Listen to the podcast at http://www.unrinsight.com/?p=4426.

 The award for the podcast, which was submitted against hundreds of others at the conference, is the first for Insight Magazine. It is only in its sophomore year of publication and it is the first conference that the editors have attended.

 “I was nervous because it’s our first year and I’m shocked in a good way,” said Kudelka. “I think it shows how hard we’ve been working and it’s a really great stepping stone for what Insight Magazine is becoming.”

 The Best of Show awards are judged during the conference and were awarded on Sunday Nov. 1.

 Insight Magazine began in Sept. 2008. It is the only student-run magazine on campus and publishes six times a year. Web content includes stories, photos, videos, podcasts, polls and more. Visit www.UNRINSIGHT.COM to read current or archived issues and see web content.

"We need to build deep resources of information," Gingras said. That doesn't happen over night. And the beauty of online media is its malleability. "I don't let perfect be the enemy of the good."

Gingras speaks to a international gathering of professionals and educators for "Convergence and Society: The Changing Media Landscape" at the Silver Legacy Nov. 5. He's the keynote speaker for the conference that runs through Nov. 6.

The conference is co-sponsored by the University of Nevada, Reno, and the University of  South Carolina. 

About the conference:

Media Convergence is arguably the most powerful force underlying massive changes in media organizations, advertising revenues, and audience attention. The phenomenon has impacted virtually all areas of media, from ownership and regulation to the practice of journalism and the training of communication professionals. As this trend accelerates, there is an increasing need to examine the effects of convergence on journalism, media organizations, revenue models, and consumer behavior. The field needs to address a range of impacts from the training of journalists and the practice of journalism to theoretical conceptions of convergence, new organizational studies, and next-generation techniques for convergent media.

Now in its eighth year, the purpose of this annual conference is to provide a scholarly forum for the presentation of theory, research, and practice related to media convergence. Projects addressing virtually any area of media convergence may be submitted, with special consideration offered for theoretically-based submissions and studies of organizational issues related to media convergence. A showcase of convergent media practices will run concurrent with the academic conference.

(If you haven’t read the book, the babel fish is: “small, yellow, leech-like, and is a universal translator which simultaneously translates from one spoken language to another. When inserted into the ear, its nutrition processes convert sound waves into brain waves, neatly crossing the language divide between any species ....” (Wikipedia)

Living in a country where you don’t speak the language is a humbling experience. While I am taking a fast paced Italian 111, my fluency is about equal to that of a 2-year old. Having directional conversations in Italian is still challenging so I have not yet attempted anything more sophisticated than ordering pizza.

Last week I attended a European conference on media literacy. It made me realize the challenges of holding conferences in Europe, where participants can easily speak a dozen different languages. Fortunately, each presentation was simultaneously translated into five languages. Attendees could check out head sets to hear the language of our choice: English, French, Italian, Dutch or German. I noticed a few people in the audience never wore a headset, so either they were incredibly fluent or missed a few speakers along the way.

I noticed that most speakers tended to end two or three minutes before the English translation ended, so that the conclusion of each speech was drowned out by clapping from the audience. Sometimes the translators would correct themselves (use to abuse, for example) and other times there were long gaps in the translation that made me wonder what I was missing.

Last week Google’s CEO predicted that in five years the Internet would be dominated by Chinese language media. As media continues to globalize, eventually Americans will also have to deal with the need for speaking multiple languages, struggling with translation systems and wishing for babel fish.

If you’re interested in discussing media literacy, please check out Networked Journalism where I’m posting items about journalism education. Here’s my conclusion to the post about media literacy: “Should media literacy be taught in j-schools?”

“… We have some enormous problems in front of us and our civic capacity for addressing these problems seems constipated at best. If we identified this issue as the problem to be addressed, what kind of “literacy” course might we build in response?”

I’m interested in hearing any thoughts you have about teaching (or taking) media literacy courses in j-schools and/or to university students in general.

I’m also blogging about the fun part of life in Italy here: Italy, A-Z. I’d love to hear from my Nevada friends!

Rifle shooters hail from rural towns

By Ricardo Lopez and Dan Conroy

Jessica Klatt first held a rifle before she turned five.

“My parents used to take me shooting when I was an infant,” she said. “I held one as soon as I was physically able to.”

Now, the 20-year-old Burns, Ore. native is a top shooter for Nevada’s rifle time and a team captain.

Klatt has won rifle competitions since she was a child, and later earned a scholarship to come to UNR two years ago.

Klatt’s background is not uncommon amongst the rifle team. She and a handful of other shooters are united by their upbringing in rural towns where hunting and firearms are venerable institutions.

Of the 15 members on the team, four come from cities and towns smaller than 60,000 people.

Continue reading this story.

A photo gallery of homecoming.

By Tammy Krikorian

Dozens of students, faculty, alumni and friends of the Reynolds School of Journalism attended school’s Homecoming Lunch on Friday to honor its Alumni Award winners and see the new First Amendment banner unveiled in the atrium.

“We’re tremendously proud of a lot that’s happening here,” Dean Jerry Ceppos told the group. “We’re revising the curriculum and taking other steps to keep up with the rapidly changing world of journalism.”

The First Amendment banner was a gift from the Dean’s Council, headed by Alumni Award winner Robin Joyce.

“It’s the most striking artistic representation of the First Amendment I’ve ever seen,” Ceppos said.

The Reno Gazette-Journal also provided framed copies for each classroom.

Alumni Award winners from the journalism school also spoke at the luncheon.

Joyce, who graduated from the journalism department in 1983 and earned his master’s degree in 2004, was ordained in February and is now pastor of Community, Marketplace and Church Relations at Canyon Ridge Christian Church in Las Vegas. He previously worked in advertising and public relations for 25 years, and was honored for University Service.

“I had journalism in my genes growing up,” he said. His father was Nevada lobbyist Jim Joyce who ran 300 political campaigns, and his mother Nedra was a “glass ceiling breaker.”

“I learned so much from them about the value of integrity,” Joyce said.

Joyce said he was proud to be there when the First Amendment banner was unveiled, which to him stands for individual liberty.

Janet Trefethen graduated from the journalism department in 1971 and went on to become one of the first female CEOs of an American winery. Trefethen Family Vineyards in the Napa Valley has won numerous awards. Trefethen was honored for Professional Achievement.

She said her journalism background was useful when she and her husband John started the winery, at a time when there were only about 30 wineries in Napa Valley.

“Material needed to be written,” she said. “I knew what needed to be written, I wrote all the brochures and press releases … I still do.”

Trefethen said if today’s journalism students want to also be entrepreneurs she recommends they do one thing she didn’t -- take business classes.

"You never know where things are going to lead,” Trefethen reminded students. She spoke of a time that the cooking classes offered at her winery led to her cooking for Julia Child on Good Morning America.

“You’re very fortunate to be in the J department today, in journalism school,” she said. “It’s fermenting, bubbling, changing every day. You can help mold where journalism is going. I can’t help but think the Internet is going to broaden the First Amendment across the globe.”

Dean Ceppos introduced Frank McCulloch as “an icon for three generations of us” and “a true hero.” He told of a time McCulloch was covering the Vietnam war and was tired of seeing his stories that reported things weren’t going very well get spiked – so he quit.

McCulloch, class of 1941, was the chief of Time-Life’s bureaus in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War, editor of the Los Angeles Times, managing editor of the San Francisco Examiner and executive editor of McClatchy newspapers. He received the College Distinguished Alumni Award.

McCulloch spoke of the importance of journalism’s role in the Internet age.

“I can’t see how an open society can function without information that has been gathered, processed and distributed,” he said.

Journalism 107 students Chelsey Farnworth and Meagan Eng covered the event for their blog. Their work includes an audio interview with Derek Jordan, 19, who works for Insight, a student-run magazine.

By Tammy Krikorian

Scott Kelley was outspent five to one when he campaigned for a seat on the Washoe County School Board in 2008.

But with a background in public relations and social media skills in his tool belt, Kelley won 65 percent of the vote.

A Reynolds School of Journalism alumnus, Kelley spoke to the University of Nevada PRSSA chapter on Tuesday, explaining how his use of social media and door-to-door campaigning helped him win the election.

Two years prior to being elected as Washoe County School Board District E trustee, Kelley ran for city council against an incumbent who was able to raise far more campaign funds. But the race was close, Kelley said, because he was the first in the state to use MySpace as a campaign tool.

When he ran for the school board, he added Facebook and Twitter and today, he said, he can "literally talk to over 7,000 friends" online each day.

"You gotta make the most of your resources," he said. "You don't always have to have a big war chest of money (to run a successful campaign)."

Kelley was the editor of his high school newspaper and went on to be a paratrooper journalist for the military before enrolling at UNR in 2000. After graduating in 2004, he decided public office was the best way he could give back to the community.

He advised the students to join networking groups as soon as they can afford it.

"Anything you want to be good at, you have to give time to," he said.

“I felt like, why me?” Buffo said. “There were five other cars surrounding me, and I just had my backpack in mine.”

That's the lead of the top student news story in Journalism 203. Read the complete story by Andrew Church, Andrew Chang, Andrew Gilbreth, Gabby Irvin and Ashton Sunseri here.

The different lab sections of J203 submit stories for consideration to Assistant Professor Bob Felten as the instructor in the J203 Newsroom, formerly known as a "lecture."  

Reynolds School Dean Jerry Ceppos and Felten review the stories and the best of the week is posted.  Criteria for consideration includes the news value, the quality of the writing and other presentation elements.

None of the stories can have been previously published anywhere including on any UNR website. This week's story was chosen for the news value and because the copy provided was basically "clean," Felten said.

Story by Clint Demeritt
Video by Tammy Krikorian

Early in her talk, Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Isabel Wilkerson quoted Leo Tolstoy, saying art is the transfer of emotion from one person to another. Narrative writing is journalism’s highest art, Wilkerson said.

“It’s the highest expression of journalism,” Wilkerson said. “Narrative journalism is yet another layer of emotional transfer of the emotions of a source to a reader.”

Wilkerson shared her writing experiences with students, friends and faculty gathered for the Robert Laxalt Distinguished Writer’s event Oct. 7. Her latest project is a book, “The Great Migration,” that chronicles the twentieth century migration of blacks through America. She interviewed 1,200 people for the book. She also told students how she was transformed from reporter to fervent investigator to expert seeking enlightenment.

Wilkerson won a Pulitzer Prize in feature writing for her story “First Born, Fast Grown: The Manful Life of Nicholas, 10.” The story was about a boy growing up on the south side of Chicago, practically raising his own younger siblings. The story was written in 1994 while Wilkerson was Chicago bureau chief for The New York Times. It received an outpouring of community support.

View an archive of Wilkerson's reporting here.

UNR Journalism Dean Jerry Ceppos said students should follow Wilkerson’s narrative journalistic style. Not every story is right for narrative journalism, he said, but if one gets the right author and the right story, the results are astounding.

Ceppos also pointed out the black migration from the South to the Northern United States was one of the great-untold stories of the twentieth century.

“The story of the black migration to the north was missed by virtually every journalist,” he said. “It makes you wonder what stories that are happening under our noses right now that are so big. Maybe they've been going on for decades and we’re missing them.”

Saundra Keyes, a Reynolds School professor, introduced Wilkerson in front of the almost full Joe Crowley Student Union theater. Wilkerson is a journalism professor at the College of Communication at Boston University.

Keyes recounted Wilkerson’s early college internships from the St. Petersburg Times to the Washington Post, and her post-graduation rise to The New York Times. Keyes praised her elegant narrative journalism style.

“But her stories are compelling primarily because of her smart, empathetic, in-depth reporting,” Keyes said. “The resulting detail gives her work a richly textured humanity that has impact far beyond the eloquence of her words.”

Wilkerson told students that narrative journalism is a worthy pursuit. She said journalism today not only has to be good, but better than the thousands of other things that are competing for the readers’ attention.

Wilkerson recalled a crime story involving a photographer and two models. Asking the police officers for details, she discovered a setting that included a camera, champagne and three champagne flutes. Wilkerson used those details in her lede, and won herself front-page placement in The New York Times.

On Friday Oct. 2, 13 journalists from North Africa and the Middle East joined a class of graduate students in the Reynolds School of Journalism as part of a week-long trip to Nevada to learn about journalism in America.
The Edward R. Murrow Program For Journalists is part of the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ International Visitor Leadership Program. Its goals are to:
• Examine the rights and responsibilities of a free press in a democracy;
• Observe operational practices, standards, and institutions of the media in the United States;
• Gain insight into social, economic, and political structures of the United States; and
• Participate in professional development seminars and an international symposium highlighting current trends and challenges in journalism.
On Friday afternoon, the visiting journalists sat in on instructor Chris Bowman’s class Environments of the West, where Bowman discussed how to report an environmental story and the students and journalists discussed the differences between journalism in the United States and their home countries.
A common issue between both groups is the changes going on in journalism prompted by the economy, the Internet and declining readership.
A reporter from Yemen said he was laid off because of economic conditions, and an editor from Syria said he’s had to cut his staff as well.
The editor suggested this could be good for journalism because journalists will be forced to be more competitive and more creative and innovative.
Earlier in the day the group met with journalism and political science faculty at the University of Nevada, Reno, and in the evening attended a classical concert on campus.
Over the weekend, they visited Pyramid Lake and Lake Tahoe.
Among other activities this week, they will meet with reporters and editors of the Reno Gazette-Journal, Reynolds School of Journalism faculty and officials from the city of Reno and tour the KRNV Channel 4 studios.

On Oct. 2, Estepa live blogs the keynote address by Twitter CEO Evan Williams. 

More here.

This was the first year a category was open to magazine entries.
Culpepper wrote the story for Silver & Blue magazine during a journalism internship in spring 2008. He was also enrolled in magazine writing at the time.

As a last-minute assignment for the magazine, Culpepper attended a lecture that led to this award-winning story “Junk, Clutter, Obsession,” about a psychology/social work alumna who treats compulsive hoarders.
Culpepper, now a graduate student studying English literature, says he was surprised to learn he’d won the award.
“I didn’t know I’d entered any contests,” he says.

Read Culpepper’s story here.

The fields of journalism, public relations, advertising and marketing are blurring.

John Brodeur, founder and chairman of Boston-based Brodeur Partners, said that is the main message taken away from a meeting he and his staff had recently with Reynolds School of Journalism Dean Jerry Ceppos and professor emeritus Warren Lerude.

“In the past, the fields were competitive and almost suspicious of each other,” said Brodeur, an RSJ alumnus. “Media channels are so diffused now … the worlds of public relations and the media have gotten closer. There’s not as much contentiousness, rivalry and competition as there once was, which I think is a good thing.”

Still, Brodeur said, it is the responsibility of journalists to be accurate and fair in their reporting and the responsibility of public relations professionals to be honest and accurate as they promote products and companies.

As the journalism, public relations, marketing and advertising fields are making the transition to a digital world, Brodeur sees the future of newspapers and television news in doing less stories that are more in-depth and analytical.

“There aren’t two or three news cycles anymore,” Brodeur said. “There’s one and it’s 24-7. Newspapers have had to move to a very online presence to beat those that could scoop them – bloggers and consumer-generated content. I think that we’re going to turn to the New York Times of the world for context, analysis, more in-depth reporting – digging deeper into stories than the surface.”

Brodeur said media will also need to provide a more global perspective.

“Someone has to make sense of this messy world and traditional media will do as well, and in some cases better, than most,” he said.

As students prepare to graduate from college and enter the work force, Brodeur’s advice is to “move aggressively” and to recognize that it won’t be easy.

“This has been a double storm – one was the world of journalism got turned upside-down with the Internet and the second is that the recession hit,” he said. “It’s a world where what you do in school counts, your grades count, your learning count and your extra work – such as internships – they all count.”

Brodeur said it’s the work done outside of school that will set applicants apart.

“If somebody did an internship, even for free at local agency or newspaper or digital company, that person’s going to have a better chance for at least getting an audience,” he said. “And we get dozens of those every week, résumés from really fine schools in the area. Those that exhibit curiosity in the field beyond just school are those that get an interview,” he said.

Brodeur is a graduate of the Reynolds School of Journalism, where he was named the outstanding journalism graduate and later alumnus of the year. He also earned a master’s degree from the Harvard Kennedy School.

Prior to founding Brodeur Partners in 1985, he reported for United Press International and the Reno Gazette-Journal, served as the first Public Affairs Officer for the Nevada School of Medical Sciences, worked as press secretary to Sen. Howard Cannon (D-Nev.) and chief of staff for Rep. Jim Santini (D-Nev.) in Washington, D.C.

Brodeur built Brodeur Partners into an award-winning global organization with clients including IBM, American Express and the American Cancer Society.

The company was acquired in 1993 by Omnicom Group, Inc., and selected Agency of the Year by PR Week in 2001.

Brodeur recently created two new consulting companies, one devoted to higher education branding the other specializing in digital business strategies.

He serves as a trustee and advisor for several non-profit and corporate boards.

In the column, Ceppos argued that, with newspapers in decline, "it's way past time to listen to our critics — and, as my sixth-grade teacher used to say, to listen actively."

Ceppos' column was cited in Andrew Alexander's blog at The Washington Post Web site on Sept. 21.

Assistant Professor Bob Felten spent part of his summer in San Francisco talking with top level professionals at major advertising and public relations agencies.  The “Big Words” installation in an RSJ classroom was inspired by one of those conversations.

“Jeff Goodby (co-founder and co-chairman of Goodby, Silverstein & Partners) was incredibly generous in sharing his time to talk with me about teaching advertising students and working with them to develop their creativity," Felten said. "He said to encourage students to do art that isn’t advertising, isn’t commercial.  As an example, he told me about his plan to put words in big letters on the outside of a house and sent me a preliminary layout with a picture of what he envisioned."

Felten said the idea included placing actual big words in an unexpected context.

"It got me thinking about how words are big in the power they have to communicate," Felten said. "That led to asking students what words are “big” for them. We collected such words early this semester and will continue to do so.” 

The “Big Words” installation is just one element in the RSJ 216 re-decorating that Felten and Assistant Professor Todd Felts collaborated on prior to the beginning of the semester. 

“Chris Ford, one of our alums and a creative director with Goodby Silverstein, talked about developing an environment to encourage creativity," Felten said. "We’ve tried to do some of that in 216."

 Modern art, hanging fabric, a photo of Miles Davis and a grass skirt for the students’ tables now adorn the rooom.  A stick sculpture rabbit and a multicolored fish await names.  Bins of Legos and Tinker Toys have already been used in creative assignments.  Four clocks at the front of the room display the time in London, San Francisco, New York City and Tokyo and there’s writing on the windows.  A palm tree stood in the corner for a while.

 “We’re constantly asking our students to stretch,” Felten said.  “We wanted to take a common place, the classroom, and at least is a small way stretch the perception of what it could be.”

 *Jeff Goodby realized his vision.  You can see the house with its words at poemhouse.org.

RSJ faculty member Donica Mensing is one of more than 100 presenters at the Future of Journalism conference. She will present a paper on "Rethinking journalism education" based on some of the work of the RSJ graduate program in interactive environmental journalism.

The opening session featured two keynote speakers: James Curran, Director of the Goldsmith’s Media Research Centre in London and Bettina Peters, Director of the Global Forum for Media Development.

Curran described the reactions of four different groups to the current upheaval in journalism: media managers, who believe that they will be able to successfully manage their way through the changes; liberal educators who believe the changes represent a wonderful new world; radical activists who are happy to see news organizations in trouble; and journalists who are deeply worried about their own futures and the impact that the loss of journalism will have on society.

Curran said all four groups are off the mark. He was reluctant to predict the future, but he did argue that for journalism to survive, new funding models need to be developed that would combine commercial as well as public sector funding. These hybrid models will be necessary for public interest journalism to exist and flourish in the future.

Bettina Peters described a relatively new area of study called media development. It is a movement that examines the entire media system within a country or community with the goal of insuring access to quality journalism. She directs a network of 500 media assistance organizations from around the globe that provide training and support for improving media systems, particularly in developing countries.

After the keynote talks, the rest of the program is devoted to 30 separate panels on various topics related to the future of journalism. A schedule for the conference can be downloaded here.

“The cultural experience was phenomenal and I met a lot of people and made lasting connections,” Bidga said. “And I went bog snorkeling for a cultural immersion. It was pretty fantastic.”

Bigda’s contribution to the Web package included a video on politics in Northern Ireland, an interactive story and Web site for the Armagh public library, and a slideshow on the symbolic use of the harp.

Check out her work at www.inarmagh.net.

Bigda, triple-majoring in journalism-advertising, Spanish and anthropology, says her dream job is to work for National Geographic some day.

The students worked with five American educators and an Irish cultural historian.

The result? Parlette called the outpouring of gifts a "miracle" in an subsequent e-mail.

A story by Emily Stott about the support that Parlette received for her ongoing battle with alveolar soft part sarcoma, a rare form of cancer, runs at the Nevada Sagebrush, UNR's student-run publication.

In their first week of class, freshmen journalism students built a Web site – while learning the basic elements of hard news and writing leads. They quickly moved on to editing audio. Within weeks, they’ll be shooting photos, writing stories, adding audio and video elements and publishing their work online.
The plan: Get freshmen journalism students at the Reynolds School of Journalism working on multimedia storytelling from the very beginning of their coursework.
Journalism students used to start in Journalism 102, News Reporting and Writing. They moved then to 203 – Writing Across Media – where they would write an in-depth story for print, then move on to writing for online, broadcast, public relations and marketing. In another class, 204, journalism majors would learn production skills like audio and video editing.
The problem, said Professor Saundra Keyes, was that in the earlier courses, students were using hypothetical online and multimedia elements for a story, rather than actually producing them.
Additionally, assignments in 203 were distinct from assignments in 204, said Associate Professor Howard Goldbaum.
“We relatively quickly saw that the separation of production from writing and reporting wasn’t the best way,” said Assistant Professor Bob Felten.
“In this new world of journalism, we couldn’t keep them alienated,” Goldbaum said.
So, two years ago, Goldbaum and Felten did an experiment, collaborating on their 203 and 204 classes so that the multimedia work students did in 204 would complement their writing assignments in 203.
“(It was) successful,” Goldbaum said. “The students claimed to have learned more.”
Felten said they also seemed to be learning more quickly.
“They are better prepared to excel their last two years (in the program),” Felten said.
The experiment was the “proving ground” for two courses being offered for the first time this semester – Journalism 107, Multimedia News Reporting & Writing I, and 108, Media Production I.
Students will create a WordPress blog to post their assignments, which will include photo, audio and video assignments in 108 that correspond to writing assignments in 107. Assignments will be graded by instructors in both courses.
Junior Vanessa Browne, 20, said she thinks the new course structure will be helpful.
“It’s cool that both of them kind of intermingle with each other,” she said. “It’s cool you can do a project with both classes.”
The new structure of the courses does two things, Goldbaum said.
“No. 1 – this immediately gets our sophomores thinking that reporting is not just writing,” he said. “No. 2 – it eliminates the problem with people learning skills and, because they didn’t have the opportunity to use them for a year, forgetting them.”
As students progress through the journalism school, journalism faculty expect that projects for future classes will incorporate all kinds of media.
“It’s pretty exciting, I think, because from the (first) day students are learning to report, they’re not just thinking about ways to present, they’re doing it,” Keyes said. “It’s enlarging the pool of choices a journalist has to tell a story properly.”

 Follow the progress on one class here.

OXFORD, England--Anyone with a reverence for education attends Oxford Round Table discussions with a sense of awe. Oxford University has been a center of learning since the 13th century.
And speaking of learning, it is apparent that British professors know more about everything than their U.S. counterparts here to attend a conference on “Education and Cyberspace Law.”
Richard Tur, an Oxford don who gave the welcoming speech, regaled conferees at a reception before dinner. He quoted yards of Bobbie Burns, complete with Scots burr and dialect, spoke easily of British history (Cromwell), British writers (Orwell) and the U.S. Supreme Court (Justices Blackmun and Kennedy).
The sessions themselves were uneven, some as dull as faculty meetings. Many revealed the mustiness of the academy with talk titles such as “Stratospheric Transparency,” “Collaborative Enforcement Model” and “Disaggregated Informational Ownership.”
One professor’s talk was disjointed. Other speakers, while quite scholarly, were long-winded. One speaker offered a 37-page tome. One paper had 142 footnotes.
Another speaker declared that digital technology had “enriched lives in countless ways.” It’s a dubious proposition. Maybe that’s why the speaker gave no examples of alleged enrichment.
The conferees seemed to forget the purpose of higher education: knowledge, understanding and wisdom. As Francis Bacon said: “I have taken all knowledge to be my province.” Studying and using the essential tools of digitology is not higher education.
The conferees did made it clear that the Internet means all privacy is gone, that Web censorship is almost impossible and that the law is slow to catch up with ever-changing technology.
On the third day of the Round Table sparks began to fly. Why? Speakers talked about issues and ideas that had nothing to do with cyberspace.
Nancy Heitzeg, sociology professor at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minn., urged the end of mandatory prison sentences, pleaded for abolition of the death penalty and espoused the legalization of drugs.
Sammy van Hoose of Wayland Baptist University in Texas, leading a discussion on the place of religion in schools, expressed a strong belief in God while holding to the rigid separation of church and state.
But I felt compelled to issue an apologia for atheism, noting that atheists like Emma Goldman and Eugene “Little Jesus” Debs were more Christian than most Christians. (Shelley was kicked out of Oxford in 1811 for writing an essay called “The Necessity of Atheism.”)
In my talk I lamented the decline of newspapers. But I pointed out that the falloff will hardly be arrested when papers like the San Francisco Chronicle dump outstanding liberal columnists E.J. Dionne and Robert Scheer and mordant essayist Mark Morford.
While the demise of newspapers would be unfortunate, it would hardly be the tragedy many media observers call it. Those sky-is-falling commentariats see a diminished democracy, darkened “sectors of our life” and a terrible “threat to self-government and the rule of law.”
Utter nonsense. Alexander Cockburn, Nation columnist, calls it hardly tragic if the corporate press perishes. “By and large the mainstream newspapers have obstructed efforts to improve our social and political condition.”
I ask my journalism students at the University of Nevada, Reno, whether the media are liberal or conservative. Most of them answer liberal.
Why? Well, they complain that the media are always harping on abortion, urging gay marriage or demanding the end of the military policy of don’t ask-don’t tell. My answer: it depends on where you stand politically. To me, a Man of the Left, the media are conservative.
The litany is old and long. I.F. Stone, the great American radical journalist, was blacklisted by the media after he had the temerity to urge national health insurance on “Meet the Press” as long ago as 1949.
Noam Chomsky, leftist and media critic, is persona non grata in mainstream newspapers today. No Establishment newspaper carries a socialist columnist. The Holmesian marketplace of ideas in the media extends no farther left than liberalism.
Totalitarian nations have overt censorship. America has subtle censorship, a self-censorship that bows to power and protects the conservative status quo. Newspapers have so often betrayed the First Amendment, the most glorious thing about America.
As Amy and David Goodman write in their book, “The Exception to the Rulers”: “This is not a media that is serving a democratic society. This is a well-oiled propaganda machine that is repackaging government spin and passing it off as journalism.”
Michael Parenti in his book, “Inventing Reality,” indicts the media as handmaidens of capitalism with its all-pervasive Establishment view: socialism is evil, capitalism sacred. Most Americans consider America a great country, not the terrible, uncivilized nation I deem it.
Whatever verdict history renders about newspapers, the Internet will never turn conservative America into the progressive nation it should be.

Jake Highton writes about his travels, insights and readings at his blog, Just Jake. 

Sometimes the founding dean of the Walter Cronkite School hesitates before answering his phone. Chris Callahan has received enough calls notifying him that another veteran journalist lost a job.

"This is a scary time," Callahan said. "Scarier than usual."

But the chaos confronting news media has an upside. With it comes an unusual openness to change. In search of new ways of doing news, news professionals are turning to journalism educators for help.

"The industry is enormously open to what we're doing," Callahan said. "They're coming to us for answers and we need to seize that opportunity."

Speaking to Reynolds School faculty at a retreat Aug. 17, Callahan, a former Washington correspondent for the Associated Press, urged journalism educators to be "change agents."

Journalism students are ready for bold, new experiments. Donors who contribute resources to journalism education support its evolution.

In short, there's never been a better time to be teaching journalism.

With its resources -- from facility to faculty -- the Reynolds School needs to think big, Callahan said.

"Think really big," he said. "Carve out areas where you can be better than anyone."

The teachers joined a social network designed to maintain their community and tweeted about speakers and events. They attended Artown events, Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival and an Aces ball game.

Teachers talk about what they learn in this slideshow, created by Reynolds School student Jessica Estepa.

The teachers came to Reno from around the nation to attend a two-week institute that combines journalistic traditions with its new tools to use in their high school classrooms.

Teachers will learn about student press law from Frank LoMonte of the Student Press Law Center and discover new ways to address diversity in their classrooms at a workshop led by Dori Maynard of The Maynard Institute. A field trip to the Reno Gazette-Journal will include a group lunch with Editor Beryl Love, after the teachers attend the morning news meeting.

Over the course of two weeks, teachers will produce their own work of online journalism on the American Society of Newspaper Editor's HSJ.org Web site.

Hard work and long days are mixed with several fun opportunities for teachers to get to know the Reno area. They'll be attending a Reno Aces ball game and taking a trip to Sand Harbor for the Tahoe Shakespeare Festival -- as well as enjoying a traditional Basque meal at the Santa Fe in downtown Reno.

The event wraps up on July 24 at a luncheon. Peggy Santoro, Nevada Appeal editor, will talk about the ongoing challenges of newspapering.

B.C. Le Doux ‘00 - Bourne is one of those professors who you remember. Who you go back and see. Who you want to make proud. Yes, it's because she's accomplished a phenomenal amount in her career, so she commands a great deal of respect, but mostly it's because she cares. She cared about making me better--yes, in her classroom, but mostly in my future. She has, for the last 10 or 11 years, always wanted me to succeed. Always pushed me to be as successful as I could be. Not for her but for me. I love that about Bourne, and she'll always be one of my favorites. One of those people I attribute any of my successes to. Congrats on an amazing career, Bourne. And thank you. (Creative Director, The Glenn Group, Reno & Las Vegas)

Dylan Krenka ’07 - Bourne had an amazing impact both on my career and college experience. She was a great teacher who was compassionate and demanding at the same time. She always found a way to make students strive for excellence without blatantly giving them the answer. Bourne made a remarkable impact on me as well as I'm sure hundreds of students. She is an amazing teacher, mentor, and friend (for) whom I will always be grateful. Thanks Bourne. (Currently interning with DDB Chicago)

Matt Fiske ’09 - Bourne challenged me to do better work, to really look at what it is I do and question if it really achieves its intent. Taking a critique from her was always helpful, because she'll not only tell you if something doesn't work but also how to go about making it better, or to abandon it entirely and just plain start over.

Her experience made you listen, but her kind delivery made you care. She was always incredibly patient, and encouraged all of us to learn off of each other in discourse.

Her advice helped me become a better leader, to appreciate some of the nuances of the creative process, and to better see things from the viewpoints of others. I feel privileged to have had her as a professor across two years. My only regret is that future students at the RSJ will not get the same opportunity to learn from her. (Creative Director with 2009 UNR IMC team.  Seeking work.)

Miranda Gerlock ’02 - - Bourne Morris will always be someone I remember when I think about how I became interested in advertising. She sparked something inside of me that got me interested and eventually passionate about advertising. Bourne encouraged me to have strong opinions and take chances. I will always remember her for her wit, toughness, and her unwavering class. She broke boundaries during her time at Ogilvy and she will always serve as inspiration that I can accomplish anything in this business. (Senior Art Director, Cramer – Krasselt, New York)

Jamie Kingham ’93 - My clearest memory of Bourne was her telling our ad competition team that the campaign we had worked on for three days straight was really not original enough and that we should go back to the drawing board... five days before the competition. I don't think this story is particularly unusual. Looking back it was one of the closest experiences to the "real world" that I had had at that point. That always seemed to be a common thread through Bourne's teachings, the concept of what will work when you're really doing it, not for a class deadline, not for a teacher but for a client. That idea stuck with me long after I left UNR and is something that truly helped when it came to dealing with clients in the professional world. Bourne's retirement leaves big shoes to fill but with the end of her chapter lies the beginning of another, one which I'm sure will only compliment her legacy and expand on everything she stood for. Congratulations Bourne and thank you. (Returned to Reno after a decade in London and has his own photography business.)

Rachel C. Milon ’01 - From the second I first walked into Bourne's class I knew I was lucky. She didn't even have to explain her years of experience for us to recognize that she knew what she was doing. We were pushed to be thoughtful, creative and, most importantly, ethical - not just as advertisers but as people. She knows the secrets of the trade and if you're lucky occasionally shares a few she was sworn to keep...glue in the cereal?!? rocks in the soup?!? I learned to trust my abilities in her classes and how to improve upon them. Bourne's retirement truly marks the end of an era at the J-School...and she will be greatly missed! (Executive with RKPR in Reno.)

Ashley Graves ’09 - I am trying to think of something to say but nothing seems good enough! Bourne is just so quietly inspiring...I don't know anyone who can deliver harsh criticism in such a graceful way. I really learned so much from her, she taught me how to not be afraid of presenting my work, and to not be afraid of critique. I think that whatever I end up doing professionally, creative or not, what she taught will always stick with me. (Account Executive with this year’s NSAC IMC Team.  Attending IMC Master’s Program at Medill next fall.)

Kayee Tam Dredla ’03 - Bourne opened the path to where I am today in my advertising career. With the insight and experience she shared, I became intrigued by the world of advertising and developed a passion for it. I always looked forward to attending each class. She never failed to deliver - from the breadth of knowledge she offered to the great stories she told (my favorite was the Campbell's one). Bourne was not only a professor but also a mentor, who helped guide my way through college and ultimately to my career. I give my thanks to Bourne and wish (her) the best in her retirement. May she enjoy every minute of it! (Senior Media Planner/Buyer at SK+G in Las Vegas)

Joey Vestal ’08 - Bourne Morris is truly one-of-a-kind. No other teacher was ever able to inspire, entertain and intimidate me as she did. Bourne always challenged me and really showed me what it takes to work in advertising. Most importantly, she taught me how to take criticism and to learn from it. She isn't afraid to admit she's wrong. Nor is she afraid to tell you when you're wrong. I feel so fortunate to have had Bourne as a teacher, mentor and friend. She has made more impact on my life than she will ever know. (Art Director, David Branby Advertising, Reno)

Mark Curtis Jr. (Mark Curtis and Friends, Reno)

1. Bourne is maybe the clearest thinker I've ever been around. I remember doing ad campaigns (when she was a partner in curtis+rogers with Jim Rogers, my dad and me) and we'd nail TV, print and radio, but she'd say, "the outdoor's off. What does that have to do with the rest of this?" So we'd rethink the outdoor.
2. I always liked the way she could talk about advertising like it was just as important as medicine or the law. It just came out of her that way. I hope I learned something about that from her.
3. When we introduced the comma in the "University of Nevada, Reno" name, it was my dad's idea. He felt that a university's name at least ought to be grammatically correct. The newspaper ran a headline, "The $250,000 comma." Anyway, we invited the newspaper over to the agency and asked them why they were running these stories. The reporter replied that his editor wanted to know "who screwed up." Bourne told him, "You did."
4. Bourne could always join a group of leaders in a room (I experienced this with the Forum for a Common Agenda and One Region) and she could be the most articulate, and the funniest exec. in the room. Her mere presence made us all think a little more clearly.

Shannon Mead ’03 - As I look back at the J-school, my time spent learning from Bourne was absolutely a highlight.  Her feedback - always given in a straightforward and therefore slightly terrifying manner - consistently drove me to work toward ideas that were truly new.  She taught me to never settle for "good enough."  And for that I will always be grateful. (Seattle)

Joe Crowley (Retired President, University of Nevada, Reno) - I have known Bourne since she arrived in Reno and got involved in the community and in the life of the university. We signed her on early for a campus position. You would know better than I how much she has meant to the Reynolds School, but, clearly, she has been a major presence. Ability, experience, personality, hard work, a caring attitude toward colleagues and students have marked her career in the school. I recruited her to serve as acting director of affirmative action, a job at which she performed most ably. Indeed, I told her the job was hers if she wanted it. She preferred, understandably, to go back to journalism. I also encouraged her to serve as acting dean on one occasion; indeed, she could have served as “permanent” dean if she wished. I often sought her advice on an assortment of matters, within the school and across the campus. But the classroom was/is where she felt most at home and where her impact has been so important for so long. As you know, she has received a number of awards for her teaching and, of course, there is that regional and national competition that our students, thanks to you and Bourne and College of Business collaboration, have enjoyed such notable and continuing success. Bourne is much admired by colleagues around the campus, which helps to explain her selection to serve as Faculty Senate chair and her chairmanship or co-chairmanship of key committees. She was a critical leader during the tense times brought on by initiatives launched under the Lilley-Frederick administration, serving the campus well and helping to educate both president and provost.

Chris Ford ’93 - Well, I'd say I met Bourne Morris during a critical shit-or-get-off-the-pot moment in my life.
I'd almost gone to Berkeley under civil engineering, came back to Nevada as an art major who was un-good at art, left Nevada to study graphic design, went abroad and did a semester in England and then returned to Nevada with no major and two parents who were seeing less and less comedy in their once promising son's increasingly less promising college career.
Had Bourne not been so engaging a teacher, and someone with legit real world experience, I fear I would have no doubt embarked on yet another failed major, dropped out, and been cut off by my parents. As I see it, without Bourne, best case scenario I'm the assistant night manager at Jimboy's Tacos on 2nd Street rather than a creative director at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners here in San Francisco. It's really hard to believe she's retiring.

Jackie Ruiz Shelton ‘87- It was always expected that I would go to college and work in whatever career I chose, but I didn’t fully realize how earlier generations of women, like Bourne, had prepared that path for me. I wrote an article on Bourne about 12 years ago and that’s when I got to know her and truly appreciate what an amazing woman she is. Not only did she lead in advertising at a time when women didn’t do that, but she did it without sacrificing her femininity. I’m so glad she brought her professionalism and expertise to Reno to educate our up-and-comers. Her influence is apparent every time I watch Nevada’s NSAC team present or see one of her advertising interns out in the community. She has made a big difference for Reno and I’m grateful for that. (Publisher RLife and Family Pulse magazines, Reno)

Rob Gaedtke ’05 - Bourne never told me how to solve a problem… instead she asked me the right questions and let me find the answer on my own. That alone has proved invaluable in an ever changing industry where only those who can adapt and find the answers quickly survive. Without Bourne’s insight and guidance it would have been a much longer and slower road to where I am now and for that I thank her. (Account Executive, Twelve Horse, Reno)

The career of Bourne Morris

Professor, Reynolds School of Journalism, 1983 to present
President, Ogilvy & Mather, Los Angeles (1977-1981), senior vice president, copywriter, creative supervisor, Ogilvy & Mather, New York, 1964-1976
Copywriter, Interpublic and BBDO, New York
Published articles in Advertising Age, Adweek, Nevada Public Affairs Review, and The ASJMC Journal.
Author of "Advertising Ethics" in The Encyclopedia of Advertising

This group (left to right: Roger Post, Rachel Wright, Mat Keplinger, Lyndsey Sullivan and Brittany Appel) was among those presenting to a panel of community professionals in Assistant Professor Bob Felten’s Intro to Ad & PR for Integrated Marketing Communications class.

Stephanie Kruse, owner of KPS3; Lori Kolbert, Nevada marketing manager for Wells Fargo and David Longfield, creative director with Octane Studios listened intently to the presentations, provided insightful comments and helped Felten evaluate the students’ work.

What Can J-School Offer Students?

A video by Geoff Roseborough, Sonya Smith and Zach Broadhead

Enrollment Rises With Hope For Journalism's Future

By Katie Nalder, Ashton Sunseri and Raechel Prosser

Arash Mosalen, 21, producer of the 11 p.m. news at the Channel 2 news room and a graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno had a lot to say when it came to the future of journalism.

Mosalen is happy with his job at Channel 2 and doesn’t seem worried about the new transitions that journalism is going through.

“I think online is where the future of journalism lies,” Mosalen said. “Here at
Channel 2 we realize that. We put up videos each day, but studies show that TV is a great resource for many people. Some don’t have computers and the TV is always right there.”

Mosalen doesn’t suggest that students refrain from choosing journalism as their major, but to be well rounded.

“Learn more than one facet of journalism,” Mosalen said.

Jerry Ceppos, dean of the Reynolds School of Journalism, isn’t worried about the future of journalism itself.

“I think that there are going not be all different forms of it, but it’s certainly not dying,” Ceppos said. “Clearly, there is a need for journalism.”

The future at the Reynolds School of Journalism looks promising as enrollment continues to increase.
“This past fall was up 5 percent over the prior fall,” Ceppos explained. He would like to continue to increase the number of students at the school.

Newspapers didn’t make very much money in their first 15 years of production and as far as online goes we are very early on according to Ceppos.

“It’s so clear when you get away from it a little bit that the future is in the Internet,” Ceppos said. “If I ran a newspaper still, I would put all of my resource online.”

Ceppos explained about how journalism is no longer all separate categories. “Everybody will know how to do everything.”

“Print is near death as we sit here and I’m afraid we haven’t fully captured the moment for you guys,” he said.

People were so involved in print they thought the Internet could only hurt them so much, Ceppos said. They blew it.

“I wish there were a way to look at why print is collapsing,” Ceppos said. “In the future journalists need to pay attention to opportunities and threats and recognize them.”

Reynolds School Faculty Stress Critical Thinking and Change

By Ricky De La Rosa, Steve Kinion, Charles Woodman and Casey Stiteler

As discussion rages on about the unstable field of journalism, some point to the Internet as the cause of a journalistic slump. More people getting news online isn't troublesome but the problem lies in the media’s inability to profit from new technology.

“The newspaper business has lost its commercial way,” UNR journalism professor Warren Lerude said. “What is the first obligation of the news business? To make money.”

With daily papers such as the San Francisco Chronicle concerned about closing their doors, faculty at the Reynolds School of Journalism agree that the problem is selling the news, not writing the news. Even in these trying economics times Lerude advised that journalism students stick to the basics.

“What journalism school students should do and are doing is learning to write and write well,” Lerude said.

Most professors realize, however, that the basics are being applied in new ways and schools must place their bets on what additional skills students will need.

“In the past, journalism schools have socialized students into the profession,” said David Ryfe, associate professor. “Since we don’t know what students will need for the future anymore, those older journalists aren’t as well prepared to impart the knowledge necessary.”

"Every school across the country is struggling with this,” said Paul Mitchell, RSJ recruitment and retention coordinator. “A lot of people who are teaching have been in traditional areas like print and broadcast.”

This is why RSJ faculty said they stress the need for critical thinking and creative thought.

“We have to change faster than we have in the past,” Ryfe said. “Part of this is teaching people to be adaptive and entrepreneurial, because anything we say will be partly wrong.”

While an air of uncertainty plagues the halls of every journalism school, students and faculty at RSJ continue to have faith in the profession. With the popularity of Internet resources, such as online publications and social networking, more news reaches the public than ever before, the problem appears to lie in how to profit from something so easily accessible and often free to the consumer.

“Newspapers that made the transition to the internet made a fatal mistake,” Lerude said. “They gave it away for free.”

Lerude compares the journalism market to a grocery store.

“It’s as if a grocery store put a tent out front with the same products they had in the store, but gave them away for free,” Lerude said. “Why would they surprised that no one comes into the store to buy those products?”

Each of these professors came to the same point: that the face of tomorrow’s journalism will be determined by the students of today.

“It’s an exciting time to enter the news writing profession,” Lerude said. “The future of media lies with 21- and 22-year-olds adept at using the Internet.”

Ryfe agrees: “It’s more important today to learn a mindset rather than a specific set of skills.

Journalism: A For-Profit Business

By Andrew Church, Catherine Stokes, Dallas Colodny and Kyle Hamilton

With the rapid expansion of technologies such as the Internet, traditional media outlets are experiencing difficulties in adapting to the times.

"It is pretty obvious newspapers are dying all over the country,” Brad Schiller, 66, economics professor at the University of Nevada, Reno, said. “The million dollar question is, do you shut down or do you exit? They are already slashing costs to avoid closing the paper. They just hope they can get by until the economy recovers."

Two major forces work against the news media: construction of media infrastructure and the cyclical downturn of the economy. Newspapers have been feeling the blow of these issues the hardest and need to find a means to adapt to the changing times.

Paul Mitchell, 49, Journalism Professor at the University of Nevada, Reno, suggests that a combination of advertising and innovation can serve as a potential solution to the issue.

"The future, in my humble opinion, is that the newspaper business is going to have to show that their media is valuable online,” Mitchell said. “The only way to do that is to integrate video with print. Print will have to show that their video is compelling. But to be profitable, print will have to go to local sources or national sources and precede or end footage with a commercial."

Unfortunately, the advertising industry’s profit revenues are falling and are providing less support to the newspaper industry. Schiller noted that local papers depend on classified advertising for real estate, vehicles and employment -- all depressed sectors.

"Ad spending is a variable cost,” Schiller said. “If you look in the classifieds, there is so much less in comparison to where we were even a year ago. This is a cyclical issue. Without the ads, the paper dies. Even the Internet is beginning to go flat.

Mitchell also addressed advertising companies.

"Anybody who understands advertising understands that all of the numbers are going to go down,” Mitchell said. “We are never going to see revenue as we used to see historically. The profits may be high, but it won’t be as high."

Even media outlets that have proven successful in recent years will inevitably face setback through competition.

"Competition is the driving force in the marketplace as well as the media," Mitchell said. "Even an open source advertising site like Craig’s List will be replaced by another."

Despite the struggle of some media outlets to profit due to the expansion of certain technologies, some people don’t believe it is necessarily something aspiring journalists need to worry about.

"The way things are going, if you are a decent writer, you will make good money on the Internet,” Gregory Ross, 36, a political science major and journalism minor, said. ““Don’t be scared. It’s a fantastic, brave new world.”

Blogging: To be? Or not to be?

By Misha Ray, Maiko Otsuka, Jaclyn Coleman and Carlie Sanders

Newspapers have been slowly declining in popularity since the internet dawned in the 1990s and blogging appears to be taking over the scene, with “citizen journalists” dominating.

“Despite the unhappiness newspapers find themselves in, I have optimism,” Clark Hoyt, public editor for the New York Times, told UNR students in March. “The situation is grim, but by no means hopeless.”

The increase of blogging and “citizen journalism” leaves some journalism school students worried, yet others welcome the dawn of Internet media.

Katherine Moffet, 18, said that blogging and other Internet media are beneficial to journalism and its students.

“Journalism is headed in the direction of online newspapers,” Moffet said. “If we don’t learn that, we will be out of the loop.”

New media has an intimidating factor for many students and not all are willing to welcome the Internet as their main source of media consumption.

Alyssa Jenkins, 18, feels that going online may benefit journalism in the sense that it can reach more people, but she doesn’t feel that blogs are enough of a reliable source to be considered true journalism.

“Blogs are citizen journalism,” Jenkins said. “As a beginning journalist, it may be beneficial, but it’s not professional.”

Lex White, 19, rejects blogs as a form of news. He said he does not read a single blog.

“It degrades the integrity of journalism,” White said.

During Journalism Week in March, Hoyt said he believes that the foundation of newspapers is strong enough to survive the battle against its Internet competitor.

“Newspapers are vital and still have great depth," Hoyt said. " They are turning less formal and can ride this recession out.”

Visit the photo gallery.

In this featured photo by Caitlin White:

Joel Wyborny shoves another $5 bill into the video poker machine at Pizza Baron in Reno.

"I usually come here a few nights a week for some beer, pizza and gambling," Wyborny said. "Being friends with the bartender and the taste of the food and beer doesn't help cure my addiction to coming here and doing this."

RSJ Professor Bob Felten organized the school sponsorship of the event and helped host a welcome breakfast for attendees.

"It was an amazing day," Felten said. "We want RSJ to be at the center of this conversation in the community, and Saturday was a great demonstration of why that's important."

Couldn’t make it? Many Wordcamp videos have been posted on WordPress.tv. Copies of the presentations from Saturday’s Wordcamp will be available online in the next few days. Check out http://renowordcamp.wordpress.com for updates.

"The compliments for the team flowed from competing teams, judges, agency recruiters and other observers," Felten said. "In a sea of sameness, our team’s courage, originality, high-quality work, professionalism and seamless presentation stood clearly apart from the rest.... We could not be more proud!"

Berkeley took first place, and runner-up went to Chico State.

UNR students Sara Piccola, Jeremy Long, Ashley Thompson, and Jarrod York were chosen by their classmates to present the campaign.

The competition, hosted by the American Advertising Federation, allows college students from across the nation to obtain real-world experience by planning a strategic advertising, marketing, and media campaign for a corporate sponsor. 

This year’s sponsor for the National Student Advertising Competition is the Century Council, a national not-for-profit organization funded by distillers to fight drunk driving and underage drinking.

The first part of the campaign was to design a 32-page book filled with in-depth research and statistics to introduce Nevada's campaign. The second part was to present the campaign to a panel of judges and the sponsor.

UNR students decided to take a satirical approach to the issue, concluding from their research that it is the best way to relate to the sponsor’s target audience – college students between the ages of 18 and 24.

They designed a Save the Beers campaign, which presenter Sara Piccola described as “a cause that makes fun of a cause, while actually being a cause.” Playing off familiar campaigns such as saving the rainforest or saving the whales, the UNR presentation urges students to “save” beers and join the “Moderation Nation.”

The campaign aims to make moderation, not responsibility, come to mind when students are drinking. Team research found that college students generally connect the phrase “responsible drinking” to the idea of not drinking and driving, based on campaigns by groups such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving. By focusing instead on moderate drinking, the campaign emphasizes negative health consequences of overconsumption and what students can do to prevent it.

One part of the campaign shows college students how to stay in the ‘moderation zone’ of drinking. Another portion depicts beer as an endangered species, saying it can be saved if binge drinking stops.

The campaign uses popular social media such as Twitter and Facebook along with the incentive of scholarships to reach the target audience.

Students were given their assignment in October and have been working together as a class in gathering information and doing extensive research since then.

Past sponsors of the competition include AOL, Yahoo! and Coca-Cola.

UNR won the national competition in 2003 with a campaign for Toyota Motor Sales.

The IMC competition coaches are Judy Strauss, associate professor of marketing; Bourne Morris, journalism professor; and Bob Felten, assistant professor of journalism.

In the district competition Friday, UNR competed against California State University, Chico; California State University, Fresno; San Jose State University; the University of California, Berkeley; and the University of San Francisco for the district title. District winner Berkeley will head to Arlington, Va., June 4-7 to compete for the national title against the winners from 14 other districts.

Juliana Bledsoe, Lindsey Doolittle and Jonathan Foster also contributed to this story.

The 2009 Scripps Howard Foundation Internship recipient is Ashley Belka.

The scholarships and event honor Edward "Ted" W. Scripps II, who graduated from the University of Nevada journalism program in 1952. After his graduation, Scripps went to work for the United Press and the Scripps Howard Newspapers, both founded by his grandfather, E.W. Scripps.

Members of the Scripps family were on hand for the 2009 event.

When Caesar Andrews began his career in journalism, he wasn’t convinced that it was for him. 

“I fell in love with it in a gradual kind of way,” Andrews said. 

More than 20 years later, Andrews can’t get away from it.  Speaking to a beginning reporting class on Thursday afternoon, Andrews brought a wealth of experience to provide insight on diversity and the future of journalism. 

Andrews’ career spans more than two decades and includes working on the start-up staff for USA Today in 1982, and serving as the executive editor of the Detroit Free Press from 2005 to 2008. 

During his speech, Andrews stressed the importance of diversity in the newsroom as a necessity in order to keep up with an audience. 

“If my audience happens to be diverse, doesn’t my coverage have to reflect that diversity?” Andrews asked. 

Speaking for an hour, Andrews also addressed the issue of the uncertain future of journalism. 

“The saving grace for all of you is that there is still an interest in the news,” Andrews said. 

Andrews emphasized that journalism may be more competitive, but that it was still possible to have a great career.

“You have to seize your own careers,” Andrews said. 

Although many  students were underclassmen, Andrews believes that the journey to becoming a journalist has already begun.

“I think you have to do it now,” Andrews said.  “You become your own talent agent.” 

Andrews began his discussion with a recap of the coverage of  the Detroit mayor scandal by the Detroit Free Press, which occurred while Andrews was the executive editor. The scandal involved Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick’s misconduct trials after it was revealed that he lied under oath about an affair with his chief of staff and illegally fired two police officers who knew and leaked information.

Andrews described Kilpatrick as “seen by many as the man that was going to save Detroit.” He was a gifted, young politician and appeared to be the hope Detroit needed in a dark time for the city, Andrews said.

That was before the scandal.

“I hated this story,” Andrews said. “But despite my, really somewhat depressed, feelings it would be malpractice on my part to not release the story.”

Key to the story were transcripts of text messages between Andrews and his chief of staff, Christine Beatty, that revealed their affair in graphic detail and discussed their illegal firing of the two officers. The transcripts were provided to the Free Press by an anonymous source.

“I don’t think anonymous sources should be common,” Andrews said. “But if I can’t get anyone to talk on the record, I have to be inventive and creative and aggressive to get the story out.”

The Free Press had to be careful with the story to make sure that it did not slip into sensational coverage of the details of the sex scandal and instead focused on what was important, Andrews said.

The newspaper decided to focus its coverage on three main points: the treatment of the fired officers, the perjury committed by Kilpatrick and Beatty and the use of public money in the scandal and its subsequent trials.

“As an editor, I wanted to make sure we were conducting the story in a way that would make it credible,” he said.

For the Reynolds School of Journalism, there is more riding on the visit than just giving the students an opportunity to see an experienced journalist.

Andrews, who is on a three day visit to the school, is interested in possibly obtaining a visiting lectureship at the school.

“I’m scouting to see what’s going to be next,” Andrews said. 

Professor Saundra Keyes, who has known Andrews for more than 20 years, believes that Andrews would add a lot to the school.

“He is really smart, really thoughtful, really ethical, and he is fun to be  around,” Keyes said. 

Although Andrews is considering all of his options, Keyes believes that the Reynolds School of Journalism has a lot to offer.

“Our school is big enough to be ambitious,” Keyes said.  “but small enough so that teachers can get to know their students.”  Keyes also pointed to the school trying to be innovative as a potential draw to Andrews.

Although Andrews future with the school is uncertain, he is sure of one thing.  Despite not being sure of whether journalism was right for him, the things he has experienced has been amazing. 

“The things that I’ve learned have been astounding to me,” Andrews said. 

When Edith Lederer began her career as a journalist for the Associated Press in 1966, she wanted to be a foreign correspondent. She thought that she’d never have a chance to realize this goal because “it was a man’s world.”

Over the last 42 years Lederer has been a correspondent on six continents, has covered wars and other controversial topics and was the first woman to head an AP foreign bureau. She was assigned to jobs that, in 1966, were reserved only for men.

“I just wanted to do the best job that I could and prove to all those guys that I was just as good as they were,” Lederer said today during a discussion with students in the senior-level online reporting and editing class.

Lederer, who will be speaking tonight at the annual Scripps dinner, visited the class for about 45 minutes to talk about her experiences with AP and her thoughts on journalism.

Though one of the first women to cover international affairs to the extent that she has, Lederer remains cautious in calling herself a “pioneer.”

“What I do consider myself perhaps is a role model for younger women,” she said, explaining that she is proud to have been one of the first women who traveled to Vietnam as a war correspondent. “I have helped to prove that women do have what it takes.”

Lederer expressed concern over the lack of education that many Americans have about international affairs.

“We’re living in a time where the world is becoming increasingly globalized,” she said. “Americans should be learning far, far, far more about what is happening in the rest of the world.”

Lederer said that there are many mediums from which Americans can receive news and information, but that fewer people are seeking this out.

“I don’t know what it’s going to take to change American mentality,” she said.

A solution to this growing problem would be to teach children about national and international current affairs in elementary and middle school, Lederer said.

While Lederer mentions the Internet as a source for news, she also remains cautious about relying on it for reliable information. She said that many people are not able to assess what sites deliver well-edited, balanced news.

Lederer also gave the journalism students in the class advice on how to succeed as journalists. She said that given the bleak state of the work force, student journalists face a challenge in getting jobs.

“If you prove you can do whatever job it is you will succeed and get ahead,” she said. “You are all going to have to work harder. So work harder.”

NihaReno  - a bilingual Chinese and English blog dedicated to living green
EnvJournal  - a blog dedicated to preserving Nevada’s watersheds
NeoWatt - a blog devoted to renewable energy sources
Ecostreets  - a blog dedicated to making streets safer and more environmentally friendly

When it comes to the Reynolds School of Journalism, senatorial hopefuls Adam Allen and Christina Hernandez value one thing -- students. At an electoral debate held at the journalism school on Tuesday, both candidates promoted their platforms in the hopes of gaining student approval.
   
The ASUN elections come at a pivotal time in university politics as pending budget cuts and tuition increases loom on the horizon. While Hernandez and Allen have the same concerns in mind, each candidate has their own perspective to the budget dilemma.

Allen has worked on anti-budget reduction campaigns, organizing one of the first demonstrations on campus. He does not see the cuts have a direct impact on the school of journalism itself, but senses indirect repercussions in the future.

    “[The Reynolds School of Journalism] probably won’t be affected,” Allen said. “But overall tuition increases will make it harder to appeal to prospective journalism students.”

    Hernandez predicts that proposed budget reductions will harm the image of the University of Nevada, Reno and ultimately the School of Journalism. She is particularly concerned over how this may hinder future journalism students from obtaining work or internships.

    “I feel that if our budget is cut, we are going to lose a lot of majors and classes,” Hernandez said. “If that happens, the school will lose a lot of its credibility and prestige to its potential students. Less credibility means that graduates will also have a harder time finding professional work.”

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    Both Allen and Hernandez aspire to expanding the influence of journalism beyond its respective school.

    “I want to see more of the University be involved with J-Week,” Allen said. “It would be progressive to have ASUN involvement as well. I’d like to extend the program so high school kids can come and see the activities we organize during J-Week.”

    Hernandez would also like to see an expanded journalism program, but believes that the changes must start with pre-existing journalism organizations, including the formation of a Reynolds School of Journalism club committee.
   
    “We need communication between clubs,” Hernandez said. “With the formation of a club commission committee we can have more effective communication between clubs. That way we can raise awareness within our own school about journalism events.”

    Allen has intentions to support clubs as well, improving the facilities available to such organizations.    

    “I would like to see the Reynolds School of Journalism have a club resource room exclusively for journalism organizations,” Allen said.  “Also I think students should become involved in clubs that pertain to their respective emphasis.”

    One senate seat is available to represent journalism. 

    Students can cast their vote on March 11 and 12 at the Joe Crowley Student Union and the Ansari Business building.


   
   
     
 
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Design zealot wanted

A proven design professional with a burning desire to teach. Someone who'll open the eyes of young journalism, advertising, and public relations students to the possibilities and responsibilities of great design. Both in theory and hands-on.

Someone who teaches from the heart, inspires a culture of aesthetics, and turns out critical thinkers adept in the application of essential design skills and principles.

Minimum requirements: For the academic tenure track, a master's degree in a relevant field and five years of professional experience. For a professional position, a minimum of bachelor's degree and five years of professional experience with evidence of increasing levels of responsibility. The position starts as a one-year appointment but we hope to turn it into a long-term position in the near future.

Professional experience should include design experience in a variety of media, including online. We also will look for demonstrated ability to teach, either through recognition for mentoring or formal teaching.

Seeking brilliance in broadcasting

Stay was the key-note speaker at the Nevada Interactive Media Summit March 7, part of Journalism Week at the Reynolds School. The sold-out event brought together bloggers, podcasters, filmmakers, media professionals, advertisers and public relations specialists from Northern Nevada.
“A lot of people want to know about this new media stuff,” said Ed Lenert, journalism professor and event organizer. “This is like the 1920s when radio was called wireless telegraphy and people didn’t know what to use it for.”

Stay said he has 10,000 followers on Twitter, a micro-blogging tool that allows users to send short instant messages to groups of people.
“And that’s not as many as some people,” he said. “It’s the largest conversation in the world.”

During an earlier J-Week presentation on traditional investigative reporting, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Charles Shepard told students: “I shudder at the thought that Twitter is journalism.”
Within seconds, his comment had been “tweeted” by Jessica Estepa (jmestepa) to Twitter users following the #jweek Twitter group.
“Obviously an instant classic,” tweeted mrjerz, a Reno blogger.

Stay spoke about many journalistic uses for social media, from conducting and following political campaigns to doing community organizing to providing up-to-date information on accidents or natural disasters.
He showed a Google map listing sites and Twitter feeds during fires last year in Los Angeles.

Event attendees including Reno Gazette-Journal reporters, lawmakers, teachers, marketers, librarians and communications specialists from the Washoe County School District.
Though the school district won’t be tweeting any time soon, a Facebook page is in the works.
Community activist Bob Tregilus was fascinated by the uses of interactive media as a tool to organize groups of like-minded citizens.
“I just got on Facebook,” he said. “And it’s an amazing tool.”

The scenes were emotional. Draper used a small quiet Leica to record the President's interaction. Some families were upset over his presence there. But Draper had a job to do.

"I had the photos to think about," Draper said. "I had to save my emotions for later."

Draper had been taking photos of the President reading to a classroom on Sept. 11, 2001. He recorded the first images of Bush talking on a secured line in an emptied classroom. A television on a cart showed images of the second tower in flames.

When Draper showed these photos Friday, March 6, the audience in the Joe Crowley Student Union theater was silent.

He showed another shot of a somber president walking with his dogs outside the White House. Draper said the photo was taken as Bush was contemplating sending troops to Iraq. The photographer was trying to give the President some space but Bush walked up to him.

"Eric, are you interested in history?" Bush asked. "These pictures you're taking -- they're really important."

Draper told students that at times he felt like a professional stalker.

"I followed this man around for eight years," Draper said.

During that time, Draper visited foreign countries with the President -- seeing the kinds of attractions not open to the average tourist.

When the President and First Lady visited Buckingham Palace in the United Kingdom, Draper recalled that the two were a bit giddy.

"They were like kids," Draper said. "They said, 'Come and take our picture over here.'"

One of the challenges that Draper enjoyed was catching the President's more unguarded moments -- a yawn or stretch. An endearing moment with his Scottish Terrier Barney. A ride around the White House lawn on a mountain bike.

"I wanted to show his human side," Draper said. "It's been an honor and a privilege to be in that position like I have."

One of the last shots Draper showed was a candid moment between Bush and then President-Elect Obama after the elections.

Now Draper has moved from Washington, D.C., back to New Mexico. He's resting and working on a book of his photographs from the eight years of the Bush administration.

An ethics professor questioned her decision to use hidden cameras.

A broadcast professor left ABC producer Lynne Dale’s J Week session “almost convinced” that Dale needed to pose as a grocery store meat wrapper and secretly film her experiences.

Though the 1992 story landed Dale in years of court proceedings, Dale told Reynolds School of Journalism students and faculty Thursday that obtaining footage of unsafe meat handling was necessary for the ABC Primetime story.

Undercover journalism has long been practiced by muckrakers. In the 1990s, large hidden cameras could be used to augment the process with video.

“We could use our new technology to prove allegations were true,” Dale said. “And wasn’t that the point of journalism?”
Dale and another journalist decided to go undercover after hearing reports that the grocery chain had rewrapped meat, changed the date on meat and dairy products, mixed rancid ground beef with fresh and disguised the odor of rotting meat with bleach, lemon juice or barbecue sauces.

The Primetime crew obtained about 140 sources for their project, including several former employees who appeared on the air.

“We could have done a ‘he-said-she-said’ story,” Dale said. “But as a journalist, it’s always better to see for yourself. … So I was off to find a $5-an-hour job as a meat wrapper.”

The circa 1990s hidden camera was large. Dale wore it on her head, under a wig, with a ribbon over the lens. She applied for jobs using her maiden name, real Social Security number and a fabricated job history.

She worked for two weeks at a store, not sleeping well at night and feeling she was under constant stress.

“I felt like an elephant,” she said. “I kept thinking I’d get busted.”

In the time she worked there, she engaged in and filmed practices such as repackaging old chicken and fish that were past their expiration dates. She saw old hamburger being mixed with fresh ground beef. She recorded unclean and unsafe food handling practices.

“But I was so focused on my job that I didn’t know what I had until after I quit,” she said.

That day, she left the store and called her mother from a phone booth. As she began to explain what she’d been doing, her mother became “repulsed and disgusted.”

Shortly before the show aired, Food Lion found out about the undercover activity. The company sued ABC and Dale for fraud, trespassing and breach of duty. The company did not sue for libel.

A U.S. appeals court ended up ruling that the ensuing lawsuit was an “end-run” around First Amendment protections for journalists.

The resulting show received high ratings. Food Lion claimed $2.3 billion in damages.

Dale went on to do award-winning undercover reporting in several other cases. She worked for Dateline NBC, investigating fraud at a national child modeling company. She followed a paper trail of records to pursue an investigation of State Farm Insurance.

In the end, Food Lion’s handling of the case seemed expensive and counter-productive to Dale.

“Food Lion had spent $8 million to pursue a case that kept their name associated with rancid meat for years to come,” Dale said.

Ceppos donned the sandwich board shortly after noon Thursday in front of the Joe Crowley Student Union.

While Ceppos attracted some attention, a hefty-voiced Girl Scout shouting, "Cookies! Cookies!" stole the show.

Read more Journalism Week coverage and see the schedule at the J-Week Web site.

By Robin Bigda and Jennifer Luna



After two days in a “think tank,” more than a dozen media professionals  leaked ideas about the future of journalism Thursday at the University of Nevada, Reno. The audience listened to three possible business models that could increase public engagement with the news.

“We had to change our questions from what is journalism and why it is important to what do people want and what do people need,”  Alex Grishaver, an IDEO senior interaction designer, said.

With guidance from the innovative design firm IDEO, leaders of various media organizations from across the country revealed their ideas about what the journalism business may look like in 10 years.

“Journalism desperately needs to redefine itself,” said David Calvert, UNR journalism graduate and freelance photographer. “If journalism doesn’t start looking toward the future and redefine their business models, a competitor will swoop in and beat them out. The best way is to beat ourselves to it.”

During the brainstorming, ideas ranged from tame to the outlandish.
The first business model presented was based on partnerships with companies such as Starbucks and Wal-Mart. The focus of this plan would be to encourage people to engage in news by blogging, writing and participating in their community.

Customers would receive a card from the company and use it to access online media. Points would be earned for time spent viewing the news and exchanged for goods.

The second business model, MyMinutes.com, revolved around the premise of a person choosing how much time they want to spend with the news each day. One could download the news to an iPod, print a PDF, get six minutes of Twitter updates a day or get messages sent to  on Facebook.
Points would be received for participation. People may go to MyMinutes because they want to get enough points for a meeting with the mayor, but they are still actively participating in the community while doing it.


Jay Balagna, assistant news editor for the Nevada Sagebrush, questioned this model’s effectiveness.
“My only concern with this model is that it may trivialize news,” Balagna said.

A third business model was based on the idea that anyone can be a journalist. It uses citizen journalism without putting professionals out of work. Professional journalists can contract themselves out for stories when needed but every citizen can be a part of the news.

“This model allows the community to identify meaningful news and address problems that need reporting,” said Mike Higdon,  a Reynolds School of Journalism student.

Professional journalists might not be reporting for a living in this model. They would be training the community and doing freelance work for supplemental income.

The panel encouraged students to care about the future of journalism and to think about it in new and innovative ways.

“We wanted to shake you out of your normal trajectory,” said Dwayne Spradlin of InnoCentive.com.  “We want to knock you out of your traditional orbit.”

He didn't spare the gory details: newspapers closing. Weeklies gasping for breath.

"What are they going to call Newsweek?" asked Alan Mutter, creator of the popular blog Reflections of a Newsosaur. "News-every-other-week?"

For Mutter, no newspapers have faced the challenge of changing times in any useful way.

"They're all doing terribly," he said.

But now that "Voice-of-God" journalism is dead, new ways of engaging audiences, communities and citizens in conversations are possible. People will always want news.

Journalism itself is far from dead, Mutter said.

"It's like so alive," he said. "It's like so well. It's like such a great time to be a journalist."

At his blog, Mutter describes himself as "perhaps the only CEO in Silicon Valley who knows how to set type one letter at a time, just like his hero, Benjamin Franklin."

He's worked at the Chicago Daily News, the Chicago Sun-Times and the San Francisco Chronicle. He left the newspaper business in 1988 work with pioneering Internet service providers and enterprise-software companies. Mutter now is a Managing Partner of Tapit Partners, which develops new media technologies.

More journalism week coverage here.

By Justin Lawson

With reporting by Donica Mensing

The future of investigative journalism -- not to mention traditional newspaper and television reporting -- may be uncertain.

But the need for news remains the same. That's why students pursuing a career in journalism should train themselves as independent thinkers, askers of questions and masters of story-telling.

"The core skills of an investigative reporter will remain the same: gather information, find it, talk to people, that's the same," said Robert Rosenthal at a panel Monday. " How you tell the story will be different. You'll have to master multiple forms, including words. You can still have tremendous impact with the right kinds of stories. Yes, you can make a living at it. Don't give up."

Rosenthal, along with investigative journalists Charles Shepard and Clark Hoyt, told their stories Monday at the Joe Crowley Student Union to kick off Reynolds School's Journalism Week.

In an interview before the event, Rosenthal listed the tools of his trade as a pen, notebook and Scotch tape.

The pen to write and the notebook to write in. The Scotch tape went on the hood of his car.

Each morning when he walked to his car to check the tape, he looked to see if it was whole or if it had been broken. Whole meant he could start his car without a problem. Broken meant he could start his car, but it might be for the last time.

Rosenthal has worked stories with so much importance that he was once forced to worry about his own life, living in fear that someone would plant a bomb in his car.

Life as an investigative journalist can be daunting, as Rosenthal found out, but it can also be rewarding.

“There are different challenges to investigative journalism,” Rosenthal said. “(Including) developing sources--someone tells you something and then you prove it. There are challenging ones where you might face physical harm and there are challenging ones where you really want to get documents. And there’s some where you want to get all of those elements. The other huge challenge is you want to be accurate.”

Rosenthal was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for his work in Africa and was an editorial assistant for the New York Times’ coverage of the Pentagon Papers.

Hoyt, public editor for the New York Times, receives and answers questions or comments from readers and the public, principally about articles published in the paper. Previously he was Knight Ridder's vice president/news from 1993-99. And from 1999 until the sale of Knight Ridder, he was Washington editor, with responsibility for the Washington bureau and the editorial operations of Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.

Among Shepard’s notable work is his coverage on Jim Bakker, a televagelist who was later indicted for mail fraud and wire fraud.
He likened investigative journalism to an onion.

“It’s like a series of rings,” he said. “You work on the outer rings without the guy in the middle knowing.”

Shepard used the tactic often in his coverage of Bakker. The Charlotte Observer was on the verge of dropping the story before it was even completed, but by working on the fringes Bakker got worried. His lawyer called the Observer and said if it didn’t publish the story it could have a one-on-one interview with Bakker. That one phone call kept the story alive.

“I had been telling PTL (the group ran by Bakker) that we were going to publish this story,” Shepard said. “That put pressure on them and even though I had problems with my boss, we ended up winning the chess game because they couldn’t see what was going on.”

All of these quality stories couldn’t have been possible without what Hoyt sums up in five words: “Be open-minded and skeptical.”

For more Journalism Week coverage, visit our JWeek Web site.

But the need for a court information officer to navigate the tricky space between the press and the judge remained the same.

"The basics in handling high-profile cases are the same now as they were then," said Jerriane Hayslett, the Los Angeles court information officer who negotiated press relations for Simpson's trial in Los Angeles. "The media should get the story. And the court needs to function to ensure a fair trial."

Hayslett, author of "Anatomy of a Trial," spoke about court reporting and media relations March 4 as part of the Reynolds School's Journalism Week. She recommended that students who want to cover courts as journalists become familiar with every aspect of a trial. They should know where the prosecutor and the defendants sit. They should know that they aren't allowed to interview jurors.

Students interested in media relations can also acquire skills that don't change with technological trends. Be available. Have an open-door policy. Provide timely updates. Have respect for the media representatives and their jobs. Maintain good relationships with the judges.

The 1995 Simpson trial was a media "tsunami," Hayslett recalled. Simpson was acquitted of the murders Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman, which wasn't surprising but was "shocking," she said.

When Simpson was arrested in Las Vegas in 2007, for a long list of felonies including robbery, kidnapping and conspiracy, the media circus had changed.

"If L.A. was the 'trial of the century,'" said Mike Sommermeyer, court information officer for Clark County Courts, "then the trial in Vegas was the hangover."

At first, media attention ran high. "Nevada was going to get him," Sommermeyer said.

But by the time Simpson went to trial, the public had waned.

"Nevada didn't have a sympathetic blond or an aspiring actor," Sommermeyer said. "Just a bunch of buddies stealing from some other guys ... It was Ocean's Eleven gone wrong."

Simpson was found guilty. He's serving a sentence in Lovelock Correctional Center in Northern Nevada.

By Jeff Mosier

Former presidential photographer and White House photo director Eric Draper photographed President George W. Bush nearly every day of his presidency. Draper will recount his days as the President’s personal photographer as part of J-Week, sponsored by the Donald W. Reynolds School of Journalism.
    “There have been so many important moments over the last eight years,” Draper said in an email interview this week. “It’s been fascinating to me as a photojournalist to watch the history and background of those photos evolve as time passes.”
Draper will speak at 9 a.m. Friday, March 6 at the Joe Crowley Student Union Theater. Also, as an AP photographer, Draper has shot some of history’s most memorable moments, including the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney and the Kosovo conflict.
    Much of J-Week focused on the future of journalism and the emergence of new media. Draper, now unemployed, said that photojournalists are feeling the effects of the struggling news industry.
    “I hear nothing but bad news from my colleagues as I re-enter the job market,” he said. “Keeping up with the changing technology and diversity of skills is the key.”
Draper is in the middle of moving to New Mexico and looking for a new job. He said he enjoys having more personal time and loves the opportunity to share his photographs and stories of the past eight years.
“Covering the President’s international travel is by far my favorite assignment,” he said. “I have been to more than 70 countries around the world aboard Air Force One. You just can’t beat it.”

"Learn from the pros using interactive media in journalism, education, government and communications," says Aisha O'Brien, conference coordinator.

The event is 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Reynolds School of Journalism, UNR campus. Registration is $10 for students; $25 for the public. The fee includes lunch, snacks and a chance to network with the pros. 

Panels and workshops include:

• Guy Johnson, 50 Terrific Twitter Tools and Tips in 50 Minutes

Do you use Twitter?  If so, come see a variety of Twitter-related online tools to enhance your Twitter experience and add-value to your tweets.  Some of these you may be familiar with; some of these you will not have seen before.  This session is open to all levels of Twitter familiarity.  Let’s Tweet!

• Mike Henderson, Intro to Podcasting

I will share my experience and observations on Audio and Video Podcasting and discuss ways to create content and market to your audience. creative: what makes good podcast content, technical: video, sound, and editing, marketing and distribution: what tools to use to get your podcast seen and discussed by as many people as possible.

• Colin Loretz, Create Your Own Widgets Using Adobe Flex

Do you have an idea for a cool widget or application? Learn how Adobe Flex can be used to develop your own widgets that run on the web, desktop, and flash-enabled handheld devices. No prior experience is necessary. Download a trial version of Flex to follow along during the workshop.

• Marcel Levy, Data-driven Web Publishing without A Programmer

Databases have always been as important as other content online, but they have been hard for the average user to publish, let alone curate. Watch as an experienced software developer gives up all his sophisticated tools and publishes data using nothing more than simple, freely available web applications. We’ll show that it’s possible for an average person to clean, visualize and share data online without involving a programmer.

• Michelle Montoya, How to Engage Your Classroom Community Using Interactive Media

This session will address how students view curriculum and what can be done to include interactive media in an effort to increase students’ interest and knowledge in any given subject area. By adapting the technology that is available, teachers can learn how to enhance their skill sets and increase their knowledge in other areas. This will help you to learn how to tune them in before they tune you out.

For more on the line-up of speakers and events, visit the Nevada Interactive Media Web site.


 

The scholarship is open to all UNR Reynolds School of Journalism majors studying at a USAC Specialty program during the 2009-10 academic year.

Eligible programs are Chile, China, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, England: London(summer), France, Germany, Ghana (summer), India (summer, USAC spring), Ireland (summer), Italy, Mexico and Spain.

Please see the attached application form. More program information and applications are available at usac.unr.edu or simply stop by the Central Office in the Virginia Street Gym, room 5.

We hope you take advantage of this unique opportunity at UNR.

The first thing you notice about Jett Chapman, a cartoonist for the Nevada Sagebrush, is his good-natured curiosity about the world. Well, maybe that’s the second thing, after the gauges in his ears and the tattoos down his forearms.  But it is his wide-eyed optimism and general aura of well-being that really draw you in.
    Chapman, 24, a junior at UNR, is majoring in journalism with a minor in digital media.
    Raised in Bishop, Calif., Chapman is happy to be in Reno, feeding his natural curiosity –  he would call it nosiness -- about the diverse lifestyles here.
    “In Bishop, you don’t see bums and people on the street hallucinating and screaming,” he said, shaking his head with a laugh. “You just don’t see that.”
Chapman chose journalism after drifting through a number of ideas because it was the one thing that stayed with him. He met a Hollywood journalist one summer who went to underground clubs interviewing people – and got paid to do it.
    He began his studies at Cerrocoso Community College in Bishop and then transferred to UNR, which he’d toured at age 19. It took a few years to get to Reno.
    “I turned 23 and I signed up,” he said. “I got financial aid, and when I first got here I was so homesick I wanted to go home.”
    Now he said he loves being in Reno, loves being a journalism major, loves digital and analog media and loves his work as the cartoonist/illustrator for the Nevada Sagebrush.
    An artist from an early age, Chapman has been able to turn his life-long habit of drawing in class into a successful college career.
    “I used to get kicked out of class and have my drawings confiscated because I wouldn’t put them away,” he laughs.
    Choosing digital media as a minor seems as natural to Chapman as breathing.
    “You have to be media savvy,” he said. “I’m learning how to use Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Coral Painter. All on a Mac. Macs are the best – I’ll never go back to PCs.”
    Chapman’s ultimate goal is to be a comic book artist.
    “What really got me going was last summer was when I went to San Diego to the Comic Con show,” he said.
    At Comic Con, Chapman got to meet his comic book idols, Ben Templesmith, Steve Niles, the artist for the Thirty Days of Night comics that inspired the hit movie by the same name, and Sara Wilkinson, artist for the Star Wars comics. He’s still awestruck.
    “I got to shake their hands and get autographs,” he said.
    This summer, Chapman plans to attend Comic Con again. He bought a four-day pass and plans to take his art portfolio with him to show to publishers in the hopes of getting a job.
    Chapman recently purchased a couple of original Sara Wilkinson paintings on E-Bay. And in his trademark style, he is thrilled with it.
    “It’s an actual work of art!” he said. “You can see brush strokes and pencil lines.”
    While that might seem a little at odds with a digital media minor, Chapman said he likes mixing analog art with digital.
    “Art is something you can see,” he said. “It’s much more personal when you can see brush strokes and pencil marks – someone worked on it.”
    But, he said, using digital media makes a finished product look better in a printed format.
    “Ben Templesmith is one of my idols because he sketches his work, shades it, colors it, then he scans it to add to it digitally.”
    During winter break, Chapman got a chance to work first-hand with Ken Hooper, the original artist for Aqua Man and Primal Force comics.
    “He’s working on a six comic book series,” he said. “I helped him ink and draw and we critiqued each other’s work.”
    Chapman plans to graduate in December 2010. After graduating, he wants to travel to Danvers, Mass., to visit the Danvers State Insane Asylum, 18 miles northeast of Boston.
    “I’m kind of a historian,” he said. “I’m into hospitals and insane asylums. I’ve got stuff from the 1800s. The Danvers asylum is a beautiful building and it’s got this cool cemetery.”
    Chapman said he likes to imagine what a place would be like back in past eras.
    “I like to think how their lives were back then, what it looked like without cars…maybe candles flickering in the windows,” he said.
    As he talked, he might have been planning  visuals in digital comic book form.
    Now, that’s art.

The “two political titans,” as they were referred to by moderator Robin Joyce, dissected the performance of candidates, parties and the media at a panel discussion held by the Reynolds School on Feb. 10.

The Jim Joyce Endowment for Political Communications sponsors the annual panel discussion of politics and media. This year’s topic: “The Historical Presidential Election of 2008.”

Nevada columnist Jon Ralston tossed out the first question: What happened to McCain’s campaign?

Rogich said that McCain’s struggling efforts were complicated by the media’s fawning coverage of Obama, who was made to seem Christ-like.

“They were too far out in their adulation [of Obama],” Rogich said. “The media portrayed John McCain in a different light. They vilified him.”

Rogich said campaign strategists met with The New York Times to discuss stories the McCain campaign felt were “flat-out false.”

“And they would not correct it,” Rogich said. Later he added of the Times: “The problem is that it’s the Bible.”

Rogich lauded The Wall Street Journal’s recent improvements. But overall, he said, Election 2008 was an bad moment in journalistic history.

"The press was preconceived in its notion that this man should be president and did everything to help him," Rogich said.

Bryan attributed Obama’s success to Internet fundraising, the campaign’s “politics of reconciliation” as an antidote to Bush strategist Karl Rove’s “politics of division” and changing demographics in the United States.

“The Republican Party had very little to offer the new demographic,” Bryan said.

The unpopularity of President Bush hurt McCain. And strategists might have been better served by recalling the strategy used to help Ronald Reagan in 1980 – “Let Reagan be Reagan.”

“I don’t think they ‘Let McCain be McCain’,” Bryan said.

Then along came the choice of Sarah Palin as McCain’s running mate.

“Frankly, I was against him picking Sarah Palin,” Rogich said. “Though she is articulate, bright and determined, she was just too much for the American people to take in in one fell swoop.”

Rogich argued that Palin should not be rolled out onto the national stage until she'd grown accustomed to handling media on a smaller, more controlled level.

“I said, ‘Let the media follow her and she can give them 10 minutes’,” Rogich said. His advice went unheeded. Palin didn’t fare well with the likes of ABC anchor Charles Gibson.

“Charlie Gibson wanted to let his colleagues know how tough he was,” Rogich said, adding this was out of character for Gibson. “He wanted to be a star … He made her look bad. He was disrespectful.”

The pair discussed bipartisan efforts – or the lack thereof – on the federal economic stimulus package and Nevada’s economy. Both agreed that new sources of revenue are needed to address the state’s growing population and budget shortfalls.

“I think we’re going to have to face the fact that essential services need the resources to do the job,” Bryan said. “Without this, the future of the state is not bright.”

To Reynolds School Dean Jerry Ceppos, the night’s event was an instructive and provocative look at the interdependent roles of media and politics.

“These are the intersections that keep our government honest and educate us about our cities, states and country,” Ceppos said.

Journalism student Cristen Drummond, 19, said the dialogue reinforced things she’s been learning about law-making in her political science class.

“They’re so well-informed,” she said. “I liked hearing their opinions on things.”

Loic Boucheny, a French student studying journalism at the Reynolds School, said he’s been following the historic U.S. election. He attended a rally during last year’s campaign and was impressed by Obama’s skill and confidence as a speaker.

“He spoke for 20 minutes without looking at his notes,” Boucheny said, adding that Obama warmed the UNR audience up by referring to a recent sports event with UNLV.

Getting positive press may have contributed to Obama's win, Boucheny said, agreeing with Rogich.

“That helped but I don’t think it’s what made the real difference,” he said. “Obama has the ability to appeal to the modern U.S. citizen.”

Earlier in the day, Bryan spoke to journalism students about a range of topics from the country's failing infrastructure to the weak energy policy that threatens its future.

Harnessing renewable energy is the key challenge of the time, Bryan said, warning students that their futures depend on it.

Bryan warned against trying to save the state financially by welcoming the nuclear waste dump at Yucca Mountain and said there is no "pot of gold at the end of the nuclear rainbow."

The annual Joyce event brings to campus "knowledgeable national experts who are able to discuss national issues to our students,” Professor Warren Lerude, who organizes the annual event, said. “This year we are interested in creating a forum to help students understand how the dialogue between the media and the politicians works.”
Lerude said the forum is one facet in the Reynolds School’s efforts both to observe trends and pave the way for innovation in the contemporary media landscape.

Named for Jim Joyce, a renowned Nevada lobbyist who managed more than 300 political campaigns, the forum engages students in discussions with seasoned political movers and shakers annually.

Bryan, a former Nevada governor and U.S. senator who first exercised his political muscles as a UNR student body president, is a shareholder at Lionel, Sawyer & Collins and a member of the firm’s executive committee. His practice focuses on government relations at the federal, state and local levels, particularly in the area of public land use issues.

Rogich, a Reynolds School alumnus, is the president of The Rogich Communications Group, a national and international business facilitator, public relations, and crisis management firm. He founded Las Vegas-based R&R Advertising and has been closely involved with Las Vegas marketing for more than 30 years.

Rogich served as a strategist with Ronald Reagan for eight years, George W. Bush Senior for four years and with John McCain during his presidential campaign.

“This event encourages students and the community to participate in analysis of the inner workings of politics and media, which both fascinated and inspired my father’s lifelong career,” said Robin Joyce, chair of the Jim Joyce Endowment in Political Communications and chair of the Reynolds School Dean’s Council.

“We hope that this event helps students and members of the community appreciate Nevada’s rich and enduring legacy of political influence and media education and experience,” Joyce said. “The Reynolds School is integral to training journalists to cover political milestones, none more important in decades than the most recent election.”

He continued questioning students:

"What makes the lede powerful and intense?"

"They're talking about murder," another student offered.

"I've read boring murder stories," Coltrain said. "In this, the writer lays out the charge -- gets to the heart of the matter. … How many of you are interested in hard news?"

About three students raised their hands.

"No wonder the industry is in trouble," Coltrain said, sotto voce. "Hard news. That's a place you can make a difference." Pause. "Who's interested in arts and entertainment?"

Many more hands went up.

Students from nine urban and rural high schools in northern Nevada and California attended the event along with a dozen middle school students from Swope Middle School in Reno.

“I loved it,” said Austin Walker, a junior at Fernley High School. “I need to know what courses to take now to major or minor in journalism. I have already applied for acceptance here.”

The student chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists holds Journalism Day each year in order to identify and encourage the next generation of talented journalists, explained Amy Beck, SPJ president at UNR.

"It definitely serves as a recruiting tool," Beck said. "And it gives students more of a hands-on experience."

Keynote speaker Karl Grubaugh, Dow Jones Fund national high school newspaper adviser of the year, opened the event with a look at the field's past and future.

“There’s no doubt that journalism has changed over the years,” Grubaugh said alluding to social networking and electronic communication tools. “Student journalists – whatever the medium – produce quality work that commands respect and attention.”

McQueen junior Geoff Hull enjoyed a writing contest in which student interviewed UNR leaders including Joe Crowley about a fake news event. In this case, the story involved a faux university plan to address needed budget cuts by replacing computers with typewriters and holding classes by candlelight.

"It was cool," Hull said. "We had to write a story about basically taking UNR back to the Dark Ages."

McQueen High student Brian Grove, 16, agreed that the writing contest was fun but also strange.

"It was weird writing about stuff that's not really happening," Grove said.

Senior Jacquelyn Kenny, 17, enjoyed Coltrain's lede-writing workshop.

"It was fun and engaging," she said. "He made a lot of jokes, and he was being helpful and friendly."

Added Caitlin Kemper, 17: "You could tell he really loves what he's doing."

“I knew it would be fun,” Lindquist said. “I enjoy working with a team that includes all the different levels of the journalism school. I like doing types of reporting that are different from the traditional print journalism 102 course.”
Lindquist, a sophomore with no media production background, learned to record and edit audio during the Reynolds School’s live coverage of Election 2008 in November.
“I got a compliment from [assistant professor] Bob Felten,” Lindquist said. “So I thought I’d do it again.”
On the evening of Jan. 20, faculty and students recreated the newsroom atmosphere that they’d last convoked to provide live election coverage. Tables were littered with pizza-stained plates, newspapers, cameras and Coke cans. Students conducted live interviews with Renoites who’d traveled to Washington, D.C., or who were studying abroad.

Ceppos edited copy. Associate professor Donica Mensing posted audio, photo and video files to the Internet site built for the evening’s work. Paul Mitchell coached Lindquist on her audio introduction. Bob Felten helped students consider stories and sources.
“I’m here because Donica told me to be,” he said, laughing. "But really, because we’re a journalism school. We should be giving students a chance to do journalism.”
Felten also tapped the event’s import to provide fodder for students in his Introduction to Advertising and Public Relations class. Students were required to attend a broadcast of Obama’s speech at the student union. Felten asked them to observe the audience and write an essay on the speech as a form of persuasion.
“Students I talked with were excited that this was the way we started the semester,” Felten said. “I want them thinking about these things.”

Some student work gathered during the day was posted online in the evening, including stories written by beginning journalism students in their first writing course.
Lindquist said that although it took her a couple of hours to gather and edit the audio, she'd worked more quickly than she had in November. Audio editing is a skill taught in Journalism 204, a class she had not yet taken.
Lindquist said she hopes to provide audio for future Reynolds School projects.
“Next time, it’ll probably only take me an hour,” she said.
Ceppos was pleased with the students’ commitment and the level of their work.
“This is the kind of thing we should be doing more often,” he said.

The image posted above is from Dailey's class on interactive game design for journalists. The simple game, involving placing states on a map in order of the number of each state's electoral votes, can be played here.

“Nevada’s already a state known for gaming,” Dailey said. “We hope to put that expertise to use in new ways, helping people to understand their government or their environment better. Play is one of the most powerful learning tools.”
Dailey, who has taught interactive game design to journalism students, joins computer science professor and evolutionary computing specialist Sushil Louis and associate art professor Joe DeLappe, whose online “dead-in-Iraq” project received national media attention.

“If you think about it, how different can you get?” Dailey said. “When we say ‘design’ we all mean something different. But frankly, we’re having a blast doing this and finding strengths by working through our differences.”
The Reynolds School will receive $10,000 and another $10,000 will be awarded to UNR’s computer science and engineering department. A third grant for UNR’s art department is pending.
The funds for developing the interactive game curriculum come from the Nevada NASA Space Grant Consortium. The group’s mission is to support Nevada university students, faculty and research in the science, technology, engineering and mathematic fields, said Leone Thierman, program coordinator.
One of the key factors in deciding to fund this project was the collaboration between the three fields.
“They’re creating interdisciplinary applications, involving students from different backgrounds and collaborating on a project that could have implications for space science,” Thierman said.
DeLappe’s work to date includes online gaming performance, electromechanical installation and real-time web-based video transmission. His efforts were featured in the exhibition Gameworld in Gijon, Spain. In 2008, he created “Reenactment: The Salt Satyagraha Online,” using a customized treadmill to walk his Second Life avatar, MGandhi, 240 miles in 26 days in the popular online game.
Louis’s projects include the study of computer programs that model human decision-making – a research area with applications in video game design. In 2006, Louis organized a symposium on computational intelligence in games.
Dailey, formerly a multimedia producer for MSNBC Interactive, frequently speaks to national media leaders about the potential of interactive games as useful journalistic tools.
“It’s great to see three disparate departments working together in a brand new field,” said journalism dean Jerry Ceppos. “I can’t imagine that many journalism schools get NASA grants.”

When:

6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20

Students meet in RSJ 202 to plan stories, form teams and cover news. Pizza and soda provided. The dean will be there as managing editor, helping with story assignments and editing. Everyone is welcome.

Start preparing now:

If you know of anyone attending the inauguration or holding inauguration parties in Nevada, find out if you/we could contact them for eyewitness accounts and interviews. If you know any students overseas with USAC or other programs who could send us their eyewitness accounts of celebrations in other countries, that would be a terrific addition to the coverage. Bring your contact info Tuesday night, or send it along beforehand. You are also invited to email us photos, stories, videos, interviews, blurbs, posts, interesting observations during the day.

Questions? Contact Bob Felten (b8felten@unr.edu) or Donica Mensing (dmensing@unr.edu).

Students participating in a similar project created the Reynolds School's Election 2008 Web site. That night, a team of students and faculty from the Reynolds School of Journalism turned a computer lab into an impromptu working newsroom, attending local events, shooting video and even interviewing Reno students studying abroad in Chile.

That night, a makeshift live audio show materialized in one corner of the newsroom, while faculty edited stories and kept an eye on the T.V. beaming through a computer projector in another corner. Four video teams checked out election parties and individual reporters scattered across campus and city to report on the historic election.

The resulting Web site displays the products of an energetic evening of reporting, producing and publishing.

The conference was funded by a generous grant from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation and was co-sponsored by the Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada-Reno.

A summary of the proceedings follows. A more comprehensive report of the conference, along with video highlights from the participants, will be available in February.

CONFERENCE SUMMARY

When Bob Dylan wrote “Ballad of a Thin Man” in the 1960s, he was trying to capture the bewilderment many felt in trying to comprehend the disruptions of the status quo in those turbulent times.  The song’s refrain was a plaintiff “You know something is happening, but you don’t know what it is, do you, Mr. Jones?”

Forty years later, that refrain is applicable again as society wrestles with the rapid and pervasive changes brought on by technological advances.  Most evident in the media, the impact of technology has a ripple effect on our judicial system as well. Because both our courts s and media require the public’s trust and confidence if they are to succeed in their public service roles in our democracy, the Reynolds National Center for Courts and Media held a national conference to examine both the impacts and ways both institutions may cope with trust issue in light of the technology changes.

KEYNOTE
The swirling technology
Because the conference was designed to go beyond the traditional lecture and panel format, the opening session was a discussion between Mitch Ratcliff, a technology journalist, media consultant and blogger in Tacoma, Washington and the audience at the conference.  Using the video technology, Mr. Ratcliffe spoke from Tacoma while veteran broadcast media Consultant Peter Shaplen moderated the session with the participants from the audience speaking with via visual teleconferencing.  Much of the discussion centered on how online journalists gain the public’s acceptance as traditional media grapple with retaining their audiences.  Meanwhile, Mr. Shaplen suggested that the courts will need to take a more direct role in telling their stories on their own web sites, rather than relying on traditional media as filters.

***

Media convergence and the public’s trust:  Veteran journalist Pam Johnson, executive director of the Reynolds Journalism Institute at the University of Missouri, lead a discussion with federal Judge Marilyn Huff of San Diego and Cathleen Flahardy, editor of Inside Counsel magazine, on the impact bloggers and other online journalists are having on the public’s confidence in – or skepticism of – the traditional media.  The discussion with the audience often revolved around the problem of what online sources can be relied upon for factual accuracy, behind the commentary.

***

Changes in the courts:  Retired Judge William Dressel, president of The National Judicial College, moderated a panel of Mississippi Supreme Court Justice James Graves, who brought the first high-tech courtroom in his state, and Robert Roper, division director for Judicial Business Integrated with Technology Services for the Colorado Judiciary, on the subject of technology changes in the court system. Designed to acquaint journalists in the audience with how courts are moving from the traditional paper files and in-person hearings to video hearing and electronic files, the discussion examined both the benefits and the drawbacks of the changes.  This included length discussions about the concerns of individual privacy in court filings.

***


Changes in the media:  Dean Jerry Ceppos, at the Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada-Reno served as moderator of a discussion that focused the severe decline in audiences of traditional media. Joined by Judy Nadler, senior fellow for government ethics at the Markkula Center at Santa Clara University, and Hugo Balta, vice president of the National association of Hispanic Journalists and vice president of news and news director of WNJU Telemundo 47 in the New York Metropolitan area, Dean Ceppos outlined the drastic drop in newspaper circulation, newspaper stock values and the resulting cutbacks on editorial staff.  Much of this discussion included ways traditional media are seeking ways to shift to the online media audiences.

***

Break-out groups:  To enable participants to share with their professional colleagues what technology changes they were experiencing, three break-out sessions were organized for judges, for journalists and for court administrative personnel.

Impact on judicial ethics – Federal Judge Richard Jones of Seattle, Washington, led a discussion among judges about the difficulties of reacting to online criticism of the courts and individual judge

Impact on journalism ethics – Lucy Dalglish, executive director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, met with journalists to focus on the seeming absence of even voluntary guidelines for ethical reporting and commentary on the Web.  A lingering question was whether the “anything goes” format of online reporting is spilling over into a decline in public confidence in traditional media since many newspapers and broadcast media invite public reaction without editing the public’s sometimes outrageous viewpoints.

Court outreach efforts in light of media changes – David Sellers, communications director for the U.S. Administrative Office of the Courts, led a discussion with state and local court public information officers and court administrators on ways in which the court might use the new technologies to reach out to the public.  The question is whether the online efforts can help improve the public’s understanding of how courts operate and why judicial independence is critical in a democracy.

***

Business models for the future:  Joshua Ross, a consultant on digital business strategy for O’Reilly Media in Sebastopol, California, presented a comprehensive view of the opportunities both the courts and media have in light of the changes.  Using examples of companies around the world that shifted gears to their benefit, Ross challenged both the courts and traditional media to look at their operations and processes in new lights.

***
Text, Lies and Videotape:  Paul Anger, editor of the Detroit Free Press, was the featured dinner speaker at the conference, and, with the aid of several slides, provided fascinating detailed about the extensive work that his paper engaged in to root out the truth that led to the downfall of Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.  Additionally, Mr. Anger took questions on the future of newspapers in a changing world.

***
The Virtual Courtroom:  Joseph Sawyer, distance learning and technology manager for The National Judicial College Judicial College, moderated a mock hearing  session where the judge, the prosecutor, and defense counsel all were in separate locations to provide the a participants with a view of the courts of the future.   Then, leading the discussion with the audience, Mr. Sawyer drew out observations that the while technology might enable distance hearings and, and thus save security costs in transferring prisoners to court, there also are drawbacks that would suggest this approach should be used sparingly.

***
Blogs and their impacts:  Dr. Donica Mensing of the Reynolds School of Journalism, was joined by Robert Cox, president of the Media Bloggers Association, Judge Susan Criss of Galveston, Texas, who is one of the few judges in the U.S. with her own blog, and Edward Adams, editor and publisher of the ABA Journal, who revamped the magazine to include a daily news synopsis that includes links to legal blogs.  While there was much discussion about the “wild, wild west approach” of some bloggers, there also was acknowledgement that many serious bloggers are providing a valuable watchdog service alerting the public to information affecting their lives.  Additionally, the discussion included views on where blogging was headed, but no consensus was reached.

***
Is it time for regulating the media?:  Gary Hengstler, director of the Reynolds National Center for Courts and Media, was joined by Professor David Hazinski of the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia, and Peter Scheer, director of the California First Amendment Coalition, to discuss whether the sweeping impact of online commentary suggests a rethinking of the traditional First Amendment freedoms of speech and press.  While no one felt the freedoms now enjoyed should be reduced, many participants acknowledged a degree of discomfort at the use of Internet commentary that often exceeds any boundaries of decency or good taste.

Luna, a senior in the advertising sequence, competed against 138 entrants and earned a $500 award, which is affectionately known as the Pulitzer Prize of college journalism.

Luna’s story about Reno couple Paul and Joan Scafidi, who learned to pilot a single engine aircraft in search of solace following their sons’ death in an auto accident on the Mt. Rose Highway in Dec. 2001, was published in The Reno News & Review last June. <Read the story>

“Jenny’s story was a stellar piece of work,” said D. Brian Burghart, editor of the Reno News & Review.

A mutual friend introduced Luna to the couple and her interviews with them unfolded over a couple of months.

“I connected with them, and it became easy to tell their story,” Luna said. “Before I wrote this, I thought that journalism was more about spot reporting. I learned that journalism could tell deeply moving stories.”

She completed the 2,000 + word story for Deidre Pike’s magazine article writing class. Pike believed the story was an award-winner and encouraged Luna to submit it to Hearst.

Luna credits Reno High School newspaper adviser, the late Dan Halcomb, with motivating her to write.

“He always encouraged me and made me feel that I could be a great reporter,” Luna said. “Getting my start there helped me to know what I wanted to do in college.” 

Luna anticipates that she will graduate in 2009 and is considering a future as a travel writer She double majored in Spanish and spent a semester in Chile with the University Studies Abroad Consortium.

“There are so many things that I can do with my degree,” Luna said. “I love to travel and I would enjoy living abroad. This award has helped me appreciate that I can succeed by writing professionally.”

The Hearst Journalism Awards Program offers monthly competitions during the academic year to encourage excellence in journalism and journalism education. The Reynolds School anticipates that students will enter every category in the print competition in 2008-09.

Story by Zanny Marsh, Director of Special Projects
Reynolds School of Journalism

The Donald W. Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada, Reno has received a $2 million grant to endow a faculty chair, The Donald W. Reynolds Chair in Business Journalism.

The grant was one of four awarded to three universities by the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation to train students in business journalism. The Reynolds School will focus on teaching students how to cover the emerging “green” economy, which will be built on alternative fuels.

“Our trustees have funded a significant initiative aimed at improving the quantity and quality of business journalism within this country, and this new endowed chair at the Reynolds School of Journalism is an important component of that initiative,” said Fred W. Smith, chairman of the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation.

“The overall initiative provides for a network of Reynolds-funded institutions led by the Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism at Arizona State University to collaborate on increasing the presence of business journalism curriculum on university campuses and also on providing strong training for midcareer journalists faced with the need for better understanding of financial and economic issues.  Certainly, the historic marketplace events of the past year have pointed clearly to the need for this heightened understanding by journalists of these often-complicated issues.”

“All great universities build on great faculty and students,” said Milton Glick, president of the University. “But the Reynolds School also is built on the exceptional support of the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, alumni, families of alums and others. Their support in these tough economic times ensures that quality journalism will continue at the university—and out in the world, where citizens depend on it.”

“The importance of business journalism is obvious when you look at the news of the last few months,” said Jerry Ceppos, dean of the Reynolds School. “It is a complex subject that requires specialized training, which we now can offer thanks to this gift. The focus on the environment will complement our graduate program in environmental journalism. We also plan to work with the 18 centers or departments at the university that deal with the environment.”

As an example of cross-campus relationships, Ceppos said that one of the most important aspects of the gift is the development of a course in “economics for journalists” in the College of Business. “We couldn’t possibly have offered such a targeted course without the active involvement of our business colleagues,” Ceppos said.

In addition to the $2 million endowment, the foundation announced a grant of $211,117 to the Reynolds School to provide support for the first year of the business-journalism program, before the endowment pays out income.

The business-journalism chair is one of five endowed chairs at the Reynolds School. Four have been funded by the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation. In addition to the business chair, they are the Reynolds Chair in Critical Thinking and Ethical Practices, the Reynolds Chair of Media Technology and the Fred W. Smith Chair in Journalism. A new Paul A. Leonard Chair in Ethics and Writing in Journalism also has been announced.

In addition to the chair at the University of Nevada, Reno, the foundation announced new chairs in business journalism at the School of Journalism at the University of Missouri and at the Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. These chairs follow the launch in 1999 of a Donald W. Reynolds Chair in Business Journalism at Washington & Lee University in Virginia.

Chairs at the four universities will cooperate on research about such business-journalism issues as mid-career training of media professionals and development of new curricular concepts to encourage broader business-journalism offerings on campuses across the country. The chairs' collaborative efforts will be overseen by the Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism at Arizona State University, which was created by the foundation in 2003 and charged with inspiring improvement in the quality of business journalism nationwide.

The foundation’s recent grants to improve business journalism totaled $9,753,977 and include a new round of operating support for the national center. The new grants bring to $77 million the amount that the foundation has given through its journalism initiative over the past 10 years. Of that amount, almost $18 million has been targeted at the business-journalism initiative.

The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation is a national philanthropic organization founded in 1954 by the late media entrepreneur for whom it is named. Headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, it is one of the largest private foundations in the United States.

The Reynolds School of Journalism is Nevada’s only accredited journalism school. 

Graduating journalism senior Alix Cirac wrote about her college experience for the University Office of Communications. She concluded:

"...my years as an undergraduate at the University have been amazing. This campus served as the backdrop to so many personal milestones. I turned 18 and voted for the first time. I lost my first love and found another one. I got an F. I studied abroad in Ghana through USAC. I learned the balance between social and academic life (at least I think I did). I got an amazing internship through the Reynolds School of Journalism at the University Media Relations office. I wrote countless papers, took hundreds of tests and learned so much about so much that I can hardly believe it."