From the U.S. Army to the media and broadcast industry, Professor Barney Self’s career has been nothing short of dedication and persistence. He advises his students to embrace the “hustle.” Self says, “I remember when I first went into television, the graduating class in Mass Communication at the University of Texas in one semester, not a year, one semester, could fill every single job in television, radio, and film combined. You’ve got to hustle; you’ve got to put your name out there.”
It began with a what looked to be a promising career as a court typist in the US Army, but quickly turned out to be something else. Instead of getting the job that he wanted, Professor Self was thrust into a role that he knew all too well: news broadcasting. “I read the news at the top and bottom of each hour for Armed Forces Radio….I had trained as a clerk typist, that was what I wanted to do, and I got to Fort Polk Louisiana and they said, ‘Oh, you were at your college radio station…well, now you’re a radio broadcaster.’”
Upon completing his stint in the Army, Professor Self shifted back to civilian life with 12-hour shifts at a television station and while also attending four classes at Tarrant County College. “Five days, four or five days a week. And on weekends, I would transfer videotapes or film to videotapes. I would shoot coaches’ films on 16-millimeter film, which allowed me the opportunity to save some film for other uses. I did any job within the industry that would get me noticed. You can’t [get noticed] until you [hustle] like I did,” says Self.
In an industry marked by volatility, Professor Self says, “I worked in the same job for almost 20 years with the same title for seven different companies. We were taken over so many times. I’ve worked at TNT. I’ve also worked in the telecommunications sector, for both DISH Network and T-Mobile.” He also comments on the varied workplace environments he encountered, “DISH [has] great service [and] great equipment, terrible human beings. T-Mobile, service is okay. Wonderful company, wonderful company to work for.”
Through the highs and lows of his career, Professor Self’s message remains consistent: “Find a goal that you want to do, whatever goal that may be, and then find anything you can do to help you get towards that goal…. [And] get to know people in the industry that you’re working at.”
When asked about teaching another course in the future, Professor Self spoke of his desire to teach a film class, a testament to his love for the art of cinema. nurtured during late nights babysitting satellite feeds at a Dallas television station, KTWS, where he watched old movies while doing his homework. “If it’s a movie that was made before 1985, I’ve probably seen it,” he says. “I love LA,” he said. “If I had it all over again, I should have stayed in Los Angeles. I was up there when I was 17 and thought about going into the film industry.”
Professor Self’s story serves as a testament to the power of resilience and hard work, inspiring a new generation of students to embrace the hustle and forge their own paths towards greatness in the world, regardless of what they choose to do.