By Lauren Smith
CCC Journalism Program
BLACKWOOD – Professor Drew Jacobs, the advisor of the communications majors, has created and will teach a new course next spring, Media Literacy (COM-105).
His experiences in life have allowed him to know what is necessary to know in media. He developed this course not solely for communication majors, but also for other majors who would like to explore the media world.
“I think Professor Jacobs is a good example of a teacher he gives us a lot of opportunities to discuss topics in class which are relevant to our culture and generation. I feel that getting the class involved is very important and essential to our learning process. I am happy to have a professor that values my opinions and examples make me feel more a part of the class,” said James Anderson, a student at Camden County College.
Jacobs was born in 1960 in Essington, outside Philadelphia. He is the youngest of three brothers. When he was growing up, his family owned a boating business, and he spent most of his time working there since the age of 10. As a boy, he looked up to Gene Hart, who was the announcer for the Philadelphia Flyers. That made him want to be in radio.
As the time approached for him to graduate from high school, he had to decide where he wanted to attend college. He juggled between wanting to go away for school or staying at home in the Philadelphia area. He decided to go away for college with the help of an influential guidance counselor to get the full college experience. He chose to go to the University of South Dakota and major in mass communications. While in college, he excelled in his academics and was president of a student organization.
Jacobs lived in South Dakota from 1980 until he graduated from graduate school in 1984. He help three jobs to support himself along with going to school. He was offered a teaching assistant job his senior year of undergraduate school. He was asked to teach two classes, but when another teaching assistant quit, he took on four classes. Jacobs taught four classes consecutively, held a job at a radio station and took classes to get his master’s at the same time.
After graduating with his master of arts degree in mass communications in 1984, he returned to Philadelphia. There he tried for his longtime goal to become a part of the radio networks in Philly. He wasn’t successful at obtaining a job in the Philadelphia market. Over the years, Jacobs worked as an assignment editor for WOBM-FM, general manager for WPSC-FM at William Paterson College, and program and operations manager for WBZC-FM at Burlington County College, just to name a few.
He received the position of assistant professor at Camden County College and has been at the college for 11 years.
Professor Drew Jacobs has worked at Camden County College for 11 years. By Lauren Smith, CCC Journalism Program