhinesmith, director of the project said, “to have residents see people they know reporting is inspiring. Seeing them produce stories that effect them is truly media by the people, for the people.”

CCTV may be a good place to start when looking for the new face of the media. It presents itself as an outlet of information newsworthy to those in the local community, users of nonprofessional talent, and is endlessly inventive. A project called MediaMap, built using Google Maps, shows how the new media is shaping up. Users can zoom into a map of Boston, choose a location, and watch, listen, or read a news story that happened the spot. Rhinesmith says that this is an especially exciting development for those with mobile devices.

Some parts of the media are looking forward to having a bigger role in making the news, while other parts are scrambling to hold the traditional aspects above the water. One suspects that when the dust finally clears, the winner will be something both very similar to — and very different from — the models already predicted.

“The newspaper business is in flux, but the principles of journalism are here to stay,” said Foudy.

Video by Stephanie McPherson and Kevin Koczwara.

When walking through the Boston Commons, it’s not hard to find Boston Globe readers who cut across several generations. But, how do they get their news?

When asked if she read the Boston Globe, Allison Cummings, 22, of Malden, seemed to capture the general response of the online generation with a quick ‘no.’ After she thought about it, she admitted to reading the paper online only. Her reason was that the online version was free and easily accessible, which seems to suit the college student lifestyle. She also said was trying to be “green” and save paper by reading it online.

On the contrary, 73-year-old Samuel DeMerit of Cambridge, felt a deep attachment to the print version of The Globe. In a soft-spoken voice, DeMerit said that he would read The Globe online if he had to, but prefers having the print version to look over. He also said The Globe was a leader in investigative journalism, giving the example of the paper’s investigation into sexual abuse by Catholic priests. “It would be a calamity if the Globe went away,” he said.

Kate Duval, 24 of Needham, was another online reader of Boston.com. Although she acknowledged that the closure of The Globe would be a “sad end to an era,” she does not feel her personal life would be affected without the print version.

Peter Daniels, 37 of Boston, said that he gets his news from his closest resource whether it’s the television, Internet, or newspapers, “but there are things in The Globe you can’t get anywhere else.”

Although most young readers preferred to get their news online, some still appreciate the print version.

Stefanie Le, a 20-year-old Emerson College journalism student, said she had to read The Globe every day for a class, and that not having it would be a loss of an educational resource.

Although the threat of the Globe closing was palpable in April, and agreements were reached to keep it open, many residents in the greater Boston area continue to have strong opinions on the subject. After realizing how quickly such a large entity could disappear, some readers discovered how important The Globe was to them. One of the most prevalent concerns was the possible lack of a counterpart to The Boston Herald.

“Without the Globe we’d have a more slanted look at politics, the Herald being more conservative,” said Michael Hickey of Medford.

“How would people find jobs, or housing?” said Marty Baird, of Brockton, “It’s the number one resource and turning to a competitor would not be the same.”

“Readers deserve a quality newspaper, and it should be a two newspaper town,” said Mark Bell, Boston resident and Globe employee.

As the industry continues to change, more papers are going through financial crises, leading to job losses, and in some cases, closures. The million-dollar question seems to be, what next and how? Now that The Globe has met the demands of The New York Times Company, it will continue to reach its devoted readers while struggling to find the answer.

Some residents recently offered suggestions on what they think The Globe should do.

“The slow down in the economy will let us breathe and rethink the next step,” said Ian MacKinnon of Boston.

“The New York Times Company is only concerned with The New York Times,” said Bell. He said he thought the Globe needed new owners that cared about the quality of the newspaper and that in recent times the only prominence left was in the sports section.

When The New York Times Company asked for $20 million in concessions on April 9, The Boston Guild acted quickly to start a petition and organized a rally in order to gain reader and worker support. In an attempt to fight off the looming deadline of May 1, workers spoke their opinions on the issue at a rally outside Faneuil Hall on April 24. More than 300 readers gathered to show their loyalty.

Hickey, who came to the rally with his wife and kids to show his support, said “We all read the Globe, it is an important part of our lives.”

According to the advertising section of BostonGlobe.com, the daily circulation is 323,983 and a Sunday circulation of 503,659, while Boston.com reaches 6.1 million users. Now that readers have seen how quickly their trusted resource could disappear, it seems their will to help in its survival has increased.

As reader Katie Ward described, “the Globe is a reputable newspaper that knows the city,” and said losing it would be a huge loss not only for Boston, but New England as well.

Kevin Knobloch, President of the Union of Concerned Scientists, talks about his work with U.S. energy policy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Knobloch visited UMass on April 28 to give a guest lecture to an environmental economics class.

UMass student Colleen Galya poses with Norm, or “Deviate from the Norm,” as he corrected me.

On April 25 the Cannabis Reform Coalition held “Extravaganja”, a marijuana festival that raises awareness about the legalization of marijuana, and provides people with a good time. Thousands of stoners attended and celebrated the decriminalization of marijuana in Massachusetts.

It was not unusual to see men in flowy skirts, women in pot leaf bras, people dressed as a pot leaf, the occasional man dressed in a burlap sack so that he looked like a biblical character (His name was Norm, Deviate from the Norm), or children with full heads of dreads.

The band line up for the day was: Bubonic Souls, Wrench in the Spokes, Primate Fiasco, Problematics, Alchemystics, Black Rebels, and Shokazoba. Some danced and listened to the music, while others indulged in smoking marijuana, sitting in the shade trying to hide from the unseasonable 86 degree weather. The hot weather, pot, music, and sweaty dancing made the area smell quite awful.

From Saturday morning to Saturday night, there were bands, speakers, and vendors all over Amherst Commons. Vendors sold items ranging from tie die apparel to glass pipes (”bowls”). At Extravaganja selling bowls becomes a family event. Vendors would sit there smoking a joint while their dreadlocked child sat by. There were “munchie” stands set up all over the commons, along with a DJ tent for those more into the rave scene.

Not to mention, there were plenty of cute dogs.

To view the slide shows in full screen with captions click on the square with four arrows on it on the bottom right of the show.

Here’s a slide show with the dogs of Extravaganja- Warning, you may have a sudden urge to go buy a four footed friend.

And here is a slide show of Extravaganja:

A debriefing with the Not Ready for Bedtime Players.
Video by Frank Godinho and Jackie Hai.

Sex has always had a degree of controversy about it, specifically when talking about it in public. Puritanical views tend to guide folks on such subjects, resulting in people being too scared, uncomfortable, or embarrassed to talk about them.

However, you won’t find that problem with certain members of the health education department. They offer a variety of courses, programs, and opportunities where people can go and learn more about the importance of sexual health.

One way the department deals with the topic is through humor, by way of the comedic stylings of the Not Ready for Bedtime Players.

There’s no denying the seriousness behind all these issues or the sensitivity one should have when talking about them. That’s why the troupe uses sketch comedy, effectively and selectively, as a way to create a comfort level with the audience.

“We don’t find any of the issues we talk about funny… but comedy can be a really effective way to get people thinking and feel comfortable with issues that are difficult to talk about,” said Rachel Frank, one of the Not Ready for Bedtime Players cast members.

Frank and her fellow cast members, Jeff Bielat, Shauna Burke, Nick Delaney, James Dean Fetcho, Brendan Nelson, Victoria Olivera, Malcolm Pradia, Christine Renaud, Adrianna Rosembert and Kenny Vasques are all advocates of sexual health education.

They perform skits on a diverse number of issues and they are not afraid to push the envelope. Everything from how to put on a condom, to relationship violence, homophobia, AIDS, pregnancy, and transgender issues are brought to the forefront of each show.

Photo by Frank Godinho.

Some skits involve outrageous props, like microphones resembling a penis. A few spoof celebrities such as Steve Irwin’s famous Crocodile Hunter character and the Spartan Cheerleaders from Saturday Night Live. While other skits feature some of the awkward moments in life – such as buying condoms at a convenience store.

But perhaps the funniest and most memorable skit involves the troupe’s trademark character, Captain Condom. It’s a skit that has costumes, hilarious dialogue and a plot that has Captain Condom battle his evil sperm nemesis - all the while advocating the importance of wearing protection.

Amanda Collings Vann, a health educator and the director of the Not Ready for Bedtime Players, enjoys seeing the audience laugh.

“It’s okay to laugh when you’re talking about sex. These conversations can be difficult for people, so when you have a sense of humor about it, they don’t have to be something we’re afraid to have,” she said.

The relationship established between the cast and the audience is very important to Adrianna Rosembert. Much of her enthusiasm depends on the energy coming from the crowd.

“Once we come out and do the first couple of skits, if we feel that the audience’s energy is really good, then it just makes us want to do a better job and keep them as entertained as they have been from the start,” she said.

According to Collings Vann, who is also a former cast member (1990-1994), the current cast of the Not Ready for Bedtime Players holds the same values of the original cast, despite 20 years of changes. They are determined to provide the most accurate and scientifically-based health information and increase students’ recognition of the issues they address in their skits.

Incorporating such information into the skits requires a great deal of commitment. Many cast members have written, produced, and updated the skits. And as new information about sexual health becomes available, the more updates they have to make to the program. The troupe will introduce a new skit next fall about marijuana use and its effect on sexual performance. Also set to debut is a skit about mobile technology and its influence on the sharing of sexual explicit material.

Collings Vann emphasizes that providing accurate information is essential. The Not Ready for Bedtime Players are steadfast in their mission to dispel any myths there might be about sexual health, as their former name The AIDS Follies suggests.

“When the Bedtime Players started, it was when people really had this fear of people with AIDS. There were myths about how people contracted AIDS and the Bedtime Players helped dispel these myths,” said Collings Vann.

The theatrical troupe which formed in 1988 as part of a UMass theatre project to address the AIDS crisis just concluded its 20th anniversary season.

Ultimately Collings Vann hopes that the audience leaves having learned something.

“I want people to know how to put a condom on, how to make a dental dam, be able to talk to somebody who they think is in an abusive relationship, intervene when they see homophobia, really gain knowledge about these issues of sexual health and feel empowered to make good choices.”

If you are interested in joining the cast of the Not Ready for Bedtime Players, auditions take place at the start of the fall semester.

For further information about the troupe you may contact Amanda Collings Vann of the Health Education department at University Health Services.

For any aspiring Hollywood writer, receiving expert advice from someone who’s actually succeeded in Tinsel Town is a dream come true. UMass students and faculty were treated to that dream when Mark Wilding, the two-time Emmy nominated executive producer and lead writer of Grey’s Anatomy returned to UMass after 30 years and revealed the ins and outs of making it in Hollywood. “You have to devote all your energy to it,” said Wilding.

Wilding, one of the forces behind the popular medical drama, a show watched weekly by 20 million people, came to share his experiences and insights of succeeding in Hollywood in a lecture titled “Anatomy of a Hollywood Writer.”

Wilding graduated from the University of Massachusetts in 1979 with a degree in economics and has since woven together a successful career as a producer and a screen writer of many sitcoms such as Ellen, Dave’s World and Charmed. Wilding won the 2007 Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation award for the Grey’s Anatomy episode “Where the Boys Are” and has also written and sold two movie scripts.

Mr. Wilding came back to UMass as the Eleanor Bateman Alumni Scholar to share his unique story from student to award-winning, nationally known writer and producer. The atmosphere was laid back and familiar in the nicely air conditioned Campus Center Auditorium which by showtime was packed with many fans of Grey’s Anatomy as well as journalism majors, faculty and people looking to discern from a pro how to get that all-important Hollywood break.

UMass journalism lecturer B.J. Roche and Wilding sat together comfortably at a small table in front of the stage as Roche interviewed the writer on topics ranging from the “writer’s room,” to how to avoid show spoilers.

Roche opened the evening by asking Wilding to think back to his last days as a Collegian columnist as he wrote his farewell column and got ready to leave UMass: “As you sit here today, back to that point, would you ever imagine you’d be back here the head writer of a successful television show?”

“No, I was looking for any kind of job after college and my first job was Stop and Shop - when I was putting Wonder Bread on the shelves I didn’t think so,” Wilding said to chuckles from the audience. “It’s been a great ride; I’ve had some luck along the way and some degree of perseverance,” he added.

Since returning to UMass as a Scholar in Residence, Wilding has lectured in journalism classes relating the myriad trials and tribulations of working as a writer — a topic of great interest to the audience. “How do you keep a writer’s life going in Hollywood?” asked Roche.

“I’ve been doing this now for 17 years and the challenge in Hollywood is A. finding someone to read your stuff and B. finding an agent,” said Wilding. He also stressed the importance and utility of writing no matter what. “At the same time, I was always writing because I knew whether I got paid or not, I was going to write.” Wilding imparted further wisdom for aspiring writers, offering two points of advice when attempting to get your work discovered. “To write something that people can not ignore and write with passion.”

One aspect of making television shows that people perennially seem to wonder about is where do those great (or terrible) ideas for your favorite episodes come from? According to Wilding it’s the “writer’s room.”

“In television the writer’s room is the creative engine for TV shows - it’s the absolutely greatest place you can be,” he explained. The environment he describes is one of the most “politically incorrect,” but also “geared to help us creatively come up with ideas for the show.”

According to Wilding a diverse group of writers sit around in chairs, eat lots of food and brainstorm ideas with 10 to 12 white boards serving as places to scribble character arcs and medical stories. “It’s sacrosanct,” he added.

Roche then led the conversation to producing Grey’s Anatomy and how a typical episode is completed. “First, there are 11 writers in the writer’s room; all with very strong opinions… we will discuss what we want to do with character arcs.” A specific writer will then be assigned the episode and will lead the discussion on various topics such as what kind of medical story they want to do. “An episode takes about a week and a half; an outline will be written and we will have a table meeting where the actors will come in, read it and weigh in,” said Wilding. Suggestions from the networks must be considered as well.

Besides taking corporate notes on the program Wilding said he goes online to fan chat boards and websites to satisfy personal pleasures but doesn’t necessarily us the fan suggestions. “Yeah, we’re interested in what the fans have to say.” Wilding also shared an industry tip on the topic of Internet websites and how Grey’s Anatomy prevents pesky show spoilers from leaking out. “We do the show in a six-act structure and if there is a particular story we don’t want people to see the end of we won’t print the last act.” On the actual day of shooting the final act is then handed out to the crew.

By the end of the lecture Roche expertly steered the conversation back to the art of writing and gently jabbed Wilding with the fact that he is working in an industry of young people (Wilding is 52).

“Well, when [the writing] dries up I may be back at UMass,” Wilding quipped to laughter from the audience and Roche.

He then answered numerous questions from the audience and prompted by a specific inquiry from an older woman with a “treatment,” offered to read the first 30 pages of any script he was given. After the lecture people then had the opportunity to meet Mr. Wilding and ask him any further questions about writing and Hollywood that he may not have answered during his talk. Ann Bae, a UMass student came to the event to gleam advice from the pro. “I am journalism major and I’ve always been interested in writing, so I wanted to find out where to get inspiration,” she said.