Dr. John Chambers
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR of Communication Studies
John M. Chambers is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication Studies. He teaches courses in broadcast journalism, television station management, television studio production and television station operations which gives students the opportunity to run the campus television station, Plattsburgh State Television. He received his bachelor’s degree in television and radio production from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and his law degree from Creighton University.
Upon receiving his undergraduate degree, he worked for a year producing a show for Prudential Bache in Minneapolis called the Managed Money Report. He then went to Prague to teach English for a year after the wall in Eastern Europe came down, followed by a year teaching English to Latin American students in Miami. After receiving his law degree he practiced and taught law for four years in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands while at the same time working as a freelance videographer. He returned to his hometown to continue to practice and teach law and founded a public access television station, deciding then to make the switch full time back to television production.
He started directing the news for CBS at WSHM in Western Massachusetts and WFSB in Connecticut for eight years. While at WSHM, he received a National Edward R. Murrow award, an Associated Press Award and a New England Emmy nomination. He then went on to direct for Touchvision in Chicago for two years, followed by a year directing at WSAV in Savannah Georgia. Most recently he technically directed for the Middle East Broadcasting Network in Washington D.C. for two years.
His more than ten years of teaching, along with twelve years of directing live television in various markets allows him to bring real world experience to the classroom and live television experience to Plattsburgh State Television. He spent a good part of his newsroom experience training new reporters, anchors, and producers on the proper use of television station news gathering equipment. His research interests include Artificial Intelligence and its use in broadcast media and production.