Sixty students received scholarships totally more than $103,000 at the Donald W. Reynolds School of Journalism’s annual Savitt Awards Banquet this spring.  Another 12 students were recognized for outstanding work in their specific areas of study with cash awards.

“The event was very inspiring,” Dean Al Stavitsky said.  “The sense of community among the students, donors and faculty underlined what a very special place our school is.  It was also an impressive demonstration of the diverse talents of our students.”  It was Dean Stavitsky’s first Savitt Banquet since assuming his position on April 1. 

Assistant Professor and Graduate Program Director Todd Felts received the Nevada Semenza Christian Award recognizing teaching excellence also presented at the dinner.

Additionally, ten students were inducted into Kappa Tau Alpha, an honor society recognizing academic excellence in Journalism and mass communications.  They were: Jessica Fagundes, Andrew Church, Gianna Cruet, Nicole Rose Dion, Aleesah Herup, Audrey Hill, Tiffany Moore, Catherine Stokes, Brita Voris and Laura Brigham. 

Church also received the Robert Laxalt Distinguished Writer Award, Dion took home the award for outstanding advertising student and Moore was recognized as the outstanding new media student.  

Other students receiving outstanding undergraduate awards were:  Madison Corney in broadcast, Stephen Ward in news, Richard De La Rosa in public relations, Michael Schembri in visual journalism and Nick Claus in strategic communications.  Dana Sullivan Kilroy was recognized as the outstanding graduate student. 

Casey O’Lear received the Lerude First Amendment Award. Amanda Horn received the Steve Martarano Best Published Article Award and Jade Sheldon was recognized for her service to the Journalism School with the Nita Spanger Service Award.

Each scholarship recipient was greeted by Dean Stavitsky while Academic Chair Rosemary McCarthy gave a brief summary of the history behind the individual scholarships. 

“This tradition speaks so eloquently to the strong connection between our school, our alumni and the professions,” Dean Stavitsky said.  “It was simply a wonderful event.” 

An endowment established by Sol and Ella Savitt many years ago underwrites the banquet.  Mrs. Savitt regularly attended until her death at the age of 101 in 2004.  In recent years, the Rev. Jacqueline Leonard has also generously supported the event. 

By Nicole Carlsen 

Kendra Robinson was just looking to make some money during her senior year when she took the assistant producer job at Reno’s KOLO news. 

“I had no idea what that meant but I thought I would make a lot of money because it was in TV,” Robinson said with a laugh. “It was one of those interviews where it seemed like it was the worst interview ever and then he called and offered me the job…then I found out that, no, I wouldn’t make a lot of money.” 

Robinson is a 1999 graduate of the Donald W. Reynolds School of Journalism. She began school with a print emphasis but soon transferred to public relations while maintaining her goal of becoming a newspaper reporter. 

After graduating, Robinson’s hours and pay did not increase so she began waiting tables while she searched for a new job. Eight months later CNN Headline News in Atlanta, Georgia offered her a position. 

“I moved cross country to a place I had never been before,” said Robinson. “It was supposed to be for three years. In my mind I said ‘oh I’ll do this for a few years, it will look good on my resume, then I will go back to local news and probably be a news director by the time I’m 35’ and here I am 13 years later.”

Robinson started at Headline News as a video journalist and quickly was promoted to writer trainee, writer and then senior writer, a position she held, for four years.

“I helped launch a couple shows at headline news, but it changed from being news to Lindsay Lohan and Jonbenet Ramsey and I couldn’t take it anymore so I applied for a job at CNNI,” said Robinson.

Robinson began at CNN International as senior writer and began producer training. 

“I took over a show called BackStory, so I did that for two and a half years and then last week that show got changed from being a daily to a weekly show,” said Robinson.  “I moved again to special projects which is a weekly program, I also produce special and sponsored programing.”

For those looking to get into broadcast Robinson has some advice. 

“Be prepared to not make much money, be prepared to have a stressful schedule a lot of the time and to work on holidays,” said Robinson. “Do it because you like it not because you think it’s glamorous and it’s always fun because it’s not all of the time.” 

Robinson also suggests embracing change, staying up to date on technology, being flexible and remembering that nobody owes you anything. 

“Don’t go in to your internship or job thinking that you earned anything just by being there. Be prepared to do anything they want you to do, even the boring work. We have all been there and done it to get where we are,” Robinson said. “Take every opportunity that you can, learn from anybody that you can because everybody has something to offer.” 

One of Robinson’s biggest regrets?

"When i was in local news I didn't take every advantage to have hands on learning. How to shoot video, how to edit video, because when you get to somewhere like this you can't do that."

By Jillian Stenzel 

Members of the UNR AD Club recently toured San Francisco advertising agencies Draftfcb and Nice Advertising; Sharethrough a high tech, social media company which promotes online video views, and the Miami Ad School.

“By talking to people from these agencies face-to-face, you could tell the places where you think you’d fit in,” said Lauren Hober, UNR Ad Club member. “It reinforced the importance of not just a career, but finding a place where you want to spend your time.” 

Club members carpooled to San Francisco at 5:00 a.m. and ended their day twelve hours later.  “It was a long day but worth it to get an insiders perspective on agency life,” said Kelsey Hand, graduating Ad Club member. 

Lindsey Pastrell, vice president of AD Club, has now planned two annual agency tours for the club. She used ties with the Miami Ad School and her professor Bob Felten to get in touch with San Francisco agencies willing to lend some time to the students. 

“I definitely made valuable connections in the process,” Pastrell said, “It’s nice to meet people in the industry and they’re usually so open with students.”

Next year, Pastrell is hoping to coordinate the agency tour event with students from San Jose State’s Ad Club.  “We think it would be nice to connect our students with people from other schools who hope to be doing the same thing someday,” Pastrell said, “Just to have a kind of meeting where all the students can get together and hangout.”

Heather Cosby, 25, a junior associate at Finn Partners in San Francisco, began her journey as an undergraduate at the Donald W. Reynolds School of Journalism in 2005. She came to the school from Granite Bay, Calif. because of the campus and its proximity to Tahoe.

"I didn't know what I wanted to major in until my second year," Cosby said. "I have always loved writing and had heard that UNR had a great j-school."

Cosby decided not to emphasize in a particular subject so she could take various classes in each area of journalism. She was also able to get some real life experience during outside of the classroom.

"I worked as an account coordinator at Switchback PR in Truckee, which was a great experience," Cosby said. "I also had PR and marketing internships at ski resorts and a non-profit."

Cosby finished her undergrad in August 2009 and despite her growing resume she knew the job market was tough. She had enjoyed school and living in Reno so she decided to continue her education at UNR and applied to the Interactive Journalism M.A. program. She was accepted that spring.

"My cohort was pretty small, only about 9 people, but we all got along really well and enjoyed spending time together off campus as well," Cosby said. "We still try to get together from time to time to catch up. Our professors were really great, and the staff and the j-school is pretty awesome too."

For her final graduate school project Cosby created an interactive website and edited videos to promote Zeb Hogan's National Geographic series, Monster Fish. She received her M.A. from UNR in December 2010 and began the job hunt.

"I applied to jobs for about three months before finding the right one," Cosby said. "I did interviews for several positions that were more marketing oriented than I had wanted, but I eventually found a PR roll at an agency that I was really excited about."

As a junior associate Cosby is responsible for pitching stories, media relations, overseeing coverage reports, coordinating media briefings, social media and more for two of the companies largest accounts, Logitech and Rovi.

"I lived in Truckee for a bit after graduating so it was a big change coming here, adjusting to a loud and crowded city," Cosby said. "It's fun here - I walk everywhere and there are always fun events going on, great restaurants to try and I basically live in little Italy! Some of what I learned in j-school helped prepare me for this job but it's all a learning experience starting out." 

Update: The forum starts at 1 p.m. tomorrow. You can watch the live stream here.  

Graduate students at the University of Nevada, Reno's Donald W. Reynolds School of Journalism will host a live interactive forum at 1 p.m. on May 1., bringing job seekers, job creators and journalists together to inspire innovative thinking and ongoing collaboration about jobs in Northern Nevada.

The forum, which will have participants gathered at the Joe Crowley Student Union Theater, will also feature a Google+ hangout that will allow a small group of jobs experts to talk with community members and students. Anyone who is interested in this event can also watch virtually via live stream or follow the conversation on Twitter at #Jour4Jobs.

The guest panel will include employment experts and community members who will lead a discussion with topics that will include: the changing jobs landscape, entrepreneurial business development, career management, flexible jobs and working arrangements, long-term unemployment and underemployment, and the older unemployed.

"Journalists play an important role in creating interactive communication tools to connect people, so they can share ideas and form new alliances," said Al Stavitsky, dean of the Reynolds School of Journalism. "The forum will demonstrate the power of social media to help people exchange information about finding and creating jobs."

The invited guests include representatives from the Reno Collective, Nevada Arts Council, JOIN/ProNet (non-profit job training agencies), local small business owners and entrepreneurs, FlexJobs (a company that promotes telecommuting employment).  

"The format of this event will highlight new and innovative ways that journalists are working within their communities," said Mike Fancher, a visiting professor and entrepreneurial journalism class instructor. "Today's journalism is not a one-way broadcast; it has the capacity to build communities and connect people." Both graduate and undergraduate students have been studying the topic of jobs for the entire year.

For more information about this event, please contact Mike Fancher at MFancher@unr.edu. 

-----

The Donald W. Reynolds School of Journalism, at the University of Nevada, Reno, is highly regarded within the university and the professional media community of Nevada and around the country. The school boasts six Pulitzer Prize winning graduates and students continue to win national competitions in the areas of strategic communications and news. Enrollment at the school has grown steadily, with approximately 800 undergraduate majors and minors, and 12 master's degree students. 

The University's integrated marketing communications team finished a very close second to a team from the University of California, Berkeley in the regional portion of the National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC) held here on Saturday. UNR's team was complimented by the judges on their strong presentation style. The team is made up of Strategic Communications students from the Donald W. Reynolds School of Journalism and Marketing students from the College of Business. 

The Berkeley team moves on to the national portion of the competition scheduled for early June in Austin, Texas.

Sara Ganim, the first speaker at the recent Journalism Week has won the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for local reporting. Ganim, 24, a reporter at the Patriot-News in Harrisburg, Penn., was awarded the prize for her work on the Penn State University sex abuse scandal prominent in the news for much of 2011 and 2012. Ganim estimates she has written 100 articles about the scandal so far.

She spoke through Skype to open Journalism Week, an annual event of the Donald W. Reynolds School of Journalism.  This year, students were treated to presentations by journalists representing both traditional and new media. Guests included Wright Thompson, an award-winning sports writer for ESPN; Ben Ilfeld, co-founder of the Sacramento Press, an innovative journalism start-up; Rick Shaw, program director and assistant professor in the photojournalism sequence at The University of Missouri, and Barbara Davidson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist and staff photographer at the Los Angeles Times.

Sara Ganim kicked off the week with a visit via Skype. “I was really impressed with her,” said Ben Miller, a junior in the J school’s print sequence who attended Ganim’s talk. “The amount of determination it took for her to get that story, and the fact that she worked for a small town paper…. it was inspiring,” added Miller. For details about Ganim’s talk:

http://www.onanevada.com/2012/03/28/sara-ganim-brings-hard-news-to-j-week/

Her entire presentation is available here: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/j-week-2012

At an informal gathering in the school’s reading room, ESPN writer Wright Thompson, regaled students with tales of his travels as a writer always on the prowl for a good story. In his case, that has meant traveling to the middle of nowhere - Nazareth, Tex. - to write about the isolated town’s high school girls basketball team. It has also meant traveling to the other side of the world, Bangladesh, to follow a superstar Indian cricket player.

“One thing he said that resonated with me was, to be a successful journalist you have to ‘want it more than the person sitting next to you,’” said graduate student Marissa Schwartz.

Ben Ilfeld, whose Sacramento Press is powered by unpaid citizen journalists who work alongside a handful of paid reporters, answered questions from journalism students who were somewhat skeptical about the ideas this non-journalist has about their future opportunities in reporting local news.  

Thompson reprised his role as southern storyteller later that night at the 48th annual Scripps dinner, which was attended by dozens of alumni, graduating Journalism majors and Scripps Scholarship winners. During the dinner, professor Donica Mensing, who had been the school’s interim dean, introduced Alan G. “Al” Stavitsky, the new dean. Stavitsky had arrived in Reno just hours earlier. 

On the last day of J Week, Barbara Davidson, a staff photographer at the Los Angeles Times showed students photos from “Caught in the Crossfire.” The series, which won Davidson a Pulitzer Prize in 2011, tells the stories of families in Los Angeles whose lives have been altered by gang violence. During her visit to UNR, Davidson was presented with the Frank McCulloch Award for Courage in Journalism by the Reynolds School of Journalism.

Also on Thursday, Rick Shaw, director of Pictures of the Year International and a professor at the Reynolds Journalism Institute at the University of Missouri, showed students a slide presentation of what he said his organization considered the best storytelling of 2011.

The guest who most impressed Ben Miller, editor elect of the Nevada Sagebrush, was Ganim. He says any journalist would be wise to follow her advice. “She told us to ‘always look for the bigger picture, always get more than you need,’” recalled Miller. “Allow people to tell you more than what you need to know.” In other words, listening plays a role in good journalism, too. 

Jeff Mosier, 27, originally went to school to become a doctor. The Las Vegas local headed to the University of Nevada, Reno with a Millennium Scholarship and began a biology track.

“I did two or three years on a biology track until I was getting pretty bad grades and I wasn’t liking it,” Mosier said. “I don’t enjoy math. I learned quickly that that’s all biology is.”

He had always enjoyed his high school English classes and decided that journalism might provide better job prospects after graduation than English. He joined the Donald W. Reynolds School of Journalism for his junior year and studied print journalism.

“I started working a little bit at The Sagebrush for a year and had a few stories published,” Mosier said. “In 2008 I did a summer internship at the Las Vegas Review-Journal and I got a few stories published which looking back were pretty awful. I had no idea what I was doing but that was the little bit of experience that I got.” 

The stories he did during his internship couldn’t have been that bad. After graduating in 2009 and sending out resumes to Reno area news outlets while working as a waiter, Mosier decided to move back home.

“I decided that I didn't want to work graveyard as a waiter anymore and I couldn’t get a job in Reno in my profession so I thought I might have a better chance in Las Vegas,” Mosier said. “I moved back without any prospects. I sent a letter to the publisher of the Review and I guess I did all right during my internship. I told them I would do anything and work anywhere. I got the call back and my first day was June 6, 2010. I remember like it was yesterday.”

Mosier is now working for the View section of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. His beat is education; where he covers K-12, post secondary education and any topics relating to students, teachers or the school district. He also fills in where needed. “We had seven reporters that covered 14 different areas of the valley and we lost one of them and they haven’t hired a replacement so I’m just trying to fill in, helping out as much as I can covering any and all topics happening in the southwest part of the valley,” Mosier said. “They went through a round of layoffs last year which has never happened before or at least on that scale.”

Now that he is working in news, Mosier hopes to put a few more years of experience on his resume before searching for a job with a bigger newspaper.

“I have always wanted to write a novel, [but] I don’t know what it would be about,” Mosier said. “I would like to move to a big city like New York, Boston, Seattle or San Francisco and hopefully work a newspaper there for a while.”

Follow Jeff Mosier at @jeffdmosier

And read some of his recent stories:

http://www.lvrj.com/view/there-s-no-place-like-138380629.html

http://www.lvrj.com/view/students-with-disabilities-experience-first-school-dance-140680363.html

Every spring the Reynolds School honors its outstanding students and scholarship recipients at the annual Savitt Awards Banquet. The Nevada Semenza Teaching Award, presented to an outstanding faculty member, also is presented and students, faculty and staff are invited to submit nominations by April 20 to Barbara Trainor.

Nominees should have a record of excellence in–and dedication to–instruction and evidence of effectiveness.

Faculty also should communicate effectively with students; revise and update methods, materials, and technologies; encourage critical thinking and clear writing; create ongoing active classroom learning; and innovate through varied approaches.

The nomination letter should not exceed two pages.

Nevada Semenza Christian graduated in the first class of  journalism majors  at the University in 1924. She was one of five females in the class and the only one of those women to work in the field.  Her family created this award to honor her.

The Savitt Awards Banquet is scheduled for May 8 in the Joe Crowley Student Union Ballroom.

Perseverance and networking through Donald W. Reynolds School of Journalism connections helped Nicole Dion, senior advertising and public relations major, craft her ideal situation as a freelance social media consultant and a social media coordinator and graphic designer for a local public relations firm.

A studio art minor, Dion has been developing her graphic design skills since high school.

“I’m intrigued by the fact that pictures and words can influence people’s decisions,” Dion said. “I think it’s a really powerful thing.”

Social media, on the other hand, is a craft Dion discovered a little less than two years ago. She served as marketing coordinator for Inkblot at ASUN during summer of 2010.

“Part of my job was arranging social media and managing their Twitter,” Dion said. “I noticed that I was progressively slumping off my marketing duties for social media. It was so empowering getting the students involved in that way. I fed off of the energy of their responses.”

When she began an internship with Abbi PR that same summer, Dion expressed her specific interests in social media.

“My internship was unpaid, but I made the most of it,” said Dion. “I came in early and stayed as late as I could. Even though I wasn’t doing exactly what I wanted to do, I figured I would get noticed and possibly move up.”

Three months later, the agency offered her a paid, part-time job doing social media.

“Nicole proved herself capable of learning new things,” Abbi Whitaker, founder of Abbi PR, said. “And if I tell her to do something once, it gets done.”

Dion used her graphic design skills to save her employer valuable resources: time and money.

“I noticed that they were paying outside agencies a ton just to do small design stuff,” Dion said. “I encouraged them to buy an iMac and design software so I could whip out in an hour what they would normally pay a couple hundred bucks for.”

Whitaker followed Dion’s suggestion to keep small design projects in-house. Since then, Dion has essentially set herself up for full time job with Abbi after graduation.

“I don’t think I could make it [my job] any better,” Dion said. “Doing only social media would stifle my creativity and being strictly a designer would place too much pressure on me. This way, I’m able to have the best of both worlds.”

Dion supplements her part-time income with freelance social media work.

“I never intended to do freelance,” Dion said. “One day, I decided that I could help people with social media, so I changed my LinkedIn profile from ‘Student’ to ‘Social Media Consultant,’ not really expecting much to come of it.’”

Dion was pleasantly surprised to see her LinkedIn update paid off.

“Someone called me to help their company decide if they needed social media or not, so I was like, ‘Uh, I guess I have to learn freelance now!”

Whitaker appreciates Dion’s willingness to keep learning.

“Every time I see Nicole, she’s got a different book in her hand about the industry,” Whitaker said. “She’s constantly self-educating, and that’s what you need to do to be successful. Media moves at the speed of light, and if you don’t keep up, you’ll be left in the dark.”

Dion began consulting with Agilent, a subsidiary of Hewlett-Packard. After two months of company research, she created a social media plan and presented Agilent with several options. They then hired someone to implement her plan.

“Agilent was a one time thing, but I have two consistent clients now and a handful of projects here and there,” Dion said.

Dion credits her connections and progress in the field largely to the ties made through the Reynolds School.

“I think because the J-school is such a tight knit community, the connections are so valuable,” Dion said. “Had I been in a huge marketing class, instead of a PR class of 20 people, I would have never gotten to know Jill [Coyle] enough for her to connect me to the internship with Abbi.”

Coyle, a classmate of Dion’s, had done an internship with Abbi and recommended Dion to fill her shoes.

“I worked closely with Nicole over the course of the semester in our PR class and I knew she would work well with Abbi,” Coyle said.

Dion also did some freelance for Alison Gaulden, an adjunct instructor at RSJ, and another member of the Reynolds School’s close community.

Dion is heavily involved with the local professional community through her leadership in the University of Nevada, Reno’s Ad Club. As president, she sees the club as a way to help students, and herself, better connect to the community.

Jenna Hubert, the president before me, really started to get community professionals involved in Ad Club,” Dion said. “I took what she started and kept it rolling. I have been bringing speakers in from around Reno to our club meetings and planning events within the community.”

The Reynolds School of Journalism invites students, practitioners, University faculty and the community to imagine and also to create the industry’s future during its annual Journalism Week. "News that clicks" events began on March 27 and conclude today.

This year’s speakers have shared their personal and professional experiences, optimism and career advice (i.e., read more) and members of the Online News Association are covering the activities in a series of stories and video.

ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine's Wright Thompson came to campus as the keynote speaker at the 48th Annual Scripps Dinner and Lecture, in the Joe Crowley Student Union Theatre, March 28.

Throughout the day Thompson spoke with journalism students about  writing, the value of reading, the importance of learning fundamental skills and how his career aspirations to cover music were abruptly redirected in college by a random assignment to the sports desk.

John Trent, ’87, ’00 M.A., Reynolds School alumnus and University senior editor of news and features, writes about Thompson's visit.

Also, the Reynolds School has streamed and archived Jweek presentations, including a full recording of Wright Thompson's Scripps Dinner address.

At 1 p.m., Fred W. Smith Ethics Speaker Ben Ilfeld, co-founder and chief operating officer for the Sacramento Press online newspaper will talk about the how ethics, economics and citizen journalism will shape future journalism careers.

Rick Shaw, director of Pictures of the Year International, the oldest and most prestigious photojournalism program in the world will present the year's winning images on March 29 at 1 p.m. 

Shaw is assistant professor in the photojournalism sequence, teaches photo editing and management and serves as the director of photography for The Missourian, the student-produced daily city newspaper.

The presentation is a Reynolds School collaboration with the Reynolds Journalism Institute at the Missouri School of Journalism.

Watch archived presentations. 

See the entire schedule of Jweek 2012 events. 

And read/watch/listen to the presentations as reported by students in the Online News Association student club:

ONA Nevada 

With an impressive resume, including four internships and three reporting jobs, it’s no wonder Ricardo Lopez, 22, has landed a coveted staff writer position at the Los Angeles Times.

Lopez began his journey in journalism working as a high school intern for the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

“Journalism is something that I have always been involved with,” Lopez said. “When I was in high school I wrote for my high school paper. By the time I graduated I already had started writing for the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s R-Jeneration, which is a weekly feature written by and for teenagers in the Clark County School District.” 

Then Lopez enrolled at the University of Nevada, Reno's Donald W. Reynolds School of Journalism where he chose the print sequence. After a suggestion from Paul Mitchell, recruitment and retention coordinator and multimedia, news editing and sports writing instructor, the freshman started searching for his first collegiate internship.

Lopez landed in Delaware to intern for The News Journal at the metro and state desks.

During his sophomore year, Lopez traveled to Costa Rica as a University Studies Abroad Consortium participant.

“While I was there I was freelancing for a publication called The Tico Times, an English language weekly based in the capital of San Jose.”

When he returned to the United States, Lopez was accepted into the New York Times Student Journalism Institute and went to Miami during the break.

“A group of student journalists work along side New York Times reporters and editors. That was really a great experience.“

Lopez jumped into his third internship at the Virginia Beach Bureau metro desk for the Virginian-Pilot.

Lopez squeezed in another internship in his senior year at the Pioneer Press in St. Paul, Minn.

“I worked hard to perform at the level of a staff writer,” said Lopez. “I knew it would be my last internship before I graduated and I needed to come away with good clips and good stories so I could apply for an internship at the LA Times.”

Impressed yet? Lopez also served as design editor and multimedia editor for The Nevada Sagebrush as a Reynolds School of Journalism student.

After his graduation in 2011 Lopez was accepted to the intensive LA Times Metpro program, a four-phase training program of workshops and three rotations. Lopez covered city hall, government, business, and national.

“At the end of six months, depending on how your training goes, they decide to either hire you or let you go. I found out that I would be staying on as a staff writer.”

Lopez has moved into his permanent position as staff writer for the business section covering California’s economy.

“While the J-school provides the launching point and good networking. I think you do most of your learning on the job,” Lopez said. “There is nothing that really substitutes going into the newsroom and being thrown in on a breaking news story. You are operating under real deadlines and you are working with professionals.”

Follow Ricardo - @rljourno and read some of his recent work:

For teen program's chief, tough love may have turned criminal

Arizona English-fluency case may have wide repercussions

“I want people to be more interested in their food,” Harris said. “Eating well is such a treat and it’s not hard to do. I want people to see that food can be a creative and empowering outlet.”

Her natural talent for writing combined with the influence of her agriculturally and environmentally conscious parents helped shape Harris as a writer.

Currently in her final semester at the University of Nevada, Reno, Harris credits the Donald W. Reynolds School of Journalism for the skills she honed by repetition and the pressure to work under a deadline.

“I’m really impressed by her passion for food and how quickly she can spit out a good story,” Amanda Burden, Harris’ editor at Edible Reno-Tahoe, a quarterly magazine that explores the regional food culture, said.  

The Reynolds School of Journalism helped Harris to develop the confidence necessary to involve herself in the community around her.

“I was super shy coming into college, and now I feel really comfortable with, and even enjoy, doing interviews,” Harris said. “The journalism school forces you to be invested in what’s going on around you and gives you exposure to things you normally wouldn’t have. Other majors don’t have that kind of community outreach.”

Harris began a blog a little over three years ago for an environmental studies class. It evolved into a space to archive her gastronomical experiments and, eventually, became a resource for other food lovers.

“I do it for the moms,” Harris jokes while discussing the primary fan base of her blog. “I get kind of embarrassed that I have a food blog but it’s been a valuable resource for recipes I would have otherwise written down somewhere and lost.”

Harris regularly posts recipes and photos of meals she creates using local ingredients from her parents’ ranch or the organic farm in Sierraville where she’s employed.

“I get a lot of feedback from family and friends who are really happy that I’m sharing what I do,” Harris said.

In addition to blogging and working on a farm, Harris shares her zeal for local food as a writer for Edible Reno-Tahoe. The skills and knowledge she developed as journalism and environmental studies major came together perfectly in Harris’ current position.

Two years into publication, Edible Reno-Tahoe features people involved in the local food movement. Harris thinks it was a great place to get her start.

“When I got in touch with Amy, I had her write up a story for me,” Burden said. “Soon after, she expressed an interest in interning so I snatched her up!”

Harris appreciates the opportunity pursue both her love of writing and her passion for food and the environment.

“The coolest part is regaining hope that people are doing good things in your area,” Harris said. “When you talk to people who believe that food is an important where you are, it’s inspiring and refreshing.”

Harris' paid internship provides an opportunity to write for a cause that is close to her heart.

“Having a paid internship is something I totally recommend to everyone,” Harris said. “You completely value your work differently.”

Harris loves that through journalism she can connect to the food community.

“Most of my writing has been promoting people who get in touch with the food where they are,” Harris said. “That will probably shape what I do. Regardless, writing will always be a part of my life.”

The Reynolds School congratulates the ADDY winners (pictured), whose entry captured first place in the student division of the American Advertising Federation on March 2.

The students are among the Integrated Marketing Communications Competition Team members and all but Nikki Velez, a marketing major, submitted work developed in last fall's Advertising Creative class taught by Bob Felten, assistant professor of advertising and public relations. 

“Thinking back five years ago, this is what I told everyone what I wanted to do,” Olivia Cheung, 2010 University graduate and LinkedIn field marketing associate, said. “And I’m actually doing it.”

Cheung, alumnae of the public relations sequence at the Donald W. Reynolds School of Journalism, began her career in an entry-level internship at Viva Nista, a San Francisco non-profit start-up.

“I took whatever would move me to the city,” Cheung said.

Two weeks after she started, a fellow Nevada graduate called Cheung about a marketing opportunity at LinkedIn.

“I showed up with nothing but a portfolio from the j-school and press releases from my internship and classes but they loved it,” Cheung said. “I was fresh out of college, willing to adapt, be more creative and bring something different than someone from another company. It was something fresh for them.”

Alexia Bratiotis, area marketing manager for Bayer Properties, LLC, supervised Cheung during her undergraduate internship with The Nevada Museum of Art and noted Cheung’s eagerness and dynamic ability.

“I appreciated that she committed to the program and wanted to work hard and make the most of the experience,” Bratiotis said.

Cheung thinks it was her eagerness that landed her the LinkedIn job, edging out Ivy League graduates and applicants with prior experience in the field.

“If you’re able to show an employer that you’re creative, flexible and ready to hit the ground running, they can see that in you,” Cheung said. “You need to be able to demonstrate it in an interview.”

Cheung appreciates the Reynolds School for providing her with the ability to present herself professionally.

“I learned that you have to stand behind your work, even if it’s not your best and confidence is key,” Cheung said. “I learned that at the j-school and working in teams and with my professors on hands-on projects.”

One of the aspects of the Reynolds School that Cheung loved most was the opportunity for involvement with real clients.

“In Todd’s (Felts) 443 PR class, we worked with actual clients,” Cheung said. “I flew to Philadelphia to do research for the National Science Foundation and I worked with the store manager at Patagonia in Reno. It’s not just your typical PR class.”

Felts, assistant professor of public relations, typically assigns student teams to work on public relations campaigns for one of three clients per semester.

In January, Cheung was promoted to marketing field associate, working more in the hands-on environment that she loves.

“I started from the bottom and worked my way up a bit, and now I can see the other side of what I’ve been doing for the past year,” Cheung said.

Cheung travels across the nation and Canada to facilitate LinkedIn sales team events.

“My work covers event logistics, clients and speakers,” Cheung said. “It’s basically an A to Z package. I love it.”

A fervent participant in community service, Cheung hopes to pursue more non-profit work in the future and has already integrated her event planning skills to her non-profit passions at LinkedIn.

Cheung helped plan inDay, which encourages LinkedIn employees to dedicate one day each month to volunteer. Last July, Cheung recruited volunteers to help clean up Santa Cruz beaches.

Cheung also is involved with the Junior League of San Francisco and a sparked.com Microvolunteer.    

She advises future graduates to take a risk and put themselves out there, adding that more opportunities made themselves available when she applied for jobs in the San Francisco area after graduation.

“It’s easier to look for a job in the environment from the inside rather than the outside,” Cheung said.

This year’s Journalism Week at the Reynolds School of Journalism, March 27-29, will feature a presentation by Sara Ganim, the Patriot-News reporter who broke the story about the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal and informal discussions with Wright Thompson, an award-winning writer for ESPN.

“News that clicks” will feature multiple presentations on journalism ethics, sports writing and visual communication. The Frank McCulloch Courage in Journalism Award also will be presented. All events are free and open to the public.

“This year we decided to focus on bringing in thoughtful and noteworthy journalists who are doing the heavy lifting in covering journalism that matters,” said Donica Mensing, Reynolds School acting dean. “We believe this year’s events will educate and inspire our students, friends and community in reminding us how journalism makes a difference in people’s lives.”

Journalism Week kicks off with presentations by Fred W. Smith Ethics Speakers Sara Ganim, Patriot-News reporter and Penn State alumnae, whose coverage of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal earned a Polk Award on Feb. 20. Ganim, 24, will appear via videoconference.

Sacramento Press’ Ben Ilfeld, 30, will talk about the future of local news and how ethics and economics will shape the journalism career landscape. Ilfeld, co-founder and chief operating officer for the online newspaper, relies on the contributions of citizen journalists to generate content, localize stories and encourage community debate.

Also joining Journalism Week is Wright Thompson, senior writer for ESPN.com and The Magazine. The Mississippi native and University of Missouri grad has been featured in six editions of Best American Sports Writing and has written a series of essays about his Southern roots, family and the Birmingham hot dog.

Visual arts will be featured in two presentations on March 29.

The Reynolds School collaborates with the Reynolds Journalism Institute at the Missouri School of Journalism to present for the first time this year's winning images in Pictures of the Year International, the oldest and most prestigious photojournalism program in the world.

Rick Shaw, program director and assistant professor in the photojournalism sequence, teaches photo editing and management and serves as the director of photography for The Missourian, the student-produced daily city newspaper, will showcase winning images, which will have been announced only days before.

Journalism Week concludes with the second visual arts presentation by Barbara Davidson, Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist and staff photographer at the Los Angeles Times. Davidson will receive the Frank McCulloch Courage in Journalism Award in recognition of her extensive coverage of conflicts worldwide. Her images have captured the humanitarian crises in the wake of war in the Congo, Israel, Gaza and Bosnia and she has documented the tsunami disaster in 2004, Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the Sichuan earthquake in China in 2008. 

Reynolds School alumnus McCulloch, '41, who served as managing editor of the Times from 1960–1963, plans to attend the award ceremony and Davidson lecture.

Journalism Week concludes with Reno Collective’s Ignite Reno, a series of 5-minute “lighting presentations.”

“It's kind of like an open mic night for nerds. "We've taken back words like 'geek' and 'nerd' to define someone who's generally passionate about something that might seem weird or obscure in the 'regular' world,” said Robert Mills, a member of Reno Collective and freelance copywriter and 2011 interactive journalism graduate. “We use Ignite to showcase these interesting people in a way that engages, educates and entertains.”

What do hard work, dedication, and two degrees from the Donald W. Reynolds School of Journalism get you? A job that you truly enjoy.

Nonie Wainwright, 26, was recently hired as assistant account executive at the Glenn Group in Reno. Wainwright received her bachelor’s degree in 2008 from the University of Nevada, Reno. She earned a master’s from the Reynolds School in 2011.

Wainwright originally came to the University to join the swim team. She served as team captain and received nine top-eight conference finishes. Life as a student athlete prevented her from participating in many clubs, but Wainwright gained real life experience in the classroom.

“In each PR class we performed semester-long case studies,” Wainwright said. “The Big Bad Woof probably was the coolest because the client was in Washington D.C.”  

Wainwright also interned for Planned Parenthood and the Reno Aces. Her third internship with University of Nevada Athletics led to a job after graduation.

Being on campus inspired Wainwright to take graduate classes. Eventually, she spoke with Todd Felts, assistant director of public relations and graduate program director, and joined the interactive journalism graduate program full time.

Wainwright began a graduate assistantship with the University School of the Arts, where she explored the role of journalists within organizations as her final project.

Her hard work and experience paid off.

“I started applying for jobs a few weeks before graduation and I made it to the first round of interviews and then the second round of interviews and then a writing sample,” Wainwright said. “Instead of going out to celebrate graduation I worked on my writing assignment. I found out that I got the job one week after graduation.”

“I think she was the best fit for us,” Tiffany East, vice president and director of public relations for the Glenn Group, said. “Her referrals were amazing and I thought that her experience was in line with someone who had been working in the industry for a couple of years. That says a lot about the program at the university.”

Wainwright now handles day-to-day client activities, monitors a strategic plan, tracks and pitches the media and plans events for clients including The Summit, Grand Sierra Resort, Reno/Tahoe Visitor, Sempra U.S. Gas and Power.

"Sometimes I look and I’m like is this really my life?” she muses.

Bob Felten, assistant professor of advertising and public relations, encouraged Thiebaud-Horn to submit the story to RNR Editor Brian Burghart.

“I had invested a lot of time and energy into my final class project and I  felt it was a good product so I thought, 'why not',” Thiebaud-Horn said. “Worst case scenario, Brian says no.” 

“I had a story scheduled for that date and something fell through,” said Burghart. “She [Thiebaud-Horn] offered it to me and it was available it was easy.If people send me their ideas lots of times they end up in the paper particularly because I will end up in a position where I need a story, and I don’t want to grab a wire story. I want something local.”

Thiebaud-Horn, 35, is a non-traditional student in many ways. She was a circus performer before coming back to school.

“I did that for almost a decade,” Thiebaud-Horn said. “I started out in a do-it-yourself show. I was performer, booking agent, publicist, manager and more. In going back to school, I wanted to combine my creativity with my business skills and that landed me in this awesome program.”

Thiebaud-Horn is a senior because of previous college work but is in only her second year at the Reynolds School of Journalism where she is focusing on strategic communications.

“Our students are doing real journalism even in these first classes,” Felten said.  “It is not unusual for me to recommend a student submit work for publication.”

Burghart  urges students to pitch their stories. He is eager to encourage young journalists and even teaches one section of the first multimedia writing and reporting course here.

If you have a story that you think may be worth publishing, Burghart has some advice.

“It’s got to be fairly polished,” Burghart said. “If a final project has been vetted by teachers and the peer editing process and I have space I’m going to go for it and somebody’s going to get paid.”

With this published work Thiebaud-Horn is looking forward to future opportunities.

“I'm excited to cultivate a career doing what I’m good at, and becoming great,” she said. “I feel like I’m honing my natural skills in a meaningful way. I’m already beginning to work in the field. I recently started freelancing full-time, something I’m able to do because of the skills I’ve been gaining. I’m able to build my portfolio even while in school.”

“We hope the energy and expertise of Reno Collective members compels us to be more innovative, engaging and entrepreneurial in our work,” Donica Mensing, associate professor and acting dean of the Reynolds School of Journalism, said.

All members of the 2012 Interactive Journalism Master's Program cohort will receive free semester-long memberships to collaborate with local designers, programmers and content creators.

The eight memberships represent a combined value of $800 per month, but the intrinsic value is priceless, according to Don Morrison, Reno Collective member.

“The grad students will have access to the workspace, hack on their projects and practice their thesis defenses,” Morrison said. “They'll gain some valuable insight on the apps, websites, games and materials they’ll be designing throughout the semester.”

Reno Collective adds a core of strategic communicators and journalists from the Reynolds School of Journalism to the group’s burgeoning member base.

The Collective will offer short courses and job-shadowing opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students.

Reno Collective hosted Hack4Reno, the city’s first 24-hour civic hackathon, last October, encouraging participants to develop websites or apps that collect and share information to promote civic engagement.

Reno Collective member Robert Mills, then a student in the Reynolds School’s Interactive Journalism Master’s Program, took first place in the Best Application of Government Data category for Council Watch—an interactive app he describes as a fun user interface—for city council agendas. When launched, the app will allow users to rank council agenda items by theme and personal importance (i.e., education, pubic safety, recreation, etc.) and encourages people to attend council meetings and offer public comments.

New furniture, video screens and glass walls are around every corner. The graduate program and multimedia newsroom will be located in newly designed space and the computer lab (RSJ 107) and classroom (RSJ 201) are larger and have upgraded equipment.All classrooms have new wiring and projection screens. New computers have installed in newly configured spaces.Faculty and administrative offices are filling up as books, desks, chairs and equipment return from temporary quarters in the Ansari Business Building, KNPB, and the William J. Raggio Building.

“This has always been a fantastic building,” Larry Dailey, professor and Reynolds Chair of Media Technology, said. “To come back into an even more beautiful environment makes me really look forward to the coming semester and beyond. It feels great to be back home.”

The Linn Reading Room, a common space for students, provides an example of both technology upgrades and the approach taken with many of the changes.There’s a new large video screen, new furniture and new automatic blinds on the top windows to protect the room from the sun’s heat and glare.

“We wanted the space to be more practical,” Rosemary McCarthy, assistant professor and academic chair, said. “We hope the additions will give students a comfortable and useful space to study.”

McCarthy has been involved in much of the coordination of the new construction. This week she is directing movers, answering questions and tracking placement of chairs, tables, bookcases and computers.

“Things are a little chaotic now but we will be ready when classes start. It will be great when everyone is back together.”

All of the new technology will not be in place when the semester begins and students and faculty may have to deal with some inconveniences but that is overshadowed by the excitement of returning the j-school.

Zachary Andrews, a senior in the Reynolds School, has missed the advantages of a building designed for journalism students.

“The past year has been very inconvenient, many of the classrooms were cramped and lacked the technology needed,” he said. “It took a lot of class time away.”

Andrews is looking forward to taking classes in the renovated building and being in an environment that fosters innovative ideas.

“I realize that inspiration is a very important aspect in the journalism field. I’m looking forward to the connection that allows me to be around others that spark ideas of my own." 

The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation funded the $8 million renovation.

The Alicia Parlette Endowed Scholarship for Aspiring Journalists will provide its first scholarship to Reynolds School in academic year ’12-’13. Parlette ’04 (journalism), died April 22, 2010, following a four-year battle with alveolar soft part sarcoma, a rare form of cancer. She was 28.

Parlette was named Outstanding Print Student in May 2003 and was graduated summa cum laude in 2004.

After earning a prestigious Hearst Fellowship, Parlette became a copy editor at the San Francisco Chronicle. Shortly after, she was diagnosed with cancer and shared her story with the newspaper’s readers.

Reader demand sparked the Chronicle to publish a 17-part series and it was among the newspaper’s most popular.

She began a blog about the odyssey of her disease, treatment, family and faith. Her story also was featured on NPR and ABC News.

She was honored at the 2005 Robert Laxalt Distinguished Writer Program and received a 2005 Outstanding Emerging Journalism award from the Society of Professional Journalists.

After her death, Parlette’s work was adapted and published a book titled “Alicia’s Story: Cancer, Despair, Hope and Faith,” by the San Francisco Chronicle Press.

Parlette was among the nearly two-dozen alumni award winners honored at the 2010 Homecoming Gala, Oct. 7, at the Joe Crowley Student Union Ballroom. She posthumously received the Outstanding Young Alumnus of the Year award from the Reynolds School.

Parlette’s wish to acknowledge the journalism school and the importance of internships in her professional development has led to the establishment of the Alicia Parlette Fund for Aspiring Journalists, which will provide support for students who pursue internships.

To learn more about supporting the Reynolds School of Journalism, contact Kristin Burgarello, director of development, at (775) 784-4471.

Contributions to the fund may be sent to the Alicia Parlette Fund for Aspiring Journalists at the Reynolds School of Journalism, Mail Stop 0310, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV 89557.

by Zanny Marsh

Members of the Class of 2011 lined up on the staircase in the atrium of the newly renovated (and not-quite-finished) Reynolds School of Journalism for the traditional class photo. It was the first time most of the students were able to see results of the renovation.

University President Marc Johnson addressed the graduates as students, family and friends assembled before the group photo.

"We are proud of your accomplishments and we will be invested in your success for the rest of your lives," Johnson said.

The graduation reception offers students an opportunity to consider their future conduct as professionals.

The Journalism Student Advisory Council encouraged every graduating senior to pledge the practice of ethical behavior throughout his or her careers. The pledge is voluntary and is made available at graduation receptions prior to commencement exercises in December and May.

Only about half of accredited journalism schools require an ethics course before graduation, and the Reynolds School is among them.    

The 2011 Winter Commencement ceremony is scheduled for Dec. 10, at Lawlor Events Center. The Processional begins at 8:30 a.m.

by Kylee Brooks

Next semester students will find in the renovated Reynolds School building one of the most technologically advanced buildings on the University campus and one of the most technologically sophisticated journalism schools in the country.

Much of the $8 million renovation, funded by the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, has been used to update technology.

“We are introducing a new delivery system with great flexibility and dependability,” Rosemary McCarthy, assistant professor of broadcast and academic chair. “Our new atrium big screens are able to display not only pre-produced work but also live work, such as a news broadcasts in progress, edits being made in real time or coverage of a guest speaker in one of our classes.”

 McCarthy believes the new interconnectivity will provide creative and unique learning opportunities.

“It’s exciting to think about how our students and faculty will experience all the changes and understand new technological capabilities.”

Other changes also are being introduced including allowing students greater access to work areas.

Students may gain access to computer labs and two broadcast studios with a swipe of their Wolf card.

“Door cards will be programmed to allow entry for students depending on their need to use the building’s facilities, McCarthy said. “It’s intended to increase both access and security at the same time.”

Building renovations are nearing completion. The Reynolds School is scheduled to reopen to classes in Spring 2012, though all of the new enhancements and features may not be available at the start of the semester.

Interactive Journalism graduate student Kate Thomas is among the newest Snow Squad bloggers for the 2011-2012 season at Northstar California ski resort and attributes her presence on Twitter to helping her get the job.

Snow Squad bloggers are considered to be the top mountain insiders for the Vail Resorts’ mountains in Tahoe, Northstar and Heavenly. Each year, a team in Colorado selects one blogger per mountain based on their writing skills and social media online presence.

“As we went through the Snow Squad application process it became evident that we needed not only great writers, but people that knew their stuff and had the networks to back it up,” Morgan Bast, Digital Editor at Vail resorts, said. “It’s pointless to create something unless you have someone to share it with and the more [extensive networks] a person has, the better exposure that creation will get.”

Thomas applied for the blogging position last July, long before the snow fell in Tahoe.

“I really love this blog and all the opportunities it already has brought me to network with people in the ski industry,” Thomas said. “I love to ski and to secure a permanent position at one of the big mountains like Northstar or Heavenly would be a dream come true.”

The season has started in Tahoe and is predicted to be just as good if not better than last year.

Tasha Courtney graduated in August of 2010 and in one short year has moved across the country and back again for an amazing career opportunity.

To fulfill credits needed to graduate, Courtney served as an intern for The Great Reno Balloon Race.  “The relationships I made and experiences I gained from my internship allowed me to learn what it is that I enjoy doing.” When she graduated, Courtney wanted to explore the possibilities in a major market.  “I connected with a former RSJ student currently working in advertising in Chicago and decided to move there to see what opportunities would arise.”  After only a couple months in the Chicago area Courtney learned of an open position from her mentor at her Reno internship. .  “It was so unexpected. I found my ‘amazing opportunity’ and it was back home where I grew up doing what I knew I loved because of my internship.” In June of 2011 she moved back to Reno and became the Event Coordinator for The Great Reno Balloon Race.

Courtney’s experience as a RSJ student prepared her with the tools needed to coordinate a successful event for 2011. “It’s my job to be the hub of all information, I communicate ideas and set meeting to get them into action.” Courtney is grateful that the opportunities she had in college has given her leverage for a successful future.

Warren Lerude, professor emeritus, who has managed the internship program for three decades says “It is simply routine, many of the internships students have turn into careers.” The Reynolds School of Journalism internship program gives students experiences in professional settings in Reno and other cities both in the United States and abroad. The RSJ prepares students in the classroom and out with training to obtain the future they desire.  

by Zanny Marsh

Students in two sections of First Amendment and Society (JOUR 401) will present opposing sides of First Amendment cases before a mock U.S. Supreme Court, Dec. 2 from 9 a.m. to noon, in the National Judicial College courtroom on the University campus and the public is welcome.

Students will use copies of the actual briefs submitted by the parties to the Supreme Court to present the following cases:

• Near v. State of Minnesota (prior restraint), 283 U.S. 697 (1931)

• New York Times v. Sullivan (application of First Amendment to libel), 376 U.S. 254 (1964)

• Cohen v. California (offensive t-shirt in courtroom), 403 U.S. 15 (1971)

• New York Times v. United States (the "Pentagon Papers" case), 403 U.S. 713 (1971) (national security v. censorship)

• Miller v. California, 413 U.S. 15 (1973) (obscenity)

• Texas v. Johnson, 491 U.S. 397 (1989) (flag burning)

The “attorneys” for each course section will have five minutes of uninterrupted oral argument, followed by a five-minute period for questions from the “bench.” The mock justices will hold a short “conference” and then announce the decision(s) in each case.

The three-member panel of judges include Judge Jan Berry, Second Judicial District Court in Reno; Stewart Cheifet, assistant professor of broadcast and John Newell, National Judicial College program attorney.

An all-new lab/seminar suite will greet graduate students when the renovated RSJ doors open next semester. The graduate student area has been relocated from the third floor to the southwest wall of the first floor and was designed with graduate students’ needs in mind.

“The new suite is equipped with plenty of computers and a conference room for students to meet with professors and other students,” said Rosemary McCarthy, academic chair and assistant professor of broadcast. “We wanted an inviting and comfortable place for our grad students to conduct their work, adding natural light was a necessity.”

New windows give the previously dark space a bright and friendly appearance.

Previously the area was used for storage but now provides a centrally located home for the graduate program. 

“We realize that graduate students spend mass amounts of time working on projects and we believe this new space better accommodates their needs.”

The $8 million renovation, funded by the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, provides enhancements to enrich students’ academic experience. The Reynolds School will debut its new features and benefits in Spring 2012.

NOTE: This is the second in a series about the Reynolds School building renovation. 

by Kylee Brooks

For more than half a year the Reynolds School has been home to sound of hammering, drilling and sawing. The building that has been under renovation will open its doors this spring semester. One of the first things students will notice will be the new ambiance of our renovated building created by the many cosmetic changes.

“The addition of white accents and glass doors and side windows in some spaces allows the building to feel more open,” said Rosemary McCarthy, academic chair and assistant broadcast professor, who has played an intricate part in the renovations. “The new cosmetic changes now direct students to areas that went unnoticed or unused before.”

McCarthy is confident the changes eliminate any preconceived notions about our brick building feeling confined.  “Although the exterior walls have not been changed, additions within now open up the building and promote our tight-knit community.”

Changes in classrooms are not only appealing but provide students with unique learning experiences. In select classrooms, the entire front wall appears to be blank and ordinary, but in reality is a whiteboard. “Students are able to write directly on the wall; giving our creative bunch the opportunity to brainstorm from floor to ceiling.” 

The $8 million renovation, funded by the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, is dedicated to its journalism students’ creative learning opportunities and atmosphere. “Very few faculty offices were touched during the renovations, our focus stays on our students and ways to improve their educational opportunities.”  The renovation project is on schedule with most classes scheduled in the RSJ building spring semester.

NOTE: This is the first in a series on the building renovations. The next article will highlight the new home for the JSchool’s Graduate Program.

As an $8 million renovation of the Donald W. Reynolds School of Journalism and Advanced Media Studies nears completion, the University of Nevada, Reno school also prepares to welcome an accomplished new dean. Alan G. Stavitsky, senior associate dean and founding director of the George S. Turnbull Portland Center, the downtown Portland base of the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication, has been named dean of the Reynolds School and will begin in the role April 1, 2012.

Stavitsky worked in television and radio as a news director, news anchor, investigative reporter, talk-show host and producer. He joined the Oregon School of Journalism and Communication as assistant professor in 1990. He was named professor in 2004 and, two years later, was appointed senior associate dean and founding director of the Turnbull Center.

“Al brings a strong mix of both industry and academic experience,” said Heather Hardy, University of Nevada, Reno provost. “His success in developing the Turnbull Center is particularly impressive, and demonstrates vision, creativity and entrepreneurialism, all qualities that will serve the Reynolds School and the University well.”

“I’m thrilled to be joining the Reynolds School of Journalism as dean,” said Stavitsky. “There’s a wonderful sense of community and innovation here, with faculty and staff clearly and deeply committed to their students and to the profession. We are well positioned to play a leading role nationally in re-imagining journalism education and media practice at a time of profound change in communication.”

Stavitsky’s scholarship on media policy and the digital transition in journalism has been published in numerous academic journals, and Stavitsky is the author of Independence and Integrity: A Guidebook for Public Radio Journalism and co-author of A History of Public Broadcasting. Stavitsky has served as a consultant to local, national and international public broadcasting organizations on issues of media ethics and programming, and has advised the Corporation for Public Broadcasting on policies to preserve editorial independence in public media. He was invited to testify before the Federal Communications Commission on ownership concentration in broadcasting.

Stavitsky’s honors include the Oregon School of Journalism and Communication’s Marshall Award for Innovative Teaching, the University of Oregon’s prestigious Ersted Award for Distinguished Teaching, and Adviser of the Year, awarded by Kappa Tau Alpha, the national honor society for journalism and mass communication. Stavitsky led the development of two successful master’s degree programs offered through the Turnbull Center, multimedia journalism and strategic communication.

Stavitsky earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and a master’s in journalism and a doctorate in communication from The Ohio State University. A native of New Jersey, he got his start in journalism as a high school student working in the sports department of the Newark Star Ledger.

The Reynolds School’s renovation, slated for completion in early 2012, will significantly upgrade the facility’s digital infrastructure. Funded by a grant from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, the renovation will create an enhanced learning environment to prepare students for current and emerging multimedia platforms. The Reynolds School is home to the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for the Courts and Media, a national center for research and scholarship on the interaction between the courts and the media.

“The Reynolds School is highly regarded and continues to build on its reputation,” said Hardy. “With an outstanding faculty and a strong alumni and donor base, the school is well positioned to meet the challenges of a dynamic, rapidly evolving field of study. I look forward to Al’s contributions and having him as a member of the University’s leadership team. I am confident the school will continue to develop as a model of excellence under his leadership.”

Stavitsky’s appointment follows a national search and selection process that involved faculty, students and industry representatives. His appointment follows that of Dr. William L. Winter, a former president of the American Press Institute who was named interim dean in May 2011. Winter will return to the Florida-based organizational-development consulting firm he founded and through which he oversaw implementation of key grants through the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation’s National Journalism Initiative.

by Zanny Marsh

The Reynolds School of Journalism welcomes a 13-member delegation of radio, television and print journalists and editors participating in the Edward R. Murrow Program for Journalists: A Project for Francophone Africa, Nov. 2-7.  This is the fourth consecutive year the Reynolds School has hosted international visitors and is one of only 10 journalism schools to participate.

Under the auspices of the U.S. Department of State International Visitor Leadership Program, visitors study free press in a democracy; learn about operations, practices and standards of media in the U.S.; glean insight about American society, customs, economy and politics; and participate in professional development opportunities.

The delegates will gather information and file stories about northern Nevada environmental and “green” initiatives including commercial ventures, not-for-profit organizations and municipal programs.

They will meet with journalism students, staff and faculty; visit commercial and public broadcast stations and the Reno Gazette-Journal; and attend Critical Analysis of Mass Media (JOUR 101) and TV News & Production (JOUR 423) classes.

The guests also will cruise Lake Tahoe on the M.S. Dixie, sightsee in Virginia City, and engage in a volunteer cleanup activity in the Galena foothills. 

Before their arrival in Reno, the delegates spent one week in Washington, DC., and  traveled to Jacksonville, Fla., for early program components.

Following the Reno visit, the group will head to New York where the program will conclude with fellowship and closeout sessions.

All journalism majors and minors must be advised.  

All freshmen must meet with Paul Mitchell – dates to be announced soon.

Sophomores-Seniors meet with assigned advisors.

Sign-ups for advising appointments: Appointment books are available in AB 601.

Advising and registration dates:

A) Honors students & athletes

MyNEVADA registration… Nov. 1

B)  Graduate students

MyNEVADA registration… Nov. 2-4 (check MyNEVADA for your assigned time and day)

C) Seniors

Journalism Advising… Nov. 1-3

MyNEVADA registration… Nov. 7-15 (check MyNEVADA for your assigned time and day)

D)  Juniors

Journalism Advising… Nov.  11, 14, 15

MyNEVADA registration… Nov. 16, 17, 18 (check MyNEVADA for your assigned time and day)

E)  Sophomores

Journalism Advising… Nov. 16, 17 & 21 (check MyNEVADA for  your assigned time and day)

MyNEVADA registration… Nov. 21- 28

F)  Freshmen

Journalism Advising w/ Prof. Mitchell … dates TBA.

Students in the campus broadcast club have produced the third news broadcast of the second season of "WolfPack Week," the first University student-run television news magazine to air publicly.

The show is produced in the KNPB-Channel 5 studio, located on the University campus.

The program is broadcast in campus residence halls, the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center, the Center for Student Cultural Diversity, Student Services Division, and the Joe Crowley Student Union. Also, Reno’s KRNV-Channel 4 airs Wolf Pack Week stories.

Four students are working as studio talents (i.e., hosts and anchors). Approximately one dozen students perform studio production and another dozen file stories.  

The broadcast club has nearly doubled in membership since Wolf Pack Week since 2010 when Wolf Pack Week began production.

Wolf Pack Week #203 from Stewart Cheifet on vimeo.com.

by Zanny Marsh

Bob Mills, a student in the Interactive Journalism Master’s Program, took first place in the Best Application of Government Data category at Hack4Reno, Oct. 15 and 16. The event was billed as a 24-hour hackathon to develop websites or apps that collect and share information to promote civic engagement.

“I wanted to create a channel for constituents to have a voice in government in a more interesting way,” Mills said.

Mills conceived Council Watch—an interactive app he describes as a fun user interface—for city council agendas. When launched, the app will allow users to rank council agenda items by theme and personal importance (i.e., education, pubic safety, recreation, etc.) and encourages people to attend council meetings and offer public comments.

“I think more people would be politically engaged if they could interact with government in ways that are familiar,” Mills said. “We’re making it easier and less time consuming to participate in civic government via apps and websites that are accessible on mobile devices, laptops and computers.”

Hack4Reno was the brainchild of Colin Loretz, community manager and owner of Reno Collective, a community workspace for small businesses, independent workers, startups and entrepreneurs.

Loretz recruited University faculty and students to participate in the event.

Larry Dailey, Reynolds Chair for Media Technologies; Donica Mensing, associate journalism professor; Sarali Diaz, information technology specialist, and Sushil Louis, computer science and engineering professor also participated in the round-the-clock event. Their task: make it easy for people to contact and find out about all of their elected officials, simply by typing in an address. 

Mills, though not a programmer, signed on to Hack4Reno immediately.

He turned to the Reno subset of Reddit.com—an entertainment and news aggregation site—to find skilled team members. He soon teamed with Sean Reeves and John Freeman, both PHP programmers, and Dan Martin, a local graphic designer. Together, the team gave wings to Council Watch.

In addition to a prize package, Mills and his team scored a Mayor Bob Cashel bobblehead trophy.

“When Council Watch is launched, I hope it gives people an opportunity they never had before,” Mills said. “If we can get Renoites to share their opinion about local issues, that’s great. If we can get them to come down to City Council and participate, that’s even better.”

Hack4Reno awarded prizes in four categories including Best Use of Telephony or SMS with Tropo, Best Social Application, Best Use of Government Data, and Best Mashup of Art and Technology.

Monica Thompson, another Reynolds graduate student, took home the runner-up prize for the Best Social Media App.

The event’s Best in Show went to the Go Outside team, which included Reynolds School alumnus Rob Gaedtke, ’05, who served as project manager.

Using City of Reno parks data, the team created an app capturing and highlighting outside locations throughout the city including parks, swimming holes, bike trails and more. Users can add additional locations and share what’s going on across social networks like Facebook.

Gaedtke’s teammates included programmers Andy Muth, Dawson Loudon, Ryan Dyess and designer David Lockward. 

Few reporters have gotten to know Steve Jobs like Alan Deutschman and following Jobs’ death Oct. 5 media has sought information about the famously private visionary and executive from the Reynolds Chair of Business Journalism.

Deutschman has written a new 25,000-word ebook, "How Steve Jobs Changed Our World," which debuted Oct. 11 for Amazon's Kindle, Barnes & Noble's Nook, and Apple's iBooks (for the iPad, iPhone, etc). Soon, it will be available for readers from Sony and others.     

He also is quoted in the Oct. 24 issue of People Magazine's cover story "The Life and Genius of Steve Jobs," which went on sale Oct. 12.

Deutschman was interviewed for Discovery Channel's "iGenius," an hour-long documentary that debuted Oct. 16. Also, he has been invited to contribute to a BBC production later this month and he will sit down with senior producer, news director and program host Michael Hagerty for "A Conversation with..." for broadcast Nov. 6. 

Deutschman wrote "The Second Coming of Steve Jobs," considered by many industry insiders to be the definitive biography of Jobs. Deutschman also has written extensively about leadership and business strategies and practices. 

Within minutes of the announcement of Jobs' passing, Deutschman was asked for his insights by Bloomberg, USA Today, San Francisco Chronicle, The Atlantic and The New York Times.

An Associated Press story, which chronicled Jobs' desire for personal privacy on a public stage, also was widely circulated. 

His comments appeared in the Reno Gazette-Journal and on a local news broadcast on KTVN Channel 2 in Reno.

Deutschman appeared live on Bloomberg TV on Oct. 6. 

Deutschman is at work on a major new book about Silicon Valley.

This semester Deutschman teaches Business Journalism (JOUR 490) and Magazine Writing (JOUR 418) at the Reynolds School.

The Reynolds School of Journalism faculty and staff turned out in Nevada blue, Oct. 14 for Homecoming.

The annual Homecoming parade along Virginia Street begins at 9 a.m. Then, Saturday's game against New Mexico caps the week-long Homecoming celebration.

Eric P. Robinson, Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Courts and Media deputy director, discusses a proliferation of social media trials and misconceptions about freedom of speech in recent interviews with media.

Robinson is considered a preeminent scholar in the areas of media and the courts and litigation involving social media.

“With the proliferation of social media users and channels, it is reasonable to expect increasing litigation based on postings,” Robinson said. “It’s important to realize that generally the same rules apply to both online and traditional media.”

Robinson was quoted in a story in The Oregonian on Oct. 10 about a lawsuit in which a doctor sued a blogger for an allegedly libelous Twitter post. He also was interviewed about the Twitter case on Oregon Public Radio.

Unless a settlement is reached, this may be the first instance in which a lawsuit stemming from content on Twitter goes to trial in the United States, Robinson said.   

Robinson also addressed First Amendment protections – or lack thereof – for professional athletes following a spate of media coverage of athletes’ use of offensive language – or potentially hate speech –in heated exchanges during games. His comments to The Legal Blitz blog are accessible here.

Finally, Robinson wrote an article for The Brechner Report, a publication of the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications. His column, “Cameras roll in new federal court experiment” described a pilot program allowing cameras to record proceedings in selected federal courtrooms.

The Reynolds National Center for Courts and Media has carved its niche exploring the interaction of courts and media, including potential conflicts between rights under the First and Sixth Amendments. The Center also explores the question of whether it is possible for a defendant (high-profile or otherwise) to receive a fair trial in a culture bombarded with social media and the 24-hour news cycle.  

Robinson also teaches JOUR 401 (First Amendment and Society) for the Donald W. Reynolds School of Journalism and Center for Advanced Media Studies, and blogs for the Citizen Media Law Project at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University. His personal blog may be found here.

by Dana Sullivan

Toma Bedolla is on a mission to do for the veracity of information on the web what Google has done for search.

Bedolla, founder and CEO of Veracious Entropy, and Michael R. Fancher, Reynolds Visiting Chair in the Ethics of Entrepreneurial and Innovative Journalism, discussed Bedolla’s business development project to build software that monitors veracity of web content -- including user comments and statements -- and the credibility of sources at the 5th Annual Cole C. Campbell Dialogue on Journalism and Democracy. The event was held in conjunction with University observance of Constitution Day.

“I only have so much time on this earth and I don’t want to waste it on misinformation,” Bedolla told students, faculty and community members in the Wells Fargo Auditorium of the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center. 

Bedolla describes his How True software as “an angel on your shoulder as you consume information” on the web. The public beta version will be unveiled in January of 2012, to track 2012 presidential campaign content.

The Cole C. Campbell Dialogue on Journalism and Democracy was established in 2007 to honor the late dean of the Reynolds School of Journalism. Campbell served as dean from 2004-2007. Campbell’s professional belief that democracy flourishes when the press is engaged in critical dialogue serves as the basis for the program, which is supported by an endowment to further ongoing discussion.  

Michael R. Fancher, Reynolds Visiting Chair in the Ethics of Entrepreneurial and Innovative Journalism, presented “Local News for a Networked World,” at an API conference, Sept. 19 in Pomona, Calif.

Fancher explored the topic in a discussion paper “Local News: Re-imagining Journalism for a Networked World," which was published in June by the Aspen Institute and the Knight Foundation.

In his presentation, Fancher talked about the Knight Commission on the Information Needs of Communities in a Democracy, which said we don’t need to save journalism, so much as we need to re-imagine it, taking full advantage of networking technologies.

The Council advocates building local journalistic capacity through collaborative efforts with citizens and social institutions, such as schools and libraries.

Fancher joined the Reynolds School in fall 2011 and teaches media ethics.

On Sept. 28, Andrews will be the featured speaker at the Public Relations Society of America (PRSSA), Sept. 28 at the Atlantis Hotel Casino. The lunch program begins with networking at 11:30 a.m., and Andrews will speak at noon.

As executive editor of the Detroit Free Press, Andrews’ critical leadership helped the newspaper navigate successfully the Kwame Kilpatrick scandal. The former mayor was tried, convicted and jailed for providing false testimony about his personal life.

In the years since his 2008 retirement from the Gannett Corp., Caesar Andrews has become a sought-after media ethics instructor and speaker.

Currently, he holds the Leonard Family Distinguished Visiting Professor of Ethics, and teaches media ethics (JOUR 305) and advanced reporting (JOUR 310).  

by Roseann Keegan

George Ross '46 (journalism) has established the George S. Ross Scholarship Endowment to benefit journalism students at the University of Nevada, Reno.

Ross began his journalistic career as a sportswriter on the University campus and later became the sports editor of the Oakland Tribune in the 1960s and 1970s—a golden era of Oakland sports where the A's and Raiders competed in four world championships.

Ross and his wife, Helene, moved to Graeagle, Calif., after he retired from the Tribune as managing editor and feature columnist in 1980. They were married for 50 years before Helene's passing 11 years ago.

Ross established the scholarship endowment as a way of giving back to the University. The first scholarship will be awarded in the 2012-13 school year.

To learn more about supporting the Donald W. Reynolds School of Journalism, please contact Kristin Burgarello, director of development, at (775) 784-4471.

Forty-six members of the Reynolds School’s Class of 2015 met today for the first time at the Joe Crowley Student Union Theatre, following the University’s 2011 New Student Opening Ceremony in Lawlor Events Center.

The gathering encouraged freshmen and their families to get acquainted with future classmates, glean tips from current students, pick up a free T-shirt and be introduced to Reynolds School faculty and staff.

“I woke up at 5:22 because today is the best day,” said Paul Mitchell, Ph.D., Reynolds School recruitment and retention coordinator.  “It’s the best day, second only to graduation day. You’re starting college. You’re joining a family (at the Reynolds School).”

Dean William L. Winter offered sage advice to students: “Don’t worry about your parents. They’ll be fine.”

Reynolds School students Jay Brissenden (non-sequence), Becca Kitchen (broadcast), Jonathan Moore (broadcast) and Riley Snyder (print) offered advice and encouragement to the new class members in a closed-door session where no question was off limits.

“I wanted to study lots of things,” Brissendine said. “Print, broadcast, design. I’ve studied everything except for PR and marketing. This school lets you do that.”

Following the meeting, many students returned to the job at hand: moving into residence halls and buying supplies from the campus bookstore.

University classes begin Aug. 29. 

Journalism faculty gathered Wednesday on the Redfield campus for their annual retreat to plan for the upcoming year. Topics included the search for a permanent dean, which has attracted a large and talented pool of candidates. Faculty hope to bring candidates to campus before the end of October.

Faculty also discussed the status of the building renovations, upcoming events and revisions to the bylaws. They were joined by President Marc Johnson and Provost Heather Hardy for an invigorating lunchtime conversation about future directions for the journalism school.

by Zanny Marsh

Alan Deutschman, Reynolds Chair of Business Journalism at the University, is at the center of the decade’s biggest business story following the announcement that Steve Jobs is stepping down immediately as Apple CEO. Deutschman is considered one of the world’s most knowledgeable reporters about Jobs’ life and career.

Deutschman told Bloomberg Television’s Emily Chang and Cory Johnson that what people have heard about Steve Jobs’ charisma is not a myth. In the interview, which is on Bloomberg.com, Deutschman said, “One to one, no one is as compelling, as charismatic, as seductive as Steve Jobs.”

“The issue is,” Deutschman said, “who is going to take the kind of extraordinary risks that only Steve Jobs in American business could take?”

Deutschman also was interviewed for a story that posted to The New York Times.com, Aug. 24.

Deutschman was interviewed extensively for CNN's Titans program about Steve Jobs, which aired June 23.

The author of five books, including “The Second Coming of Steve Jobs,” which was about Silicon Valley, Deutschman is at work on a major new book about the valley.

Deutschman will teach Business Journalism (JOUR 490) and Magazine Writing (JOUR 418) at the Reynolds School. The fall semester begins Aug. 29. 

by Zanny Marsh

The Reynolds School of Journalism and Center for Advanced Media Studies will observe Constitution Day with the annual Cole Campbell Dialogue on Journalism and Democracy, Sept. 20 at 5:30 p.m., at the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center Wells Fargo Auditorium. The event, “Digitizing Pinocchio: Determining the truth in a Democratic online society,” will feature Toma Bedolla, founder and chief executive officer of Veracious Entropy, and Michael Fancher, Reynolds Visiting Chair in the Ethics of Entrepreneurial and Innovative Journalism.

A graduate in physics from the Colorado School of Mines, Bedolla is pioneering an effort to measure the veracity of content and credibility of sources on the Internet.

He has served as the interim CEO for Approbatics, a development firm that delivers low-cost development resources for start-ups and entrepreneurs. Bedolla also co-founded the House of Genius, which develops networking meetings that help entrepreneurs brainstorm business strategies.

Fancher, who joined the Reynolds School in August, will explore the origins of Bedolla’s ambitious project, public expectation of truth in electronic media, and how democracy may be positively or negatively influenced by Internet sources and material.

The forum is open to the public at no charge. Questions and comments from the audience will be welcomed.

Cole C. Campbell was dean of the Reynolds School of Journalism and Center for Advanced Media Studies from 2004 - 2007. He died in a single-car accident in Reno Jan. 5, 2007. A brilliant thinker and communications philosopher, Campbell is remembered as an innovator in pushing media companies to examine the respective roles of the media and citizenry in public life.

Following Dean Campbell’s death, an endowment was created to support ongoing discussion and debate about his ideas. That discussion is formalized each year through the Cole Campbell Dialogue on Journalism and Democracy, conducted by the Reynolds School of Journalism and held on the Nevada, Reno campus.

"I would definitely recommend studying abroad to other journalism students," sophomore Jacqueline Stoesser said. "It is a great way to learn to fine tune your travel writing skills, and more importantly, get to explore a foreign country for college credit."

Graduate student Bridget Meade agreed.

"I highly recommend studying abroad to journalism students," Meade said. "Not only does it force you out of your comfort zone but it provides great writing opportunities."

Students in the travel writing class hiked to the top of Mt. Vesuvius, took a ferry to the island of Capri, visited the ruins of Pompeii, wrote about piazzas in Rome, cooked an Italian meal together and published their work on a website called Allora, Viterbo.

All three students, Jacqueline Stoesser, Bridget Meade and Daniel Flocchini, earned college credit through the University Studies Abroad Consortium, a study abroad program based at UNR. USAC has 39 programs in 24 countries, from western Europe to Ghana, India, China and Australia.

RSJ Professor Rosemary McCarthy also taught for USAC this summer, teaching a multimedia course in Prague. Courses in journalism are generally offered by USAC every semester and every summer session somewhere in the world.

Mensing plans to teach travel writing for USAC in Viterbo, Italy again next summer. If you're interested in a USAC program, you can pick up a brochure and catalog at the USAC offices in the Old Gym near the Student Services building on campus. If you're interested in studying in Italy, Mensing would be happy to talk about her experiences and about the travel writing class, as would any of the students who studied in Viterbo.

Some scholarships are available through the USAC program and through the School of Journalism. Contact Rosemary McCarthy for more information about scholarships.

Professor Bob Felten came in second in the voting for "Best College Instructor."  

 "I am a perennial bridesmaid in this poll," Felten said. "Last year I was third, the year before second and I think the year before that also second.  It is a very nice and constantly surprising thing to me. Humbling really."

Several of the school's alumni also were honored, including: 

Best local TV news anchor
2. Sarah Johns, KOLO
3. Wendy Damonte, KTVN

Best local journalist
2. Dennis Myers, RN&R

Best local filmmaker
1.  Kaleb Temple 

Part-time instructors Erin Breen (voted third in best local columnist) and Jackie Shelton (voted third in the best social networker category) were also honored. 

If anyone is missing from this list, let us know.

C-SPAN filmed the event for later broadcast; the videos are available here.

Offered in conjunction with the annual conference of the Conference of Court Public Information Officers, the program explored the use of electronic devices in the courtroom, the request to monitor jurors’ private social media accounts and the resulting disclosure obligations, the court’s role to protect jurors from overly intrusive inquiries about jurors’ private lives and other thorny issues.  Participants will discussed the "Open Court" pilot project, in which a Massachusetts court streams all its proceedings online.

The centerpiece was a  "role reversal,” at which judges, court public information officers, journalists and lawyers switched roles to respond to a hypothetical scenario that addresses many of the issues that were discussed during the day.

Presenters included Hon. Royce Lamberth, Chief Judge, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia; Angelita Plemmer, public information officer, Maryland Judiciary Office of Communication and Public Affairs; and media attorney Charles Tobin. 

Brian Lamb, C-SPAN founder, delivered the luncheon presentation (coverage here), and Floyd Abrams, renowned First Amendment attorney, concluded the conference.

The Donald W. Reynolds National Center for the Courts and Media, a program of the Reynolds School also affiliated with the National Judicial College, promotes research and scholarship on the interaction between the courts and the media, particularly the conflicts between free speech rights under the First Amendment and the fair trial rights of the Sixth Amendment.

by Zanny Marsh 

The Reynolds School of Journalism, in collaboration with Nevada Humanities, will honor San Francisco-based art critic, cultural historian, essayist and journalist Rebecca Solnit, as the 2011 Laxalt Distinguished Writer. The Utne Reader has described Solnit as “one of 25 visionaries who are changing your world.”

“Rebecca Solnit is one of the last great public intellectuals—an outstanding journalist and rare literary talent who engages passionately with the issues facing the American West and the world beyond,” said Alan Deutschman, professor and Reynolds Chair for Business Journalism.

Solnit is a contributing editor to Harper’s Magazine and is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, the National Book Critics Circle Award, and the Lannan Literary Award. Her thirteen books and numerous essays explore ideas about art and photography, landscape, public life, memory, politics, and ecology.

Her 2009 book, A Paradise Built in Hell, was chosen as a best book of the year by The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The New Yorker, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, and San Francisco Chronicle. The book earned a California Gold Medal in 2010 from the Commonwealth Club of California.

“Rebecca’s work examines the inextricable relationship between man and the environment,” said Warren Lerude, a long-time Laxalt friend and journalism professor emeritus. “Recurring themes in the type of writing for which Robert Laxalt is remembered.”

Laxalt, considered by many to be Nevada’s finest writer, founded the University of Nevada Press and wrote l7 books, two of which were nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. Laxalt wrote under contract for National Geographic Magazine; and, for l8 years, was a professor at the Reynolds School of Journalism.

The Laxalt Distinguished Writer is funded through community contributions including generous support of the John Ben Snow Memorial Trust and the College of Liberal Arts Hilliard Endowment.  

by Sarah Booher

Stewart Cheifet, assistant professor of journalism, will organize and coordinate production of four videos specials that explore the legal rights of journalists on July 19 at the National Judicial College courtroom. The project, funded by the Student Press Law Center from a Gannett Foundation grant, uses crew from Reynolds School and from KNPB. Students are encouraged to participate in the production.

The SPLC will produce this “...film and distribute a DVD that capsulizes some of our media-law lessons, with the goal of getting kind of a very basic foundational media-law course into the hands of smaller schools, especially 2-year colleges, that lack any kind of formal law training,” Frank LoMonte, Executive Director, said.

LaMonte will present the topics and field questions from students.

The video topics include First Amendment rights, censorship, Freedom of Information and Rights of Access, defamation, privacy law, copyright law, and fair use.

“This is a unique opportunity for RSJ students to get involved in a major national project to help student journalists better understand their legal rights and obligations.” Cheifet said.

Participating students must be available from 8:30 a.m.  – 4:30 p.m., and will receive a Student Press Law Center t-shirt and gift card to Starbucks Coffee Company.

Space is limited. Detailed information is available from Stewart Cheifet at (650) 430-5656 or scheifet@unr.edu, or Sarah Booher at (775) 287-3211, or booher.sarah@gmail.com.

Alan Deutschman, Reynolds Endowed Chair in Business Journalism, appears on the CNBC Titans series, “Steve Jobs: The Legend,” June 23 at 9 p.m. (EST). Deutschman has covered Silicon Valley and other business topics for years and is the author of “The Second Coming of Steve Jobs,” which also examines the Silicon Valley.

Deutschman was Fortune's Silicon Valley bureau chief from 1992-95. He has written about the valley and other subjects for GQ, New York Magazine, Fast Company and Vanity Fair, TheDailyBeast.com and for Salon.com.

The author of four books, Deutschman is at work on a new book about the Silicon Valley.

In addition to writing about Silicon Valley, Deutschman also has established a reputation for expertise in leadership and change. The Wall Street Journal called his 2009 book, “Walk the Walk: The #1 Rule for Real Leaders,” an ‘engaging reminder of some leadership basics that aren't necessarily taught in business school.’” The Miami Herald and Strategy + Business magazine both named “Walk the Walk” one of the best business books of 2009. LeadershipNow.com called it one of the best leadership books of 2009.

AudioFile said that the audio version of Deutschman's 2007 book, “Change or Die,” features strategies that ‘are innovative and seamlessly supported by riveting business stories.’ “Change or Die” has been translated into Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Italian and Indonesian.

Deutschman has taught a leadership course at Emory University and lectured widely on the subject, including speeches at General Electric's executive training center in Crotonville, N.Y., and keynote addresses to leadership conferences for organizations such as National Public Radio.

As the Reynolds Endowed Chair in Business Journalism, Deutschman works with Reynolds business chairs at Washington & Lee University, the University of Missouri and Arizona State University and with the Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism at ASU on articles, research projects and training seminars.

A story about Deutschman’s interview appears at http://businessjournalism.org/2011/06/22/cnbc-special-alan-deutschman-on-the-magnetic-charm-of-steve-jobs/.

by Zanny Marsh

The Reynolds School of Journalism begins its search for a dean this week. The ideal candidate will have significant journalistic experience and demonstrate appreciation for innovation. The position description is accessible at: https://www.unrsearch.com/postings/9303

The new dean will be responsible for five endowed chairs and an endowment of almost $19 million. The school also includes the nationally recognized Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Courts and Media.

The dean also will be charged with utilizing the Reynolds School’s newly renovated building, an $8 million project funded by the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation that will provide faculty and students with the full digital capacity necessary to create and produce engaging information, news and strategic communications.

Candidate interviews will be scheduled as early as September. A 12-member committee comprised of faculty and staff, journalists and public relations practitioners will oversee the process.

In May, Dean Jerry Ceppos announced he had accepted the position of dean of the Manship School of Mass Communication at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.

William L. (Bill) Winter, Ph.D., will serve as dean of the Reynolds School until a candidate is identified for the permanent position.

The Reynolds School is Nevada’s only accredited journalism school and has produced six Pulitzer Prize-winning graduates.

Fancher examines the topic of journalism innovation in a discussion paper titled "Local News: Re-imagining Journalism for a Networked World," to be published by the Aspen Institute this month.

Fancher, for 20 years executive editor of The Seattle Times, has deep experience in the development of new media and the study of ethics. He directed the Times' new-media division for more than a decade and was deeply involved with the company's content and business strategies. He is an investor in and informal adviser to Intersect, a Seattle-based social-media startup.

After retiring in 2008, after 30 years at The Times, Fancher served as a 2008-09 Donald W. Reynolds fellow at the University of Missouri School of Journalism. He devoted his fellowship year to exploring how technology is affecting the values and principles of journalism as well as the relationship between journalists and the public. Fancher served as chairman of the ethics committee of the American Society of News Editors in 2009-10. He was a writing consultant to the Knight Foundation Commission on the Information Needs of Communities in a Democracy and the Aspen Institute Forum on Communications and Society from 2009 to this year.

Fancher, who will serve for the 2011-12 school year, joins another long-time news executive in teaching ethics at Nevada. Caesar Andrews will return for the fall semester as the Paul A. Leonard Distinguished Visiting Chair in Ethics and Writing. Andrews has served as a top editor in newsrooms in Florida, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Washington, D.C., and Michigan. He has held visiting professorships at Grambling State University and Washington and Lee University as well as at Nevada.

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 and has made grants totaling more than $100 million through its National Journalism Initiative.
Veteran news executive Michael R. Fancher will join the Donald W. Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada, Reno, this fall as the Reynolds Visiting Chair in the Ethics of Entrepreneurial and Innovative Journalism.

Fancher examines the topic of journalism innovation in a discussion paper titled "Local News: Re-imagining Journalism for a Networked World," to be published by the Aspen Institute this month.

Fancher, for 20 years executive editor of The Seattle Times, has deep experience in the development of new media and the study of ethics. He directed the Times' new-media division for more than a decade and was deeply involved with the company's content and business strategies. He is an investor in and informal adviser to Intersect, a Seattle-based social-media startup.

After retiring in 2008, after 30 years at The Times, Fancher served as a 2008-09 Donald W. Reynolds Fellow at the University of Missouri School of Journalism. He devoted his fellowship year to exploring how technology is affecting the values and principles of journalism as well as the relationship between journalists and the public. Fancher served as chairman of the ethics committee of the American Society of News Editors in 2009-10. He was a writing consultant to the Knight Foundation Commission on the Information Needs of Communities in a Democracy and the Aspen Institute Forum on Communications and Society from 2009 to this year.

Fancher, who will serve for the 2011-12 school year, joins another long-time news executive in teaching ethics at Nevada. Caesar Andrews will return for the fall semester as the Paul A. Leonard Distinguished Visiting Chair in Ethics and Writing. Andrews has served as a top editor in newsrooms in Florida, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Washington, D.C., and Michigan. He has held visiting professorships at Grambling State University and Washington and Lee University as well as at Nevada.

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 and has made grants totaling more than $110 million through its National Journalism Initiative.

Winter also has held positions as correspondent for The Associated Press, executive sports editor of The Courier-Journal & Louisville (Kentucky) Times, assistant managing editor at the Akron Beacon Journal, and executive editor of Knight Ridder’s Star-News in Pasadena, Calif.

He also has been a journalism instructor at San Antonio College, Central Michigan University and Kent State University.

Most recently Winter founded an organizational-development consulting firm, through which he oversaw key grants in the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation’s National Journalism Initiative.

Winter will begin his Reynolds School responsibilities July 1, succeeding Jerry Ceppos, who has been appointed dean of the Manship School of Mass Communication at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. Winter will remain dean until a national search to hire a permanent dean has been completed

“It is an honor to have the opportunity to provide leadership for one of the nation's best-regarded schools of journalism and media studies, and particularly to follow in the footsteps of Dean Ceppos, an energetic and effective leader,” Winter said. “The students, faculty and staff of the Reynolds School all are first-rate, and all will be engaged in the effort to ensure that the coming year is one of real accomplishment for the School.”

Winter holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism from Arkansas State University and Ohio University, respectively. He received a doctoral degree in administration in higher education from Kent State University.

As one of 23 USAC students studying abroad in San Sebastian, Spain for the spring 2011 semester, Reynolds School of Journalism junior Brent Coulter immersed himself in the culture by his involvement in the local community.

Coulter learned Spanish, taught English as a volunteer to young kids in schools, and prepared traditional Basque dishes as part of a cooking class. He traveled to other parts of Spain and Europe. All of these activities were a part of fulfilling his goal before he traveled.

“Now I have a more global perspective, and I can empathize with a broader spectrum of viewpoints and opinions,” Coulter said. “Having studied in the Basque Country has taught me a lot about nationalism and its political and social retributions. I am also learning about different media trends and I have seen a lot of criticism of mainstream media in the USA, especially relating to what has been going on in Egypt. All of this has opened my mind and given me knowledge that I couldn't obtain elsewhere.”

After nearly 30 years of tireless teaching at the University of Nevada, Reno, Professor Jake Highton is retiring.  He will teach only one class in the coming fall semester. Before the end of the spring semester, Highton received his first Nevada Semenza teaching award and Emeritus Professor status, small recognition for what he has done for the university.

Paul Mitchell, recruitment and retention coordinator for the journalism school, accepted the emeritus plaque on behalf of Highton, who did not attend the ceremony on May 11. Mitchell presented the award to Highton during the reception for graduating journalism seniors on May 13.

“[Highton] set the tone for the entire faculty,” Mitchell said. “All of us, the students and faculty, are going to miss Jake. It’s because of his commitment to excellence.”

Highton received the teaching award at a faculty luncheon.

“The honor was nice,” Highton said, “but it was a little late.”

Rosemary McCarthy, associate professor, said she thought the award was a little anti-climactic.

“It seems like a small recognition for a life devoted to students,” she said. “It seems a small way to acknowledge that profound an impact.”

Highton’s teaching and arguable harsh grading style don’t make him every student’s favorite teacher.

“Grades aren’t that important to me,” he said. “[Students] have to earn [an A.]”

Highton, an ardent Francophile, was also given a bottle of French wine.

“I don’t need any gifts,” Highton said at the lunch. “My gift is teaching for 30 years.”

Highton said he appreciated the wine and the award but he values more the communiques with his pupils.

“My drawers are full of letters from students,” he said.

Mitchell said he is glad that Highton has been honored.

 “That [the teaching award] should have happened a long time before now,” Mitchell said. “He’s so demanding because he wants our kids to be excellent, not mediocre."

Emeritus status is meant to convey, according to the university’s recommendation forms, “distinguished and long-term achievement and service” to the University of Nevada, Reno. Highton will continue to teach his First Amendment Law class during next semester.

“He loves the debate,” Mitchell said. “[It’s] what gets him out of bed in the morning.”

Highton recalled last semester’s First Amendment Law class, when one student shook her fist in anger at a student behind her, both worked up over arguments about the law.

“It’s the intellectual sparks,” he said. “The intellect is everything.”

(excerpt below -- read more at the Reno News & Review)

[...] The problem is real: First-time heroin users are becoming younger and younger—often victims first enticed to the drug through an addiction born of prescription painkillers. This story is about a 24-year-old middleman named Joey who has been addicted for four years, and 18-year-old Austin, who started abusing opiates at 15.

Joey had just received the first call of the day, which meant it was time to get out of bed and get to work.

But first, the “morning” dose, necessary to kick-start the drug-driven day.

Systematically unloading the kit complete with syringe, cooking spoon, clean water, cotton ball, lighter and, of course, heroin, has become part of the morning routine—somewhere in between brushing the teeth and picking out the day’s outfit.

WASHINGTON--The reverential tone prevailing here at the Supreme Court is unjustified by its many horrible decisions for more than a century.

The Dred Scott ruling in 1857 said Negroes could never be citizens, that they were “beings of an inferior order” and that they “had no rights which the white man was bound to respect.”

In 1886 in Southern Pacific Railroad the court declared that corporations were people and hence entitled to constitutional rights.

In 2000 in Bush v. Gore the court made a Republican president even though the Democrat had 550,000 more popular votes. In 2010 in Citizens United the court granted corporations First Amendment rights, upholding previous rulings that money is speech.

And just last month the Corporate Court ruled in AT&T Mobility that consumers cannot band together in class-action suits to pursue justifiable complaints.

The last three cases were decided 5-4 by five Republican politicians.

Yet the portrait gallery here cheered me.

Louis Brandeis was the greatest of the 112 justices and chief justices who have served on the court since 1790. Brandeis, the people’s lawyer who became the people’s justice, served from 1916 to 1939. The portrait here shows him both benign and serious.

Two of my favorite justices are Hugo Black (1937-1971) and Bill Douglas (1939-1975). They were superb on the First Amendment. The luminescent portrait of Black was painted from a photo by Yousuf Karsch, great photographer who took the “bulldog” portrait of Churchill.

Pictured also is Earl Warren, greatest chief justice. He ruled for people as opposed to Chief Justice John Marshall who ruled for property.

Real cool

As young people say these days, it was cool to be in the Supreme Court inner sanctum to hear oral argument in the case of Nevada Ethics Commission v. Carrigan (Sparks city councilman).

I observed and heard the justices for the first time after years of teaching and writing about them and the court. The questioning by the justices was lively with counsel for both sides bombarded by tough queries.

The courtroom is awesome: four white marble columns on four sides with ionic capitals and a 44-foot-high rosette ceiling. The justices appear from behind a curtain like nine popes.

New York Times accounts of oral argument usually suggest how the justices will rule. But in the Carrigan case the result is uncertain.

A guess: the court will find for the commission because ethics trumps the law and Carrigan’s First Amendment argument is far-fetched.

Desecration

The temple of the Lincoln Memorial here is desecrated by swarms of tourists and mobs of school kids.

One way to escape the tourist woes of this consummate tourist city is to go to an art museum. Washington has lots of them.

Try the Smithsonian National Gallery of Art with Modigliani’s “Nude on a Blue Cushion” or Monet’s gauzy paintings of the “The Houses of Parliament” and the Rouen Cathedral series. Or try the Corcoran Art Gallery with Pissarro’s “The Louvre, the Morning, Rainy Weather” and Sargent’s “Girl Fishing at San Vigilia.”

Grim museum

On a previous visit I spent six hours in the Holocaust Museum but walked out without seeing all the exhibits because I couldn’t take any more grimness. This time I spent just two hours but it’s still depressing.

One of the grimmest sights is a floor full of shoes worn by some of those exterminated in the “final solution.”

Broadcaster Edward R. Murrow witnessed the liberation of Buchenwald with American troops near the end of World War II. He was so appalled he asked: “Where was God?”

On entering the museum visitors pick up a card identifying one of the “dead souls” sent to the concentration camps. My card bore the name of Shiomo Reich of Lodz, Poland.

Reich was liberated from Dachau in 1944. He was lucky. Six million Jews perished in the Holocaust.

Abbé Sièyes, asked what he did during the French Revolution, replied: “I survived.” Reich survived.

More journalism student photos here.

Reynolds School 2011 graduating seniors are going places.

Chelsea Otakan goes to work for Automattic, the parent company of WordPress, two days after graduation.

Katie Goodwin heads to the Bay Area for an internship with the San Francisco Chronicle this summer.

Jazzmine Hudson moves to Las Vegas for graduate school in the fall.

Ricardo Lopez begins his new job with the Los Angeles Times in mid-June.

Seniors, faculty, family and friends gathered May 13, the day before commencement, at the Knowledge Center for a graduate reception and group photo.

Addressing rows of the robed students, Dr. Paul Mitchell lauded the graduating seniors for their efforts.

“I know it was tough and I know it was hard,” he told the students. “But this is what it’s all about.” He turned around and faced the parents. “This is what it’s all about!”

And the crowd went wild.

Goodwin’s mother Laurie Schon was glowing with pride. She said her daughter, editor of the student magazine Insight, had a love of the written word from infancy.

“Katie had to have books in her crib,” Schon said. “She was always asking me to read to her.”

Journalism runs in the family. Goodwin’s grandfather Michael Schon attended UNR’s journalism school and started a magazine, the Nevada Sportsman, in the 1950s.

Schon spent seven years as a reporter and columnist at the Comstock Chronicle in Virginia City, covering stories like the shootings of wild mustangs. When her daughter received the Chronicle internship, she called her mom with the news. Schon was impressed.

“You always said the Chronicle was the only paper worth reading,” Goodwin told her mother.

Students at the reception bid farewell to parting Dean Jerry Ceppos, who’s leaving Reno for a deanship at Louisiana State University.

Retiring professor Jake Highton received his emeritus professor award.

Students also shouted a group “aloha” to Deidre Pike, writing lecturer, who recently accepted an assistant professor of journalism position at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa.

She’s tough. She makes students work hard and some say they shed a few tears when she critiqued their work. But now they're tearing up for another reason.  Deidre Pike, Reynolds School lecturer, is leaving UNR for a position as assistant professor of interactive and convergent journalism at the University of Hawai’i, Manoa.

A RSJ writing lecturer since 2003, students say they admire Pike for making teaching her top priority. Pike teaches introductory courses, multimedia journalism, magazine writing, travel writing and special topics courses, like this semester’s literary journalism.

"Deidre was one of the best, most caring professors I’ve had in my college career,” RSJ graduate student Hailee Vance said. “She cared about her students and they cared about her. I will miss that."

Pike rewarded out-of-the-box thinking and allowed students to be themselves in her classes and to engage in debate. Former RSJ ASUN Senator Jonathan Moore called Pike’s Journalism 101 one of his favorite classes in the Reynolds School.

This spring, Moore took literary journalism. He said he enjoyed being able to “yell at people and tell them they have the wrong definition of journalism.”

In 2010, Pike received her doctoral degree in English Literature & Environment, with a research focus on environmental journalism and media studies. Her book Enviro-toons: How Animated Media Communicate Environmental Themes was accepted for publication by McFarland Publishing this spring. The book looks at ecological themes in animations from South Park to Avatar.

“The idea is that, instead of scaring people with apocalyptic environmental messages, humorous cartoons can spark dialogues about important ecological issues,” Pike said.

A long time Reno resident, Pike served as reporter and technology editor at the Reno Gazette-Journal and as news editor, editor-in-chief and columnist for the Reno News & Review. She has won numerous awards, including the Robert Laxalt Writing Award, for her work. She also has served the community as a guest scholar teaching creative writing workshops for Planned Parenthood/Holland Project. In 2002, she was selected as the Women’s Role Model for Northern Nevada by the Nevada Attorney General’s office.

Pike said that leaving Reno will be bittersweet.

“On my way here, I was driving through downtown Reno, under the Arch, thinking about the fun times and growing experiences I’ve had here,” Pike told her literary journalism class. “As excited as I am to teach at the University of Hawai’i, I realize I really love this crazy town.”

Pike also serves as director of the Reynolds High School Journalism Institute, held two weeks each summer at the University of Nevada, Reno. She’s received approval from the Reynolds School and the American Society of News Editors to continue in that role for the next few summers.

She’s looking forward to returning to Reno for the institute.

“UNR’s like the Hotel California,” she said. “You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.”

Colleagues said they support Pike’s career plans but added that she’ll be missed.

“I will miss her humor, her heart, her ideas, her good cheer,” RSJ associate professor Donica Mensing said. “I will miss having lunch at Beto's, the days when we used to have time to play online Scrabble.  I will miss doing crazy 101 projects with her. I will miss knowing that she's there for our students. She leaves a gaping crater in the school. I am so happy she landed a great job in a beautiful place but we will miss her terribly.”

RSJ associate professor David Ryfe spent five years in three mid-sized regional newsrooms watching how newspapers handled the shift from a mass news medium to a networked medium. What he observed is being detailed in Ryfe’s book manuscript, tentatively titled The Failure of Journalism.

“It is an examination of how American newspapers have tried to respond to the challenges,” Ryfe says. “I was able to observe their struggles in exchange for agreeing to not identify them in my book.”

The book has been accepted for publication by Polity Press, scheduled for a 2012 release.

For 60 years, newspapers operated in the structured, professional, profit-based environment. Mid-sized regional newsrooms produced 80 to 85 percent of the news, Ryfe contends. Now the Internet has changed the way news is distributed and is becoming mostly non-profit, amateur, niche-based industry.

Ryfe made three observations as to why journalism is struggling. First, the work that is required of a modern journalist, such as blogging, social media, multi-media presentations, doesn’t feel right. The massive decline in revenue and massive layoffs has turned newsrooms into toxic environments. Second, the news industry has spent 25 years making investments on what is becoming an outdated medium. Third, traditional journalists are being asked to do things they don’t understand.

“One newspaper I observed asked reporters to change their titles to ‘super bloggers,’” Ryfe says. “At this point there have been so many layoffs that those left are happy to do anything to stay, but no one knows the definition of a ‘super blogger.’”

The newspaper’s human resources department eventually declined the proposal as it didn’t fit in with the paper’s pre-determined definition of a journalist. This is one of the reasons Ryfe believes that if traditional newspapers are to survive, they have to make changes quickly.

“Their losses are mounting,” he says. “They can’t act fast enough.”

So will any papers survive? Possibly. Newspapers like The New York Times will be able to sustain their models because of their reputation and global audience. However, Ryfe maintains that many papers will go away and most will shrink in size.

Elected to represent journalism students during the 2011-2012 school year, Ginsburg says her key goals include maintaining school unity during j-school building construction, reaching out to local high schools about the opportunities the school can provide and advocating for students as proposed budget cuts begin to be implemented.

“The university is going through big changes,” Ginsburg said. “I’m planning to work with students and helping the university get through budget cuts.”

Ginsburg plans to continue the RSJ Experience and to plan other events for journalism students. Her other leadership experience includes an executive position in Kappa Alpha Theta.

“I saw the positive impact the older members in leadership roles made in our sorority and university,” she said. “I knew leadership is an important skill to have and wanted to follow in their footsteps.”

Hands-on learning isn’t new to Ginsburg. It was the reason she chose to be journalism major.

“My favorite thing about the J-school is how much hands-on experience we get,” she said. “It’s a lot of hard work but at the end, we know what it will be like in the field.”

1. Memorial Services for President Glick
2. President Obama Visits Reno
3. Theater Department Faces Budget Cuts
4. CABNR Worries About Slashed Budget
5. Mining School Thrives on Private Funding
6. Athletic Department Looks for New Revenue
7. Online Poker Ban Snags Local Gamblers
8. Silver & Blue Spring Football Exhibition
9. Reno Hosts National Tattoo Convention

Wolf Pack Week #110 from stewart cheifet on Vimeo.

The Reynolds School of Journalism recognized over 80 students with $90,000 in scholarship money at the annual Savitt Award Banquet Thursday, April 28.

“I work with many talented, deserving students,” Professor Larry Dailey said. “ We should give them all awards.”

The event recognized top students in each emphasis: advertising, broadcast, new media/online, print, public relations, visual journalism and the graduate program.

Assistant professor Stewart Cheifet likened the selection process of the top broadcast student to the NFL draft.

“Normally, coaches don’t brag about their best players in hopes of keeping them,” he said. “However, I have the good fortune of encouraging students to transition from academia into the journalism profession.”

The banquet is underwritten by an endowment established by Ella Savitt and her husband, Sol. Until her death in 2004, Ella Savitt encouraged students to take advantage of their college educations.

The outstanding print student of the year designation was awarded to Don Weinland, who lived in Asia for seven years, translating and writing about his experiences. “The story of Asia is told in indigenous tongues,” Weinland wrote in his personal travel blog.

Kate Thomas, outstanding graduate student and scholarship recipient, has taught introductory journalism classes at RSJ while excelling academically and proving her leadership skills in the classroom. Graduate director Todd Felts recalled his first conversation with Thomas when she asked if she could visit UNR.

“Just from that conversation,” he said. “It was abundantly clear that she was going to be a great student.”

While the current students were the main focus of the evening, RSJ’s alumni like the played large role in ensuring students were received support for their education. Scholarships like the Alfred L. Higginbotham Fund and the Allan C. MacGill scholarships served as a reminder of the school’s rich history and generosity.

“To all soon-to-be graduates,” Dean Jerry Ceppos said, laughing, “remember us when you graduate.”

Since he became dean in spring semester 2008, Jerry Ceppos, Reynolds School of Journalism dean, can recount many successes, including the nearly $8 million Reynolds Foundation donation that led to the ongoing renovation of the journalism building.

“It was the most exciting moment in my career,” Ceppos said. “The chairman of the Reynolds Foundation came out after President Glick and I presented [a plan for the building renovation] and said, ‘We like it. We are going to fund it.’”

Though Ceppos had prior experience in fund-raising, he said he was honored that a large foundation would be willing to give $8 million to dramatically improve the student experience at the Reynolds School. The building improvements will better serve the needs of journalism students, keeping the school up-to-date with changing technology.

Ceppos announced in April that he’s leaving the University of Nevada, Reno, for Louisiana State University, where he’ll head up the Manship School of Mass Communication. Ceppos begins his new job in June.

Many innovations occurred during Ceppos’ tenure as dean, including a new media and law journal produced by the Reynolds National Center for Courts and Media.

The Reynolds School of Journalism also made progress in diversifying the student and faculty population.

“We’re a small school,” Ceppos said. “It would be easy to lower our standards but we set our standards high. Our building will be superior to many much larger schools.”

Ceppos still has high objectives for RSJ. In a perfect world, the school would employ more teachers so faculty could devote as much time to research as they do teaching.

Ceppos feels confident the journalism school’s strong emphasis on ethics, the environment and innovation will continue.

That can only happen with continued robust fundraising efforts.

“The state isn’t going to fund us forever,” he said. “However, most people don’t know that 50 percent of the journalism school is privately funded. Even with the massive budget cuts, RSJ will not cease to exist as an independent school.”

As Ceppos moves on, he said he will miss the RSJ’s friendly atmosphere and how faculty and students wander in to his office to sit down and talk. As a former newspaper professional, it reminded him of a newsroom environment.

“I will miss the small group of wonderful, bright individuals I’ve worked with here,” he said.

Several faculty members praised Ceppos’ contribution to the Reynolds School.

“Jerry truly engages with the breadth of what the school means,” said Bob Felten, assistant professor of advertising. “He engages with students and makes it a point to do so.”

Donica Mensing, associate professor, appreciates Ceppos’ ability to raise funds for the school and maintain a great working relationship with university administrators. She called Ceppos a “fair” and “reassuring” leader.

“I appreciate that he’s a warm and trusting person,” Mensing said. “He has everyone’s best interests at heart and cares for the faculty.”

Reynolds Technology Chair Larry Dailey said he enjoyed Ceppos’ accessibility and academic support.

“Jerry’s door is always open and I always feel like I am always talking with a friend,” Dailey said. “He finds ways to enable people and promotes a relaxed, positive atmosphere.”

Dailey, who occasionally flies a remote control aircraft to further his research in serious games and journalism, said that Ceppos was also quite tolerant.

“He puts up with me flying helicopters in the hallway,” Dailey said.

Wolf Pack Week #109 from stewart cheifet on Vimeo.

Professor Alan Deutschman wants Reno students to know business journalism isn’t just about numbers and quantitative data. His Fall 2011 Business & Journalism class will delve into the personalities, egos and innovations of business leaders.

Reynolds Chair of Business Journalism Deutschman, author of an unofficial biography of Apple’s CEO, “The Second Coming of Steve Jobs,” has encountered many high profile business leaders. In his career, Deutschman covered Silicon Valley for Fortune magazine, worked as a senior writer at GQ and is a contributing editor at Vanity Fair. He’s interviewed Microsoft’s Bill Gates, Google’s Sergey Brin and Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon. He spent two weeks on assignment with Richard Branson.

Each interview required a different set of skills. For example, when he interviewed Gates, Deutschman had a difficult time getting him to talk openly.

“Gates seemed very bored and distracted,” Deutschman said. “He assumes you’re not going to be very smart and ask him mainstream questions.”

It wasn’t until Deutschman mentioned that he was researching renowned physicist Richard Feynman that the interview with Gates began to turn around. Gates is a fan of Feynman’s work and deemed Deutschman worthy after that. Even so, when one of Deutschman’s colleagues wrote an article about Microsoft that ticked Gates off a few years later, Gates saw him at a conference and called him out on it.

“It turned into a two hour discussion in front of a crowd,” Deutschman said, laughing. 

When Deutschman started his career in journalism, he was interested in writing about art, culture and politics. Then he interned at the Wall Street Journal and after that, subsequent publications assigned him business stories.

“I soon learned I could write about all of these other things while doing business journalism,” he said. For example, Deutschman’s non-fiction book “A Tale of Two Valleys” explores the Napa-Sonoma wine business, its culture and environmental impacts.

“There is a lot of opportunity in this field,” he said.

That is what Deutschman hopes students know after taking his business journalism class next fall. Students will investigate how companies work, what role the stock market plays, and understand what one needs to be a good business journalist.

“My goal is to teach students how to write in a humanizing way about leaders,” he said.

Undergraduate and graduate students can register for Business and Journalism 490B/691B on MyNevada.

Faculty, students, staff and alumni may nominate candidates.

Nominees should have a record of consistent excellence in instruction, evidence of effectiveness and dedication to instruction.

Criteria may include but are not limited to:

Ability to communicate effectively with students, impart knowledge, and develop skills in a way that excites interest in the material and interest in furthering their educational goals.

Willingness to create learning experiences that encourage critical thinking and clear writing.

Willingness to create ongoing active classroom learning.

Enthusiasm for revising and updating methods, materials and technologies.

Eagerness to be accessible and helpful to students and to provide accurate advisement.

Willingness to innovate through varied approaches.

Submit your nomination to Barbara Trainor (barbarat@unr.nevada.edu) or Sally Echeto (echeto@unr.edu).

Deadline: April 18

A committee headed by the dean will judge the submissions.

The award winner will be announced at the Savitt Awards Banquet on APRIL 28.

Story in the Reno Gazette-Journal.

A letter from Jerry Ceppos, Reynolds School dean:

Everybody--

I wanted you to hear from me that I've accepted the position of dean of the Manship School of Communication at LSU. My more than three years at UNR have been wonderful, especially for someone who was relatively new to academia.

Meeting students, doing some teaching, getting the building renovation under way and all of the other activities of a dean have been pure pleasure. (Note to students still wondering about a career: Every aspect of journalism is pure pleasure.)

I took the position at LSU because I thought it was time to go to a slightly different kind of institution. LSU emphasizes the intersection of media and politics, an area of great interest to me. We also had some personal reasons for wanting to get closer to the East Coast. The Reynolds School is in great shape--and is about to be in even better shape when the "new" building opens in January.  Enjoy your time here and stop by and say hello (and good-bye) before mid-June.

 Jerry

Wolf Pack Week #108 from stewart cheifet on Vimeo.

"In his quiet, firm way, Bob probably did more to advance diversity in journalism than anyone else in Knight Ridder, which was known for its efforts in that field," says Jerry Ceppos, Reynolds School dean. "This is one big honor for Caesar."

Andrews will return to the Reynolds School in the fall semester as the Leonard Distinguished Visiting Professor in Journalism Ethics at the Reynolds School of Journalism.

Story and a Q&A with Krishna Bharat by Bridget Meade

In a world where people don’t have a lot of time, Google News founder Dr. Krishna Bharat encouraged journalists to follow the lead of some successful corporations and design news media experiences for their audience.

“When you are at Starbucks, you are there for the experience, not just for the coffee,” Bharat told a ballroom full of RSJ faculty, alumni and students at the annual Scripps Lecture and Dinner March 29.

The Starbucks’ experience includes the shop’s ambience, including staff, seating, music and lighting. With technological tools available like Google maps, journalists can also create a similar rich news experience for an information-seeking public.

Before the Internet, journalists operated with an underlying assumption, “This is what happened, trust me.” Now readers are able to collect information through news aggregation sources like Google News, which Bharat designed to organize news information in the wake of World Trade Center attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

Now people seeking information about a news topic like Libya can find multiple credible news sources by searching one familiar location.

“They may not know what news source to go to, but they do know Google,” Bharat said.

Released publicly in 2002, Google News enhances readers’ experience by aggregating news from sources all over the world. It allows them to customize the news with choices about topics, sources and locations. Customization tools anticipate what the reader will like and provide suggestions based on their habits. Through these options, readers are able to access a balanced perspective, something that may not have been as easy before the Internet.

Bharat emphasized that the goal for readers is to get different perspectives, no matter what they read.  News aggregation provides balanced views, educates people and gives insight into what others believe.

“Our challenge therefore is to help consumers understand the value of diversity in news,” he said. “This requires a fast and intuitive user experience that allows users to navigate the coverage for a story quickly, understand the special attributes of each item, and consume a lot of news.”

RSJ graduate student Nonie Wainwright appreciated Bharat’s message.

“Our classes have been focusing on the reader, what they want and finding ways to give it to them,” she said. “Dr. Bharat’s lecture confirmed that we are on the right path.”

Bharat is the first technology expert to fill the annual role of Scripps speaker. Past speakers have included practitioners from broadcast news like Catherine Crier of ABC News and newspaper editors like Leonard Downie, Jr. of the Washington Post.

Bharat assured the journalism faculty at an earlier luncheon that Google was not trying to take over the news game.

“If we were, we’d do it differently,” he said, joking. He related a story about Goggle’s early days, when founder Larry Page told employees that the goal wasn’t to get Internet users to stay at Goggle’s site longer. Instead, he wanted users to find what they were looking for, as quickly as possible.

“We’re about connecting people with information where ever that information may be,” he said.

Bharat reiterated several times the importance of accurate, original reporting.

“The need for good journalism has never been more severe,” Bharat said. “As information changes rapidly, journalists need to be accurate, timely, original, and develop a good reputation. From what I have seen, the future of journalism is in good hands.”

A Q&A with Dr. Krishna Bharat:

Can you elaborate on the process you went through in developing Google News?

Following the Sept. 11 attacks, I focused on the problem of organizing online news in a way that is easy to comprehend and consume. By November 2001, I had built an internal demo that had a basic version of Google News, with about 100 sources. Many people liked the demo. We formed a team, combining engineering, product and design functions, to develop it further. Over the next nine months we refined many features and scaled to 4,500 English sources. A public version was launched in September 2002.

In parallel, we worked with the search team to apply clustering and ranking technology to power news searches. Over time Google News has grown to 72 editions in 30 languages and incorporated many technical and feature improvements.

How do you define news?

My personal definition of news is somewhat nuanced, but it seems irrelevant to how users perceive the products we create. The audience at large gets to define what they consider to be news for their own consumption, and in practical terms that is the only definition that matters. Although the Internet has restructured communication paths, I do not believe the audience’s definition of news has changed. To most people it is new information of general or personal interest from a source they trust. In the past news of general interest came from news organizations. Personal news came from friends and family. The Internet has expanded both sets of sources.

What are Google's criteria for selecting a source for news?

Google News currently includes sources that publish original news authored by multiple journalists and incorporate an editorial review process within their workflow. The definition is broad and inclusive, and we have an objective process to review and admit sources. Hence, I do not believe we’re being editorial in source selection.

How do you perceive the editor's role changing as news becomes aggregated by algorithm?

Editors at news organizations determine the coverage of news on their website -- what to cover, what to ignore, where to place it. Google News’s algorithm combines these editorial decisions, made by thousands of editors to produce an aggregate ranking. Thus, it would not operate without editors playing the role they always have. That said, I think the Internet has changed the assumptions under which the editorial function operates. Users routinely turn to multiple sources of news online, and the Web allows for easy citation. Editors may be able to deliver better value to their audience by investing more in the topics they cover best, and by linking out to the rest - as Jeff Jarvis has advocated .

How do you compare Google News with sites like Digg and Reddit? What roles will an algorithm that ranks and categorizes news and a community rank and selection of news play in the future?

Google News aggregates the publishing choices of editors worldwide to select and rank news. Digg and Reddit aggregate the choices of their specific readers, and thus rank based on popularity within their community. We think there is a place for both, and over time, we have incorporated audience popularity as a secondary component in our ranking.  Aggregate editorial interest, which reflects the wisdom of editors, continues to be the primary force behind our ranking.

NYU professor Jay Rosen recently suggested that Google may need to hire an editor-in-chief. Google news selection criteria may suggest they do play some sort of an editorial role. Will there ever come a point when Google hires someone for that role?

Given our model of operation, our view has been that we can better serve our audience by combining the wisdom of thousands of editors, rather than employing an editor. Not being affiliated to any of the editors also makes us more objective.  Also, our computers process every article published online in 30 languages, which amounts to millions of articles a day. It would take an enormous team of editors to review such a large volume of news in real time, and to do it 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Is there some form of modern news or new journalism that you think most people wouldn't normally consider news but it is?

News in the past has always been produced deliberately for consumption by the audience. Due to microblogs and social networks, users now have access to “meta news” -- i.e., the interests, reactions and reading habits of others on current news. On Twitter, in the wake of a disaster such as the Sendai quake, you might have seen expressions of sympathy, reporting from the scene of the event, and links to relevant resources and organizations. Formerly, all of these would have come from news organizations. Some may not consider this to be news, but to consumers of this information it serves an indistinguishable function.

What percentage of information in Google news comes from places like local newspapers, NY Times, CNN versus news bloggers?

Currently, we don’t include individual bloggers. We do include news in the blog format by news organizations.

Going forward, what do you see as a professional journalist's role versus an amateur journalist?

Journalism has always incorporated occasional (i.e., invited) pieces by others. What’s new now is that you no longer need to be invited by someone who owns a printing press or a broadcast station to perform an act of journalism. As the competition for attention grows, trust and reputation will matter more than ever.

The more interesting difference, in my opinion, is the distinction between reporting and journalism. Given the proliferation of mobile devices, anyone can file a report to say the subway has a delay or upload an eyewitness video from the scene of an event. Often they may be better positioned than a journalist to do that, and it should be welcomed. Journalists need to go beyond basic reporting and add value by performing a more complex function. This could take the form of fact verification, aggregation of inputs, analysis, superior storytelling, informed prognostication, etc.

Who do you think will drive the future of news? Will it be a well-known source like the New York Times or will start-ups like Storify help shape journalism?

I believe it will be a combination. Well-known sources who “figure it out” and arrive at a model that is cost-effective can leverage their brand and experience to build a large audience. Start-ups have no baggage, and thus have the ability to keep costs down, take risks, and “figure it out” by a process of experimentation. Both kinds of organizations will help define the future.

What do you think of the New York Times' recent decision to place a pay wall for readers? Do you see this being a successful model? Is there any point at which Google would monetize the news portion of their site?

Google welcomes all attempts by our partners to innovate and experiment. A metered paywall allows casual readers to experience the product without any barriers, but requires heavy users to pay. By not turning away the long tail of visitors who are unlikely to pay, it allows for their traffic to be monetized by ads. It can also help maintain brand recognition, and encourage casual users to get hooked on the product and become subscribers over time. We look forward to seeing how the Times’ paywall performs to understand whether this is a viable model for the industry.
Google has several ad products as well as a paywall solution (Google OnePass) to help publishers monetize their news web sites.

What are the most important qualities for news sources?

Originality, expertise, insight, accuracy, timeliness, reputation.

What is Google news biggest challenge?

Google News’s strength is the breadth of reporting and the different genres of news that we make available to users; however, not everyone appreciates the need to read more than one article for a story. Our challenge therefore is to help consumers understand the value of diversity in news. This requires a fast and intuitive user experience that allows users to navigate the coverage for a story quickly, understand the special attributes of each item, and consume a lot of news.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

The ability to bring news to millions of people worldwide, and to broaden their understanding of news events by exposing them to sources they otherwise would not visit. The promise of serving democracy by creating a more enlightened society.

ASUN Senator Jonathan Moore, with the help of journalism major Wheeler Cowperthwaite and graduate student Hailee Vance, crafted Resolution 78-56: “To recognize Jake Highton for his outstanding contributions to the University of Nevada during his 30-year career.”

Whereas, Jake Highton is a highly respected individual who has served the University of Nevada for 30 years by putting journalism at the forefront of his teaching;
Whereas, Jake Highton has helped Nevada students achieve their goals through his extensive efforts in mentorship and exemplary teaching;
Whereas, Jake Highton has been a role-model and a confidante to thousands of students as a long-serving professor of the First Amendment and writing classes;
Whereas, Jake Highton has inspired a multitude of students to become and aspire to be the greatest journalists of their generation;
Whereas, Jake Highton’s first name is transformed into a verb by journalists to convey the experience of being “Jaked,” or having survived a class with Jake Highton. A Nevada journalist who’s been “Jaked” is expected to perform at a high level of expertise in writing and thinking, as a result of learning that writers read widely, that curiosity is impossible to quench and that the life most worth living is a life of the mind;
Whereas, Jake Highton’s profound care of his students has led him to financially and emotionally support them, often at his own expense;
Whereas, Jake Highton, during his 30-year career at the University of Nevada, has impacted more lives in a meaningful way than any other journalism professor;
Whereas, Jake Highton is a true believer in journalism and the First Amendment;
Whereas, Jake Highton has made it his personal goal to make sure that the field of Journalism continues to be the most accountable, the most professional and the most admirable of all disciplines;
Whereas, thousands of students have been positively affected by his encouraging attitude, his caring but fierce demeanor, his love of literature, art and music and his infinite drive;
Be it resolved by the Senate of the Associated Students, that the Associated Students of the University of Nevada hereby officially recognize and commend Jake Highton for his outstanding service to the University of Nevada, to the Reynolds School of Journalism, to the First Amendment and to the pursuit of truth.
Be it further resolved that the Secretary of the Senate prepare and transmit a copy of this resolution to Jake Highton and to the Office of the Dean for display in the Reynolds School of Journalism.

Pike's column View From the Fray appears weekly in the Reno News & Review.

The nation is in crisis. Nevada’s no exception. Right? Not quite. Nevada is in the enviable position of having something special, a resource that Wisconsin lacks, the stuff of California’s dreams.

The Silver State has a gold mine—several, in fact.

Weird that Nevadans have been conned into thinking we don’t deserve the riches of our state. Ranking at the top of every icky social indicator list—drop-outs, teen pregnancies, suicides—has hurt our collective self-esteem.

We’ve remained in this destructive relationship since the Comstock Lode days, 150 years ago. Much like an abused woman who fearfully stands by her man instead of risking liberation, Nevada defends the mining industry decade after decade.

“You want my ranch ’cause thar’s gold in my hills? Take it. Would you also like my firstborn son?”

We hear how mining brings jobs to Nevada. We’re cautioned that we must not tax a business that employs Nevadans. In reality, mining employs less than 1 percent of Nevadans. (The gambling industry employs about 25 percent.) Nevadans for Fair Mining Taxes report that mining pulled $5.7 billion in minerals from Nevada in 2008, 95 percent of it in gold, and paid $40 million (less than 1 percent) in state taxes.

We should kick ’em out and mine the mines ourselves. Enjoy higher education? We’d have enough dough to buy Harvard and move it, brick by brick, to Sparks. Free tuition to all Nevada teens. With liberty and McMansions for all!

Aside from employing a relatively few Nevadans and paying minimal taxes, mining does not give a flying hoot about us. He brags off-handedly about his neglect to friends/stockholders.

When Barrick Gold’s profits tripled last year, the company boasted in a press release that “low costs at its new Cortez Hills mine in Nevada” helped boost those profits.

Newmont Mining Corp.’s net income ($2.3 billion) is up a whopping 76 percent for 2010 with gold reserves at a record-breaking level. In “looking to expand its U.S. reach,” Newmont will concentrate on the Nevada market, say stock market reports.

News flash, Nevada. Right now, mining is into you, but the trendy bastard will dump you the second your lodes dry up.

Mining is not an altruistic industry. Barrick and Newmont didn’t set up huge operations in Nevada to help a downtrodden state. Mining wasn’t attracted to Nevada because of our low taxes.

In a recent Las Vegas Gleaner blog post titled “Psst - hey, Nevada, mining needs you more than you need it,” Hugh Jackson writes, “Nowhere on Earth is more important to Barrick and Newmont than Nevada. And that isn’t going to change any time soon, given the scale and quality of Nevada’s gold reserves.”

Jackson, former editor of the Las Vegas Business Press, has long been a feisty advocate for revising tax exemptions allowed for mines, exemptions that allow wholesale theft of our state’s second most valuable resource. (Our first is our kids, right? Right.) In recent blog posts and a City Life column, Jackson describes sifting through recent gold mining corporation annual reports. “Barrick and Newmont are laughing all the way to the bank … or more accurately, all the way to the Dominican Republic, Peru, Chile and Argentina, where the companies are spending billions of dollars on new projects made possible by robust corporate financial performance that draws more strength from the state of Nevada than from any nation in the world.”

There you have it.

Many Nevadans concerned about cuts to education and public services attended a rally March 21 at the legislature in Carson City. The idea—send a message to lawmakers encouraging them to stand up to abusive bullies, including the mining industry. We can solve the budget crisis. We’ve got the gold.

Dr. Deidre Pike, a Reynolds School of Journalism lecturer, has covered Nevada's mining industry intermittently for about a decade. Her award-winning stories and opinion column “View From the Fray” appear in the Reno News & Review.

Other mining stories/columns by Deidre Pike:

Cyanide flush: Mines spill toxic chemicals in the desert. They say they clean the spills up. Who’s making sure? (July 5, 2001)

Mining the inner workings: Feeling in need of community validation, Newmont Mining Corp. seeks reputation reclamation. (July 17, 2003)

Booted by Newmont: Former employees say it’s not a good idea to stir the dirt at the mining company. (Aug. 28, 2003)

Stop giving away Nevada’s gold (Opinion, Sept. 23, 2010)

This award is to be given to the University of Nevada, Reno journalism major with the best-published news story each year.

The award is funded through the Steve Martarano Best Published Article Award Endowment and will be awarded each year at the School of Journalism’s Annual Savitt Awards Reception.

Student Eligibility:

1.  The student must be a journalism major taking a minimum of nine regularly scheduled  University of Nevada, Reno credit hours.

2.  Undergraduate and graduate students may apply.

3.  The student may not be a fulltime professional journalist, however freelance work and writing produced during an internship may be submitted.

Story Eligibility:

1.   Stories produced and published in the previous calendar year are eligible. They may have appeared in print, broadcast or online.

2.   Stories must have appeared in a scholastic or professional edited publication. Self-published stories are not eligible.

Submissions:

1.  Stories must be submitted by students or by journalism faculty.

2.  Students are limited to two entries per year.

3.  To submit an entry:

 A.  Provide an original copy of the story. For print entries provide the entire page showing the name and date of publication. Circle the story being submitted.For broadcast stories provide a tape or CD of the broadcast, webcast or cablecast and indicate in writing which story is the submission. For online entries, provide a print out of the story and the URL.  Online stories must still be available for viewing.

B.  Complete the entry form available in the dean’s office or print out form below.

C.  Deliver or mail the materials to the Dean’s Office, Reynolds School of Journalism, Ansari Business, sixth floor, or MS 310, University of Nevada, Reno, 89557. Mark entries "Attention: Martarano Award."

D.  The deadline is 5 p.m., April 18.

Judging:

2.  The committee will assess entries based on: Reporting (topic choice, research, sourcing, timeliness, impact), clarity, voice, writing style and mechanic.

3.  This year’s award of $500 will be presented at the School of Journalism’s Annual Savitt Awards Reception.

ENTRY FORM:

Steve Martarano Best Published Article Award

Name_______________________________________________

R#__________________________________________________

Type of entry

Print

Online

Broadcast

Webcast

Cablecast

Title of entry (story slug or headline)_______________________

_______________________________________________________

Where published________________________________________

Date of publication______________________________________

By Koji Ueda

For the first two days after the magnitude-9 quake struck off the northeastern coast of Japan, I was on a helicopter for aerial shots of the devastated area. Then, I headed for the scene by a land route. On the third day, I arrived at Rikuzentakata, a port city of thousands of people virtually wiped out by the tsunami. It was like nothing I have ever seen before.

Seeing three meters-high piles of debris on the both sides, I drove on a narrow, muddy road cleared by Japanese Self Defense Forces.  As I approached to the main town, I realized the severity of the situation. Nothing but a few reinforced concrete structures were left.  And on a barely survived four-story building, about five kilometers inland from a port, I found a large fishing boat grounded. I was easily able to guess that the tsunami went over the four-story building. 

 I parked at the end of the cleared road. I started walking on the pile of debris, mostly square timbers used for houses. As soon as I got out of the car, I got whiff of unpleasant odor emanating from debris. It was not a putrid smell, but  more like the stench of smoldering ash and sludge. In this muddy stench, people were searching for their loved one with the full knowledge of little chance of finding them.   

There is one episode that I want to share with other people. 

Teachers at a junior high school in Karakuwa town immediately turned their building into an evacuation center. Residents and business owners, whose buildings survived the giant wave, delivered food, clothing and bedding to the school where teachers and the newly- homeless worked side by side to prepare three meals and two snacks a day for all in need. 

A local resident said to me, “For a long time, in the countryside, even if you didn't have enough for yourself, you shared with others. That is our culture. Even if they're not relatives, we feel as if they're sisters or brothers."

After I covered the evacuation center, I was stopped by one of teachers, and she tried to give me a sack full of snacks and candy.  Of course, I declined gracefully, but she did not accept “No” as an answer, so I decided to accept it and gave it to other people in a different evacuation center.

Amid the talk of numbers and percentages, one thing seems clear about Governor Sandoval’s higher education budget proposal:  it is built on the idea that, as far as possible, the state should get out of the business of higher education.

Just take a look at what his proposal contains.  He is encouraging NSHE to fill part of the university’s budget hole with tuition and fee increases, and to fill more with county tax revenues.  He also wants to give the university more flexibility in how it spends its money without legislative oversight.  These are the ideas of a man intent on reducing if not eliminating the state’s profile in higher education. 

Another way to put this point is to say that the governor’s budget imagines higher education as a preserve of wealthier families because, let’s be honest, whether or not UNR or UNLV cost a few thousand dollars more per year to attend is not of much consequence to them.  Most can easily afford the additional expense, and many send their children to out-of-state universities anyway.  I imagine that when it comes time for his children to attend college, Gov. Sandoval will do the same. 

It is families that cannot afford the rise in tuition that will bear the brunt of this change in legislative philosophy.  How many of these families are there?  It is difficult to say.  But ask yourself this:  how many must there be before it makes you uncomfortable?

As the first person in my family to graduate from high school, this is a deeply personal issue for me.  I was lucky.  My family may have been working-class, but I grew up in California at a time when that state still had a commitment to ensuring access to higher education.  What did this mean?  I am almost embarrassed to say that I paid about $750 per year to attend the University of California and came out of my undergraduate career with no student loans. 

This is what I think about when I think about the governor’s proposal.  It is not the fact that the governor called the university a “failure” in his state of the state address, though I got a bit miffed by that, or that even in the best case scenario UNR is likely to sustain a budget cut larger than the entire College of Liberal Arts (the largest unit on campus).  Times are tough on campus and will get tougher very soon.

But they are not nearly as tough as for those families that cannot afford to send their children to campus.  What will these kids do?  What will the state do with them as their numbers grow, and as they are cut off from the most effective vehicle for social and economic advancement we have at our disposal, namely, the public university? 

In his budget proposal, the governor is telling us that Nevada should no longer be in the business of higher education.  My response is simple:  can the state afford NOT to be in this business?  

Associate professor David Ryfe, chair-elect of UNR's faculty senate, teaches graduate-level courses in the Reynolds School. 

• Student Protest Rally Against Budget Cuts
• Problems with the Lawlor Sign
• J School Construction Update
• Einstein Bagels Finally Opens at the Joe
• Egyptian UNR Student Talks About Unrest
• Roast for Professor Bob Felten
• Preview of Next Season’s Wolf Pack Football Team
• Interview with Women’s Softball Pitcher Who Threw No-Hitter
• Update on Women’s Basketball Team
• Preview of Play “Talking With”, a Series of Women’s Monologues
• Reno Hosts Elk Calling Contest

Wolf Pack Week #107 from stewart cheifet on Vimeo.

Chiappini was a broadcast journalism major and worked as a reporter on the Wolf Pack Week show.  She is now working as a news reporter for KKCO-TV, Channel 11,  in Grand Junction, Colo., an NBC affiliate. It is owned by Gray Television, the same company that operates KOLO-TV in Reno.  

On Wolf Pack Week, Chiappini covered a variety of stories including a scoop on the plans for Einstein’s Bagels to open in the Joe. She coproduced a story on Reno’s Tent City, which was submitted for the Hearst journalism awards in the category of television news feature. She also covered sports for Wolf Pack Week doing interviews with UNR athletes. 

Felsch, also a broadcast journalism major, worked as an anchor on Wolf Pack Week. She was involved in producing and writing the show and did several stories on the outdoor activities in the Lake Tahoe area. Felsch was recently hired to host an ESPN series on athletes who train for the Iron Man competition. She will be shooting the series in Hawaii. The programs follow the rigorous training of tri-athletes as they prepare for the annual Iron Man competition. Felsch is one of three hosts who will be working on the show. She was selected from among a long list of national applicants.

Broadcast journalism professor Stewart Cheifet, faculty adviser for the Wolf Pack Week club, said that real-world experience students get working on a professional style television news magazine program like Wolf Pack Week is exactly what seniors need to get ready for the work place.

“Both Heather and Lindsey were able to easily show their potential employers that they had all the skills necessary to hit the ground running in their new jobs,” Cheifet said.

Wolf Pack Week is now in its second season and provides high-level experience and training opportunities for more than two dozen advanced broadcast journalism students.

Composing an academic book is difficult enough. Try doing so in a foreign country where functional Internet is not easily available and the process to obtain it can take months. RSJ associate professor Donica Mensing found out what this was like last year as she co-edited Journalism Education, Training and Employment. The book, published by Routledge, came out in December.

While on sabbatical in Viterbo, Italy, Mensing started the compilation of academic journalism education papers in the only place she was able to receive Internet with an Internet key - by a window.

“Our apartment was in a 500-year-old building and had thick walls,” Mensing said. “I had to sit by one window to access a slow version of the Internet or pay at a cafe.”

Mensing and her husband moved into the apartment Aug. 1, 2009, and were not able to access Internet anywhere in their apartment but by the window until April. The process to get Internet installed involved obtaining an Italian credit card, which meant getting the equivalent of a Social Security card and opening a bank account. Canceling the service was as much of an adventure as getting it.

“We left later than planned,” she said. “Service was supposed to end June 5th and when we left June 14th, we still had Internet. It’s just so Italian.”

The Internet was crucial as Mensing collaborated on the book with Cardiff University professor Bob Franklin.

“Bob was just learning how to Skype during our collaboration,” Mensing said. “He was a wonderful colleague, very cheery and very English. He always told me what he was doing, whether it was playing in his punk rock band, tango dancing with his wife, or co-editing other books.”

Mensing wrote the lead chapter, introduction, and co-edited the rest of the book that focuses on changes in journalism education. The articles in the book helped her clarify the factors that got the industry where it is today. Much of journalism education is tightly bound in the newspaper industry, from curriculum to accreditation standards. Now with the changes in the news industry, journalism education must change as well. It is not a bad thing.

“Journalism education, for the first time, can make a significant contribution to the industry with research and education in innovation, entrepreneurship and wider types of journalism,” Mensing said.

Reynolds School faculty and administrators toured the building March 4 to see how the demolition phase of the renovation project was progressing.

For spring and fall semesters of 2011, administrative and faculty offices have relocated to the Ansari Business Building. Classes and labs are being held in the Raggio Education building, the Knowledge Center, the KNPB-TV Channel 5 building and other rooms on campus.

Below are some of the questions students frequently ask about the renovation.

When does the renovation take place?    

Jan. – Dec. 2011.  Demolition and construction take place first and may be finished sometime in early Fall.  Then, during the Fall semester, equipment is installed, brought online and checked out. Faculty receive training on classroom and lab equipment after that.

Where will classes be held during 2011? 

Many classes, those not requiring computer labs, will be held in various classrooms in other campus buildings.

RSJ lab classes will be held in The College of Education (WBR 1003A, 1003B)  and at KNPB-TV near the north side of the football stadium.

The Graduate Program will set up in WBR 1001 & 1002.

Where do we check out equipment?  

The College of Education (WBR 1004).

Where will faculty offices be? 

You’ll find faculty on the top floor of the business building where the Math Department used to be housed.

Will the building be expanded?   

No additions are planned, but some areas that have been under-used will be put to good use after the renovation.

• For example, space behind RSJ 101 will be remodeled and will become the Graduate Studies suite.   
• The collection of small rooms in the broadcast area will be made into a digital newsroom next to the TV studio and Control Room.
• Room 107 will get just a little bit bigger by breaking out a wall and incorporating some adjacent closet-size rooms.

What will be most noticeable? 

A few things will pop out visually.

• Right inside the door, the atrium will become livelier with a big video screen on one wall, a new light and bright donor recognition wall area, a touch screen directory and journalism archive (see #6), some nice places to sit, and new signage that will brighten the space.
• RSJ 101 will get new chairs –(cheering!).
• The Reading Room will get new carpeting and be refurnished to add some more causal group seating.  New window shades will keep that morning sun from blinding you.
• Labs and classrooms will have new projectors, some will get new furniture and carpeting.
• RSJ 201 will be reconfigured to be more like the other rooms with computers around the perimeter and a good meeting table in the center.

Some upgrades won't be visible. For example:

• You won’t see it, but a new, fast server will be able to deliver files of all kinds all over the building – to the screen in the atrium and to every desktop.  This is a core item because it makes the labs faster and capable of handling more material.
• Also invisible but critical is the new cabling and wiring system that carries files around the building.  This is also a core item because it not only supports us now, but will allow for growth and change in the future.
• Not fun but essential and comforting- a new fire alarm system.
• Also not exciting but essential and comforting – a new door security system.

By Rachel Breithaupt

Journalism students at the University of Nevada, Reno listened to experts in their field on Mar. 1-3 as part of the fourth annual Journalism-Week.

This year’s J-Week presented five nationally known journalists: Kevin Hand, Bill Tallent, Alicia Shepard, David Rohde and Dan Gillmor.

Each speaker gave students a different outlook on journalism. They spoke about their expertise, lectured classes, and even held book-signings.

“They present a side of issues that our faculty can’t, because they have a different set of experiences,” Larry Dailey, Reynolds Chair of Media Technology, said.

Reynolds School of Journalism dean, Jerry Ceppos, said that J-Week reflects the core values of journalism.

“We wanted J-Week to balance two sets of issues: Innovation versus traditional journalistic values,” Ceppos said. “I think it’s working.”

This year’s speakers covered a variety of topics, from ethics and courage to innovative ideas like developing apps, giving students new perspectives on journalism.

“J-Week allows journalism students to learn about current trends in the field and outside the classroom. It gives us a fresh perspective of what’s going on in the real world,” Gabby Irvin, journalism student, said.

Other students agreed.

“I attended two events for J-Week, Bill Tallent and Kevin Hand,” Lindsey Gross, journalism student, said. “I thought these two speakers had some great perspective.”

J-Week is a week to celebrate journalism on the UNR campus. It began four years ago when professors brainstormed how they could make journalism better for students at the university. They wanted to give students the opportunity to meet with experienced journalists.

This year presented new challenges because of the J-school building renovation. Larry Dailey, who plans J-Week, said that this year when staff could have been setting up speakers, they were moving boxes into their new offices and phone lines weren’t even hooked up.

Despite these challenges, Ceppos and Dailey both said that this year’s speakers were easier to manage.

“We set our standards very high with people like David Rohde,” Ceppos said. “UNR and the J-school have the ability to lure almost anyone they want.”

The first ever Frank McCulloch Courage in Journalism Award was given to David Rohde in a special ceremony Thursday. McCulloch, a 91-year-old, 1941 J-school graduate, presented the award. Rohde followed the award with a speech about his abduction by the Taliban.

“He was inspirational,” Robin Ceppos, journalism student, said. “I learned so much in an hour about his experience but also about characteristics such as courage that good journalists have.”

Students recognized the importance of J-Week and said they were inspired by the speakers this year.

“I think Journalism Week is important because when we graduate we don’t often get the chance to hear distinguished professionals from our field talk about their work,” Nikki Grey, a senior journalism student, said. “It is a great opportunity to gain insight into the profession.”

Journalism Senator Jonathan Moore said that J-Week gives students and community members the opportunity to honor journalists.

“It really allows the student body to come together, to learn from others, to grow as a community and to receive experience they can’t get at any other university in the nation,” Moore said.

Even as a seasoned international investigative reporter, David Rohde said he made mistakes when he went to interview Taliban leaders, while working on a book in November 2008.

“My first ethical mistake was that I did not tell my wife about the interview,” Rohde said told students Thursday afternoon. “If it went wrong, she and my family were the only ones who could help.”

The meeting, in fact, did go wrong. New York Times reporter Rohde was kidnapped by the Taliban in November 2008 and held in remote parts of Pakistan for seven months. He finally escaped by climbing over a wall with his Afghan colleague.

In 2009, Rohde was part of a reporting team that won a Pulitzer Prize for covering the war in Afghanistan. It was his second Pulitzer. He won his first in 1996 for reporting on mass executions in Bosnia for The Christian Science Monitor.

During Journalism Week 2011, Rohde received the Reynolds School’s first Frank McCulloch Award for Courage in Journalism. McCulloch, a Fernley native and UNR grad (1942) worked as a war correspondent for Time during the Vietnam War. His reporting helped shift public attitudes toward the war.

McCulloch, 91, drove to Reno from Santa Rosa, Calif., to present the award to Rohde.

“I couldn’t have created a winner better to receive this award than David," McCulloch said.

Rohde said he felt honored by the award, and he’d received many hearty congratulations from co-workers at The New York Times.

“No one can stand in Frank McCulloch’s shoes,” Rohde said.

Rohde then told the story of his kidnapping to a packed auditorium, with students sitting along the stairway and standing against the walls. He said he made another mistake, fearing for his life, and promising his captors that he was worth millions of dollars.

“I raised my captors’ expectations,” Rohde said. The captors first asked for $25 million and the release of 15 prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay. By the time of Rohde’s escape, the ransom was lowered it to $8 million and the release of four prisoners—still much more than Rohde’s family could accomplish.

While being held captive, Rohde gained insight into the Taliban’s brainwashing techniques. Uneducated young men were shown online propaganda and lied to by their leaders about the goings-on in the United States.

“I learned that my captors were brainwashed into their actions,” he said. “Their impression of Americans was that we are weak and obsessed with money.”

After observing his captors for several months, he realized that many were also concerned with fame and money.

Rohde said his captors were not physically abusive, giving him bottles of water to keep him healthy. He’d learned some of the local language, Pashto, which earned him some respect.

“After dinner, we sang songs,” he said. He wrote the words phonetically to learn them. His captors were entertained when Rohde sang one of their favorites, “You Have Atomic Bombs, We Have Suicide Bombers.” Toward the end of his captivity, he sang American songs like “Born to Run” and “New York, New York,” attempting to convey that not all Americans were wealthy and privileged. After receiving a letter from his wife through the Red Cross, he taught his captors the refrain from a Beatles song. He would sing the verses, he said, and they would chime in with, “She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah.”

Rohde’s willingness to listen to the Taliban members impressed Ning Liu, a Reynolds School graduate student. She had heard stories about young children in Afghanistan aspiring to be suicide bombers but wasn’t impacted until she heard Rohde’s speech.

“The most impressive part of his speech was about meeting a 10-year-old boy while in captivity and asking him what he wanted to be,” Liu said. “The boy’s first answer was suicide bomber. His last answer was to be Muslim.”

Rohde encouraged RSJ students and faculty to practice humility and not to demonize others. He urged students who plan to pursue journalism to be kind, to be accurate and to write beautifully.

“The truth on the ground does not fit into neat boxes,” Rohde said. “As journalists, conveying the ground truth is our obligation and in today’s world, it is more important than ever. Despite the doom and gloom, great journalism is still happening in print and online. Journalists must find innovative ways to interact with their country and their world.”

By Bridget Meade

Mercury Intermedia CEO Bill Tallent encouraged RSJ students and faculty to be disruptors of their industries. Tallent, speaking on the first day of Journalism Week 2011, heads a company that walks that walk, innovating mobile applications for news and information.

“I don’t have a background in journalism but I do have a background in disruption,” said Tallent, who led the creation of the USA Today app for iPad, the most installed iPad application in 2010. “Although I am the first to admit, as someone who has been in the computer industry since college, I didn’t see this disruption coming.”

Tallent talked about recent technological shifts, from cell phones to the changes in the music industry. Unlike these industries, the print industry has remained basically unchanged for centuries.

“My God,” Tallent said, “I don't know of any industry that has had a 500-year run.”

Now, however, the Internet and mobile devices have caused necessary shifts in print media.

“Newsrooms are traditional organizations that have trouble with change,” Tallent said. “The music industry barely survived when they refused the public demand for different buying options. The public began illegally downloading music. Apple solved the situation with by allowing users to buy individual songs.”

News apps for mobile devices offer an opportunity that newsrooms can’t afford to miss. In the two years of using mobile apps, USA Today expanded its readership as much as it did in the first 29 years of its existence. The iPad offers an easy interface, instant news updates and the ability to interact, Tallent said. Advertisers like it, given that users spend typically twice as much time with iPad app sessions than they do with iPhone apps.

Tallent predicted iPads will have an enormous effect on laptops and personal computers. “They will be used for content creation,” he said. “iPads and other mobile devices will be for content consumption. A recent report indicated that 92 percent of consumers will not go back to a website format after reading news on an app.”

Tallent suggested that apps must be user friendly, fast and reliable. He said that brand loyalty is not enough to keep users on a poorly designed application. He predicted that News Corp.’s The Daily app might be an example.

“They should have waited until that application was completely finished before they launched it,” Tallent said. “It’s going to be a train wreck.”

Other components of successful applications prioritize editorial attention, contain video and quality still photography and enable sharing via social media.

“Tallent’s work is an example of the transformation journalism is enduring,” Dean Jerry Ceppos said.  “However, it also proves that strong competencies in reporting and media are as much of a necessity in the future as they have been in the past.”

Journalism student Sydney Aubert appreciated the different aspects of the industry Tallent presented.

“It was nice to hear more about more than reporting,” she said.

As NPR ombudsman, Alicia Shepard has written columns about NPR’s firing of Juan Williams—“a good decision, poorly handled”—and NPR’s error in reporting that Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords had been killed in the January shooting in Tucson.

The latter problem hurt the credibility of NPR. In a time when federal budget cuts may be targeting public media, the damage was incalculable.

“This could mean the future of public radio is in jeopardy,” Shepard told Reynolds School of Journalism students, faculty and friends March 2. Shepard spoke during Journalism Week 2011 as the Fred W. Smith Ethics speaker.

Shepard’s handling of the Williams controversy and of NPR’s decision to not allow its employees to attend a Jon Stewart rally was lauded by Jerry Ceppos, Reynolds School dean.

“What’s important is that she explained those controversies in a way that listeners—not just those of us doing journalism—could understand,” Ceppos said.

Shepard and Ceppos worked together at the San Jose Mercury News from 1982-1987. Shepard went on to travel and teach abroad, contribute award-winning articles for the American Journalism Review, and write two books, Woodward & Bernstein: Life in the Shadow of Watergate and Narrowing the Gap: Military, Media and the Iraq War. She teaches a graduate-level course in Media Ethics at Georgetown University.

Shepard told students that this is a terrific time to pursue a career in journalism, with more people reading more news in more formats.

That said, she urged students to adopt high ethical standards for doing online journalism, from social network posts to blogging. She suggested using, as a guideline, the four tenets of the Society of Professional Journalist ethics code: Seek truth and report it. Minimize harm. Act independently. Be accountable.

Shepard lamented bloggers, even news professionals, who put content online without having an editor look at it first.

“Everybody needs an editor,” she said. And the idea that a blogger might post something online that’s wrong, thinking in advance that the incorrect information can be changed, is “morally bankrupt.”

“Once it’s out there and people have read it, if it’s wrong, you’re in trouble,” she said.

“So think long and hard before you hit that send button.”

She also doesn’t appreciate the ability of readers to interact with news stories through “comments.” Instead of a culture of dialogue, online comments have led to a culture of diatribe with “mean-spirited, profane, uninformed” posts.

Students also need to be on guard, checking information from individuals they encounter online. That person tweeting from Egypt might not be who he says he is or where he says he is.

“You can’t assume anything, so check it out,” she said, repeating the well-worn axiom, “If your mother says she loves you, check it out.”

Kevin Hand developed information graphics for Newsweek magazine depicting the destruction of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, and showing the “Last Lair” of Saddam Hussein. But when the bottom fell out of the economy in 2008, illustrator and animator Hand took a buy-out from the national magazine and hit the ground running.

“I had to reinvent myself,” Hand told students in Assistant Professor Bonnie Scranton’s Media Graphics class on March 1. “And I had always loved animation.”

Hand was the first speaker in this year’s Journalism Week 2011 line-up. After speaking to Scranton’s class, Hand addressed an auditorium packed with journalism students, faculty and friends.

As a visual journalist, Hand got his start at a hometown newspaper, doing sketches for the advertising department then moving to the news desk.  He advanced to the Honolulu Star-Bulletin and the Chicago Tribune before landing the job at Newsweek.

Now a freelance artist, Hand designs illustrations and covers for several national magazines, including Popular Science, Wired, Rolling Stone and Men’s Journal. In fact, he designed the Wired cover now on the stands—a visual riff on Rosie the Riveter with the headline, “How to Make Stuff.”

Hand said he likes working for Wired.

“They pay well,” he said. “And they’re really nice folks over there.”

Hand’s most demanding work comes from Titmouse Inc., an animation firm that creates commercials and animated series for MTV, Comedy Central and G4. When Hand is hired to work on an animated TV series like the short-lived “DJ and the Fro” or “Slasher School,” he puts in 13- to 16-hour days.

“It’s grueling,” he said. “But we work in a friendly atmosphere.”

Jerry Ceppos, Reynolds School dean, introduced Hand as a speaker who explores “innovative ways to communicate.”

Journalism student Jett Chapman, an illustrator and cartoonist for the Nevada Sagebrush, said he was enlightened by Hand’s lecture.

“He’s doing what I want to do,” Chapman said. “It seems demanding but I definitely want to get into animation. … We need to have more speakers like him.”

"Our universities are unique not because they're the University of Journalism or the University of Business," Ceppos writes. "What makes them special, as ancient educators realized, is that they're a community of teachers and scholars from many fields of study. Pruning those fields and saving only our favorites is perilous."

Tuesday, March 1

1 -2 p.m. Joe Crowley Student Union theater
Kevin Hand, a designer who worked for Newsweek magazine and the Chicago Tribune and now produces animations for Comedy Central, will talk about visual storytelling.

3-4 p.m., Joe Crowley Student Union theater
Bill Tallent, CEO, Mercury Intermedia, speaks. His company designed iPad and Droid apps for the likes of USA Today, CNN, Golf magazine and Sports Illustrated. These have been rated as among the best apps for the iPad. Bill will have a different take on design: How to communicate on emerging platforms.

Wednesday, March 2

2-3 p.m., Joe Crowley Student Union theater
Alicia Shepard, NPR ombudsman and author of “Woodward and Bernstein: Life in the Shadow of Watergate,” is our Fred W. Smith Ethics speaker. Lisa has had more than her share of issues to deal with in the last year-the Juan Williams firing, the order for NPR employees to refrain from attending the Jon Stewart rally and many other issues.

7:30 p.m., Great Room at the Joe Crowley Student Union

Students, faculty and friends celebrate assistant professor Bob Felten at a Reynolds Roast Dinner and Ceremony hosted by ASUN Senator Jonathan Moore.

Thursday, March 3
3 p.m., Joe Crowley Student Union theater
The Reynolds School presents the first Frank McCulloch Award for Courage in Journalism to New York Times reporter David Rohde, who was held captive by the Taliban for seven months until he escaped. More remarkable, that was David’s second experience in captivity; he also was held when he covered the war in Bosnia. David and his wife, Kristen Mulvihill, have just written a new book, “A Rope and a Prayer: A Kidnapping from Two Sides,” that has been critically applauded.

5 p.m., Wells Fargo Auditorium, Knowledge Center
This year's Cole C. Campbell Dialogue on Journalism and Democracy speaker Dan Gillmor, a founder, investor, advisor and chronicler of new-media companies, talks about the need for all of us to be active users of media, both as consumers and participants. His latest book, “Mediactive,” is required in at least one of our classes.

A new Reynolds School of Journalism program was unveiled at the first Journalism Student Appreciation Lunch Wednesday. ASUN Journalism Senator Jonathan Moore said he created the RSJ Experience to give incoming undergraduate students a chance to shadow seniors in reporting, interviews and participation in organizations.

“I am seeking individuals who are interested in being shadowed in their endeavors,” Moore said. “When undergraduates observe older students work, they will build on basic journalism skills like reporting and improve our school.”

Also at the lunch, Dean Jerry Ceppos gave an overview of Journalism Week 2010 that will begin March 1. On March 3, RSJ will present the first Frank McCulloch Courage in Journalism Award to speaker David Rohde, a journalist who escaped after seven months of being held hostage by the Taliban.

“Frank McCulloch was known for his willingness to stand up to his peers, editors, and even the President of the United States for what he believed in,” Ceppos said. “We want to honor his memory with this award by giving it to someone like David.”

Ceppos also joked about the fence around the journalism school building.

“Someone asked me recently if the school had been shut down as a part of the recent budget cuts,” he said. “I told them no, that it was quite the opposite. We will now be putting a sign up to announce the building’s renovation.”

Academic Chair Rosemary McCarthy announced a new registration system that will be implemented in the fall, in addition to a possible revision of the school’s curriculum.

“We are considering shifting from the four emphasis program - print, public relations, advertising, and print - to news and persuasion,” McCarthy said. “It is important that students keep their e-mail addresses updated with the school so we can advise them of all the changes.”

Senior journalism student Kim Crisci attended the luncheon for the free food but was surprised at all the faces in the room she recognized.

“It was a nice showing of how connected we are,” she said. “I really like the constant updates about the renovation and other changes.”

Wolf Pack Week #106 from stewart cheifet on Vimeo.

Imagine being able to make jokes at your favorite professor’s expense without your grade being docked. A mixed panel of RSJ students and professors will be able to do just that: mock Assistant Professor Bob Felten at the first Reynolds School Professor Roast on March 2.

“I am humbled by the outpouring of … whatever was outpoured,” Felten said.  “What people may not realize is my friends and I have an annual roast session where we alternate who gets roasted. The real question is whether students are taking on a rigorous challenge or if they have picked an easy target.”

ASUN Journalism Senator Jonathan Moore got the idea for an annual professor roast last December at the RSJ Farewell to the Building dinner. Since faculty and classes have moved out of the Reynolds School during an $8 million renovation, community events like the roast give students and faculty more chances to spend time together.

“I thought it would give students a chance to have a few laughs,” Moore said. “Without the building, we’re really spread out and it will be nice to give students and faculty an evening together to laugh and enjoy each other’s company. I also wouldn’t mind seeing Bob Felten get roasted as he and I banter frequently.”

Dean Jerry Ceppos agreed with Moore about needing to maintain the closeknit feel of the journalism school. 

“I love this event because it demonstrates the family feeling in the j-school that I always tell people about,” he said. “Also, Bob is a great subject for the first roast.

Felten is known for providing chocolate to students. He feels the chocolate and the music he plays when students enter his classroom creates an atmosphere that they’re all in the learning process together. Playing music is a technique he learned from his wife Kristin, who is a middle school teacher.

When a former student saw on Facebook that Felten had been selected for the roast, she sent him a message remarking that former students were not invited.

“I know that even the best students can be resentful of the work demands I place on them,” he said. “I think they know that I am there for them.”

Students interested being “roasters” can contact Jonathon Moore at senatormoore@asun.unr.edu. The roast is 7:30 p.m. March 2 in the Great Room at the Joe Crowley Student Union. The cost is $3 and includes dinner.

Rohde and his wife, Kristen Mulvihill, have written a critically acclaimed book, “A Rope and a Prayer,” about the kidnapping.  Rohde won a Pulitzer Prize in 1996, when he worked at the Christian Science Monitor, for exposing the slaughter of at least 7,000 Muslims in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 2009, he shared the Times’ Pulitzer for coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The Frank McCulloch Courage in Journalism Award is named for the former top news executive of Time Inc., the Los Angeles Times, the McClatchy newspapers and the San Francisco Examiner. McCulloch, 91, is a 1941 journalism graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno. He was the Reynolds School’s distinguished alumnus in 2009.

American Journalism Review wrote that in his 50-year career McCulloch “exposed political connections to the Mafia and brushed off death threats from Mob bosses. During the Vietnam War, he aggravated Lyndon Johnson. His editorial leadership transformed the Los Angeles Times, where he went toe-to-toe with Robert F. Kennedy over reporting on the Teamsters. He fought and beat a dozen serious libel actions, establishing legal precedents that still protect journalists.”

“I can’t think of a better combination–a courageous and deeply thoughtful reporter winning an award named for a bold journalistic icon,” said Jerry Ceppos, Reynolds School dean.

“It is an incredible honor to be named the inaugural recipient of the Frank McCulloch ‘Courage in Journalism’ award,” Rohde said. “Over a 50-year career, he never veered from taking the courageous and ethical path. He spoke truth to power and never wavered from his core values. In today’s world, that example is more important than ever.”

McCulloch, who will attend the award ceremony and lecture by Rohde, said that “coverage of three wars and the tortured countries in which they were fought earned David journalism’s highest honors. What impresses me most about his performance in life-threatening environments is distinguished not by some bold, blind fearlessness, but by common good sense. If the story he is working on demands it, he willingly risks whatever the situation requires, including his life. If not, then he adjusts. In my view, that’s a near perfect definition of courage in journalism.”

The Courage in Journalism Award was endowed by McCulloch, his family, The McClatchy Company Foundation and McCulloch's friends.

The Reynolds School is the only accredited journalism school in Nevada.

David Rohde will speak and receive the McCulloch Award at 3 p.m. Thursday, March 3, in the Joe Crowley Student Union Theatre at the University of Nevada, Reno. Reservations are not necessary. Contact Zanny Marsh at the Reynolds School (zmarsh@unr.edu) with questions. The award ceremony and Rohde lecture are part of Bold Faces in Journalism, the Reynolds School’s annual observance of Journalism Week.

“If we don’t have an educated state, we can’t have a good economy,” Moore told students gathered in the ASUN Senate Chambers. He mentioned the company Ikea, which was reported to have considered coming to Nevada but decided not to, stating a lack of college graduates as one reason. “They thought Nevada was a great place. But then they said, ‘Hey, they don’t really care about education here.’”

When Moore mentioned a hypothetical tuition increase of 73 percent, one journalism student gasped.

“Oh, my gosh!” said senior Kim Crisci. “Ow! I feel light-headed.”

The student government will hire buses to take students to Carson City to meet with legislators in March. Also, postcards are being printed that say, “I am a future journalist.” Students can write personal stories on the cards and send them to lawmakers.

“The students are the ones who need to show up in full force,” Moore said. “The students are the ones being hurt. So we can say to lawmakers, ‘You’re hurting us more than anyone else. Why? We are your future.”

While Moore spoke, hundreds gathered one floor up in the JCSU ballroom for a Town Hall Meeting with UNR President Milt Glick.

In his introduction of Glick, Reynolds School Associate Professor David Ryfe, chair-elect of UNR’s Faculty Senate, also encouraged community feedback about the proposed cuts.

Ryfe noted that he and President Glick came to UNR about the same time, four years ago, when Nevada was in the longest period of sustained growth in history. Now, the university faces the largest budget cuts in history as a budget proposal for 2011-2013 could cut $59 million. That’s on top of previous budget cuts from the last legislative session that eliminated over 400 positions from the university, closed 23 degrees, and increased tuition by 28 percent.

“President Glick needs us to ask tough questions, argue and be critical of the upcoming changes,” Ryfe told those attending the meeting and watching a live video stream online. “It is a start to what may produce choices we can live with but we cannot do it without open, vibrant, vigorous conversation.”

Glick reviewed Nevada’s successes and said further cuts would gravely endanger Nevada’s ability to serve as a Tier 1-ranked university. After Glick’s presentation, available online here, attendees asked questions about early retirement, use of adjunct professors, spending on athletics and opportunities for people to lobby at the state legislature.

“I encourage everyone to speak up for their education,” Glick said. “Please do not make it a personal attack as I have every faith that no one in our government wants to make these cuts. Tell your story and what you believe is important to your education.”

Tuition hikes were a top concern for students in attendance. Information systems graduate student Ronnie Kimball already had to take off one year as undergraduate because he couldn’t afford the tuition. Now as a graduate student, he may be faced with the same problem.

“I work at the university as well attending classes,” Kimball said. “If my position is eliminated and tuition fees are increased, my masters degree may be delayed for a quite a while.”

Students, faculty and citizens can e-mail President Glick at glick@unr.edu or Provost Marc Johnson at marc@unr.edu.

The Nevada Faculty Alliance will host a forum Feb. 23 from 11:30 a.m.  to 1:30 p.m. in the JCSU Ballroom. Former Senator Bill Raggio will be in attendance.

Might social media influence what takes place in the courtroom? Released in January, the first scholarly journal of the Reynolds National Center for Courts and Media takes an in-depth look at this and other questions regarding the courts and media.

“Our hope is that the journal, and the associated conferences that we're having … will spark discussion and raise the profiles of the issues we're dealing with, as well raise the profile of the center,” said Eric Robinson, journal editor and Reynolds Center for Courts and Media deputy director. The center held its first conference in Houston last week in connection with the first issue of the journal.

The first edition of the journal features a critique of an important contemporary court case—the trial of former Enron President Jeff Skilling. Even though social media was in its infancy, the case received heavy coverage in both mass and social media due to Enron’s collapse and the convictions of other Enron executives. Skilling was unsuccessful in his request for a venue change based on the heavy media coverage and after he was convicted, was sentenced to 24 years in prison. His appeal reached the Supreme Court where some of his convictions on some charges were overturned for reasons not having to do with coverage of the case, and sent back to a lower court for review.

Articles in the new journal examine how new social media—from bloggers and Facebook to Twitter—affect the courtroom, libel laws and the First Amendment.

“The biggest question that courtrooms face today is how to deal with new technology,” Robinson said. “Historically, courts have been slow to deal with changes. Some boneheaded decisions will be made in regards to allowing Tweeting and blogging in the courtroom. However, appeal courts will weigh in and it will work itself out.”

Robinson collaborated with Center Director Ben Holden and Assistant Professor Bonnie Scranton, who teaches visual communication at the Reynolds School. Scranton created the layout and design of the journal, a time-consuming process that presented challenges for the former Newsweek art director.

“The biggest challenge was that this was a new journal and we had to invent the look and feel,” Scranton said. “There are many law journals printed today, mostly very conservative looking ... justified typography, no photography, centered alignment. We wanted a design that was a cross between existing law journals and what you might see in a magazine or newspaper today.”

The journal will be formally introduced to the public at an event in March.

Wolf Pack Week #105 from stewart cheifet on Vimeo.

Heathcliff, a pet belonging to former Reynolds School business chair David Morrow, was found this week wandering 30 miles from home. Morrow died one year ago.

Public relations students raised $1,450 for a trip to Super Bowl XLV during an all-you-can-drink beer event at a local casino. The recent fundraiser was at Brew Brothers in the Eldorado Hotel on Thursday, Jan. 27.

Classmates showed up at Brew Brothers to drink, dine and support their friends.

 “We know how important it is to support the journalism school,” said Jenne Hubert, advertising student and Ad Club president.

In Dallas, the students from Todd Felt’s Fall 2010 Public Relations Problems for IMC class will launch an integrated marketing communications campaign for the Air National Guard.

“I’m looking forward to getting the experience and being able to see the Super Bowl in person,” said Kelsey Hand, a journalism senior.

Students and alumni heard about the event from their friends in the journalism school or read about it on Facebook. Several UNR alumni regularly frequent Brew Brothers on Thursday nights. When they heard about the $7 for all-you-can-drink beer from 10 p.m. to midnight, they decided to participate.

Nineteen out of 21 students from Felt’s class will spend five days in Dallas. Additional fundraisers have been held in January at Claim Jumper in Reno.

The group needs another $1,000 to offset the cost of the trip.

Donors can contact Felts at mfelts@unr.edu.

___

Reynolds School’s newest faculty member Alan Deutschman woke up at 3:30 a.m. Pacific, on the first day of the spring semester, to talk about Steve Jobs on national television.

Before heading to a Reno TV studio to tape his guest appearance on CNBC’s Squawk Box, Deutschman went to Mel’s Diner off East Fourth Street for three cups of coffee and the ham-and-eggs breakfast special.

“Fortunately it's pretty easy in this town to find someplace that serves a bottomless cup of coffee before a 5 a.m. shoot,” Deutschman said.

The morning news show focused on what will happen to Apple as Jobs takes a medical leave of absence. (Watch it here.) Guests included Deutschman as author of Jobs’ unofficial biography, tech writer Steven Levy and David Garrity of GVA Research.

Deutschman was asked by co-anchor Becky Quick to opine on how much privacy a CEO should expect.

Deutschman said shareholders deserve a full report on Jobs’ health.

“Steve Jobs is treating shareholders as if they were children,” Deutschman said. “And he’s gotten away with it for years because he keeps giving the children delicious candy in the terms of great returns.”

Jobs obviously fears the impact of news about his health on his company’s holdings, Deutschman said, quoting Jack Nicholson’s character from the film “A Few Good Men”: “You can’t handle the truth!”

Deutschman moved to Reno from Atlanta in January. In his 22-year journalism career, he’s worked as the Silicon Valley correspondent for Fortune, a senior writer at Fast Company, the "Profit Motive" columnist for GQ, and a contributing editor at Vanity Fair and New York Magazine.

He is the author of The Second Coming of Steve Jobs, Change or Die and A Tale of Two Valleys, and his books have been translated into eight languages.

Nevada’s culture might already be rubbing off on Deutschman, as he referred to Jobs as “a gambler” with $300 billion in investor money on the line.

“He fears it’ll scare the hell out of the market if he came out and told us what’s happening,” Deutschman told Quick. “He’s gambling that he can keep us in the dark and come out OK.”

After his morning punditry, Deutschman headed to Archie’s near the University of Nevada, Reno campus for more coffee.

“Got to my office in time to see yet another spectacular sunrise,” Deutschman said, “though it seems that Reno's sunrises and sunsets are amazing almost every day.”

Stewart Cheifet, Reynolds School assistant professor, spoke on changes in journalism to the San Francisco Peninsula Chamber of Commerce at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in San Francisco in January. He reviewed new delivery platforms, the role of new digital technologies and evolving business models.

“My presentation covered everything from print journalism to broadcast to the Internet to mobile devices,” Cheifet said. At UNR, Cheifet teaches broadcast journalism courses and advises the students who create Wolf Pack Week TV.

In San Francisco, Cheifet also addressed the increasing role of social media and user generated news content.

“The audience found some of the facts I presented shocking,” Cheifet said. “For example, fifty-percent of all Internet traffic today goes to Facebook, only 6 percent of U.S. adults actually use Twitter, and the average sound bite in a television newscast has gone down from 43 seconds to 9 seconds in the last 20 years. I also reported to them that 2010 was the first year in history in which online advertising revenue was larger than print ad revenue.”

Cheifet discussed the changing role of the professional journalist in a market characterized by consumers producing their own news content and making their own editorial decisions. He explored the reasons for a trend toward opinionated cable television news, a change Cheifet labeled disturbing. He also explained the blogging phenomenon and the differences between independent bloggers and legacy news organizations.

Other disturbing facts about the changing news business: Two years ago, the Twitter account with the most followers was CNN Breaking News. Today the Tweeter with the most followers is Lady Gaga. And there is now a sports website, statsheet.com, where the stories are written by robots.

“Our faculty are so strong on innovation and are often ahead of professionals,” Reynolds School Dean Jerry Ceppos said. “One of our goals as a university and a school is journalism is not only to educate those who come from high schools and community colleges, but to provide outreach education to the community.”

The seminar was part of a continuing Leadership Council program aimed at giving San Francisco leaders knowledge outside their own fields of expertise.

“I actually liked the smaller classrooms,” she said. “It felt more like a newsroom. This room reminds me that I’m in class.”

Rooms in the Raggio Education building were converted to journalism writing labs for spring and fall semesters, during the school’s nearly $8 million digital upgrade and renovation. Journalism classes are being taught across campus, from chemistry and mechanical engineering buildings to the KNPB-Channel 5 building.

Marysa Falk, a senior and lab assistant, runs the journalism equipment check-out room, adjacent to labs in the education building.

"The worst thing is that this isn't an open lab," she said. "I enjoyed students and friends coming in to work on projects. It's a little lonely now but the extra space and the privacy is a bonus."

Like most faculty members, visual communications assistant professor Bonnie Scranton teaches in three different buildings and her office is in yet another. She carries so many teaching aides from class to class that her shoulders are getting sore.

“I need one of those roller carts,” she said, noting that the change is helping her identify with the student experience.

“This is probably what the average student here does,” Scranton said.

For the most part, the move out of the journalism building during winter break went smoothly, said Rosemary McCarthy, academic chair. Within a few days, faculty settled into new offices on the sixth floor of the Ansari Business building.

“We could have been scattered all over,” McCarthy said. “But we’re all in a cohesive space here. Faculty have made the place our own and the offices have personality.”

Of course, one important ingredient seems to be missing.

“We miss our students being around,” McCarthy said.

Jerry Ceppos, journalism dean, said he likes faculty offices lined up along one hallway. In the Reynolds School, faculty offices were spread over the building’s three floors.

“Here, we’re actually closer than we were,” Ceppos observed. “We can hang out in the hallway and see everybody.”

Ceppos is concerned about maintaining the close-knit student community about which the journalism school boasts. Plans are in the works for student-centric events and get-togethers.

For her part, Yoder’s willing to rove across campus for her journalism classes because she’ll eventually enjoy the new building.

“We’re scattered now but once everything is finished, we’ll come back together as a community,” she said.

Journalism major Art Miner, 20, interrupted her reflections.

“I cry inside every time I walk by the journalism school,” Miner said.

P.S. You can check out our school at http://journalism.unr.edu.

P.P.S If you like to ski, snowboard, mountain bike, hike, sail, kayak, eat great sushi or hang out at quirky all-night diners, you’ll love Reno.

“We were thrilled with the campaign by University students to highlight the often overlooked work Air Guard members do in their communities across the United States,” said Sgt. Lorenzo Parnell, an Air Guard public affairs officer in Washington, DC. “We’re happy to join the students as they present the idea to an even larger group of people, launch it and share an experience of a lifetime at the Super Bowl.”

The campaign encourages high school students to create and upload short videos and ask the public to choose a winner. The video with the most votes will be featured between February and the 2012 Super Bowl in Indianapolis.

The “On Air” communications campaign uses Facebook and other social media to highlight many community activities performed by Air Guard members in communities across the nation while targeting high-school students. 

Military officials chose to implement the campaign after traveling to Reno in mid December. The students created the campaign as their last course in the public relations sequence requiring a strategic approach at overcoming communication problems. The campaign recommends the use of Facebook and other social media to highlight specific work done by members of the Air Guard in communities across the nation.  It encourages school-aged students to create short videos and upload them.  The campaign also uses traditional forms of communications, including events at high schools in six key cities across America along with incentives including college scholarships.  The video with the most votes will be featured before the 2012 Super Bowl in Indianapolis. 

 “Social media is enabling college students to effectively create campaigns for a national audience,” said Todd Felts, assistant professor of public relations and course instructor.

“The Air Guard’s decision to implement the campaign is proof our students can execute complicated strategies and take the experience into the workforce.”

Brandcraft, a Reno marketing and web development company, helped the class design and program a special Facebook tab where videos may be uploaded and votes cast.

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

In December, the Thompson Building, home to Student Success Services and the Disability Resource Center, flooded. The TRiO and McNair Scholars offices and Counseling Services moved to Ansari’s sixth floor temporarily, delaying the Reynolds School faculty move.

A week before classes began, though, the relocation was complete.
“We’re lucky to have this space in the business school,” said Dean Jerry Ceppos.

Classes and lab space will move to other available locations throughout the university campus, including the education building, the Knowledge Center and KNPB Channel 5.

For more about the move, read the “We’re Moving Out” FAQ.

Read Carr's story, "Dig inside the mind to find the inner personality of your business stories.

In an article titled "The incredible shrinking sound bite" writer Craig Fehrman describes a recent article published by Ryfe and Nevada sociology professor Markus Kemmelmeier in the academic journal "Journalism Studies."

"We did this study to understand more about the beginnings of professionalization in journalism," Ryfe said.  "Hallin shows us that as part of their professionalization, TV journalists began truncating soundbites in the 1980s.  We show the same thing happened in print journalism in the 1890s...”

The Boston Globe article describes the research conducted by Ryfe and Kemmelmeier in detail, concluding:

If you’re worried about our political conversation, then, sound bites may be more a symptom than a cause. And they do come with benefits. Hallin has argued all along that television news in the 1960s and 1970s, which many take to be the genre’s golden age, was never actually that good. Stories were dull and disorganized; those long quotations would be followed by a couple of seconds of dead air. Early newspapers, in their time, were no different. The Boston Globe’s first issue, in 1872, devoted much of its front page to transcriptions of church sermons. What Hallin and Ryfe may have been measuring, as much as anything else, were two different forms of media figuring out what worked.

The original research study about shrinking soundbites, by UC San Diego communications professor Dan Hallin, was so popular it even sparked a Calvin and Hobbes cartoon:

Ryfe frequently publishes in journals such as Journalism, Journalism Studies, Political Communication and the Journal of Communication. He has published one book, Presidents in Culture: The meaning of presidential communication, and is working on a second book.

Ryfe teaches a journalism capstone course, First Amendment and Society, a course on Journalism and Democracy in the graduate program, and Media and Politics. He has also developed a special topics course on The Future of Journalism. He can be reached at dryfe@unr.edu.

Reynolds School alumna Katie Cavender was promoted this year to director of new media and technology at the Mountain West Conference, where she has worked since 2007.

Cavender, who graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2005, said the skills she learned as an undergraduate have stayed with her as she’s advanced in her career.

“With the Mountain West Conference, I've been very fortunate to be in a position where I apply each of the RSJ's four sequences (print, broadcast, PR and advertising) to my daily responsibilities,” Cavender said via e-mail. “When I was an undergrad, I had the hardest time deciding on one specific track, so I was able to take courses among all four sequences. In hindsight, I am so thankful I did just that!”

Cavender, the senior scholar and PR student of the year when she graduated, said she learned a lot from Reynolds School faculty, including Paul Mitchell, Bob Felten, Jake Highton, Bourne Morris, Rosemary McCarthy, Donica Mensing and Warren Lerude.

“I am indebted to each of them for their mentorship and to the college as a whole for preparing me for a career that I truly am enjoying!” she said.

At the MWC, Cavender oversees the web initiative, which includes design, layout and content for the website, and social media including Facebook, Twitter and blogging. She is the media relations contact for swimming, diving and women’s golf, and designs and produces several media guides, prospectuses and championship programs. She also directs and produces audio and video content.

“She’s extremely talented, extremely conscientious. She’s always thinking, she has a great personality and she gets it,” Mitchell said. “She gets sports and she gets connecting people with athletics.”

Mitchell said Cavender’s new role is the perfect position for her because “it challenges her to think outside of the box in terms of connecting fans with athletics.”

Cavender said her career in intercollegiate athletics began before leaving the Reynolds School when, as a sophomore, she was a media relations intern for Wolf Pack Athletics.

“That internship grew into a student position across the entire athletic department, from marketing and development to game operations and special events,” she said. “My experience as an undergrad confirmed my desire to pursue a career in this field, and, looking back, I’m excited to work alongside those people who first introduced me to athletic communications and administration.”

After graduating from UNR, Cavender spent a year as a public relations intern for the Pacific-10 Conference in Walnut Creek, Calif. From there she went on to an assistantship in the Boise State athletic department and began a master’s of education in intercollegiate athletic leadership at the University of Washington. She was hired by the Mountain West and continued her master’s while she worked full time, earning her degree in June 2008.

"Larry is one of the country's experts in identifying ways that games can help teach the news, and that's what Chelsea's product would do," Ceppos said.

In fact, Otakan said part of her idea came from "EverQuest," a fantasy computer game in which players from all over the world participate.

"They were having trouble with factions, they were becoming very competitive and negative, so they implemented goals," she explained. "In order to reach a certain goal, everyone on the server had to work together.... They can only achieve if they work together. It's hard for news organizations to implement that sort of strategy without being too controlling of their community. You give people incentives instead of restrictions. It's a more positive way to go about it."

Otakan plans to spend part of the spring semester developing a business plan and then seeking venture capital for NewsPlay.

She was one of 34 students involved in this first competition, which included students from UNR and the University of Missouri. Randy Smith, Donald W. Reynolds Endowed Chair in Business Journalism at the Missouri School of Journalism, conceived of and sponsored the competition.

Judges were John Barron, publisher of the Chicago Sun-Times; Phil Aucutt, managing partner of WR Holdings and president of Junit, LLC;. K.V. Rao, founder and chief strategist of Zuora, which has developed new online subscription products; Laura Moran, online producer at The Chicago Tribune, and Mike Jenner, professor and Houston Harte chair at Missouri's journalism school.

After her elementary- and middle-school computer experiences, including blogging "about my boring life in Las Vegas," Otakan became a Web developer at the Sagebrush, the UNR student newspaper. She now helps run Lively Labs, a Reno firm that she started with another student and a UNR graduate.

Looking back, she said, "I was sort of in the early group that grew up on the Web and took my hobby and actually turned that into a career."

Wolf Pack Week #104 from stewart cheifet on Vimeo.

Professor Rosemary McCarthy will be teaching in the first summer session in Prague, Czech Republic, one of the most beautiful cities in the world. She is teaching Basic Web News Video for Backpack and Citizen Journalists (JOUR, 300-level, 3 credits). Students will learn about Prague by reporting on its vibrant summer culture. You will need a simple digital video camera and computer with basic video-editing software, such as iMovie or Windows Movie Maker to participate in the class. If you don't have those and are still interested in taking the course, contact Professor McCarthy.

The Prague program starts May 22 and ends on June 22, if you complete the optional field tour to Vienna and Budapest at the end of the program. You can read more about the USAC program in Prague on the USAC Web site.

Professor Donica Mensing will be teaching in Viterbo, Italy, a stunning medieval city situated between Rome and Florence, during the second summer session. She will teach Travel Writing, (ENGL/JOUR/COM, 400/600-level, 2-3 credits) Students in this course will read and discuss travel writing about Italy as well as write stories for publication. You can earn three credits for this course if you also take the South of Italy Field Study course.

Mensing also taught Travel Writing in Viterbo last spring. You can see the work of her students and learn more about Viterbo on the site ‘Allora, Viterbo.’

Studying abroad is one of the best ways possible to experience a different culture and language and in turn, learn more about your own. You'll meet diverse people and constantly be in new situations that require all the flexibility, goodwill and common sense you can muster. Journalism students benefit in many ways, including developing empathy for others, learning to observe deeply and communicating across cultures.

The application deadline for summer 2011 USAC programs is April 1. Scholarships are available.

For a final exam, students in Bob Felten’s Intro to Advertising and Public Relations for IMC course created a written integrated marketing communications plan and presented it in front of Reno advertising professionals Dec. 9.

Stephanie Kruse of KPS3, an integrated marketing agency, and Evan Filler, social media strategist for The Impetus Agency judged the competition.

The students crafted plans to target a specific demographic through a variety of media, including ads in more traditional print and broadcast outlets, Twitter accounts, websites and Facebook pages, among other things. Though they invented the businesses, they were required to investigate and understand the actual situation that business would face in a real marketplace.

Wallis said the plan for The Treehouse Hostel came from her travels in South America.

“You want to save money wherever you can,” she said. “And I met so many new people – and had unique authentic experiences.”

Kruse and Filler asked each team questions about their advertising strategies – why one team chose to use print advertisements to target women in the 20-30 age range or what kinds of updates might be included on a Facebook page.

The professionals also complimented the students on their plans.

“I learned so much about make-up today,” Filler said. “I didn’t know it was so technical.”

The judges were impressed with the amount and level of work the students do.

Kruse noted how polished the presenters were and how comfortable they were in presenting their ideas.

Filler said the students’ presentation skills are really relevant to what they’re doing in the future.

Felten said the involvement of community professionals as judges gives students an added incentive to demonstrate how well they understand these important concepts.

“It ratchets it up and it’s really fun,” Felten said. “It’s a lot of hard work, too, but you can tell they have a lot of fun. I’m so proud of our students.”

“How do we keep our ‘family’ close while we’re spread out all over campus?” Ceppos said. “You can all think of ways – like this event – that we can do that.”

The Reynolds School of Journalism building will be closed for a year during an $8 million building renovation, funded by a grant from the Reynolds Foundation. The upgrades include rewiring the building with fiber optic cable and transforming the school’s broadcast area into a digital convergence newsroom.

Ceppos reminded students, faculty and friends who convened at the Joe Crowley Student Union ballroom that one of the things that sets UNR’s journalism school apart from others is its close-knit community.

Not long after Ceppos arrived on campus as dean, he received a visit from the widow of a journalism alumnus who’d been the Sagebrush editor nearly 60 years ago. He took the woman on a tour of Sagebrush’s new offices in the Joe. When then-editor Brian Duggan pulled out archived copies of the paper, the woman began to cry. She explained that her husband’s fondest memories of UNR included working on the Sagebrush and being part of the Nevada journalism department at UNR.

“Since then, I’ve heard zillions of alums talk about that same family feeling they get from our school,” Ceppos said.

The building renovation helps the school pursue new ways of thinking about journalistic content and delivery systems.

“A year ago, when I asked the faculty what they wanted the school to be known for, they answered in one voice – innovation,” Ceppos said. “I thought, ‘Wow, that’s pretty cool.’”

The Farewell Dinner and Ball was organized by ASUN journalism senator Jonathan Moore, who hopes the event will take place annually to recognize graduating seniors.

In a short speech, Moore roasted the school, its clubs and several instructors, merrily contending that the Nevada Sagebrush is “not a rag – it’s a weed” and lightly mocking an all-female Ad Club plan to grow mustaches as a prostate cancer awareness effort.

Moore grew a mustache on their behalf.

“I just didn’t shave one morning and it was there,” he said.

The faculty enjoyed Moore’s good-natured presentation.

“That was pretty 'Jonathan,'” said Bob Felten, assistant professor.

More photos on Facebook.

Undergraduate journalism student Krystal Pyatt recalls her college career on UNR's website.

Graduate students receiving a Master of Arts in Journalism:

Heather Cosby

Ana Luiza Valverde da Silva

Tamara Maureen Gabel

Scott Allen Gayer

Megan Elizabeth Gibson

Whitney R. Parks

William Kyle Sites

Carlie Rose Wilhite

More photos on Facebook.

Reynolds School of Journalism graduating senior Wendy Firestone was named a 2010 Senior Scholar by the Nevada Alumni Association at a celebration Nov. 30. Each semester the association recognizes the graduating seniors with the top GPA from each of UNR’s colleges. 

The top students designate a faculty mentor who has played a significant role in their University experience.  Firestone chose Todd Felts, assistant professor. Firestone told the gathering that Felts had “changed her perception of what a professor was” and made her understand the public relations skills he taught will help her be a positive force – “make a difference” -  in the world.

The Arch will stay blue to honor the UNR Wolf Pack win, Reno Mayor Bob Cashell told journalism students Nov. 30.

Cashell talked to students in Caesar Andrew’s Journalism 207 class about homelessness, development of a new mall and taking pride in being a college town.

Cashell said he came into office with the goal of addressing the homeless problem in the downtown area.

 “The council all agreed that when we got land, that we would build a homeless shelter,” Cashell said. “But it is sad we have certain people who are mentally ill and will not go to an overflow shelter. They would rather live in the snow and sit outside.”

 Cashell has been the mayor for eight years and will serve as mayor for the next four, when term limits will force him out of office.

Cashell talked about how the recent football victory over Boise State University on Nov. 26 had a huge impact for the Reno community. The famous Reno arch in the downtown area was changed to blue for the city to show support towards the success of the Wolf Pack.

“We changed the Arch to blue by raising money from private people,” Cashell said. “(It cost0 $3,500. We are a college town. Let’s be proud that we are a college town. We should be excited that we are a college town. This university is a great asset to our community.”

 Because the Wolf Pack win, Cashell plans to keep the Arch blue year-round not only for the Wolf Pack but for support of the troops at war. Patriotic colors characterize the Arch from the blue lights to the city’s name in red and white on the sign’s columns.

 Cashell said the city council would discuss the arch color at its Dec.1 meeting.

 Cashell explained that a lot of people in the community feel that it is harmful to businesses and customers to build more big box or chain stores and add another mall closer to the city of Reno. He explains that competition between stores never hurts anything.

 “Everybody starts charging the normal market,” Cashell said. “I do not think it will kill them. I think a premium outlet mall downtown would make the others have to sit up and take notice.” 

Cashell was elected as Reno mayor in 2002. He's also chairman of the board of Cashell Enterprises, a hotel casino management company. Cashell and his son Ron own and operate the Alamo Travel Plaza and the Topaz Lodge.

Wolf Pack Week #103 from stewart cheifet on Vimeo.

Jonathan Moore, ASUN journalism senator, held a Journalism School Farewell Party and Town Hall on Nov. 17 to discuss future plans.  Reynold’s School of Journalism Dean Jerry Ceppos was on hand to answer questions about the j-school renovation in 2011.  About 25 students turned up for free sandwiches -- and to hear what Moore and Ceppos had to say. 

Ceppos stressed that he wanted journalism students to remain positive over the next year, while classes are held in buildings across campus.

“When you’re trudging through the snow to your classes this winter remember that it will all be worth it when the renovation is complete,” he said.  He asked everyone to share ideas on how journalism students can maintain a feeling of unity without a central location for classes.  Spring 2011 classes will be held in various locations around campus.  Journalism labs will be located in the education building, and professors and other staff members will temporarily move their offices to the Ansari Business Building. 

Ceppos promised that next year students will be returning to a state-of-the-art building where a new broadcast area will be the center of attention.  Student’s main introduction to the building, the atrium, will be made more welcoming with new carpeting, tables and chairs.  However, the fundamental look of the building will remain the same.

“One thing we told the architects is that we don’t want to change the feel of the building,” Ceppos said.  The journalism school remodel will be completed in time for the Fall 2012 semester.

In ASUN-related news, Moore discussed a couple of projects that he’s working on, including legislation that would change the payment system for ASUN fees.  Currently students pay $5 per credit for the ASUN.  Moore wants to help students who attend UNR full time by making this a flat fee of $60 for those taking 12 or more credits.

“Students pay $1.6 million to ASUN for events and services, but as I look around I don’t see a lot of student involvement,” he said.  “I’d like to get students more involved with the campus as a whole and see a more student-run community.” Moore talked about In Power, a new group to connect students and their leaders. 

“In Power will be created to assist student outreach and student advocacy,” he said.  “It will help the senators go out and talk to their constituents.”

Moore talked about an even larger journalism school farewell event.

Attorneys referred to U.S. Supreme Court justices as "you guys" and argued for the First Amendment protection to "talk smack." In a surprise move, justices overturned the historic Pentagon Papers decision that prohibited prior restraint.

Reynolds School students on Wednesday argued four First Amendment cases before a mock U.S. Supreme Court, represented by Justices Dean Jerry Ceppos, Professor Emeritus Warren Lerude and Melody Luetkehans, program attorney for the National Judicial College.

In a courtroom in the National Judicial College, media law students in Ben Holden and Jake Highton's First Amendment and Society classes argued the cases of Near v. Minnesota, New York Times v. Sullivan, Cohen v. California and New York Times v. United States.

The mock justices upheld the U.S. Supreme Court rulings in each of these cases, except for New York Times v. United States, also known as the Pentagon Papers case, in which they sided with the government.

The prior restraint Near v. Minnesota case was argued by Jerri Cuerden and Paul Herget for Jay M. Near and Lindsey Felsch and Jessica Essad for Minnesota.

"This case is not an extreme circumstance," said Felsch, who asked when "talking smack" became a threat to national security.

"We are talking about censoring ideas here, not whether or not these ideas are true or false," Essad said.

Herget countered that, "Although these rights of free speech are fundamental, they are not in their nature absolute," arguing that prior restraint was necessary to protect Minnesotans and keep speech decent.

Justice Ceppos asked how many people read The Saturday Press, which had printed content alleging Jewish gangs were running the Twin Cities.

Cuerden said it was immaterial how many people read the newspaper, what mattered was the language and offensive statements it contained.

In the New York Times v. Sullivan case, about an advertisement that ran in the Times which inaccurately criticized actions of the police in Montgomery, Jamie Ellison argued that L. B. Sullivan, who was the public safety commissioner at the time,  was a public figure who "the press has an absolute right to criticize."

"Public officials should not be awarded money unless they prove malice," said Kathy Grimm. "If they are afraid of libel suits, it could hinder them from covering (important issues) such as segregation in the South."

Sullivan co-counselors Brook Gersich and Michon Wynn asked the justices how they would feel if 50 years from now their grandchildren were shown false information about themselves, noting that 650,000 people received the newspaper with the advertisement.

"We believe the Constitution does not protect false information," Wynn said.

At the end of the day, the three justices affirmed three of the four historic decisions. In the Pentagon Papers case, however, the justices ruled 2-1 that the United States had made its case in justifying prior restraint.

Entries will be accepted through Nov. 28. The Waste Watch team will choose three finalists, and then voters will choose a winner from the top three. The winning video will be played at the Dec. 4 Wolf Pack basketball game against UNLV.

Click here for contest details.

With advancing high school journalism as the goal, the Reynolds School will partner with the newly formed Scholastic Journalism Institute, a think tank created to address issues facing scholastic journalism. 

"High school is the critical time to nourish students' interest in journalism," said Jerry Ceppos, Reynolds School dean. "Unfortunately, programs across the country are threatened by shrinking resources. Our goal is to help educators and administrators protect scholastic journalism, offer professional development for advisers and enrich the academic experience for high school students."

A Newspaper Association of America 2008 study reported that students who work on high school newspapers and yearbooks get better grades in high school, earn higher ACT scores and get better grades as college freshmen.  

The journalism school will host meetings of Scholastic Journalism Institute (SJI), provide management support and seek collaborative projects with Reynolds School faculty members.

SJI founder Mark Newton, master journalism educator and high school newspaper and yearbook adviser with 27 years' experience, is joined by Michelle Balmeo of Cupertino, Calif., Michelle Coro of Phoenix, Aaron Manfull of St. Louis, Steve O'Donoghue of Sacramento and Kathy Schrier of Seattle. All are current or retired high school publication advisers.

"We have brought together outstanding experienced and emerging journalism teachers and empowered them to address scholastic journalism issues," said Newton, a teacher at Mountain Vista High School in Highlands Ranch, Colo. "It's challenging to narrow our focus while so many significant issues need to be explored. Initially, we will address the reduction or elimination of journalism programs in schools because it's essential to student success."

"Scholastic journalism is threatened like no time in recent memory," said O'Donoghue, director of the California Journalism Institute, an organization that promotes high school journalism. "Courses are disappearing in every state. This is an effort to mobilize advisers to advocate more effectively for their programs. The Reynolds School of Journalism is a significant partner in this initiative."

Ceppos called the partnership a wonderful addition to the Reynolds School high school journalism portfolio.

"We began a regional high-school journalism association in 2008 and have built a stable of programs," Ceppos said. "The Reynolds School co-sponsors a residential boot camp for news staffs and advisers, educates more than 100 students at Journalism Day every year and hosts the summer ASNE Reynolds Institute for high-school journalism teachers."

Newton said the initiative will tap the expertise of leaders within the professional journalism community.

"Experienced advisers want to share their knowledge with the next generation of journalism teachers," Newton said. "That expertise, coupled with the talent, enthusiasm and out-of-the-box way of thinking of younger advisers makes for a dynamic group ready to preserve the profession we love."

A key component is that this initiative is a two-year commitment.

"We want the benefit of time to explore an issue in-depth, but not the entrenched inflexibility of the long-term status quo where there is no sense of urgency," Newton said. "Creating opportunities for participation and for solving long-pressing issues is a must for the good of our profession."

Wolf Pack Week covers journalism students who created an Election 2010 website.

Wolf Pack Week #102 from stewart cheifet on Vimeo.

The lecture was part of the 2010 Robert Ingram Lecture Series in Mass Communication, honoring Alabama political reporter and commentator Robert Ingram.

High school students wandered the Reynolds School halls Nov. 5 and packed the classrooms.

Broadcast assistant professor Stewart Chiefet promoted tripod use and the infrequent application of a camera’s “zoom” button.

Professor Jake Highton, quoting T.S. Eliot’s poem “The Hollow Men,” recommended that high school students memorize Strunk and White, respect the English language and read widely.

Instructor Alison Gaulden explained why public relations should be a truthful “no-spin” journalistic practice.

But to McQueen High journalism student Tyson Geving, the most enticing course offered for High School Journalism Day was Dr. Paul Mitchell’s sports writing class.

“I have a broad interest in sports,” Geving, 17, said. “If I can’t play, I want to involve myself somehow. I’m good with statistics and numbers.”

Geving was one of 127 middle and high school students attending the Reynolds School daylong event.

Students came from as far away as Quincy, Calif., and Hawthorne, Nev. Nine students from Ely packed into a van, drove to Reno one day early and spent the night at Circus Circus. They packed into two rooms. Some girls slept on the floor.

The day’s events included a writing contest and instruction in several sequences – news media, public relations/advertising, visual arts and multimedia.

“This day is about giving students from across Nevada a chance to practice the skills they’re already using and to gain some new ones,” said event organizer Zanny Marsh. “They can meet other journalism students and get to know Reynolds School faculty and professionals from the Reno journalism community.”

The event introduces high school students to UNR’s journalism school, giving them a taste of college life.

“What I love about High School Journalism Day is seeing such young people already bitten by the bug of journalism,” said Jerry Ceppos, Reynolds School dean. “I must admit that I also see 127 potential candidates for the Reynolds School of Journalism, and that makes me happy, too.”

Geving, a senior, is getting ready to apply for colleges in Texas, Washington and Nevada. His goal is to be a sports broadcaster. Already he covers sports for McQueen and writes columns about topics in the national sports news.

Mitchell took about 40 students outside for his session on sports writing, asking them first to write about a bike rack that held two bikes. Most students wrote: “The bike rack has two bikes in it.”

“Beginning writers are masters of the obvious,” Mitchell told students. “Description is really important. What else is there? The writer who can best describe that, she’s the one who’s going to get read.”

Geving said the activity helped him think about the value of observation in writing about sports.

“It helped us hone in on some things you wouldn’t usually pay attention to,” he said.

Joseph Wiley, a 16-year-old from North Valleys High, said that the day’s activities were good experience for him, though he’s not planning to pursue a degree in journalism.

“This gets us more involved in the college world,” Wiley said.

By Jerry Ceppos
Reynolds School Dean

At the Reynolds School of Journalism, we talk a lot about the best way to teach journalism: Do it.

But that’s easier to talk about than to do. We don’t have the mechanisms for every student to dazzle an audience with his or her journalism every day.

On the other hand, we just love it when those opportunities come along. Election Night, Nov. 2, was one of those opportunities.

With the nation watching Nevada’s election results (again), we invited journalism students to volunteer to cover this huge story. Probably 25 students covered every angle of the story–and communicated through every medium. In fact, it was one of our students' Twitter posts that first reported that votes finally were on their way to the Washoe County Registrar’s Office. Students also covered the victory (and defeat) parties, the meaning of the election to UNR, student opinions and other stories.

We suspect that changes in our curriculum–giving students reporting opportunities earlier in their college careers–drove up the number of students who participated and the quality of their work.

We’re looking forward to many more “news nights” in which students report the news. In fact, by the time of the next major election, we’ll be reporting from a new multimedia newsroom in our renovated journalism building.

Reynolds School Dean co-teaches the news literacy class.

“Students were mesmerized by their stories of being jailed for writing the news and their friends, in some cases being killed for reporting the news,” Ceppos said. “I’m told by [the visitors] it was a remarkable experience for them and I know it was for our students, too.”

Journalists from Africa come to RSJ to discuss journalism from The Nevada Sagebrush on Vimeo.

WASHINGTON: After stepping from the metro to the packed streets, we suddenly became a part of a stream of people rushing to the National Mall. Here, we found a diverse populace and scanned the large crowd gathered for the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear.  

Hassan Francis of Bronx, New York, was holding a sign and gesturing violently in order to convey the impact and significance of his speech.
Hassen Francis, protesting against illegal immigration, stated that he believed that our politicians were doing nothing to solve the problem, calling them “spineless and cowardly.”

“It’s about time that we stand up for our country before it’s too late,” Hassan Francis said. After collecting a pamphlet, we continued on our way.

Blog, photos and Tweets from the rally here.

Students can join the reporting team by uploading photos to the website, sending Tweets to #rsjelection and/or visiting our election newsroom, RSJ 202.

By Lily Abolghasemi

Mike Stefansson, a 20-year-old journalism student, arrived early at the Reynolds School to sign up for advising as soon as he could.

“I waited in line so I can get the earliest day possible so I can take the classes that I want,” Stefansson said. “There aren’t any particular classes that I’m worried about getting into. My advising will be held next Monday on Nov. 8.”

About 30 students lined up outside the Linn Reading Room in order to sign up for mandatory advising for the Reynolds School of Journalism. Advising sign-ups were held on Nov. 1 at 12:30 p.m.

Loic Boucheny, a 21-year-old journalism student, stood in line with Stefansson.

“For once I’m on time for advising, so why not come as early as possible?” Boucheny said. “I’m not worried about getting into a certain class because I should be OK at this level since I got here so early.”

Jessica Burch, a 25-year-old journalism student, chatted with her friend outside the Linn Reading Room where the advising sign-ups were held.

“I wanted to get the earliest advising date possible," Burch said. “I got out of class at 12 p.m. so I headed over right after so it was very convenient. Since I’m super busy, this worked out perfect. My main concern is getting into Todd Felt’s public relations class.”

Krista Kosmicki, a 21-year-old journalism student, chatted with Burch.

“I’m so busy but I happened to be in the journalism building when I saw the huge line,” Kosmicki said. “I just saw a huge group of people and was thinking that I better go. They really need to work on advertising the dates and times for signing up for advising.”

Q&A with Kim Mahoney, Molly Moser and Max Wynne:

Why do you want to do this and what do you hope to learn?

Kim: This will be an adventure! I am hoping that, through our work this weekend, we will be able to bring back a piece of what this social revolution is really all about.

Molly: I have a strong passion for writing; I have an interest in writing about people and events that are happening around the world. I enjoy playing the role as a reporter; I think it's fun to chase down my target, such as an interviewee or a special event, just so I can gather information to write a credible story to share with the public. By traveling to a new place and meeting different people, you can learn about how people act, who they are, and notice what is different in Washington D.C. compared to Nevada. I want to go so I can improve my journalism and social skills and I hope to learn more about the world and witness what the public thinks of what's sane and insane at this rally. I want to learn what it's like to be journalist; I'm traveling to a place I've never been to before and I'm introducing myself to different people that I'm not fully comfortable around. I'm going to attend a huge and popular event that people will want to know about since some will not be there. Those who won't be there expect to hear what happened, so somebody has to report it.

Max: I want to go to the rally because it is an opportunity to participate in a once in a lifetime social event in a journalistic capacity.  As I'm only a freshman, the chance to go to DC and cover such an event is an enormous privilege.  Hopefully, it will let me learn something about journalism that I wouldn't be able to learn in a classroom setting, something about the practical side of the things we learn in class.

What do you hope to accomplish in terms of coverage?

Kim: I hope to bring a conservative point of view to the table. Also, I hope to achieve a variety of quality photographs as well as video.

Molly: I plan to keep a diary with me along this trip. I plan to write about how I feel and what is surrounding me. When I look back to my diary, I'll remember what I saw and how I felt about whatever is going on around me. This will keep my ideas gathered and it will help me write my article, making it more descriptive. I hope to accomplish to record most of the event live. I want Kim, Max, and I to do at least 3 or 4 interviews with people who we find significant or interesting. This will give the students an in-depth idea of what it was really like in Washington, D.C. rather than looking at just pictures.

Max: Regarding what I cover, I hope to find stories at three different levels.  The first, and most obvious, would be the event itself.  Within that, I hope to see at least one story of the personal events happening in the scope of the rally.  Finally, I hope my own journey, the story through my lens, will be of some value.

What are you most looking forward to? What are you most nervous about?

Kim: I am looking forward to experiencing journalism entirely and then sharing my experiences with my journalism colleagues.  Because of my inexperience, I fear that my plan of attack will change courses dramatically.

Students created a video demonstration, showing how one student created a costume from items she purchased at a local thrift store.

Contest participants are invited to create costumes with recycled and reused materials.

Costumes will be judged on use of recycled/reused materials, creativity, thriftiness and presentation.  Upload your photos, videos or descriptions of your best green costume to Facebook.  All submissions must be received by Friday, Nov. 5.  The winner will receive a $25 gift certificate.

UNR Waste Watch, an innovative grad student website, offers opportunities and information to help find collaborative solutions to reduce waste. 

Wolf Pack Week #101 from stewart cheifet on Vimeo.

For spring and fall semesters of 2011, administrative and faculty offices will relocate to the Ansari Business Building. Classes and lab space will move to other available locations throughout the university campus, including the education building.

Below are some of the questions students frequently ask about the renovation.

When does the renovation take place?    

Jan. – Dec. 2011.  Demolition and construction take place first and may be finished sometime in early Fall.  Then, during the Fall semester, equipment is installed, brought online and checked out. Faculty receive training on classroom and lab equipment after that.

Where will classes be held during 2011? 

Many classes, those not requiring computer labs, will be held in various classrooms in other campus buildings.

RSJ lab classes will be held in The College of Education (WBR 1003A, 1003B)  and at KNPB-TV near the north side of the football stadium.

The Graduate Program will set up in WBR 1001 & 1002.

Where do we check out equipment?  

The College of Education (WBR 1004).

Where will faculty offices be? 

You’ll find faculty on the top floor of the business building where the Math Department used to be housed.

Will the building be expanded?   

No additions are planned, but some areas that have been under-used will be put to good use after the renovation.

• For example, space behind RSJ 101 will be remodeled and will become the Graduate Studies suite.   
• The collection of small rooms in the broadcast area will be made into a digital newsroom next to the TV studio and Control Room.
• Room 107 will get just a little bit bigger by breaking out a wall and incorporating some adjacent closet-size rooms.

What will be most noticeable? 

A few things will pop out visually.

• Right inside the door, the atrium will become livelier with a big video screen on one wall, a new light and bright donor recognition wall area, a touch screen directory and journalism archive (see #6), some nice places to sit, and new signage that will brighten the space.
• RSJ 101 will get new chairs –(cheering!).
• The Reading Room will get new carpeting and be refurnished to add some more causal group seating.  New window shades will keep that morning sun from blinding you.
• Labs and classrooms will have new projectors, some will get new furniture and carpeting.
• RSJ 201 will be reconfigured to be more like the other rooms with computers around the perimeter and a good meeting table in the center.

Some upgrades won't be visible. For example:

• You won’t see it, but a new, fast server will be able to deliver files of all kinds all over the building – to the screen in the atrium and to every desktop.  This is a core item because it makes the labs faster and capable of handling more material.
• Also invisible but critical is the new cabling and wiring system that carries files around the building.  This is also a core item because it not only supports us now, but will allow for growth and change in the future.
• Not fun but essential and comforting- a new fire alarm system.
• Also not exciting but essential and comforting – a new door security system.

In his book, “Postville: A Clash of Cultures in Heartland America,” Stephen G. Bloom described a woman he interviewed as “big-boned and handsome.”

After the book came out, he was approached by the woman’s friends, who demanded an apology from Bloom.

“You called this lady something I don’t care to repeat,” a man told Bloom. “She’s going to remember this until the day she dies. You hurt her feelings.”

Bloom apologized. When the paperback version of the book came out, the phrase “big-boned and handsome” had been deleted.

“Your words have impact,” Bloom told a Journalism 207 class Oct. 18. “Your words carry significance. People reading your words will be affected by them, if you’re doing your job.”

Bloom, a prolific author, journalist and Internet essayist, is this year’s Robert Laxalt Distinguished Writer.

“Stephen’s work is both exceptionally well-crafted narrative and extraordinary in-depth reporting,” Journalism Dean Jerry Ceppos said. “As such, he is an outstanding practitioner of the type of writing for which Robert Laxalt is remembered.”

Bloom is perhaps best known for his 2000 nonfiction book Postville: A Clash of Cultures in Heartland America which earned several Best Book of The year awards. His most recent book, Tears of Mermaids: The Secret Story of Pearls, was published by St. Martin's Press in November, 2009. The nonfiction story chronicles the cultural, economic and political saga of pearls, the world’s first gem.  Bloom collaborated with photographer Peter Feldstein on a 2008 book The Oxford Project (Welcome Press, distributed by Random House), a series portraits of Oxford, Iowa residents taken 21 years apart with first-person text from the subjects.

Bloom spoke to UNR college and McQueen High school students and also answered questions informally at a Reynolds School faculty lunch. In the evening, Bloom gave a public address in the Joe Crowley Student Union, explaining how good writers are constantly rewriting and reworking their words – “kneading them, like dough.”

He let the audience in on the secret to good writing: look up.

“Observe the world, at least your part of the world,” Bloom said. “Witness it, be a part of it.”

Bloom said he is constantly “churning stories over” in his mind. The job of a writer is to tell people what’s going on, and do it in a way that’s “informative, enlightening and entertaining.”

“All well-crafted stories are deliberately told,” he said. They have to have a beginning, middle and end – and the beginning has to draw the reader in right away so they keep reading.

“Craft your leads. Polish them, rewrite them, cut out superfluous words,” he said. “In that last sentence, ‘out’ was superfluous. Cut superfluous words.”

Citing an example of a good beginning, Bloom quoted the first sentence in Laxalt’s “Sweet Promised Land,” which reads “My father was a sheepherder and his home was the hills.”

The middle of a story is important, too, because it builds a case.

“Quotes are important in the body of your story,” Bloom said. “Quotes are for opinion, not recitation of facts.”

Endings are Bloom's favorite part, he said. Sometimes a quote is an effective ending, other times a description of an action or event sums up the story nicely.

“Remember, writers, your primary role is to tell a story that captivates,” he said. “Your primary target has to be the reader … don’t ever forget the reader. He or she ultimately is your employer.”

Bloom's essays have appeared in the electronic magazines Tweak (We All Sat Around Like Schlemiels and The French Eat Their Young), the-cake.com (Mikey's Close Call and Shop), Salon Magazine (Busy Signal, Fantasy Isle, Pack of Wolves, Facts of Life, Sex-free Bliss?, Dr. Fart Speaks, and Prozac for PMS), Oyster Boy Review (The Little Man), and on National Public Radio (Postcards from Postville).

A 1973 graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, Bloom has been honored with the Iowa Author of the Year Award (2008), as well as with fellowships at the MacDowell Colony (2008) and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts (2008). He also has been a visiting scholar at Columbia University's Center for the Study of Society and Medicine under the aegis of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Bloom co-wrote the dramatic play, Shoedog, with colleague Brian Cronk, which premiered November, 2003 at the Quad City Arts Center in Rock Island, Illinois. Several of his short stories have been published including: "The Swedish Wife," "The Reptile King of Atlanta," "Is Everyone Batty, or What?" "Ode to Sheila¸"The Writer's Writer"; "The Academy of the Overrated: Hello Sy Hershman, Goodbye Bob Woodward," "Ode to Maestro Järvi," "The Last Time I Saw Martha," "Anna Elena's Tongue," and “The Rabbi Who Smelled The Presence of The Lord.”

The Robert Laxalt Distinguished Writer Program honors the memory of one of Nevada's finest writers. Bob Laxalt founded the University of Nevada Press, authored 17 books, wrote for National Geographic and served for 18 years as a professor at the Reynolds School of Journalism. In 2007, the 50th anniversary of his masterful memoir, Sweet Promised Land, was commemorated.

The Laxalt Distinguished Writer Program is funded through community contributions, including the generous support of the John Ben Snow Memorial Trust.  The 2010 Laxalt Distinguished Writer program is presented in association with Nevada Humanities.

Bloom is the seventh writer to be honored by the program.

Bloom’s book Postville focuses on fundamental changes confronting a small, predominately Lutheran, Iowa town after 150 Lubavitcher Jews settle there, buy the local slaughterhouse, and become the community's new power brokers. It was chosen as a Selection of the Book-of-the-Month Club, as well as of Quality Paperback Books Club. Postville was named a Best Book of the year by MS-NBC, The Chicago Sun-Times, Denver Rocky Mountain News, Chicago Tribune, and St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

His 2009 book Tears of Mermaids: The Secret Story of Pearls has been reviewed in The Wall Street Journal, New York Post, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Publishers Weekly, Orion, Sydney Morning Herald, China Daily, and DeepGlamour.net.  The Minneapolis Star Tribune review written by Maureen McCarthy notes, “Bloom spent four years and traveled more than 30,000 miles from oyster beds in the South Seas to the auction houses of New York City,” to research the book.

Reviews and stories about the Oxford Project have appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker Book Bench, Smithsonian, London Weekend Guardian Magazine, ABC World News Tonight, CBS Sunday Morning, CNN.com, National Public Radio (2), Harvard University's Nieman Reports, Philadelphia Inquirer, The Atlantic, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Denver Post, Houston Chronicle, Minneapolis Post, ArtWorks, and Shanghai Morning Post. The book won the prestigious Alex Award in 2009 from the American Library Association, and was named Gold medal recipient for Outstanding Book of the Year from the Independent Publisher Association for Most Original Concept.

Bloom’s  work has appeared in Smithsonian, The New York Times Magazine, Los Angeles Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Washington Post, Wilson Quarterly, DoubleTake, Chronicle of Higher Education, American Journalism Review, International Herald Tribune, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune Magazine, Money, Journal of Health Communication, Annals of Clinical Psychiatry, Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, American Editor, The Californians, Pharos, Wapsipinicon Almanac, Quill, and National Public Radio's "All Things Considered."

A collection of Bloom's articles and essays was published as Inside the Writer's Mind: Writing Narrative Journalism in August, 2002. The book provides his advice on reporting and interviewing along with a detailed description of the steps he followed to get the stories. It has been used as a reference in many Reynolds Journalism School writing classes for years.

Bloom is co-founder (with Professor Emeritus Hanno Hardt) of The Iowa Journalists Oral History Project, the first systematic effort to chronicle the lives and contributions of Iowa's senior journalists.  The project records the professional histories of Iowa reporters, editors, publishers, photographers and columnists. A version of the project is accessible on the Internet at: http://collections.uiowa.edu/oralhistory/

Note: Information for much of this article was obtained from the University of Iowa website profile of Stephen Bloom updated August 29, 2010. Bob Felten, Tammy Krikorian and Deidre Pike contributed to this report.

Deutschman, author of The Second Coming of Steve Jobs, talks about how Jobs recreated his company.

"Jobs went from having nearly blown this amazing fortune and bankrupting himself to rising as a billionaire with a brilliant future," Deutschman says.

Stephen G. Bloom, a much-honored and prolific author, journalist and Internet essayist, is this year’s Robert Laxalt Distinguished Writer. He speaks at 7 p.m. Oct. 18 in the Joe Crowley Student Union theater.

“Stephen’s work is both exceptionally well-crafted narrative and extraordinary in-depth reporting,” Journalism Dean Jerry Ceppos said. “As such, he is an outstanding practitioner of the type of writing for which Robert Laxalt is remembered.”

Bloom is perhaps best known for his 2000 nonfiction book Postville: A Clash of Cultures in Heartland America which earned several Best Book of The year awards. His most recent book, Tears of Mermaids: The Secret Story of Pearls, was published by St. Martin's Press in November, 2009. The nonfiction story chronicles the cultural, economic and political saga of pearls, the world’s first gem.  Bloom collaborated with photographer Peter Feldstein on a 2008 book The Oxford Project (Welcome Press, distributed by Random House), a series portraits of Oxford, Iowa residents taken 21 years apart with first-person text from the subjects.

His essays have appeared in the electronic magazines Tweak (We All Sat Around Like Schlemiels and The French Eat Their Young), the-cake.com (Mikey's Close Call and Shop), Salon Magazine (Busy Signal, Fantasy Isle, Pack of Wolves, Facts of Life, Sex-free Bliss?, Dr. Fart Speaks, and Prozac for PMS), Oyster Boy Review (The Little Man), and on National Public Radio (Postcards from Postville).

A 1973 graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, Bloom has been honored with the Iowa Author of the Year Award (2008), as well as with fellowships at the MacDowell Colony (2008) and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts (2008). He also has been a visiting scholar at Columbia University's Center for the Study of Society and Medicine under the aegis of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Bloom co-wrote the dramatic play, Shoedog, with colleague Brian Cronk, which premiered November, 2003 at the Quad City Arts Center in Rock Island, Illinois. Several of his short stories have been published including: "The Swedish Wife," "The Reptile King of Atlanta," "Is Everyone Batty, or What?" "Ode to Sheila¸"The Writer's Writer"; "The Academy of the Overrated: Hello Sy Hershman, Goodbye Bob Woodward," "Ode to Maestro Järvi," "The Last Time I Saw Martha," "Anna Elena's Tongue," and “The Rabbi Who Smelled The Presence of The Lord.”

The Robert Laxalt Distinguished Writer Program honors the memory of one of Nevada's finest writers. Bob Laxalt founded the University of Nevada Press, authored 17 books, wrote for National Geographic and served for 18 years as a professor at the Reynolds School of Journalism. In 2007, the 50th anniversary of his masterful memoir, Sweet Promised Land, was commemorated.

The Laxalt Distinguished Writer Program is funded through community contributions, including the generous support of the John Ben Snow Memorial Trust.  The 2010 Laxalt Distinguished Writer program is presented in association with Nevada Humanities.

Bloom is the seventh writer to be honored by the program.

Bloom’s book Postville focuses on fundamental changes confronting a small, predominately Lutheran, Iowa town after 150 Lubavitcher Jews settle there, buy the local slaughterhouse, and become the community's new power brokers. It was chosen as a Selection of the Book-of-the-Month Club, as well as of Quality Paperback Books Club. Postville was named a Best Book of the year by MS-NBC, The Chicago Sun-Times, Denver Rocky Mountain News, Chicago Tribune, and St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

His 2009 book Tears of Mermaids: The Secret Story of Pearls has been reviewed in The Wall Street Journal, New York Post, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Publishers Weekly, Orion, Sydney Morning Herald, China Daily, and DeepGlamour.net.  The Minneapolis Star Tribune review written by Maureen McCarthy notes, “Bloom spent four years and traveled more than 30,000 miles from oyster beds in the South Seas to the auction houses of New York City,” to research the book.

Reviews and stories about the Oxford Project have appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker Book Bench, Smithsonian, London Weekend Guardian Magazine, ABC World News Tonight, CBS Sunday Morning, CNN.com, National Public Radio (2), Harvard University's Nieman Reports, Philadelphia Inquirer, The Atlantic, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Denver Post, Houston Chronicle, Minneapolis Post, ArtWorks, and Shanghai Morning Post. The book won the prestigious Alex Award in 2009 from the American Library Association, and was named Gold medal recipient for Outstanding Book of the Year from the Independent Publisher Association for Most Original Concept.

Bloom’s  work has appeared in Smithsonian, The New York Times Magazine, Los Angeles Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Washington Post, Wilson Quarterly, DoubleTake, Chronicle of Higher Education, American Journalism Review, International Herald Tribune, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune Magazine, Money, Journal of Health Communication, Annals of Clinical Psychiatry, Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, American Editor, The Californians, Pharos, Wapsipinicon Almanac, Quill, and National Public Radio's "All Things Considered."

A collection of Bloom's articles and essays was published as Inside the Writer's Mind: Writing Narrative Journalism in August, 2002. The book provides his advice on reporting and interviewing along with a detailed description of the steps he followed to get the stories. It has been used as a reference in many Reynolds Journalism School writing classes for years.

Bloom is co-founder (with Professor Emeritus Hanno Hardt) of The Iowa Journalists Oral History Project, the first systematic effort to chronicle the lives and contributions of Iowa's senior journalists.  The project records the professional histories of Iowa reporters, editors, publishers, photographers and columnists. A version of the project is accessible on the Internet at: http://collections.uiowa.edu/oralhistory/

Note: Information for much this article was obtained from the University of Iowa website profile of Stephen Bloom updated August 29, 2010

“It’s unimaginable that we would have a daughter and a sister who was so well-known and internationally recognized,” Parlette told faculty, friends and alumni gathered at a memorial service for Reynolds School alumna Alicia Parlette, who died in April at age 28.

Dave Parlette said his daughter was known by strangers everywhere she went, even on a trip to Italy. No surprise. As a recent college grad, Alicia Parlette wrote the San Francisco Chronicle’s most-read series about her struggle with a cancer diagnosis. At age 23, she learned she had alveolar soft part sarcoma, a rare form of cancer.

Parlette was posthumously awarded the Outstanding Young Alumnus of the Year award from the Reynolds School during UNR’s Homecoming Week. In addition, a new scholarship, the Alicia Parlette Fund for Aspiring Journalists, will provide support for students who pursue internships, and the Reno Gazette-Journal recently announced that it’s offering an Alicia Parlette Internship on an ongoing basis for aspiring news journalists.

At half-time during the Oct. 9 homecoming game, friends and family will release 28 ballons from the football field -- one for each year of her life.

At the Oct. 8 memorial, Reynolds School professor Warren Lerude read from “Alicia’s Story,” a book that compiles Parlette’s articles. In the excerpt read by Lerude, Parlette describes seeing multiple doctors before treatments began.

“I noticed myself stepping back and thinking of it as a play, not my life,” she writes. “This was too horrific to be my life. As I sat there, I could feel myself detach. And in that moment I thought, ‘What a great story this will make.’ That’s when I knew I was a writer.”

Parlette was named Outstanding Print Student in May 2003 and graduated summa cum laude in 2004. Parlette became a copy editor at the San Francisco Chronicle.

Her conversational writings about her personal experiences turned into a 17-part series in the Chronicle.

Parlette’s life story also was featured on NPR and ABC News.

Three memorial services were held for Parlette in the Bay Area, where she lived. Friends wanted to hold a service in Reno, as well, because of Parlette’s love for her school.

The Reynolds School atrium was filled with friends and family for the service, which began with a photographic tribute to Parlette’s youth and early adulthood.

Reynolds School recruitment coordinator Paul Mitchell related the story of how he came to know Parlette’s work before he’d even met her. He said the first call he ever received on the first cell phone he ever owned came from Parlette’s proud mom. She’d sent Mitchell a packet of her daughter’s work.

“I just wanted you to see what kind of a student you’re going to get,” she said. Mitchell read the work.

“And it was pretty good!” he said. “But I already knew she was pretty talented.”

Mitchell’s voice broke as he described Parlette’s enthusiasm for school, for copy editing and for others.

“She was a good person,” he said. “A truly good person.”

Parlette’s friends Desiree Veloz and Jeannette Smith told stories about Parlette’s optimism and good spirits – even when eating chicken pot pie (not her favorite) at the hospital, the last time they saw her.

“It meant a lot to be able to see her when she was still there,” Smith said, telling about the many friends who changed plans and booked flights to visit Parlette in the last week of her life. “People from all over dropped whatever they were doing – because that’s what she did for us.”

In addition to her father, brother Matt Parlette and her husband Lucas Beeler attended the service. Parlette married her boyfriend, Beeler of Fremont, Calif., the week before she died.

“She loved this school so much, not only the higher education, but the people who taught and mentored her,” said Matt Parlette. “She loved every minute of it.”

Contributions can be sent to the Alicia Parlette Fund for Aspiring Journalists at the Reynolds School of Journalism, Mail Stop 0310, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno NV 89557.

“They made me declare a major, “Henry said. “I chose journalism and loved it. I stuck with it for 35 years. I was willing to move. I worked hard and took advantage of every opportunity.”

Henry is one of five 2010 alumni award winners with ties to the Reynolds School of Journalism.

“It’s wonderful,” Henry said. “It was an unexpected award and there are a lot of worthy people. To be selected was a great honor.”

Each year, during homecoming week, University of Nevada, Reno alumni are recognized for their accomplishments. Award winners spoke at the Reynolds Homecoming Lunch Oct. 8 on the Scripps Patio.

The award winners were profiled in Silver & Blue Magazine’s fall issue:

Terrance Oliver ’71 (journalism)

Terry has had a career in the casino industry in 10 major markets since 1973. Since 1997, Terry has served on the board for Peninsula Gaming, LLC, which operates two Diamond Jo riverboat casinos in Dubuque and Worth County, Iowa, the evangeline Downs Race Track and Casino in Opelousas, La., and the Amelia Belle Riverboat Casino in Amelia, La. From 1988 to 2009, he served as founding partner, chairman of the board, interim chief executive officer and board director for Progressive Gaming International Corporation, a software management systems company based in Las Vegas. In 1984, he was a founding partner for Fitzgerald’s Gaming Corporation, board member and served as corporate casino vice president and chief operating officer, retiring in July of 1996.

Sheila Linn ’66 (history), ’91M. Ed. (elementary education)

Sheila transferred to the University of Nevada, Reno as a sophomore where she joined Delta Delta Delta sorority. After graduation, Sheila worked for Braniff International as a flight attendant for 16 years. She was assigned to work a December 1969 flight chartered by Ross Perot to deliver Christmas gifts to our country’s P.O.W’s in Hanoi. While that goal was not achieved, it was on that trip that she met Travis Linn and decided to volunteer for three months in a leprosarium for the Thomas A. Dooley Foundation in Katmandu, Nepal. After moving to Reno in 1984, Sheila went to work for the Washoe County School District as a librarian until she retired in August 2010. Travis, the founding dean of the Reynolds School of Journalism and a professor of journalism, died suddenly in January 2003. Sheila established a memorial scholarship in his name.

Stephen Martarano ’79 (journalism)

After graduating, Steve worked 10 years as a reporter at the Sacramento Union newspaper. Steve is currently a public affairs specialist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Sacramento Bay-Delta Fish and Wildlife Office. Steve was called to duty in early June to assist with the federal government’s gulf spill response efforts. He spent several weeks stationed out of Grand Isle, La., the first area impacted by oil, helping the hundreds of media representatives cover the tragic event. Prior to starting with the federal government, Steve worked for the State of California for 18 years, the last 11 with the California Department of Fish and Game as the agency’s supervising information officer. Steve has recently established two journalism-related endowments to benefit students at Nevada.

Outstanding Young Alumnus of the Year

Alicia Parlette ’04 (journalism)

Alicia was a writer whose series about her battle with cancer was published in the San Francisco Chronicle in 2005 and garnered widespread public attention. Alicia was featured on NPR. She was named ABC News’ “Person of the Week.” Reader demand for more updates on her condition spawned three more chapters throughout the summer of 2005. Her work was adapted and published as a book, Alicia’s Story, by the San Francisco Chronicle Press. Alicia had graduated summa cum laude from the Reynolds School of Journalism in 2004. After earning a prestigious Hearst Fellowship, she became a copy editor at the San Francisco Chronicle. In March 2005, at age 23, she was diagnosed with alveolar soft part sarcoma, a rare form of cancer that affects fewer than 200 people per year. In late 2005, the Reynolds School honored Alicia with the Laxalt Distinguished Writer Award. Alicia passed away April 22, 2010. Donations in her honor may be made to the Alicia Parlette Fund for Aspiring Journalists, Reynolds School of Journalism.

College Distinguished Alumni

Barbara Henry ’74 (journalism)

In 1974, then-Reno Gazette-Journal editor Warren Lerude ’61 called to offer Barbara a reporting job. That was the beginning of a 35-year career in the newspaper business. After eight years as a reporter, city editor and managing editor in Reno, Barbara traveled to Washington, D.C., to work on the start-up team for the recently founded USA TODAY. The next 24 years were spent criss-crossing the country working at Gannett Co. newspapers. Barbara became editor of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, New York, publisher of the Great Falls Tribune, Montana, and The Des Moines Register, Iowa, in 1995. In 2000, Gannett purchased The Indianapolis Star and Barbara was promoted to a Gannett group president’s role, and supervised more than 20 newspapers in the Midwest and South. Barbara retired from Gannett in 2008.

A complete list of UNR alumni award winners is available in the current edition of Silver & Blue Magazine.

 In one day, students, staff and faculty in the Reynolds School of Journalism threw away 110 pounds of waste.

Professor Larry Dailey took a combined class of undergrad and graduate students to go through a day’s worth of trash as a fall semester class project.

After students separated what was in the bags, John Sagebiel, environmental affairs manager at UNR, weighted it. The totals: 54 pounds of trash, 34 pounds of compostables, 12 pounds of office paper and 10 pounds of bottles and cans.

While the university does not provide composting bins, Sagebiel said he had students separate compostable materials to create an awareness of what is discarded.

“I think the biggest thing is, we all have a general knowledge of recycling – maybe we need to focus (on what) needs to go to composting because there is so much there,” said Kelly Webb, a senior public relations major.

Webb said she was surprised to find out how limited recycling options are after discovering certain items, like plastic wrappers, can’t be recycled. She also said she’ll be more likely to recycle from now on.

“I think now I can actually understand how to recycle, where I was too lazy before,” she said. “Now I have it on my conscience.”

Dailey said the exercise is something journalists today don’t do enough of.

“This is real reporting to me,” he said. “If we’re trying to understand environmental issues, what better way than to dig through our own department’s trash.”

Having a better understanding of the problem will help lead to better solutions, he said.

Heather Cosby, a graduate student, said she found a lot of paper towels and Starbucks cups in the trash. She was surprised, however, that she didn’t find more beverage bottles thrown away.

“I realize when shopping how much packaging gets wasted, but it’s amazing seeing how much gets thrown away,” she said.

By Tammy Krikorian

A new law journal that focuses on the intersections of constitutional rights is in the works at the Reynolds National Center for Courts and Media. Director Ben Holden, who took over the position in the spring, said the new publication is one means of raising the center’s national profile.

“Hopefully, judges will cite it and journalists will quote it,” said Holden, who is also teaching a media law class in the Reynolds School this semester. As director of the center, Holden is an employee and faculty member of the Reynolds School of Journalism with a presence in both buildings.

The Center for Courts and Media is housed in the National Judicial College at UNR. Part of the center’s mission is to explore intersections within the U.S. Bill of Rights.

“It identifies conflicts between the right to a free press and the right to a fair trial and suggests best practices,” Holden said.

Holden said a goal is for the center is to enhance its “national footprint.”

Holden has practiced law and is a former editor and reporter who wrote law-related articles for The Wall Street Journal. His articles include a profile of the prosecutor in the 1996 murder trial of rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg and consideration of sentencing issues in the Rodney King beating case.

Holden said conflicts between the free press guarantee in the First Amendment and the Sixth Amendment’s right to a fair trial rise through the use of cameras in courtrooms -- and bloggers or tweeters posting live updates during a trial.

“We look for any problem related to these conflicts and try to come up with an answer,” he said.

With the advent of social media comes a debate about whether people blogging or posting on Twitter or Facebook are considered journalists. Holden argues that it’s irrelevant what they are called.

“If you’re communicating to people, you’re a journalist,” he said. “Period.”

Though this conversation is ongoing, issues surrounding courtroom coverage don’t change because the person works for the mainstream media or a less traditional media venue.

If information revealed prevents someone from getting a fair trial – whether a person is writing for the Reno Gazette-Journal or posting to their personal Facebook page, Holden asks, then what’s the difference?

In some recent cases, jurors have been caught posting information about a trial online.

In this environment, developing solutions for judges becomes increasingly important.

“The tech savvy of judges could determine whether you live or die,” he said.

The Reynolds Center differs from organizations such as the Media Law Resource Center of the First Amendment Center. Other organizations advocate for protection of the First Amendment, while UNR’s Courts and Media Center does not advocate for journalists but “for the best public policy result” in conflicts between the First and Sixth amendments.

“Our center ought to be looking at cracks in what’s best for the First Amendment and what’s best for society,” Holden said.

Reynolds School alumna Martha Bellisle, Reno Gazette-Journal legal affairs reporter, is the Nevada Press Association’s outstanding journalist of the year. Bellisle received the award Sept. 18 for her reporting on flawed handling of DUI cases in Nevada. She also received awards for story of the year and best investigative series, as well as first place Freedom of the Press and Community service awards.

Read the Reno Gazette-Journal story about the awards.

Read Bellisle’s DUI stories.

By Tammy Krikorian

Reynolds School students who attended Burning Man this year called the desert festival an amazing experience not to be missed.

“I honestly had no idea what to expect, and it topped anything I could have ever imagined,” said Lauren Manix, 21, who attended for the first time this year. “I would tell someone whose never been to Burning Man that it is something everyone needs to experience at least once in their life. Burning Man is for anyone, at any age, no matter what kind of person you are.”

Cristiana Corrao, another Burning Man first-timer or "virgin," said the experience far surpassed her expectations.

“I'm not really sure what I was expecting by going out there but I never thought it would be as amazing as it was,” said Corrao, 21. 

Her favorite part was seeing the art cars.

“People put so much work and effort into their cars, they really are incredible,” she said. “The first day I was there I saw a giant metal praying mantis, at least 12 feet tall, and it was beautiful. The next day I saw it driving down the playa, the day before I had no idea it was an art car.”

Corrao attended with friends from Gerlach and was impressed with the generosity of everyone in Black Rock City.

“You would walk by a camp a people eating dinner and they would invite you to eat with them with no expectations of getting something in return,” she said. “It's amazing how so many people can come together and be so respectful toward each other.”
Manix said this was the first year she didn’t have any scheduling conflicts to be able to go. She went with a group of friends, and plans to go every year from now on.

“The environment out there is so unbelievable, everybody is welcoming and it literally makes you feel like you're a better person just for being out there,” she said.

Juliana Bledsoe, 20, said this was her fifth consecutive year going – the first two times she attended with her mom and the last three with friends.

“I go to Burning Man because it is such a hands on reminder of the collaborative community we can build with a collective consciousness and emphasis in the arts,” she said. “Everyone contributes their skills and interests to create a thriving city where an unhappy face is hard to come by. It's amazing how Burning Man inspires us all to create, be self sufficient and look out for our fellow human.”

 Bledsoe said she enjoys seeing the art installations as well as “outlandish characters and sheer randomness.”

“You never know what kind of crazy person or project you'll run into as you walk through the diverse city,” she said.

Over time, she said, Burning Man has changed, moving away from its original ideas as more people become aware of it.

“People come for the party, not understanding the concepts of art, community and contribution that Burning Man is supposed to nurture,” she said. “Burning Man is a counter culture experiment in which citizens build an art-driven, gift society in which each person is allowed to develop their skills and passions for the greater good of the community. We get to be whoever we want to be and play with our subordinate personalities and inner desires. We are able to give to others without expecting anything in return, and thus allowed to be surprised and humbled by what they give back.”

The Sagebrush won the Pacemaker award in 2008 and in 2009. The Pacemaker is considered to be the highest national award or the "Pulitzer Prize" for student news media.

Managing editor Juan Lopez said the Sagebrush staff tries to live up to the examples set by previous student reporters, photographers and editors.

"We see the awards on the wall and strive hard to keep that level of excellence," Lopez said. "That's why all of us work our asses off."

The national award is co-sponsored by the Newspaper Association of America Foundation and has recognized excellence in collegiate newspapers for 83 years. This year’s entries were judged by professional journalists in the Washington, D.C., area.
Entries were judged on:

• Coverage and content
  
• Quality of writing and reporting
  
• Leadership on the opinion page
  
• Evidence of in-depth reporting
  
• Layout and design
  
• Photography, art and graphics
  

Reynolds journalism assistant professor and public affairs television producer  Stewart Cheifet took his 13th trip in seven  years to China this summer to work on a television documentary series on traditional Chinese medicine. He’s also working to adapt a 52-part series on Chinese ethnic minority groups and a pilot episode for an animation series based on an ancient Chinese legend about a heroic Arab teenager.

Cheifet described his trips to China as rewarding but also challenging.

"It's a complicated work (environment)," Cheifet said. "The culture and the assumptions are very different. Here, in the media world, we are used to handshake deals and you can count on that. In China, you can have a signed contract and you can't count on it."

This fall, Cheifet began his second year teaching broadcast journalism at the Reynolds School of Journalism. Reynolds School academic chair Rosemary McCarthy said Cheifet’s professional training and teaching skills benefit students.

“He is exacting and demanding as professional,” McCarthy said. “He knows why things need to be done well as well as how to do them. He is a person who initiated a lot of things in broadcast. He didn’t just do them; he started them.”

Cheifet became interested in journalism as student in high school -- after he was the victim of a violent assault and mugging.

“The next day the paper ran a three-paragraph story with seven factual errors,” Cheifet said. “I thought to myself, ‘Geez, when you know the facts of a story, you realize that the people who are writing them don’t know what they are talking about.’ I said, ‘I can do a better job than these guys’.”

During high school and in college, Cheifet worked as a radio and television news broadcaster. Although he was a double major in math and social sciences at the University of Southern California, Cheifet said he spent all his time at the campus radio and TV stations.

“Broadcast [journalism] was sort of my instinctive passion,” Cheifet said. “It was a combination of science and engineering and gadgets and writing, which are the things I love.”

After graduating college, Cheifet took a year off and worked for a radio station in Philadelphia. He applied to two doctoral programs and law school. He received a full scholarship to Harvard Law School and graduated with a degree in media  law. He went to work as a lawyer for ABC News in New York City.

“I became a lawyer and a journalist because they are the two legal revolutionaries,” Cheifet said. “They are the two professions that allow you to change the world without having to blow someone up.”

After working in New York City, Cheifet traveled to and worked in more than 20 countries including France and England.  He said that one of his most interesting jobs was working for the Department of the Interior in the South Pacific. While there, Cheifet developed a television and radio news department for the broadcast stations in the Samoan Islands.  During his stay, Cheifet saw officials grapple with free speech and free press issues while the country’s first democratic election for governor took place.

“We produced a one-hour documentary  giving both sides of the election debate, but it wasn’t the governor’s side of the story,” Cheifet said. “He was watching TV when [the program] came on. He drove over to the station, climbed over a barbwire fence, came to the door and ordered my engineers to stop the tape. They called me at home and asked me what to do. I said keep the tape running.”

Cheifet said that although he had taught part-time prior to coming to UNR, he was not looking for a teaching job. He read the job posting for broadcast professor while helping a Chinese student find a good fit as a student at a U.S. college. Cheifet typed the words “university” and “journalism” into a search engine, and the Reynolds School job posting popped up.

“The headline said, ‘Do you love broadcast journalism but hate the broadcast journalism business?’ And I said, ‘That’s me,’ so I clicked through,” Cheifet said. “The deadline for applying was the next day and you needed all this stuff, like a resume and research projects. I thought what the heck? So I went bashing away, clicked send, and here I am.”

McCarthy said that although he didn’t have much teaching experience before coming to UNR, Cheifet quickly earned the admiration of students.

“Our students are lucky to have Stewart here,” McCarthy said.

Known as a hands-on teacher, Cheifet is helping develop a Wolf Pack Week TV show. McCarthy believes the TV show will be great experience for the students and will raise the visibility of the program.

“It will provide another layer of experience for the broadcast students because you can’t get everything done in class,” McCarthy said. “It will be really enriching for the students.”

Although Cheifet said teaching has been an interesting endeavor, at first he was not so happy.

“When I taught my first class I was really depressed because my students knew almost nothing about how to write,” Cheifet said.  “However, by the time it was over and I had taught them for two semesters they were pretty good and that is very satisfying. “

When Cheifet is not teaching he enjoys spending his free time playing on the computer or playing video games. That’s perhaps not surprising given that Cheifet’s professional work includes presenting and producing the Computer Chronicles and Net Café TV shows. A self-described technology geek, Cheifet said he owns every video game platform invented since day one including the Fairchild Video Entertainment System and the Magnavox Odyssey. Although Cheifet has several hobbies outside of work, he said he learned a long time ago that if you love your work, that’s your best hobby.

“It’s not as if I sell shoes during the day or work in a factory and need a release, so I don’t need to collect stamps,” Cheifet said.

Cheifet’s passion for world travel has taken him to more than 80 countries on six continents. He hopes to make Antarctica – the only continent to which he’s not traveled -- his next  destination. He said that a person never really knows what is going on in a country unless he travels to that place.

Because he’s wanted to see the places in the news, Cheifet’s traveled to places like Tehran, Beirut, Saigon, Moscow, Johannesburg  and Havana.

“When you go there, you realize that, frankly, what you hear about in the news is not representative of what’s happening,” Cheifet said. That’s because news media most often cover the “unusual” rather than the “usual.”

Gleaned from more than 20 years in the industry, Cheifet’s advice to journalism students involves optimism and an acknowledgment of responsibility. First, he recommends getting over negative  attitudes about the state of journalism. Beginning journalists have more opportunities now than ever before. Second: Be responsible journalists -- because of the thousands of things that happen in a 24-hour period, it’s the news media that chooses the stories people know about.

“The world is so complicated that people only know what we tell them, so the reality is almost irrelevant,” Cheifet said. “It’s what we communicate that’s important.”

Parlette is among the nearly two dozen alumni award winners to be honored at the 2010 Homecoming Gala Oct. 7 at the Joe Crowley Student Union Ballroom. She posthumously will receive the Outstanding Young Alumnus of the Year award from the Reynolds School.

"We scheduled our celebration of life for Alicia during Homecoming when alumni return to the journalism school to celebrate the academic accomplishments and friendships that made their University experience meaningful," said Jerry Ceppos, dean. "While the loss of Alicia is keenly felt, we will come together as a journalism school family to celebrate her exuberance, postive spirit, and professional contributions that she made to journalism."

Parlette was named Outstanding Print Student in May 2003 and was graduated summa cum laude in 2004 from the Reynolds School.

After earning a prestigious Hearst Fellowship, Parlette became a copy editor at the San Francisco Chronicle. Shortly after, she was diagnosed with cancer and shared her story with the newspaper's readers.

Reader demand sparked the Chronicle to publish a 17-part series and it was among the newspaper's most popular.

Alicia began to blog about the odyssey of her disease, treatment, family and faith. Her story also was featured on NPR and ABC News.

After her death, Parlette's work was adapted and published a book titled "Alicia's Story: Cancer, Despair, Hope and Faith," by the San Francisco Chronicle Press.

Parlette's wish to acknowledge the journalism school and the importance of internships in her professional development has led to the establishment of the Alicia Parlette Fund for Aspiring Journalists, which will provide support for students who pursue internships.

"Alicia worked as an unpaid intern in Philadelphia and credited the experience - and her journalism classes - with making her the journalist she had become," Ceppos said. "Alicia did not want a lack of resources to deter other students from pursuing their dreams." 

Contributions to the fund may be sent the Alicia Parlette Fund for Aspiring Journalists at the Reynolds School of Journalism, Mail Stop 0310, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno NV 89557.

The memorial service will stream live here.

Click below to download a copy of the program.

Read more at LaPoint's blog.

A celebration of life will be held for Reynolds School alumnae and award winner Alicia Parlette at 9:30 a.m. Friday in the atrium.

The other award winners from the journalism school will speak at the Reynolds Homecoming Lunch, held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday on the Scripps Patio. The lunch is $20 for alumni and faculty and free for students.

Alumni Award Winners

From Silver & Blue magazine, Fall 2010

Terrance Oliver ’71 (journalism)

Terry has had a career in the casino industry in 10 major markets since 1973. Since 1997, Terry has served on the board for Peninsula Gaming, LLC, which operates two Diamond Jo riverboat casinos in Dubuque and Worth County, Iowa, the evangeline Downs Race Track and Casino in Opelousas, La., and the Amelia Belle Riverboat Casino in Amelia, La. From 1988 to 2009, he served as founding partner, chairman of the board, interim chief executive officer and board director for Progressive Gaming International Corporation, a software management systems company based in Las Vegas. In 1984, he was a founding partner for Fitzgerald’s Gaming Corporation, board member and served as corporate casino vice president and chief operating officer, retiring in July of 1996.

Sheila Linn ’66 (history), ’91M. Ed. (elementary education)

Sheila transferred to the University of Nevada, Reno as a sophomore where she joined Delta Delta Delta sorority. After graduation, Sheila worked for Braniff International as a flight attendant for 16 years. She was assigned to work a December 1969 flight chartered by Ross Perot to deliver Christmas gifts to our country’s P.O.W’s in Hanoi. While that goal was not achieved, it was on that trip that she met Travis Linn and decided to volunteer for three months in a leprosarium for the Thomas A. Dooley Foundation in Katmandu, Nepal. After moving to Reno in 1984, Sheila went to work for the Washoe County School District as a librarian until she retired in August 2010. Travis, the founding dean of the Reynolds School of Journalism and a professor of journalism, died suddenly in January 2003. Sheila established a memorial scholarship in his name.

Stephen Martarano ’79 (journalism)

After graduating, Steve worked 10 years as a reporter at the Sacramento Union newspaper. Steve is currently a public affairs specialist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Sacramento Bay-Delta Fish and Wildlife Office. Steve was called to duty in early June to assist with the federal government’s gulf spill response efforts. He spent several weeks stationed out of Grand Isle, La., the first area impacted by oil, helping the hundreds of media representatives cover the tragic event. Prior to starting with the federal government, Steve worked for the State of California for 18 years, the last 11 with the California Department of Fish and Game as the agency’s supervising information officer. Steve has recently established two journalism-related endowments to benefit students at Nevada.

Outstanding Young Alumnus of the Year

Alicia Parlette ’04 (journalism)

Alicia was a writer whose series about her battle with cancer was published in the San Francisco Chronicle in 2005 and garnered widespread public attention. Alicia was featured on NPR. She was named ABC News’ “Person of the Week.” Reader demand for more updates on her condition spawned three more chapters throughout the summer of 2005. Her work was adapted and published as a book, Alicia’s Story, by the San Francisco Chronicle Press. Alicia had graduated summa cum laude from the Reynolds School of Journalism in 2004. After earning a prestigious Hearst Fellowship, she became a copy editor at the San Francisco Chronicle. In March 2005, at age 23, she was diagnosed with alveolar soft part sarcoma, a rare form of cancer that affects fewer than 200 people per year. In late 2005, the Reynolds School honored Alicia with the Laxalt Distinguished Writer Award. Alicia passed away April 22, 2010. Donations in her honor may be made to the Alicia Parlette Fund for Aspiring Journalists, Reynolds School of Journalism.

Barbara Henry ’74 (journalism) In 1974, then-Reno Gazette-Journal editor Warren Lerude ’61 called to offer Barbara a reporting job. That was the beginning of a 35-year career in the newspaper business. After eight years as a reporter, city editor and managing editor in Reno, Barbara traveled to Washington, D.C., to work on the start-up team for the recently founded USA TODAY. The next 24 years were spent criss-crossing the country working at Gannett Co. newspapers. Barbara became editor of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, New York, publisher of the Great Falls Tribune, Montana, and The Des Moines Register, Iowa, in 1995. In 2000, Gannett purchased The Indianapolis Star and Barbara was promoted to a Gannett group president’s role, and supervised more than 20 newspapers in the Midwest and South. Barbara retired from Gannett in 2008.

A complete list of UNR alumni award winners is available in the current edition of Silver & Blue Magazine.

By Tammy Krikorian

At the close of this fall semester, the Reynolds School of Journalism building will be vacated during an $8 million renovation that will upgrade the school’s digital infrastructure, making it more multimedia friendly.

“It will still be our building,” said Rosemary McCarthy, academic chair. “We’re not totally changing the character of our building because we love it. But in many ways, it will have a fresher feel.”

For spring and fall semesters of 2011, administrative and faculty offices will relocate to the Ansari Business Building. Classes and lab space will move to other available locations throughout the university campus, including the education building.

This semester, McCarthy and Reynolds School Dean Jerry Ceppos will hold town hall meetings with students to discuss the changes.

The planned renovation, funded by a grant from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, is in the design phase. Many of the changes have been laid out, but it’s getting “more and more specific,” said McCarthy.

When students and faculty return in the spring of 2012, visible changes will include a multimedia and broadcast newsroom on the first floor. The graduate studies area will have moved to the first floor and will include a seminar room, a small computer lab and conference room with a patio extended off of the area. The reading room and administrative areas will be refurbished. Room 304 will have new technology including cameras and screens and outlets around the conference table.

Walls will be moved in four places, McCarthy said. The existing graduate area on the third floor will become office space for the Reynolds Center for the Courts and Media and a new office will be added to the dean’s suite.

Cosmetic upgrades and items fix and improve several other building features, but the more significant changes will be those behind the walls.

“The new technology -- the infrastructure -- the digital backbone of the building will really help us consider technology in teaching,” McCarthy said. “It’s really exciting.” The $7.96 million gift from The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation was given specifically for the purposes of upgrading the building. The money cannot be used for other purposes.

“At a time when in so many ways we’re having to not spend, we’re so fortunate to have a donor that sees the future,” McCarthy said. The upgrades will make the building “more useable in the digital age.”

Ceppos lauded the gift, which allows the Reynolds School’s building to become even more state-of-the-art, serving the school’s mission of equipping students for journalism careers.

“Everything we’re doing is tied in with the curriculum,” Ceppos said. “Students are going to learn to work on every platform.”

Ceppos said the technological infrastructure was designed to be able to accommodate “the next new thing,” even though that development may be still unknown.

“Every possible development in technology that we can foresee is being accounted for,” he said. “Inside the walls we should have technology that will serve students and faculty long after we’re gone.”

By Tammy Krikorian

The Reynolds School of Journalism welcomed many of its 75 incoming freshmen and their parents on Friday with a Wolf Pack Welcome and barbecue.

“We know this is an exciting day for students and parents, but we gotta say, this is an exciting day for us, too, meeting you for the first time,” said Dean Jerry Ceppos, explaining that the Reynolds School is like a family.

Libby Brokaw came to UNR from Las Lomas High School in Walnut Creek, Calif.

“I really like the campus and being close to Tahoe,” she said. “It’s not too far from home, but far enough.”

Brokaw said she’s interested in multimedia, advertising and graphic design. She is excited and nervous for her first year in college.

“I’ll try to balance my time, like people have said,” she said.

As journalism majors, Ceppos said, the students will learn two skills that will set them apart -- the ability to think analytically and to write clearly.

“These two skills are going to serve you over the years,” he said.

Students heard advice from upperclassmen and were introduced to faculty.

“Not only is journalism fun, but it is so important,” said Stewart Cheifet, assistant professor. “Journalism will never end. The platform will change … but there will still be journalists having to create that content.”

Read the story here.

Krikorian plans to complete work on her master's degree and graduate in December.

Journalism faculty grimaced and moaned over a hypothetical piece of freshman news writing. The writing was rife with errors in grammar, spelling and Associated Press style.

“Student writing can’t be this bad,” remarked one instructor attending a Reynolds School faculty retreat Aug. 18.  Those attending the retreat assigned a letter grade to the assignment. Several teachers gave the writing Cs, Ds and Fs.

“I give it an F-minus,” said Professor Jake Highton, known as a tough grader.

The exercise was intended to demonstrate the difference between grading student work and assessing the progress of a journalism class. After grading the work, journalism instructors were shown a way to assess grammar and spelling by marking x’s on lines with mistakes and giving students five minutes to make corrections.

Students generally correct about half the errors, said Trevor Brown, assistant dean of curriculum affairs at Columbia University School of Journalism. As guest speaker at this year’s fall faculty retreat, Brown spoke about the importance of university assessment tools.

Assessment techniques can help an instructor sort out the difference between ignorance and sloppiness. The teacher won’t have to waste time on content that the students already know and can focus on real problem areas.

Assessment improves teaching, Brown said.

“One of the challenges I have when I talk about assessment is to get people to understand the process between grading and assessment,” Brown told faculty members.

Grading results in a single letter that may not tell an outside party much about student learning. Assessment of particular values – from grammar to news judgment to journalistic ethics – reveals to a broader group of stakeholders whether students have mastered the 11 values required as minimum standards by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.

Reynolds School Dean Jerry Ceppos called Brown a leader in the charge to redefine accreditation standards. Brown has led 50 ACEJMC accreditation site teams.

Faculty members meet for a day-long retreat at the start of each semester. Other items on the fall retreat agenda included news of building plans, a review of journalism school accomplishments and discussion of what it means to be known as an “innovative” school.

In his most recent blog post, Reynolds School associate professor Howard Goldbaum writes a tribute to the individuals in Ireland who’ve been sharing stories with him during his sabbatical work in the country.

“Many Irish men and women … generously gave me their time and allowed me access into a very special place by sharing their stories with me,” Goldbaum writes at his blog, My Life As Lord North. “I was not born to this place, nor (contrary to popular belief) was my family name originally O’Goldbaum. Rather I have been a visitor here, hoping to convey with integrity the stories I have been privileged to hear and to present with verisimilitude the places I have been so fortunate to visit.”

Goldbaum is on sabbatical, residing in Wroxton Abbey, where he lived as a student one semester 42 years ago. The Abbey is the ancestral manor house of the Lords North, dating from the late 16th century. It is now the home of Wroxton College. Goldbaum arrived in March and will stay through July.

Frederick, Lord North (13 April 1732 – 5 August 1792), was Great Britain’s Prime Minister during the American Revolution. He is often credited (or blamed, from the far side of the pond) with losing the colonies.

“He shares my birthday,” Goldbaum writes. “So I’m borrowing his title for this blog.

In between the hours working on an Irish Archaeology and Mythology sabbatical project, Goldbaum take walks and explore. He shares peripatetic photos and musings at his blog. In his work, Goldbaum says he tries to capture a sense of place through visual media technology. He calls this “verisimilitude.”

“I hope that when my work is completed I will have done justice to these places and to these people, most of them now departed from this world.”

The students participated in a program offered by the Northern Nevada International Center and DAD Fund.

Read more about their experiences at the UNR website story, "Summer, Soccer and Lifelong Memories," by John Trent.

The archived episode of Nevada Newsmakers can be downloaded or watched online.

With funding from the Reynolds Foundation, through the American Society of Newspaper Editors, the two-week institute equips high school journalism teachers from around the nation with the skills and tools needed to produce high-quality publications at their high schools. 

In addition to producing their own online publication, the teachers
hear from various speakers concerning journalism's future, ethics, scholastic press law and journalistic credibility.

The resulting election coverage is here.

One program participant, Chris Pittman of the Anniston Star, used the camera on his Mac to livestream video from one election night headquarters. The students used Many Eyes to develop charts, took an informal poll to create a database and pushed out their reporting via Twitter and Facebook. The fellows used audio and video to capture many of their interviews.

The program offers 13 participants the chance to gain multimedia skills while also developing traditional core skills including editing, critical thinking, management and leadership. The program is an offering of the Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education. A grant from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation funds housing, tuition and travel for the fellows.

During the spring graduation, Paul Mitchell and Deidre Pike became the two most recent members of the Reynolds School faculty to earn doctorate degrees.

"The school and faculty are really proud of both of them," said Rosemary McCarthy, academic chair. "They've achieved the top degrees in their fields and they set a powerful example for our students about the value of continually pursuing education and learning."

McCarthy said it's good for any department on campus to have faculty members with terminal degrees.

Mitchell's Ph.D. is in Educational Leadership. The topic of his dissertation is  "Retention of African American Administrators of in Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) states."

"Essentially what I was curious to understand how did African American administrators learn about, decide to apply to, take a job in and remain in communities that, historically, do not have large African American populations in the western (specifically the Rocky Mountain) states," he said. "Many studies in recruitment and retention of African Americans in higher education focuses on students and faculty. Rarely do these studies examine administrators."

Mitchell is the second person in his family to earn a doctorate degree, following his mother who also has a doctorate in Educational Leadership, hers from the University of Pennsylvania.

"She laid the foundation in terms of the importance of education. I saw the doors that opened for her. While it was important to see that, it was important for me to carve my own path," he said.

Pike received her doctoral degree in English, with a literature and environment emphasis. She began the program in 2005 and at first hoped to focus her research on the rhetoric of environmental activism. She shifted gears in the past two years and her completed dissertation explores environmental themes in contemporary U.S. animation.

“My work considers less traditional ways of engaging an audience in a deep exploration of environmental topics,” Pike said.

Whether preparing for an internship, summer travel or job searching, the seniors were excited to be closing this chapter in their lives.

"I feel like I got good preparation at the Reynolds School," said Kate Gabor, a public relations and advertising major. "I'm just excited about graduation and seeing what everyone does."

The graduates' plans are varied. Erika Marquez will be going to China to teach English. Jon Fortenbury is interning in New York City for the summer at Campus Clipper. Amber Wilhelm is traveling to Thailand.

Addressing the graduates, Dean Jerry Ceppos told them, "You're about to enter the most creative, fun occupation there is."

He said the bad news is that there are many more talented journalists out in the world, but the good news is that the Reynolds School graduates, who all signed an ethics statement on Friday, were entering the workforce with a strong set of ethics that will help set them apart.

See more photos from the event here.

Sprawl in Tahoe and Brazil
http://tahoesprawl.wordpress.com/
http://floripaverde.wordpress.com/
The two blogs by two students, Scott Gayer and Ana Luisa Silva, prompt a dialogue between two locations with similar issues - one in Lake Tahoe and the other in Brazil.  Tahoe sprawl is a blog about sustainable development issues in Lake Tahoe. It works in conjunction with another blog called Floripa Verde. Floripa Verde is a blog about sustainable development sin Florianópolis, Brazil. Both Tahoe and Florianópolis are experiencing unprecedented challenges in developing sustainably while also promoting tourism as a staple of their economy. Hopefully the discussion and solutions offered up on tahoe sprawl will give residents of Florianópolis an idea of how to meet the challenge of sustainable development.

Nevada Trash Talk
http://nevadatrashtalk.wordpress.com/  Grad students created a web log dedicated to discussion around the proposed Humboldt County Landfill (a.k.a. Jungo Road Dump).
As part of the Reynolds School of Journalism Interactive Environmental Journalism Masters Program, UNR graduate students Robert Mills, Catherine Ferandelli and Jamie Roice seek to produce new content and conversations among citizens of Winnemucca, Nev., because of the controversial nature of the project.

Nevada Green Businesses
http://nvgreenbiz.wordpress.com/ The blog, written by Whitney Parks and Will Sites, focuses on established and emerging businesses with a nexus to the environment, alternative energy, green construction and certainly anything or anyone with an entrepreneurial spirit. It asks others to share ideas, information, concerns or employment opportunities.

Environmental Education
http://enved.wordpress.com/  The idea behind this blog, written by Megan Gibson and Carlie Wilhite, is if environmental education starts in elementary school, we'll build a better earth for future generations. It invites others to use this as a platform to connect with teachers in the community, share ideas and ways to implement "green" lessons into your classrooms. If you have any topics you'd like to discuss, leave us comments or send an email. We're excited to hear from you and build a network of teachers committed to environmental education!

Beauty and Cleaning Products
http://earthhomehealth.wordpress.com/ Heather Cosby and Tammy Krikorian began this blog as a way to explore the link between chemicals found in beauty and household cleaning products and the effect they may have on the environment, indoor air quality and health.

"We're celebrating students tonight," said Jerry Ceppos, dean of the Reynolds School of Journalism. Ceppos lauded donors who provide funds that create the "much-needed" scholarships for continuing students and recognition for graduating journalism seniors.

The event was named for Ella Savitt, who seldom missed an awards night until her death six years ago.

Savitt would admonish students not to waste their educational opportunities, Ceppos said.

"Ella would enjoy tonight," Ceppos said. "She would tell everyone to never stop learning."

This year, a new scholarship named for former UNR journalism professor Ted Conover was awarded. David Conover, Ted's son, said the family decided that, after church and family, their father found the Reynolds School an institution worthy of support.

"Dad used to say, 'They treat me like a big shot there,'" Conover said, laughing. Conover recalled his father's early days in newspapers when his father would pay him to clean linotype machines.

Ted Conover was a meticulous journalist and an indefatigable instructor. From 1965-1975, Conover chaired UNR's journalism department, expanding the program and establishing sequences.

David Conover recalled serving in the U.S. Navy and sending home letters to his family. Occasionally his father would send one back -- edited.

"It would be dripping with red ink," David Conover said. "He was always teaching."

Top Reynolds School students were inducted into Kappa Tau Alpha at the event. Professor David Ryfe led the induction ceremony, noting that he appreciated the idea of an academic society for journalism students.

"This is a time when journalism needs all the smart people it can get," Ryfe said.

Students inducted into Kappa Tau Alpha: Allison Beck, Carolina Chacon, Christopher Dudash, Wendy Firestone, Heather Horn, Danielle Longley, Jorgan Staker, Katherine Taylor and Kaitlyn Whiteside.

 Bonnie Scranton, an assistant professor of graphic design who was on a one-year appointment, will join the Reynolds School of Journalism full-time in the upcoming fall semester.

 “Her classes have proven tremendously popular,” Jerry Ceppos, journalism school dean, said.

 Scranton said she is excited to officially become part of the Reynolds School.

 "This is a great school,” she said. “What I hope to bring is an opportunity for students to build a stronger foundation in print and web graphics, design and layout. Whether students would like to concentrate in integrated marketing communications or news journalism, to succeed in those fields we must understand how to communicate visually.

 “We are bombarded with more information today than ever before. How can this information be organized in an intelligent, orderly and digestible way? How can we communicate as well as educate? Can this be accomplished beautifully and elegantly?”

 Scranton will continue teaching J-300 Visual Communications and J-303 Media Graphics as well as J-490 special topics courses that might appeal to independent study students with particular visual projects in mind.

 “I am looking forward to the challenge in these definitely challenging times," she said.

Reynolds School alumna Alicia Parlette's long struggle with cancer has ended. Parlette, 28, died Thursday, April 22.

The Reynolds School named Parlette as its Laxalt Distinguished Writer in 2005. Parlette had only graduated a year earlier. She'd earned the acclaim, said emeritus journalism professor Warren Lerude, through her courageous series of personal essays published in the San Francisco Chronicle, where she worked as a copy editor.

Parlette found out in 2005 she had a rare form of cancer in her hip and breast called alveolar soft part sarcoma. Her memoir, Alicia's Story, ran in the newspaper and was published as a book. 

“In her memoir, she told the story of her own fight to live,” said Lerude. "Alicia's talent matched the caliber of writer to whom that award is given."

Parlette had been Lerude's student.

"She was a joy to teach," he said. "With her, work was always a collaboration of student and professor due to her great inquisitiveness and desire to learn."

Though Lerude said he'd been prepared for Parlette's death, the loss still seemed very difficult.

"It’s very sad, very sad," he said.

Details regarding a memorial service for Parlette are pending.

Parlette's family and the Reynolds School have joined forces to create the Alicia Parlette Fund for Aspiring Journalists, which will be used to  help students who take internships.

Reynolds School Dean Jerry Ceppos noted that Parlette frequently talked about her internship experiences.

"Her internships clearly helped her  become an extraordinary journalist," Ceppos said. "And just the other day Alicia wrote a note to her dad saying that she hoped anything the journalism school did in her name  would take into account student need. Our. hope is that this fund is exactly the  sort of idea that Alicia had in mind."

Last year, when she needed help getting to her treatments, 2004 journalism graduate Parlette turned to her friends, including many at the University of Nevada, Reno, and the Reynolds School of Journalism.

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

A story by Emily Stott, a Nevada Sagebrush reporter, ran last year in UNR's student-run newspaper. 

Spending long nights at the Reynolds School to work on an advertising campaign for an insurance company paid off for UNR students who won a regional competition April 17.

The University of Nevada, Reno’s Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) competition class placed first in district in the National Student Advertising Competition held in San Jose, Calif.

Video interviews with Dean Jerry Ceppos, team adviser Bob Felten and students. (Interviews by Thomas Levine and Ryan Shoop, Journalism 107.)

The team, 27 journalism and business students from UNR, beat five California universities. Students were asked to develop a social media and public relations advertising campaign for State Farm Insurance.

Five students from the team presented the campaign, Live ON, a proposal to change young adults' impressions of State Farm Insurance.  The students worked diligently on the campaign for the past school year, researching and creating a campaign.

The team's integrated marketing plan, published into a book, described how they would eliminate the perception of State Farm Insurance  being “old fashioned” and overpriced.

“It was really rewarding because we all put in a lot of time,”  said Hernandez. “We wanted to target 18-25 year olds effectively for the campaign.”

As a reward for winning first place, the team won a trophy and an invitation to the National competition June 10 and 11 in Orlando, Florida. Another reward is that many team members who place always graduate with a job already awaiting, just because of the connections and networking made during the competition.

The University’s IMC team is known for placing high in the competitive competition. In 2003,  the IMC team also participated in Nationals.

Leah Lopez, a 22-year-old journalism major with a public relations emphasis, said that all the long nights and early mornings working on the project were worth it.

“It was an amazing experience,” said Lopez.  “It was a of work to do, but the satisfaction in the end definitely paid off.”

Listen to an interview with Dean Ceppos of the Reynolds School of Journalism:

Innovation.

That’s the value for which the Reynolds School most wants to be known, Jerry Ceppos told students gathered for a lunch with the Reynolds School dean.

Ceppos began the informal meeting April 15 by explaining the details of an $8 million building renovation that will facilitate the school’s innovative goals.

By January 2012, the building will feature the latest in HD broadcast facilities. Computer stations will enhance the Linn Reading Room. Convergence classrooms will allow all students to engage in multi-platform journalism at all levels.

“In everything we do, we want to be known for innovation,” Ceppos said. “Everything that’s happening in this building is built around innovation.”

In fact, the school plans to hire the first-ever chair of ethics of innovative and entrepreneurial journalism.

As if to reinforce the innovative nature of the school, Ceppos spoke from notes on a new iPad. He hopes to equip Reynolds School faculty with these new tools.

“As soon as I finish today, you can play with it,” Ceppos told students.

Students ate sandwiches and chips while Ceppos spoke in the Linn Reading Room. A CNN news program was airing, muted, on a flat screen TV. The onscreen caption read: “Obama -- No to moon, yes to Mars.”

In January 2011, classes and faculty offices will move out of the building for a year while renovation work proceeds.

“Architects and engineers say this will happen faster if we move out,” Ceppos said. Faculty offices will temporarily be moved to the business building, most likely, he said. Journalism labs will be moved as well, perhaps to the education building.

More than 20 students attended the lunch. Ceppos answered questions about curriculum and keeping up with the costs of new technology.

In addition to an $8 million grant from the Reynolds Foundation, specifically designated for the building and equipment upgrades, the school will raise at least $1.6 million to create a fund for up-to-date technology. Already, the school has received $225,000 from a local foundation and $10,000 from a faculty member.

One student expressed concern over the intense demands of some journalism courses, like Jour 204 Media Production. Though the course is no longer offered, much of the material is covered now in a freshman companion to introductory multimedia reporting.

Several broadcast students requested a videography class be taught, and they suggested that broadcast instructor Stewart Cheifet teach this class. Another broadcast and public relations student wondered if the school planned to add sections of required classes so that juniors and seniors can get the courses needed in time to graduate in four years.

Ceppos said he thought that having an additional two faculty members, along with the return of faculty members now on sabbatical, would make possible more sections and wider variety of possible courses.

Representatives of student clubs agreed that they’d like to encourage more student participation in clubs. Ceppos offered support to student clubs who might need a financial boost.

Though the university has been plagued by department closures and jobs lost, Ceppos reminded students that the Reynolds School has come through the latest round of cuts mostly unscathed.

“We’ve been treated well,” Ceppos said.

He encouraged the students who are graduating soon to come back to visit the school in two years.

“It’s going to be a really cool thing,” he said. “Pretty spectacular.”

28th Annual Night of All Nations from Monique Preciado on Vimeo.

"It's all about making yourself sound professional," recommended Sara Piccola, a journalism alumna.

Eight recent journalism graduates spoke to students April 13 about cultivating skills that will help land jobs after graduation. Alumni on the panel included Michael Higdon, David Calvert, Rebecca Wikler, Sara Piccola, Jillian O'Driscoll, Katie Caldwell and Natalie Fortune.

The event was sponsored by the RSJ Ad Club.

By Tammy Krikorian

"Accountability journalism" is the most important function of journalism, said Leonard Downie Jr., former editor of The Washington Post and guest speaker at the 46th Annual Scripps Dinner & Lecture held Friday night at the Silver Legacy.

Downie, speaking to more than 200 alumni, faculty, students and friends of the Reynolds School of Journalism, said the changes the Internet have brought to the journalism industry present great opportunities, but great challenges as well.

Accountability journalism takes a lot of time and money and often involves lawyers, he said, and the form is threatened as newsroom staffs are shrinking.

On the other hand, a lot of public information is now available that wasn't available before, he said. Journalists can now mine that information, and present it to the public.

Downie, who co-authored a major report on the state of the news media, "The Reconstruction of American Journalism, with Columbia University Professor Michael Schudson, said journalism will never be fully funded by advertising again, and said it is the responsibility of the America public to support reported news in a variety of ways. 

"I believe many Americans want to be well-informed, and with the Internet you can get as much information as you want," he said.

Downie served as executive editor of The Washington Post from 1991 to 2008 and said his time at the newspaper, which began in the 1970s, happened to coincide with what some consider to be the Golden Age of newspapers.

Downie captivated the room with stories of working on Watergate, the Jonestown Massacre and Sept. 11. The stories entertained, but also served as a reminder of what journalism in America has lost, such as having foreign correspondents in countries across Europe and the world.

In a time of shrinking advertising, circulation and audience fragmentation, The Washington Post - as many other newspapers across the country - has had to reduce its coverage and "focus on what we do best and who our audience is."

But with the changes come many opportunities as well. Downie talked of the investigative stories the Post did on the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. 

"Millions of people saw it on the Web, and started contacting Washington (demanding) something must be done," he said. "All kinds of changes were made as a result of the story. […] The Internet changed the whole dynamic. It's a great tool for reporting, and a great tool for the dissemination of information."

Kristi D. VandenBosch, CEO of Publicis & Hal Riney, spoke with students from two of Assistant Professor Bob Felten’s Integrated Marketing Communications classes this morning.  She discussed how new and ever-changing media require different ways of thinking to successfully engage tech-savvy audiences.

VandenBosch joined Riney just last year, becoming one of the first CEOs of a traditional advertising agency drawn from a nontraditional background.  She had been North American president of digital agency TEQUILA.

Anjeanette Damon, a part-time faculty member and political reporter for the Reno Gazette-Journal, will teach a political reporting class in the fall, timed to coincide with the mid-term elections.

“Nevada is at ground zero for the biggest mid-term election in the country: the effort to oust Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid,” Damon said. “That race alone will provide plenty of fodder for the journalism school's new covering the campaign trail class. We'll take advantage of the prominence of that race, which is expected to draw national figures to Reno. We'll go into the field to cover campaign events and will bring some of the top names in Nevada politics into the classroom to provide insight into both the campaign and legislative worlds.”

Reynolds School Dean Jerry Ceppos calls Damon one of the top political writers in the country.

Steve Martarano Best Published Article Award 2010

ENTRY DEADLINE: 5 p.m., Wednesday, April 21, 2010.

This award is to be given to the University of Nevada, Reno journalism major with the best-published news story each year.

The award is funded through the Steve Martarano Best Published Article Award Endowment and will be awarded each year at the School of Journalism’s Annual Savitt Awards Reception in May.

Student Eligibility

1.  The student must be a journalism major taking a minimum of nine regularly scheduled University of Nevada, Reno credit hours.

2.  Undergraduate and graduate students may apply.

3.  The student may not be a fulltime professional journalist.  Freelance work and writing produced during an internship may be submitted.

Story Eligibility

1.  Stories produced and published in the previous calendar year are eligible. (Jan. 1 - Dec. 31,  2009). They may have appeared in print, broadcast, cable or online.

2.   Stories must have appeared in a scholastic or professional edited publication (Web site, broadcast or cablecast). Self-published stories are not eligible.  Freelance work and writing produced during an  internship may be submitted.

Submissions

1.  Stories must be submitted by students or by journalism faculty.

2.  Students are limited to two entries per year.

3.  To submit an entry:

            A.  Provide an original copy of the story.

For print entries provide the entire page showing the name and date of  publication. Circle the story being submitted.

For broadcast stories provide a tape or CD of the broadcast, webcast or cablecast and indicate in writing which story is the submission.

For online entries, provide a print out of the story and the URL.  Online stories must still be available for viewing.

B.  Complete the entry form available in the dean’s office.

C.  Deliver or mail the materials to the Dean’s Office, Reynolds School of

Journalism, MS 310, University of Nevada, Reno, 89557.

Attention: Martarano Award.

Judging

1.  The journalism dean will appoint three members of the regular faculty who teach reporting/writing to  serve as judges.  The dean may also serve on the committee.

2.  The committee will assess entries based on:

            Reporting (topic choice, research, sourcing, timeliness, impact)

            Clarity

            Voice

            Writing style and mechanics

3.  The award will be presented at the School of Journalism’s Annual Savitt Awards Reception on Tuesday, May 4.

By Skyler Dillon
Reynolds School student reporter

Jeff Howe, contributing editor at Wired Magazine, spoke on the University of Nevada, Reno campus Friday morning about the phenomenon of crowdsourcing and the positive and negative influences it has on journalism.

“Crowdsourcing is seen as having a lot of promise,” Howe said. “But it’s making it really hard for professionals to make money off of their work, and it’s leading to outright warfare in some industries.”

Howe, who worked at Inside.com and the Village Voice before joining Wired, coined the term “crowdsourcing” in a June 2006 article he wrote about the influence of communities, usually in online forums, on consumers’ relationships with businesses.

(Story continues below streaming video.)  

Journalism professor Larry Dailey, in an introduction to the lecture, said of Howe’s book “Crowdsourcing,” “This is what it’s all about. This is the future.”

Howe describes crowdsourcing as “Wikipedia with everything.” It is a process in which communities’ feedback produces products, finances projects and creates demand—in other words, “promiscuous creativity.” 

He cited current businesses as examples, including Threadless, a T-shirt company that accepts design submissions from the public and produces them based on the feedback each design receives from an online community, and iStockphoto, a company that allows photographers to submit their photos and Web users to purchase the images for $1.15 rather than the roughly $300 charged by many other stock photo companies.

Projects like these, Howe said, create a “coffee-break labor force” – a community of people who can contribute to companies in five- or 10-second intervals of work by voting or posting online. The workers are paid not with money, but with the opportunity to see their opinions or work delivered to a large audience.

“People today have a very different relationship to the means of production than people 20 years ago,” he said. “Someone who makes a video isn’t necessarily interested in becoming a videographer; they’re just interested in making a video.”

Howe also connected the crowdsourcing phenomenon to the journalism business, describing online forums that allow readers to provide new information to journalists and news organizations that would otherwise require valuable time and research for journalists to discover. Spot.Us was also offered as an example of user-sponsored journalism. The site allows journalists to pitch their stories to the public in an effort to get funding.

"A lot of people have talked about crowdsourcing as a way to save the fourth estate,” Howe said.

Crowdsourcing also presents several obstacles to traditional journalism, however. In an environment in which amateur writers are able to break stories as quickly or more so than professional journalists, the role of writers at traditional news organizations is endangered, as is the role of professional designers and photographers.

Journalism major Chelsea Otakan asked Howe about the quality of work being produced by these crowds, Howe expressed regret that professional-level work may become more rare in mass culture.

“Great-level work is going to be replaced by decent-level work,” he said. “The people who create Faberge eggs are going to be restricted to boutique markets.”

Patrick Connolly, a 21-year-old journalism major in the public relations sequence, attended Howe’s presentation hoping to get some insight into his future markets.

“I was hoping I could get an idea of how a target audience’s mind works during a pitch, and crowdsourcing obviously relates to that,” he said.

Connolly enjoyed the lecture, and said Howe covered all the points he was hoping to learn about.

“I very rarely find myself not asking questions,” said Connolly. “But [Howe] gave a good speech, and made a lot of good points.”

Howe’s presentation kicked off the final day of the Reynold’s School of Journalism’s Journalism Week, marking the annual Cole C. Campbell Dialogue on Democracy.

Howe continues to cover the phenomenon in his blog, crowdsourcing.com, and published a book on the subject for Crown Books in September 2008. Before coming to Wired he was a senior editor at Inside.com and a writer at the Village Voice. In his 15 years as a journalist he has traveled around the world working on stories ranging from the impending water crisis in Central Asia to the implications of gene patenting. He has written for Time Magazine, U.S. News & World Report, The Washington Post, Mother Jones and numerous other publications. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Alysia Abbott, their daughter Annabel Rose and son Phineas and a miniature black lab named Clementine.

As a professional journalist, Erin Kotecki Vest worked hard to keep herself out of stories. She “never ever ever ever” took a stand on anything. Her political persuasion was fully a mystery to her audience.

That was then.

Now Vest, political director for BlogHer.com, posts updates from a laptop on her kitchen counter while making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the kids. She posts tweets about her lunch and her accommodations at the Silver Legacy in Reno. Everybody knows she’s a Democrat. Everybody expects the woman who tweets under the handle @queenofspain to occasionally tell politicians to “#SUCKIT.”

Vest is a blogger, a Tweeter, a self-described “old school journalist who went new school.” She works hard to stay relevant, to be part of the online buzz that now becomes the evening news -- the stories that get reported in the morning’s paper.

“I like to say to the news cycle, ‘I own you,’ Vest told students and faculty March 5 at the launch of the Nevada Interactive Media Summit. “Bloggers scare the hell out of traditional journalists.”

Vest’s conversion wasn’t an easy one. She had to be yanked, kicking and screaming, as she puts it, into the brave new world of social media.

When she decided to put on hold an award-winning 10-year broadcast journalism career to stay home with children, Vest started keeping an online journal or blog of her thoughts. But this wasn’t journalism, she thought. Then a former colleague contacted her about a new project that would create a network of women bloggers.

Vest resisted. This blogging stuff was dangerous. If she participated in such a project, she’d never be able to hold her head up in mainstream media again. People would find out she was a Democrat. “They’d know I was a crazy progressive,” Vest recounted. “But my friend told me it was OK. And I trusted her.”

Freed from the constraints of so-called objective mainstream journalistic constraint, Vest immediately catapulted her writing over the steep cliffs of perspective. She had edge. She had insight. She had freedom. She said whatever she wanted to say about politics. She started a sex column.

“It was like Pandora’s box had opened,” she said. “It was ridiculous … I was blogging politics like an activist, not like a political reporter, like a grassroots activist."

Readers weren’t bugged by this. Blogher’s population of active users now numbers more than 20 million per month. Vest runs BlogHer’s initiative to connect community members to legislators and policy-makers. She’s interviewed Obama when he was a presidential candidate and facilitated meetings between women bloggers and a presidential adviser. She’s met with federal lawmakers in Republican and Democratic camps and ran a webcast with Health and Human Service Secretary Kathleen Sebelius about health care reform.

Vest blogs on her personal site, the Queen of Spain Blog. She tweets for @BlogHer and as @queenofspain. The transformation to respected blogger wasn’t always smooth. Vest warned students that she now regrets some of the things she wrote in her early reckless days.

“Now I try to remember that what goes online is there forever,” she said. “It’s like getting a tattoo only there’s no laser removal.”

She advised students to think twice before posting something.

“Think forward a little,” she said. “Try not to do something you’ll regret forever.”

As social media changes journalism, students need to be nimble and ready to craft new ways to make names for themselves. They might choose a traditional journalism route, complete with internships. Or they might start a blog, post videos to YouTube or broadcast local sports from the sidelines of games with a laptop and a free UStream account.

“It’s easy and it’s free,” she said. “Pick it up and do it yourself.”

Journalism student Misha Ray said she recently embraced blogging. She had issues with the idea of citizen journalists who had not gone to college but who got to act as if they were journalists. It’s also hard to walk the fine line of self and professional representation.

“It’s difficult for students who are learning what real journalism is and who want to get a career in journalism,” Ray said. “If you have a personal blog and Facebook, and your employer doesn’t like what you say, how do you respond?”

That’s the kind of question that journalism assistant professor Bob Felten thinks journalism students and educators need to ask.

“We have to be listening to these conversations to understand how the world is changing and prepare our students to have that flexibility to earn that respect Vest is talking about,” Felten said. “As journalistic practicioners, we are too traditionally bound. We, as a school, continue to shake off those bonds.”

A freedom comes from realizing that as an adult it’s OK to play and it will help improve your mind.

“Play is an experience, it’s not something to be analyzed,” Stuart Brown, author of “Play,” said during his lecture at UNR’s National Judicial College.

Brown believes highly creative people are playful and creativity comes from their ability to play. 

In terms of biology, play appears to be the product of what he calls divinely superfluous neurons. Play uses your brain.

Where does play begin? Brown said it’s the bonding moment between the baby and parent. A smile is evoked from the baby. This is hardwired in humans. The right side of the cortex, home of intuition and non-analytical storage, of the parent and child become harmonious.

People have co-evolved with animals and have learned to be a cooperative tribe partly from what was learned from wolves in their packs.

Brown showed pictures of a polar bear playing with a sled dog. The photos were shot by a Canadian who observed their interspecies behavior. The bear’s intimidating posture changed when the dog wagged its tail. They were in a blissful state of being.

This behavior offered them an exploration of the possible.

For two weeks, the polar bear came back to play with the dog. The photos showed the nature and power of play signals between two social carnivores.

Brown explained play is embedded in us but can be suppressed and then lost.

So how does this apply to journalism?

Saundra Keyes, a journalism professor at UNR, said that play brings out important attributes necessary in “new media” journalistic writing

“Journalists can learn to not be as rigid as they often are,” she said. “We can be more creative on how we deliver journalism to people.”

Rosemary McCarthy, Reynolds School academic chair, agreed with Keyes.

“We need all the creativity we can muster right now,” she said. “We need to find some rest in play.

Students had similar perspectives.

“I think that this concept is very important for journalists to understand,” Lindsey Stull, a journalism major at UNR, said. “It can help someone transform how they do their job.”

Jonathon Moore, a junior at UNR, agreed with Stull.

“I believe that play is very important to the future of journalism, especially in all of its newer media,” he said.

Brown described that play through science is difficult by asking the audience to picture the aesthetic beauty of a bird of paradise in flight. Then think about if we shot it down and dissected it. The joy is momentary. If the birds are brought down and pulled apart for science, the joy no longer exists.

Brown has interviewed over 6,000 deviants, drunk drivers and murderers. A common thread he found is that these people had a lack of play in their childhoods and they felt isolated. Their play behavior was suppressed.

Brown said a world without play is the absence of empathy. The opposite of play is not work, it’s depression.

“I don’t think very many of us think of play a lot,” Jerry Ceppos, Reynolds School Dean said. “It will make us take ourselves less seriously.”

Brown said that play concepts can also apply to relationships.

“A marriage that is play-less is an endurance competition as far as I’m concerned,” he said.

Brown said parents need to keep a balance for their kids and their video games.

“If it’s sedentary, non-Wii games, don’t let it take over their lives,” he said. “Don’t let the video game produce a nature deficit disorder.”

Brown encourages a wide variety of play for children. Kids enjoy storytelling as much as playing ball.

Social play gives a real sense of belonging.

“I don’t think its happening in Congress,” Brown said. “Story is the human unit of intelligibility. Have your internal story humming along at all times.”

Brown told the audience to, go out and live a more playful life.

“Let’s make it a more playful world,” he said.

****

Link: Reynolds School senior Jessica Estepa, editor-in-chief of the J-Week 2010 Web site, writes about her play history, inspired by Brown's talk. Read her blog here.

Streaming video of the talk is archived here (story continues below):

Live TV : Ustream

For starters, students wanted to know if any jobs were available at Maya Advertising agency.

“We are hiring,” agency founder Luis Vasquez-Ajmac replied, “at our offices in L.A. and in Georgetown.”

The jobs are entry level. The pay is entry-level play. Nonetheless, the average applicants have about 10 years of experience. It’s a sign of the times that when Vasquez-Ajmac tells these applicants about the entry-level wages, the applicants are still interested.

Vasquez-Ajmac spoke to students, faculty and friends gathered March 3 in the JCSU Theater for the first presentation of Journalism Week 2010. What would Vasquez-Ajmac look for in an applicant?

Vasquez-Ajmac was born in Guatemala. His agency is named Maya because his heritage is Mayan. He likes a diverse office. He likes intelligent self-starters who do their homework – like researching the agency and knowing plenty about their work before a job interview. A successful applicant has excellent writing skills. But it’s not all about mere skills.

“Having a positive attitude, that’s gold,” Vasquez-Ajmac said.

It’s safe to say that a positive attitude has been golden for Vasquez-Ajmac. He moved to the United States at age six. He didn’t speak English. He was thrown into an unexpected family situation in which the woman he had thought was his aunt turned out to be his mother. Until junior high, he was put in special education classes. As an adolescent, he convinced his parents to let him enroll in regular classes.

“I said, ‘I can compete with the other kids,’” he recalled. His strong sense of cultural identity carried him through times that might have been difficult. By age 18, he’d moved out on his own into a group house in Washington, D.C. He volunteered at Pacifica, doing a radio program called Voices of South America.

“That’s where the concept that words can move mountains was born for me,” he said. If people can be convinced through marketing efforts to buy Coca-Cola or use Tide detergent, if they will pay a bit more for their favorite brand of cigarettes, then the power of marketing could also be used to different things, like human rights campaigns.

Vasquez-Ajmac ended up with the holy grail of advertising jobs, a gig at Ogilvy & Mather. He soon realized that if he was good enough for one of the best advertising agencies in the United States, he might be able to launch out on his own.

Maya Advertising was born in Vasquez-Ajmac’s home. He had no business cards and no computer, just passion, dedication and a strong work-play ethic. Before long, he’d moved into an expensive office. This motivated him to work harder – because he had to pay the rent.

Vasquez-Ajmac also knows how to enjoy himself. He’s written about the power of pleasure. In his introduction, assistant professor Todd Felts quoted Vasquez-Ajmac on having fun: “All work and no play will kill you. When you reach your goals, reward yourself, always make time for fun.”

Journalism student Andrew Church, 20, found the presentation insightful and inspiring.

“Here’s a man who constructed something from the ground up,” Church said. “I think that’s something students can relate to.”

Church plans to focus his studies on public relations. He found that Vasquez-Ajmac’s talk reinforced many of the things he’s been learning in his classes.

“We’re learning these steps, taking an idea and making it into a message,” Church said.

Advertising professor Bob Felten said he enjoyed hearing from Vasquez-Ajmac, and also noted how the ad leader’s innovative examples would highlight the principles discussed in Reynolds School advertising classes.

“It’s wonderful to bring such a diverse group of highly successful people here who amplify and reinforce the concepts that we teach in our classes,” Felten said. 

Vasquez-Ajmac has more than 25 years of experience in segment marketing and brand building and is widely recognized within his field as a visionary using advertising, public relations, and coalition building to catapult client issues, products, and services into prominence.

Vasquez-Ajmac received the first Forty Under 40 High Achievers Award, the 1999 Small Business of the Year Award, and the 2003 Hispanic Businessman of the Year award, which was presented by the Greater Washington Ibero American Chamber of Commerce. He also received the 1999 Vision Award and the Award of Distinction for Pepco’s Energía Latina (Latino Energy) TV spot. Under Vasquez-Ajmac’s leadership, MAYA received the Small Business of the Year Award from USDA in 2005 for outstanding customer service. 

Visit the Journalism Week 2010 Web site for more information about speakers and events.

"We preach the future of news is in participatory journalism," said Todd Felts, Reynolds School public relations professor. "When the audience gets information, it needs to feel compelled to respond."

That may mean developing news ways of doing journalism -- from surveys to games.

"Or coloring," Felts said. "That's what this is about, creating new participatory models."

Speakers for the event, which runs March 3 through March 6, include Luis Vasquez-Ajmac, author of “Inside the Minds,” speaking about branding businesses; Caesar Andrews, former editor of the Detroit Free Press who currently serves as RSJ’s Paul A. Leonard Distinguished Visiting Chair for Ethics and Writing in Journalism, will host a  “hands on,” interactive discussion on ethics; Dr. Stuart Brown, author of “Play,” talking about the importance of a playful attitude — even when dealing with serious subjects; Jeff Howe, author of “Crowdsourcing” and Wired contributing editor, speaks on about the wisdom of the masses; and Erin Kotecki Vest, political director for BlogHer.com.

Reynolds School students will be reporting the event through Twitter, live-blogging, streaming video, photographs and, yes, even news stories. Their work will be posted at the J-Week 2010 Playing With News Web site. 

Free video chat by Ustream

Robin Bigda, a journalism major, recalled how Morrow had helped her with her application for a Rhodes Scholarship. It turned out that he had also applied for the Rhodes.
When Bigda didn’t receive the scholarship, she walked into Morrow’s office, sobbing.
“I said, ‘I didn’t get the scholarship,’” she said. “And he said, ‘It’s OK, I didn’t make it either.’ It made me feel better that someone as amazing as David didn’t get it either.”
Morrow’s sister Beth Hammond told students that she’d never seen her brother as excited as he was when he received the teaching job in Nevada. He’d mentioned only a few awards to her over the years.
“Like some Hall of Fame thing,” Hammond said. But Morrow called her proudly when learning that he would be teaching journalism in Reno.
“He loved the students,” she said. “He was so happy when he got this job.”

Public relations professor Todd Felts read a poem written to memorialize Morrow:

Make Faithing a Verb that Day
A lesson from David Morrow
Journalist, Editor, Teacher

There’s a word in teaching, in writing, in life, faith.
And, one man knew how to make it an action word,
He lived it every day, he sang Judy Garland,
And actually knew where somewhere over the rainbow was.

At one end of the rainbow, was teaching,
So he traveled with a loyal black dog, and a new black car,
An editor, faith.

He became a teacher, and was likely one already.
He taught fast research, and verbs were important,
He was a noun becoming a verb,
Taking the big risk, living, searching, and seeing.
Use what you got, Southern drawls, big city know-how, faith.

Learn to gather quickly, get to the bottom of it all,
Inman, SC, or Reno, NV or New York City, what’s the difference?
Use what you got, he did,
And look where he landed, a journalist.

A verb, a noun, agreeable, but so different.
One describes a person, a place or a thing.
Faith is a noun, so is Armani.
Faithing is a verb, like newsrooming, or classrooming,
Business is a noun but writing is a verb.

Southern, refined, quick to write, quick to wit, faith.
What power he brought on his journey, what know-how,
Dinging, singing and leading. Lead with leads.
His classroom, his stage, his place to be quick to write, stories,
About seeing the world, traveling.
Eat at the corner table with a view,
Don’t stress it, money, money, money.
Make the source answer you, don’t let them hear you coming, faith.

The teacher spoke on how to make a noun have action,
Support a gay teen-ager, be yourself, drink from the hidden bottles,
Wear cheap clogs with expensive suits, to the interview.
Inhale life, exhale in your writing, take a draw from the play, fly.
But take the ferry and see the simple things, don’t be silent. Be friends with your X. Love
A pit bull, put him in doggie day care, give him his own side of the bed, to think
About things, act, move, sing, “We’re having some fun.” Go
To Paris, search for the truth.
Acting, teaching, moving and inspiring.
If happy little bluebirds fly,
Beyond the rainbow,
Become a watchdog. Why can’t I?
And you will make faithing a verb that day.

Morrow's family, along with the Society of American Business Editors and Writers, have created a memorial fund in his name to help students who hope to pursue business journalism. Read more here.

(Recent UNR graduate and Peace Corps worker Stacie Eliopulos spent eight days volunteering at an earthquake relief hospital on the border of the DR and Haiti. These are her stories. Read more on Stacie's blog and view her photo galleries here.)

I have thought for awhile now about what I would write about my time spent volunteering at a relief hospital in Jimani, on the border of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Every day I was there, there seemed to be something unbelievable, shocking and unexpected both in good and bad ways that will leave me thinking about this experience for the rest of my life. I feel different now than I did before I left. I feel more grateful for my life. I feel sad and frustrated with cultural and language differences. I feel depressed knowing no matter how similar people can be, there seems to always be two distinct groups: those giving the aid and those taking the aid. I feel hopeful for change and reconstruction- not just of a city, but for the people living within that fallen city. “Haiti is alive!” is something my short eight days in Jimani taught me, and although I would like to include every detail as it happened while I was there, the following are a few of my stories, in hopes to share a better understanding with anyone who is interested to know.
---
On my second full day, I had a breakdown. It was sunset, and as the hot, dry day slowly turned into the cool night air, I had to pull away from everything and walk out into the desert alone. It hit me-the death, the despair, the destruction this earthquake had caused. I had been trying to ignore it since I arrived. Trying to ignore the obvious hurt and suffering when you see a 12-year-old or a 60-year-old with an amputated arm. These people had lost everything. Their homes, their schools, their businesses, their family. And now they were the lucky ones, because they had somehow managed to get to the Dominican side of the border to a hospital that was staffed internationally with doctors, nurses and volunteers.
At first the tears were inconspicuous and controlled, but after one fell down my cheek and attempted to wash away the dirt and sweat that was embedded in my pours from the day’s work, they soon flooded out of me with no control. I didn’t know if I was crying for the eminent loss that was everywhere, or the fact that we had just spent the whole day separating family members from patients- telling everyone that only one family member was allowed to every one patient. I watched as patients were given a choice between their family and their doctors. I, along with my Peace Corps peers were not the least bit surprised when patients chose not to break up or separate their family, and instead of waiting for a needed surgery, boarded a bus to go back to Haiti. When the American doctors, nurses and volunteers were puzzled over this choice, or worse indifferent, I couldn’t help but feel ashamed.
I guess as Americans, we are taught to take care of ourselves first, especially when it comes to our health. That if what you need is an operation to live, then of course it will be your first priority. Not everyone in the world thinks like Americans. There are those that would never put anything first before their family. Not themselves, not their success, not even their broken leg, which without surgery will probably never heal correctly. And so we watched and helped the process, as women, men and children with metal rods sticking out of their legs, elbows and arms boarded the bus to return to Haiti.
Crying alone in the desert, I was in a squatting position, stabling myself with my hands in the dirt. Enough, I told myself. I walked back over the pediatric ward, which was a converted chapel on the grounds. I went back to help finish the job- to continue telling these people only one family member could remain. The moment I entered, a young Haitian woman made eye-contact. I didn’t have the guts to look back at her. And as I walked up to another volunteer telling a translator the same repeated message, the woman grabbed my arm and shook her head telling me without words that I didn’t need to cry. I finally made eye contact with her and she smiled. I said in Spanish, “yo se,” or “I know.” Not because she spoke Spanish, but because English just didn’t seem right.
---
This process of cutting our numbers did not happen in just one day, and there were even some patients and family members who were more than happy to leave the hospital grounds. Two women in particular, could not have been more relieved to go back to their home country.
A child to each of the women, their number was actually five. While staying at the hospital, they had taken in an orphaned boy whose supposed father was in Port-au-Prince waiting for him. The two women, each holding their own toddler had been protecting the boy while he recovered in the hospital and had promised to take him to his father when they all returned to Haiti.
For the first hour, as the five of them waited for the late bus to arrive, they were happily enjoying the shade of an old, big tree. With no warning, however, this all changed and one of the women started screaming at the top of her lungs at one of the translators. Her eyes were wild and fierce and no one needed to speak Creole to understand that something had just gone horribly wrong.
The translators are a group of 18 Haitian men, also victims of the earthquake, who either had family at the hospital as patients or had found themselves at the hospital with no family or work. Many of them spoke English, Spanish, French and of course Creole- or some combination of these languages. They “volunteered” as translators, and worked with the doctors and nurses to help them with patients. In all honesty, without these 18 guys, the hospital would never be able to function.
One of the translators had been helping me all day with guarding the gate to tell incoming visitors they only had until 4 p.m. for visiting hours. As the two of us stood there in the beating sun, the woman’s anger intensified and she directed it toward the man next to me.
“Tell me what she’s saying,” my voice started to panic.
He hesitated. “She’s not saying anything,” he finally replied in accented English. “This woman is crazy, do not listen to her.”
“Well just tell me what’s wrong. Why is she screaming? What’s wrong with her?”
“Do not worry,” he said again. “This woman is crazy, she is speaking crazy things.”
I am not a mother, but the way this woman exploded out of nowhere, could only lead me to believe that she was doing everything she could to protect her family, including the orphaned boy. After another translator came over, he finally told us that the woman was in fact protecting the boy because other people (patients, family members, visitors) in the hospital had threatened to steal him and sell him. This is why the whole family was so happy to leave in the first place. They were going back to Haiti to find the boy’s father before he could become another victim of child trafficking.
Once this message had been translated from Creole to Spanish to English and then back to Creole, the boy became the top priority. But these women did not have any kind of papers for him, just their word. They had spoken to his father via cell phone, had made a plan to meet him in Port-au-Prince and then bring him to the boy.
In this moment, I noticed how my thinking had changed. How when the frenzy was happening not because we realized people wanted to steal this boy for profit, but to find papers to make it “okay” for him to travel with these women– I just wanted to get the keys to a pick-up, tell the family to get in and take them across the border myself. The formalities of the situation seemed ridiculous and completely unnecessary. The bottom line was that this boy was unsafe in our hospital and these women had without a doubt saved his life. Why were we putting up a fight about “proper documentation” when once they crossed the border, that paper would mean absolutely nothing anyway?
After more deliberation, waiting and translating it was finally decided the boy would travel with these women without papers (because in reality, the papers never existed and never would exist). A few more hours of waiting for the now very late bus, the family of five finally boarded the bus and went back to Haiti.
---
That night, I found myself wondering to the pediatric ward. It had been a long, hot and hard day, and what I wanted most was just to talk with someone about nothing, even if we didn’t have a language in common. The moment I walked into the converted chapel, there were two young patients (12 and eight) who were practicing counting in Spanish. The 12-year-old had a notebook and had written down 1-30 in Spanish and was teaching his eight-year-old bedside neighbor. Without asking, I sat down on the edge of the 12-year-old’s bed and started counting with them. They never missed a beat and we counted all the way to 100 in Spanish together. After this, he wrote down 1-30 again and I knew he wanted to learn to count in English. We started again, and counted 1-50 this time in English.
Both these boys were in the hospital for broken legs. How severely, I am still not sure, but I do know they both had surgery while I was there. As we continued counting, I told them I wanted to learn to count in Creole. We started to count 1-10 in Creole, and every time I would make a mistake or mispronounce a number they would stop, slowly say the number and exaggerate the pronunciation as to make sure I really understood how to pronounce it. They were so serious about teaching me how to say things correctly, and more often than not I would mess-up they would laugh, sigh and start over. It made my life. By this time, another girl, about 10 years old with stitches that made a crown around her head came over and started to help as well. For the next hour, we all practiced counting in three different languages as other kids, parents and family looked on and smiled at my incorrect pronunciation of Creole.
Every day after this, I made a point to visit these kids (my kids, as I came to call them) at least twice a day. When I would walk in for other reasons, either to bring food or ask the doctors and nurses questions, they would stop me and quiz me on my Creole number skills. Through everything, seeing them became the best part of everyday.
---
There were other good things that happened though. One day, about mid-afternoon, I was frantically running around the grounds doing whatever needed to be done at that moment, and I randomly heard the strumming of a guitar. It was coming from one of the giant tents where the patients were, and I quickly ducked inside to see if my ears had heard the correct sound (when the hospital first opened after the quake, the patients refused to stay inside buildings for fear they would collapse again. Because of this, three large tents were erected to serve as wards where the patients were housed). Inside the tent, was a group of misfits: two of the translators, family members, a few patients that could walk, an American nurse, the Spanish team psychologist and fellow Peace Corps Volunteer, Leeann. I walked into the tent to see the two translators, Olsson and Stanley leading the group in a jam-session. They sang in Creole, French, Spanish and English. The words were simple.
Haiti is alive. Haiti no se murio. The same in French and Creole.
I have never seen a smile like I did that day on Olsson’s face. Olsson’s mother was a patient and he initially came to the hospital with his father and mother to get help for his mom. Soon it was discovered that he could speak fluent English and he started to help the nurses and doctors translate with other patients in the same tent as his mom’s. The previous day, when we had limited every patient to have only one family member, Olsson technically should have been forced to leave, because his dad served as the one family member to his mom. However, Olsson took to everyone’s heart and even the doctors and nurses did whatever they could to keep him at the hospital.
Olsson led the group playing the guitar, along with Stanley, another translator who lost 10 members of his family in the quake. We all clapped in unison and alternated the message, “Haiti is alive!” in the four different languages. It didn’t matter if you spoke all four or none; the point of the song was hope. As I watched Olsson, Stanley, patients in their beds or standing, family members, doctors and nurses sing these words at the top of their lungs, the tears poured out of me again.
---
The 18 translators had the toughest job out of all of us. Not only were they victims themselves of the earthquake, but they were obviously translating all the needs, hurts and ailments to the doctors and nurses. Think about this. Every time a patient had a question for a doctor or a doctor for a patient, they had to ask it. They heard all the pain, all the suffering and in return they had to tell their fellow Haitians news and instructions from the doctor. When a patient had to have an arm or leg amputated or something similar in devastation, the doctors didn’t tell them, the translators did.
One translator, Valentin, left an impression on me that I will never forget. Before the quake, Valentin was a lawyer in Port-au-Prince. He spoke fluent Creole, Spanish, English and French. At lunch one day, a group of us were talking about him and one of the doctors said, “I told Valentin that if I play my cards right, one day I’ll be smart enough to be the translator and he’ll be the doctor.” To say this guy was impressive is an understatement. He had come to the hospital initially because his daughter had been injured in the quake. Soon, however, his abilities were noticed and he quickly became the lead translator.
This day with the translators and Valentin started off wrong. One of us Peace Corps Volunteers decided to go into Haiti (we only have two rules in Peace Corps and if you break them, you are immediately administratively separated: 1) wear a helmet while riding a motorcycle and 2) don’t go to Haiti). Despite this, the temptation for all of us to go over the border was pressing, to say the least. Jimani is literally right on the border and crossing it is not like going through U.S. airport security on your way home from the Middle East. One of us did decide to go, but that’s a whole different story for a different time.
The person who left was in charge of the translators. Their job was to basically keep them happy. This day, unfortunately, they were not happy. At about 10 a.m. , I received news that the translators may or may not start a revolt against the whole place. I raced outside to the tents and was faced with angry men telling me they were hungry, nobody would feed them, and that they had worked all night and now had to work all day. I agreed with them and told them that we were going to have a meeting that night at 7 p.m. where we will implement a new schedule and make sure the translators could come eat upstairs, with all the doctors, nurses and other volunteers.
The hospital itself was two stories. The first floor served as the ICU, operation rooms and PACU (Post Anesthesia Care Unit) units. The second floor had rooms were the volunteers, nurses and doctors slept, a kitchen and a common room with four large couches were all these people, including all of us Peace Corps kids, could eat and rest.
At 7 p.m., Valentin led his group of translators up to the second floor of the hospital where they expected to have their scheduled meeting. Seven o’clock was also the time of the nightly meetings with all the doctors, nurses and volunteers. The man running the show, we’ll call him Steve, called these nightly meetings and thinking Valentin and his fellow translators didn’t belong, kicked them out immediately.
Feeling disrespected and unappreciated, the translators blew up. By this time, they were outside of the hospital in front of one of the patient tents. All of us PC kids were trying to calm them down, telling them that Steve was a moron and didn’t know anybody who was actually volunteering at the hospital. We tried to tell them it was a misunderstanding and that they were in fact allowed to be upstairs just like the rest of us. Valentin looked me dead in the eyes when I tried to personally plead with him.
“This was NOT a misunderstanding,” he angrily and intensely said in English. “We are nothing to these people.” And then switching to Spanish without any hesitation, “Nosotros somos perros. Nosotros somos perros. (We are dogs. We are dogs).” And then back to English, “We are not people to them. And you will never understand it, because you are a white girl. What do you know about us? Nosotros somos perros. Perros.”
He never blinked while he said these words to me. He looked me straight in the eyes and never faltered. When he finished, it felt like my stomach had swallowed my heart. I had no words to say to him, because what I really wanted to say was that he was right.
As much as I wanted to disagree with him and even convince myself that I should disagree with him, what happened sort of blew my mind. The people running the hospital, the people in charge of the whole operation of helping the Haitian people had shown racism does exist in charity.
I believe the entire circumstance was an issue of skin color. At 7 p.m., the room had been scanned to start the nightly meeting with doctors, nurses and volunteers. The people who looked different obviously did not belong there and had been kicked out without any explanation or questioning. Valentin was right. They had been treated like dogs that were not welcome inside the house. These people didn’t care, and what did I know- a white girl- about any of it? As much as I could pretend to understand and sympathize, how could I ever really know what it is like to be one of them? Yes I could see the pain and suffering that was happening all around me, but would I ever be able to feel it?
The Spanish psychologist said something to my friend Leeann that hit home with both of us: “These people lost their family, their friends, their homes, their schools, their work and now they come here and they lose an arm or a leg… what hurts worse?” Valentin was right- how would I, a white girl, ever really understand that?
---
The next morning, the patients and family members had a church service in the open space in between the tents. Gathered in a big circle, they sang and chanted Haitian church hymns and folk songs. The truth is, I still don’t really know what kind of songs they were- just that as soon as one would start, every single person, no matter how old or young knew the words.
It made me think about my own culture. During Katrina, when thousands of Americans found themselves in a similar situation as Haitians do now – what song did they all sing in a circle? Did everyone know it? Or was it sectionalized and esoteric in a way? Maybe there is something to be said for a national religion. If nothing else, it brings people together through song.
For the last three days I was there, church would happen every morning. Valentin was the leader. Along with other doctors, nurses and volunteers I stood in the giant circle with the patients and family members and would do my best to follow the Creole songs. As we all sang, danced and clapped, I felt like I belonged and the tears would come again, everyday without fail. It didn’t matter that I was not a victim of the quake. I was there, along with all the volunteers trying to help- and that’s what people needed most.
At church, in these moments, you could see people’s true happiness; it was like a glimpse into the person they were before the earthquake. The men and women that could walk would dance in place to the songs and kids and adults on crutches or in wheelchairs would come out from their beds and smile as they watched, sang and clapped. People waved their hands in the air to praise Jesus and God and to thank them for giving them life. Through everything: the hurt, the pain, the suffering- they were still grateful for life. Being a part of this, I have never felt more proud to be associated with such a dignified group of people.
---
There are so many other things that happened, day-to-day tasks that we (Peace Corps Volunteers were all assigned to, like feeding the patients and family member three times a day, providing an updated daily patient census for the doctors and nurses, keeping the translators happy, translating at any random moment from Spanish to English for anyone who needed it, carrying blood bags to and from the hospital, going into town to bargain for wood from the local hardware store to build shelves in the pharmacy, moving patients from the tents to the hospital for surgery, working with amazing people from all over the world, among others. The stories above were just a few that stood out in my mind that I wanted to share. If you have actually made it this far and read the whole thing- the most important thing to know is that HAITI IS ALIVE. And it’s the people in these camps- the kids I counted with, Valentin, Olsson, the women dancing during church to praise God and the doctors, nurses and volunteers from all over the world spending their time to help, that is going to rebuild Haiti.

HAITI IS ALIVE and I for one am excited to see it grow.

By Tammy Krikorian

Working for ESPN is Damian Tromerhauser’s dream job.

Last month, he moved closer to that dream after being selected by ESPNU to do two segments for the network while it was filming basketball games at UNR.

Tromerhauser, a junior print major at the Reynolds School of Journalism, said he received an e-mail during winter break from instructor Paul Mitchell that ESPN was looking for student ideas to broadcast during the women’s game with L.A. Tech on Jan. 26 and the men’s game with Hawai’i on Jan. 30.

“I thought about ideas and talked with Paul,” Tromerhauser said. “He told me to have fun with it, think outside the box."

(Read another story about Tromerhauser on the UNR Web site.

Tromerhauser said he’d noticed that whenever UNR games are broadcast nationally, the state is pronounced “NeVAHdah,” but locals prounounce it “NeVADa.” He said he also noticed that most people outside of the state and the country tend to associate Nevada with Las Vegas.

ESPN accepted his ideas to do one piece on the proper pronunciation of the state name and another on where exactly Reno is on the map.

Tromerhauser filmed the segments on campus, asking students to say the state name in one, and in the other asking them what people think of when they think of Nevada. In the first, he showed a T-shirt in the ASUN Bookstore explaining the proper pronunciation, and in the other showed where Reno is on a map relative to San Francisco, Los Angeles, Salt Lake and Las Vegas.

“I was so excited,” Tromerhauser said. “That’s basically where I decided I want to be a journalist – that’s what I want to do. Get to ESPN and cover sports. It was a huge opportunity and a great experience.”

Mitchell said Tromerhauser “busted his tail and worked hard to produce something.”

The segments helped to elevate the profile of the university, Mitchell said, and helps Tromerhauser because it’s something to build his resume with.

“It’s an important step in his growth,” Mitchell said.

Tromerhauser said his parents were very proud of him and recorded both segments for him because he was covering the games for the Sagebrush and couldn’t watch. He took his grandma in the Bay Area out to lunch to share the news, and when an ESPN producer called during lunch she became choked up, he said.

But to ensure an appearance on national television didn’t give Tromerhauser too big of an ego, his 11-year-old brother let him know the segments were hilarious.

“He said, ‘Don’t get me wrong, I’m proud of you, but you look like a dork,’ ” Tromerhauser said.

In addition to filming the segments, Tromerhauser also took the camera crew around town, helping them find places to film establishing shots, including one of the famous Reno Arch. He also took them to the Little Nugget for an Awful Awful.

Tromerhauser said he loves all sports, and thinks sports reporting can help give fans a different perspective on a game.

(Read Morrow's obituary in The New York Times here.)

Morrow was the first Reynolds Endowed Chair in Business Journalism at the Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada, Reno.

"Although he began work only in August, it feels as if Dave had been here for years," said Jerry Ceppos, Reynolds School dean. "His gregarious nature, his enthusiasm and his desire to move quickly made him an important part of the faculty from his first day here."

Ceppos told a story about when the proposal for Morrow's chair was being made. "We said that we'd use this academic year to plan our business program and then begin classes in September 2010," Ceppos recalled. "Dave's reaction: Why in the world would it take a year to plan our courses?"

Though he'd only spent one semester in Reno, Morrow's plans were both fun and forward-thinking. He invented a course in business journalism for the spring semester and titled it "Money, money, money, money, money!" Yes, just like the song.

"Dave hit us like lightning," said Rosemary McCarthy, Reynolds School academic chair. "He was here and he became part of us in no time at all."

Editor Glenn Hall's tribute to Morrow is online at TheStreet.com.

"Dave's vision of no-nonsense journalism with an original voice is embodied in columns such as "The Five Dumbest Things on Wall Street," among other initiatives," Hall writes. "He encouraged reporters to write in their own style and always have something unique to say."

At TheStreet, Morrow supervised a staff of 65 reporters and editors. The site has won numerous honors, including "best enterprise reporting" and "best commentary" from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers in 2008. Morrow was inducted into the Digital Hall of Fame in 2009. Before TheStreet, Morrow worked for The New York Times, SmartMoney and Fortune.

In another tribute to Morrow, Jim Cramer, analyst and founder of TheStreet.com recalled Morrow's practice of singing "We're having some fun, at TheStreet.com" while at work.

"Dave Morrow would sing that phrase, his phrase, every day around these halls," Cramer writes. "He'd sing it first thing in the morning, sing it as he came by our desks, to check in, to see if all was good, to see if there was anything that needed doing, to see if he could do anything better. Sing it to see if we could do anything better. Together."

Reynolds School faculty and staff recall hearing Morrow singing to first-year journalism students -- as they were writing on deadline.

On coming to Reno, Morrow spoke of his excitement at the new opportunity:

“Business journalism is truly one of the most fulfilling careers that anyone could choose, and yet it so rarely occurs to anyone as even being an option. I want to excite everybody on how joyous a career in business journalism can be, and what it can lead to in terms of shaping the future of the industry. The choices are available and reachable, whether someone wants to become a feature writer at Fortune or the chief executive of a media company.

“The spirit at the Reynolds School is so collaborative, and I’m thrilled to be a part of that, and the entrepreneurship the school has demonstrated over the years. The Reynolds School is the perfect environment to create the premier program in Business Journalism. I want the future leaders of the media to be graduates of the Reynolds School, and on top of that, I want the media’s current top executives to seek our help and guidance.

“I want so many of the biggest names in business journalism, and the media, to be regular guests of the Reynolds School and at the University of Nevada, Reno, that the nation comes to think of us as an enclave, the center of how the industry is growing and changing. I’m already working on that initiative, and the common response I receive when I tell my media pals about our business journalism program is, “Wow. I wish we had that when I was in school.” And they are excited to be asked to be a part of it."

Before moving to Reno, Morrow's experience with Nevada had revolved around his vacations near Lake Tahoe:

“No one ever believed me but I had been to Reno many times over the years when my Southern Baptist family came out to Lake Tahoe to water ski and gamble. My mother, who is now 81, remains devout Southern Baptist and we used to kid her when we were kids that she had to get far enough away from our town in South Carolina so that she would feel comfortable that God wasn’t looking. All of my siblings have remembered that, or the trips to Lake Topaz that we took."

Plans for a memorial service have not been finalized. Notes and cards can be sent to Morrow's family, in care of Beth Hammond, 305 Lake Road, Inman, SC
29349.

As the industry faces major changes, the Reynolds School’s Journalism Week, now in its fourth year, will bring speakers that might inspire journalists to think about their field in a whole new way.

“We’re at a defining moment in journalism and the way you get down the right road is you find new ways to think, and that’s what Journalism Week is about this year,” said Todd Felts, director of graduate studies and assistant professor for the Reynolds School.

Speakers for the event, which runs March 3 through March 6, include Luis Vasquez-Ajmac, author of “Inside the Minds,” speaking about branding businesses; Caesar Andrews, former editor of the Detroit Free Press who currently serves as RSJ’s Paul A. Leonard Distinguished Visiting Chair for Ethics and Writing in Journalism, will host a  “hands on,” interactive discussion on ethics; Dr. Stuart Brown, author of “Play,” talking about the importance of a playful attitude — even when dealing with serious subjects; Jeff Howe, author of “Crowdsourcing” and Wired contributing editor, speaks on about the wisdom of the masses; and Erin Kotecki Vest, political director for BlogHer.com.

The speakers are relevant to non-journalists as well, Felts said.

“I think we’re all concerned about what to do in difficult times and how to create new models so that we can be successful,” he said. “Adversity has a way of compelling us to do better.”

Reynolds School Dean Jerry Ceppos said that Journalism Week illustrates what the school stands for – innovation in journalism.

"Many of the speakers are non-traditional journalists or non-traditional thinkers in general,” Ceppos said. “And we think they can add a lot to the future of journalism."

This year’s event also transcends the traditional boundaries of academic disciplines.

"I'm pleased the college of business and the college of education are adding their names to a couple of events," Ceppos said. "It shows more and more the world is becoming interdisciplinary. That can only help journalism."

Ceppos said the way the schedule is set up, people can drop in and out of events. He hopes students from other colleges will also attend.

Larry Dailey, an RSJ professor and the Reynolds Chair of Media Technology, was instrumental in bringing Brown and Howe to the event and has assigned each of their books to his graduate students in an exploratory journalism class this semester.

Journalists tend to be resistant to change, Dailey said.

“A journalism school’s role is to help us re-think our culture and here are the two people that are on the edge of this,” he said.

Of the message in Brown’s book, Dailey said, “Playful people innovate, they come up with new ideas, and when things go wrong, at least they have a better attitude about it.”

Dailey said democracy is about harnessing the wisdom of the people and journalism is about defending democracy.

Howe, who coined the term “crowdsourcing,” is grappling with these ideas, Dailey said. It may turn out that the role of the journalist will be “less about disseminating facts and more about coordinating knowledge.”

“I think during a time when Nevada as a state is not feeling so good about itself, we need to bring people in to help us smile and recognize the goodness in each other,” Dailey said. “(Brown and Howe) are both coming here because they feel very deeply that schools like ours have a key role to play in whatever future is about to unfold.”

(More info at J-Week 2010)

Journalism Week Agenda
March 3-6, 2010

Wednesday, March 3, 6 p.m. Luis Vasquez-Ajmac, author of “Inside the Minds,” speaks at the Joe Crowley Student Union theater

Thursday, March 4, 9:30 a.m. Ethics discussion hosted by Caesar Andrews, former editor of the Detroit Free Press and Paul A. Leonard Distinguished Visiting Chair for Ethics and Writing in Journalism. Venue TBA.

Thursday, 4 p.m. High school student speaker/award — Joe Crowley student Union theater

Thursday, 6 p.m. Dr. Stuart Brown, author of “Play,” speaks at the National Judicial College.

Friday, 10:30 a.m. Jeff Howe, author of “Crowdsourcing” and Wired contributing editor, speaks on crowdsourcing at Joe Crowley Student Union theater for the Cole C. Campbell Dialogue on Journalism & Democracy.

Friday, 6 p.m. Erin Kotecki Vest, political director for BlogHer.com, speaks at the Joe Crowley Student Union auditorium. Also, launch of Nevada Interactive Media Summit events.

Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nevada Interactive Media Summit with Erin Kotecki Vest and new media leaders and innovators from the Northern Nevada community.

“They put the cart before the horse, “ Felts said during the Feb. 2 live broadcast of The Dunbar Report.  “Toyota was suddenly no longer in the auto manufacturing business, but in the public safety business.” 

The mishandling of information during any public concern is often because companies did not quickly and accurately provide important information to the media and on key social networks that resonate with their consumers.  Several classes in the Reynolds School take in-depth looks at how best to communicate during a crisis and Toyota is a key case study.

Prior to joining the faculty at UNR, Felts served in several crisis communication leadership positions.

View Felts on The Dunbar Report. 

(As printed in the Reno Gazette-Journal, 31 January 2010)

Last summer we hung a colorful two-story-tall banner in the atrium of the Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada. Sewn into the tapestry are the 45 words of the First Amendment. Our goal was likewise to engrave the words on the minds of future journalists.

I love the banner, but I'm thinking about taking it down and driving it out to the Churchill County Education Association, which seems to know less about the First Amendment than our students do. The association tried -- unsuccessfully -- to block publication of an article in The Flash, the student newspaper at Churchill County High School in Fallon. The article reported that some parents are upset because they think a music teacher dealt unfairly with audition tapes for a choral competition.

In a twist in the history of attempts to silence student papers, the CCEA, the teachers' union, filed a grievance trying to prevent publication of the article by claiming it might make the music teacher look bad, which would violate the union's contract. Even the besieged singers in Fox's hit TV show "Glee" couldn't make up a story line saying that boilerplate in a union contract trumps the Constitution.

I tried to ask the association why teachers instead wouldn't treat this as a teachable moment, telling students that the First Amendment encourages freedom of the press. No one called back, and I can see why.

"Of all people, a teachers' union should really appreciate the benefit of an uncensored student publication because student publications are often the last line of defense for the employees," said Frank LoMonte, executive director of the Student Press Law Center. "Public employees have almost no First Amendment right to blow the whistle on conditions in their own workplace, so if students aren't revealing what's going in schools" it doesn't get revealed. (Full disclosure: I'm on the center's board.)

Read the rest of Jerry Ceppos' commentary here.

"The budget makes me wonder why anyone wants to be governor," said Jane Ann Morrison, longtime Nevada political reporter and Las Vegas Review-Journal columnist. She predicted that no winners would emerge from a special session where budget shortfalls can only be addressed by cutting services or raising taxes.

"There'll be a lot of sniping and nasty things said," Morrison predicted. Relations between legislators and the governor would be strained, to say the least. "I don't think [Gibbons] has many friends."

A Las Vegas Review-Journal poll in January gauged Gibbons' unfavorable rating at 53 percent.

"He has a huge hole to climb out of, much like the budget hole," said Brendan Riley, veteran political correspondent for the Associated Press and capitol bureau chief in Carson City. The special session puts Gibbons in the public eye for free -- without spending campaign funds. "It's Gibbons' only hope and it becomes part of his campaign."

Morrison and Riley were joined by Mitch Fox, producer and host of Nevada Week in Review for KLVX TV, Las Vegas and Eric Herzik, professor and chair of the political science department at UNR to discuss “Election 2010: All Eyes on Nevada,” as part of the Jim Joyce Endowment in Political Communications program.

The event was moderated by Joe Crowley, UNR president emeritus.

In the end, the panel predicted that Sen. Harry Reid would be re-elected by a slim margin and that Nevada would have a new governor. As public services are cut -- fire stations closed, snow not removed, K-12 class sizes increased and university students unable to get into needed classes -- outraged citizens might finally decide to participate in their government.

In the decades that he's covered the Nevada Legislature, Riley said he's seen plenty of empty rooms when key decisions were being made by lawmakers.

"I'd love to see a room crowded with angry people," Riley said. "It would be great."

Morrison said she was depressed about Nevada's worst-case scenario. Inevitably, the services most likely to be cut will be human services for Nevada's at-risk citizens.

"I think people are going to die," she said. "The elderly are going to suffer. The young are going to suffer. We may have to wait in longer lines at the DMV but some will not be able to get the medical care they need."

She predicted an anti-government citizen backlash.

"People are going to say, 'Why didn't you do better when things were good? Why did you spend money like a drunken sailor?"

The Joyce event was established in 2007 by Robin Joyce to honor his father Jim Joyce -- and to encourage a tradition of debate and discussion. Jim Joyce, a Reynolds School graduate who managed political campaigns for 300 candidates and lost fewer than 30, changed Nevada’s political landscape during his 20-year career.

“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 and chair of the Reynolds School Dean’s Council.

The 2008 event explored the impact of debates on the presidential nomination process with Frank Fahrenkopf Jr., co-chair of the Commission on Presidential Debates; Jon Ralston, political commentator and columnist; and Anjeanette Damon, political reporter for the Reno Gazette-Journal.

In 2009, Richard H. Bryan, former United States Senator and Democratic leader and Sig Rogich, presidential adviser and Republican strategist provided opposing perspectives about the presidential election in which Nevada played a pivotal role.

By Tammy Krikorian

A 30-year journalism veteran, Caesar Andrews joins the Reynolds School of Journalism faculty in Spring 2010 as the Paul A. Leonard Distinguished Visiting Chair for Ethics and Writing in  Journalism.

Andrews, who was on the start-up staff for USA Today in 1982 and served as executive editor of the Detroit Free Press from 2005 to 2008, is teaching ethics (305) and multimedia reporting (207) this semester.

“I’ve known Caesar for probably 25 years,” said Reynolds School Dean Jerry Ceppos. “He’s an interesting combination of an accomplished journalist but also someone who has written about and talked about ethics for all the years I’ve known him.”

Ceppos noted the difficult ethical situation Andrews faced in handling coverage of Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick’s misconduct trials after it was revealed he lied under oath about an affair with his chief of staff and illegally fired two police officers who knew and leaked information.

In speaking to the Reynolds School last year, Andrews said 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.

Ceppos, who has served for many years with Andrews on a journalism accreditation board, said he was very pleased when Andrews accepted the invitation to join the Reynolds School this semester because of his breadth of experience.

Andrews said he’s long been interested in journalism education.

“Reynolds just happened to offer me something that made sense, to test what I want to do in this phase of my life,” he said. “In addition, knowing some people in the program and being impressed with them and the chance to work with them.”

Teaching during times of uncertainty in the journalism business “adds to the intensity” of what an instructor says, but the message is still essentially the same, he said.

“Students know you have to be competitive – but you really have to be competitive because the universe of newsrooms shrank,” he said. “You need more than understanding the basics.”

Students need a good foundation in newsgathering skills, but also need to have a certain amount of fearlessness and creativity and be comfortable working in all platforms.

“In addition to all that, see what else you can bring to the table,” Andrews said. “Now more than ever (employers) need people thinking over and above the obvious.” 

"I really enjoyed teaching J204-108 in the full-immersion atmosphere of the three-week wintermester," Goldbaum said.

The media production course covers building a Wordpress blog, shooting and editing photos, audio and video. For layout purposes, Goldbaum said, students were asked to write stories to accompany their multimedia work.

Each student's work is posted at the student's individual blog:

Lukas Eggen 
Reno's Homeless 
http://studentdev.jour.unr.edu/leggen/?p=34 
 
Enjolie Esteve 
Animal Shelter 
http://studentdev.jour.unr.edu/eesteve/?p=17 
 
Jay Balagna 
Sky Tavern 
http://studentdev.jour.unr.edu/jbalagna/?p=30 
 
Jill Coyle 
Snowboard Team 
http://studentdev.jour.unr.edu/jcoyle/?p=20 
 
Kristen Wood 
The Third DUI 
http://studentdev.jour.unr.edu/kwood2/ 

Reynolds School of Journalism Dean Jerry Ceppos joined a panel on KNPB’s OpenLine Jan. 10 to discuss the future of news, how people will get news and where it will come from.

Hosted by Michael Hagerty, the panel also included the General Manager and President of KOLO 8 Nick Matesi, Reno Gazette-Journal Executive Editor Beryl Love and blogger and new media advocate Tracy Viselli.

Asked to define news, Ceppos said, “News is what’s important to you, and that’s what makes it so complex.” The benefit of news in the Internet age is that, while one news organization is unlikely to meet all needs, there are countless places for people to go for information.

Matesi said the definition of news is largely unchanged.

“[It’s] ‘tell me something I didn’t know before’,” Matesi described. What has changed is how people access news, now that data is a bigger part of the package.

Love said successful news organizations understand the balance of giving consumers the information they want and the information they need.

Matesi said the Internet has shifted the “balance of power.” Consumers will find the news they want, regardless of who is providing it.

Love pointed out that news is no longer a push medium.

“It’s a conversation now, and it’s not a one-way conversation, it’s a two-way conversation, and that’s what’s changed drastically I think,” Love said. “Whenever you file your report, you are but one exchange in a continuous conversation that has an extremely long tail … We as traditional media organizations are just now realizing the two-way part of it.”

Viselli said people are no longer willing to just be news consumers anymore, they want to also be able to produce information and react to it.

Another change is the end of the news cycle.

“It’s news in real time,” Matesi said.

One way news spreads faster is that news organizations are now linking to each other, a relatively new phenomenon, Viselli said.

“Search engines, especially Google, set those rules,” Viselli said. “If you don’t link to other sites, your ‘juice’ isn’t as high as it should be – you’re not going to come up as high in a search.”

The panel agreed that having more people providing information is a positive for democracy.

“I think the First Amendment is alive and well,” said Matesi. “I don’t think a nation of bloggers is a negative in any way, shape or form.”

Ceppos agreed. “The more voices the better,” he said.

The challenge is in determining what information is credible. He said the Reynolds School is considering offering a course in news literacy that would help people learn the difference between bloggers who are accurate and check facts and those who don’t.

In response to a viewer question, Ceppos said that, given the public’s “insatiable desire for information,” there will be jobs for journalists in the future.

“If you’re really smart, you’re going to create your own job, your own specialty,” he said. The question isn’t whether there will be jobs, but how well the jobs will pay and what the business models will look like.

But the basic skills that employers look for in journalists will largely go unchanged.

The Reynolds School strives to teach all students “the ability to cover the news on any platform, and write it the way that platform requires,” Ceppos said. Basic to that is the students’ understanding of accurate, fair, unbiased reporting, as well as an understanding of the First Amendment and ethics.

Love said technology changes so fast that knowledge of technology isn’t as important as the basic skills of a journalist.

Each summer, about 35 high school teachers from around the nation come to Reno to study news writing, First Amendment law, ethics, photography and online media.

ASNE will receive $4,646,100 over five years from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation to sustain the country's premier training opportunity for high school journalism advisers from 2010 through 2014.

 The Reynolds High School Journalism Institutes, two-week programs held at five accredited university journalism schools during the summer, are innovative and demanding. The Institutes lay essential groundwork for teachers to empower students to produce quality journalism, and understand how the First Amendment and news literacy are integral to American democracy.

 “In too many instances, youth journalism programs are under stress or marginalized,” said ASNE President Martin Kaiser, editor of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “To counter this, Institute alums and their students emerge as leaders, making the case that journalism has strong interdisciplinary value, imparts practical life skills applicable to any career and creates a sense of community. We are most grateful to the Reynolds Foundation for sharing in this vision and making this generous and substantial commitment.”

During the 2009 ASNE institute in Reno, 33 teachers learned about student press law from Frank LoMonte of the Student Press Law Center and discovered 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 included lunch with Editor Beryl Love, after the teachers attended the morning news meeting.

Armed with small portable HD camcorders, teachers created multimedia content for a Web site hosted by ASNE’s HSJ.org.

Hard work and long days were mixed with several opportunities for teachers to get to know the Reno area. They attended a Reno Aces ball game, took a trip to Sand Harbor for the Tahoe Shakespeare Festival and  experienced a traditional Basque meal at the Santa Fe Hotel in downtown Reno.

ASNE received a $2.3 million grant from Reynolds to hold the institute from 2007-09. The institute was funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation from 2001-06. Knight has remained committed to other core programs of the ASNE High School Journalism Initiative, including my.hsj.org, the world's largest host of online youth news, and hsj.org, an education site.

According to ASNE Executive Director Scott Bosley, since its inception, this agile, innovative initiative has been shaped and continues to flourish under the leadership of Diana Mitsu Klos, senior project director and grant writer, along with online director Craig Branson and project coordinator Connie Southard.

 During the two weeks of training, 175 competitively selected journalism advisers are steeped in journalistic practices and responsibilities, ethical decision-making and news media freedom issues, plus learn to maximize online and digital platforms and integrate new technologies. In the past three years, 434 teachers were accepted to the Institute. Of this group, 232 (54 percent) taught at schools where young people of color were in the majority, and 86 (20 percent) identified themselves as people of color.

 Every key expense is covered by the grant, including transportation, housing, meals, continuing education credits and instructional materials. This removes financial barriers for the majority of teachers who otherwise could not afford to pay for this kind of specialized training or who work in disadvantaged school districts.

 In 2010, the Reynolds Institutes will convene at:

Arizona State University, Phoenix June 13-25

Kent (Ohio) State University, July 11-23

University of Missouri, Columbia, July 18-30

University of Nevada, Reno, July 11-23

University of Texas at Austin, June 20-July 2

The application deadline is March 1. Each school will host 35 teachers recruited by ASNE. The 2010 online application form and brochure can be viewed/downloaded at: http://hsj.org/reynolds

 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, it has committed over $100 million through its journalism initiative.

The American Society of News Editors is comprised of top editors at news organizations; deans, directors and endowed chairs at accredited journalism schools; and leaders of journalism foundations and training organizations.

For more information, contact Diana Mitsu Klos at 703-453-1125 or e-mail dmk@asne.org

By Jake Highton

Reynold School professor

The memorial service for longtime journalist Ted Conover was just what such services should be: humorous and serious.

Conover, my friend and colleague at the University of Nevada, Reno journalism school, was a good man, a quiet man and a gentle man. 

He was also a humble man. He was badly wounded fighting in Europe during World War II but never talked about it.

But one day I asked him if he ever had nightmares about the war.
“Oh, yes,” he replied. “I sometimes wake up in a cold sweat refighting the war.”

The service was held recently at the Carson Valley United Methodist Church in Gardnerville where Ted was a member. He died Sept. 14 at 88.

Jim Ellis, retired journalism professor, spoke movingly of Ted. With wit and wisdom, Ellis made it clear why Ted was dear to him.

Ted’s son, David, remarked that he never heard Ted swear--except once when he banged his thumb instead of a nail. I identified with that.

I don’t swear except when quoting someone in the classroom. It’s not because I’m a goody-goody. It’s just that I refuse to cheapen the language.

David also told of how as a youth he would write letters to his father. Ted sent them back “bleeding,” all the errors corrected.

Near the end of the service five Conover grandchildren carried a single rose in memoriam. Then a tiny grandchild circled her mother’s legs and softly expressed her love for her great-grandparents, Ted and Edna. (Edna died five years earlier.)

During the service I kept having intimations of my own mortality. I thought of Wordsworth’s ode and his lines: “The eternal silence…nothing can bring back the hour of splendor in the grass, of glory in the flower.”

Ted is eternally silenced. But he had his splendors and glories during a life well-lived.

The Reynolds School of Journalism graduate reception Dec. 4 was about celebrating the accomplishments of the graduates, as well as those who supported them through their college years.

“We are proud of her,” said Christina Thompson, cousin of public relations graduate Latasha Porter. “It’s a great accomplishment.”

Thompson was one of several family members who drove eight hours from Las Vegas to celebrate Porter’s achievement.

“It’s wonderful,” Porter said. “I’m really excited – I can’t believe it’s finally over.”

On Dec. 5, the Reynolds School of Journalism granted degrees to 48 undergraduate students and seven graduate students.

Speaking to the family and friends who gathered to celebrate the Fall 2009 graduates, Paul Mitchell, RSJ recruitment and retention coordinator, thanked them for supporting the students “all the way through.”

He also praised the students for their accomplishments.

“We have asked them to think and stretch themselves in ways they didn’t know they could think and stretch themselves,” he said. “This was not an easy process for some of them.”

He said they were among the “distinct few” who made it through.

“You are on the other side,” he said. “This right here, this is what it’s all about. This day, this time, right now. On behalf of the Reynolds School of Journalism, we want to thank you for all the time, all the sweat … for all the years that you’ve been here. Thank you.”

Dean Jerry Ceppos offered the graduates some advice as they enter the workforce.

In his career, he said he found that there were many talented writers and creative advertising and public relations professionals.

“What distinguished people was their ethical behavior, how they handled tough situations,” he said.

He praised the students for signing a commitment to ethics, and left the door open for them to always contact the school if they run into professional challenges.

Jessica Glasgo, a public relations graduate, said the RSJ gave her a good foundation to begin her career.

“I’m excited because our school prepared us the best, I think, of all the schools in the university,” she said.

View more photos at the RSJ Facebook photo gallery.

Students contributing to the story package include Jerri Cuerden, Valerie Foley, Damian Tromerhauser, Melinda Chemor, Mark Zaski, Jen Kamen, Kathy Grimm-Tucker, Juan López and Chris Gabriel.

Out of sight, out of mind is not necessarily out of body. That’s because a massive accumulation of plastic debris is poisoning the ocean fish humans are consuming. Scientists fresh off a voyage of scientific discovery in the Pacific Ocean are issuing the warning based on data collected in what is commonly referred to as an oceanic garbage patch.

“Sailors avoid this area,” says Margy Gassel, one of a handful of scientists who collected data last August aboard the research vessel Kaisei. Project Kaisei is a non-profit organization dedicated to understanding the impact of marine debris on the ocean environment. The group is focusing on an extensive floating debris field 1,500 miles west of their San Francisco base.

Gassel and others talked to Reynolds School graduate students Nov. 20, describing their voyage aboard the Kaisei sailing vessel as they explored the northern Pacific's "plastic vortex."

Known as a gyre, or ringlike system of rotating ocean currents, the large agglomeration of floating ocean trash is made up of human refuse: plastic bottles, milk crates, lighters, fishing nets – anything and everything. “About 80 percent of it comes from the land and 20 percent from boaters, ships and the fishing industry,” says Andrea Neal, one of the lead scientific investigators that collected data on board the Kaisei. But the danger, the data shows, is not in the obvious miles of bobbing trash – it’s what you don’t see.

Tiny bits of plastic. By using a special scoop shaped like (and appropriately named) a manta trawl, the Kaisei Project team took about 50 water samples per day at various depths and locations in the eastern and western portions of the North Pacific. Numerous marine animals were collected for analysis and to build databases for future study. The scientists found small pieces of plastic in every sample taken.

“The size of the plastic is perfect for small fish,” says Neal, noting that the plastic fragments range in size from barely visible to the eye to very obvious. “If it looks like food, they will eat it.”

 The lantern fish is a favorite for many commercial fish, including tuna. And guess what the lantern fish is eating? That’s right – plastic trash found in the gyre. Beyond the aesthetic destruction of the planet’s oceans, scientists believe that the floating trash is a toxic stew for marine animals. Small fish ingest poisonous byproducts of the plastic and they in turn play their part in the food chain by being consumed by larger fish – some of which land on your dinner plate.

 “We find organisms living on the plastic and they attract other organisms that also feed on the plastic – it never ends,” says Gassel, who also works for the California Environmental Protection Agency. Oysters, crabs, mussels, sponges and other types of marine life are often found living on buoys and assorted trash in the garbage patch. The sheer scope and magnitude of ocean trash is often hard for gyre veterans to explain.

 “Garbage patch is a misnomer,” Gassel says, “because it’s millions of tiny fragments of plastic scattered across the ocean.” And it ranges in various locations from Hawaii to the Sargasso Sea, where a scientist named John Carpenter first studied the problem in the early 1970s. Describing the ocean as a fragile ecosystem, Gassel said the trek to the patch has left her distraught about the state of the earth’s environment. “I can’t even express at how distraught I am about what we’re doing to our environment,” she says.

 Videos and photos displayed on Project Kaisei’s Web site bear witness to plastic predicament. Mounds of floating trash intertwined with sea life are often difficult to comprehend. A video of a giant floating ball of commercial fishing nets densely packed with a variety of sea life brings reality into view.

 “This was the size of a Hummer,” Neal says, describing how the Kaisei’s crew tried in vain to remove the deadly pile of netting. “All 25 of us couldn’t get it on board – we even knives and finally a blow torch to cut it up. It was maybe two tons.”

 That was just one of three heaps of net spotted every day. The commercial nets – byproducts of heavy ocean fishing – roll from reef to reef, entangling and killing sea animals indiscriminately. The problem with the nets and the rest of man’s discarded ocean junk is easy to understand, but hard to fix. In the middle of the ocean, out of sight also means lack of enforcement for laws and treaties. Knowing this, the Kaisei scientists are turning to journalism and social media to get the word out.

 “We’re begging for people to hear us,” says Nicole Argyropoulos, a researcher who also spent last August aboard the Kaisei. “For me, it’s a no-brainer (to change society’s habits).” Argyropoulos, armed with practical experience in convincing others to recycle and respect the environment, says even Wal-Mart has changed environmental practices. “You have to show them the good.”

In the meantime, the garbage patch scientists are landlubbers on a mission of education. Teaching alternatives to society’s wasteful ways, they preach the gospel of sustainable fish farming, of recycling and respecting the fragile ecosystems that we inhabit and those we don’t. In the middle of nowhere, where our garbage floats among the myriad of aquatic species, the scientists warn of inaction.

 “We might have only 50 years of (edible) fish left,” says Neal matter-of-factly. “It’s not just me saying it – it’s others too.”

 Facts about plastic:

 *Americans use 700-800 plastic bags each per year

*80 percent of floating plastic comes off the land

*Plastic bottles are manufactured at the rate of 2 million every 5 minutes

*Only 5 percent of plastic bottles are recycled in the United States

*Lighters and toothbrushes are often consumed by birds and marine animals

By Nikki Grey & Nishelle Robbins

             Twenty-one kids shuffle out of their classroom in a single file line toward the playground for recess. They run and giggle and play with worms. When their 15 minutes is up and the whistle is blown, they go back to college.

            These students (ranging from age 6 to 10) are not typical college students. In fact, they are not college students at all, but they do go to school at the University of Nevada, Reno.

            These first-through-third graders go to school at the Early Learning Center, a classroom that serves as a model for both the Washoe County School District and the College of Education at UNR. The classroom is nestled in a corner on the second floor of the William Raggio Education Building.

Continue reading this story at the Journalism 203 blog here.

Elena graduated with a master’s degree in journalism from the Reynolds School in 1995. She attended Nevada on a Fulbright scholarship to study financial journalism with then-dean Jimmy Gentry.

Elena chose the Reynolds School of Journalism through mutual friends in Pamplona, Spain, of Professor Warren Lerude.  In Reno, she read Lerude's biography American Commander in Spain, Robert Hale Merriman and the Abraham Lincoln Brigade which Lerude researched in Belchite and other battlefields, learning for the first time controversial details of the Spanish Civil War that had been suppressed during her growing up years in Barcelona. 

After graduating from Reynolds, Elena worked for a short time for the Reno Gazette-Journal. In 1998 she moved to London to work for Bloomberg News. She later moved to the Reuters wire service for several years and is now working for the Guardian newspaper in London.

The book party, held in a popular Spanish bar near King’s Cross, was attended by more than 125 friends and family. The highlight of the evening was a panel discussion among four distinguished scholars and experts on the Spanish Civil war.

The moderator kept a lively discussion moving with pointed questions about the consequences of continuing to investigate ‘the ghosts of Franco’s dictatorship’ and a debate about the maturity of Spain’s democracy.  The panelists spoke movingly of the war’s effects on their own families and individual lives as well as how Spain is coping today with the aftermath of the war.

Elena’s novel, set in Barcelona, is a “tale of how the past haunts our lives and of the battles that have just begun when the fighting is over.”

 Lerude wrote about the book: “Yours is a fine book, Elena.  You are a talented story teller of our good--and bad--human character.” 

RSJ professor Donica Mensing, who was a student in the RSJ program with Elena, attended the event with her husband, Scott.

New technology is not going to save an old business model, said Richard Gingras, CEO of Salon Media Group who gave the keynote address Nov. 5 at the Convergence and Society conference.

Prior to joining Salon, Gingras served as a strategic adviser to the senior team at Google in 2007 and 2008. 

Speaking at the Silver Legacy Thursday, Gingras said it's an exciting time for journalism and the key is to embrace change, re-think the role of the journalist and re-think the forms.

"When you're looking at technology, it's about embracing it, thinking how it changes your model," he said. "Taking risks and making mistakes is crucial."

Watch streaming video of the talk here.

Gingras acknowledged that trying new things can also be painful.

Launched in 1995, Salon emerged from a culture resistant to change.

"When you think about traditional news ... the magazine hasn't changed in 100 years," he said. "Online isn't like that - it's always changing."

Quoting A. J. Liebling, Gingras said: "Freedom of the press belongs to those who own one."

The Internet puts a printing press into everyone's hands, he said.

This means that more people are producing journalism, even though they may not work at a traditional news organization. And that can be a good thing.

"The truth is, a lot of good muckraking comes from outside the mainstream," he said.

Social media has also changed the landscape, Gingras said, and every few years there will be another new technology to replace what's new today.

"When you're looking at new technology, it's about embracing it, thinking how it changes your model," he said.

Gingras said some in the industry are wrong to think that micropayments or Kindle will save journalism or newspapers.

But while the model will change, some things will remain: The openness of networks, access to distribution and free speech.

"The openness of the Internet broke the core distribution model newspapers are based on," Gingras said. He said Google is not to blame for killing newspapers; it is simply a search product.

"To me, Google is promotion," he said.

In the networked age, he said, it's important for news organizations to be more transparent about who they are - who the writers are, who the editors are.

"I'm a big fan of transparency and I don't think we do enough of it," he said.

Readers trust the organization when they trust the people that are involved.

Wikipedia is an example of what can be done with proper organization and management, he said.

Salon, he said, has been able to build a sense of community and has 35,000 bloggers writing on its site.

"Salon has a lot of personality and I think it represents a set of values," he said. "A lot of good writers are willing to do stuff with us."

Earlier in the day, Gingras spoke to graduate students and Reynolds School seniors in magazine writing.

What news organizations didn't grok, he said, was that online media needed to be more than more than an "ephemeral stream of stuff."

"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."

 "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, now in its eighth year, was co-sponsored by the University of Nevada, Reno, and the University of  South Carolina. 

J-203 Reporting Team

Nine students and a professor gather together in the Special Collections Department of the UNR Knowledge Center examining books. Their purpose: inspiration. To UNR art professor Bob Blesse, books are more than just words printed on paper. They’re works of art.

UNR junior Ashley Robison, 22.

Photo by Richard Martinez

For 30 years the 1837 Super-royal Columbian iron hand press has been laying ink at the University of Nevada, Reno for the Black Rock Press. Founded by Kenneth J. Carpenter the Black Rock Press seeks to teach the art of printing books. It is nationally recognized as being one of the finest presses in the nation.

Read the rest of this story, produced by students in Journalism 203, here.

Journalism 107 student

“We forget the water cycle and the life cycle are one.”
-Jacques Cousteau

Humans are not the only species reliant on the Truckee River. Plants and animals depend on the water source for life also. Photo by Amy Harris

The Great Basin watershed, a 200,000-square-mile area covering most of Nevada and many other western states, faces future dryness likened to the Sahara desert, Newberry Professor Wallas S. Broecker said. As carbon dioxide levels rise and the global climate changes, precipitation increases in the tropics and decreases in the desert.

“When the climate was cold, it was wetter and the lakes were bigger,” Broecker said. “As it warms, the lakes get smaller and it gets much drier. This is very bad news for the Great Basin. If we don’t stop putting CO2 in the air, living in the Great Basin in 30 years will be like living in the Sahara.”

Broecker spoke at the International Symposium on Terminus Lakes on Oct. 27-29 at the University of Nevada, Reno. The event focused on different areas of scientific research, notably among the connection of global water rhythms, climate change and local water issues.

Read more of this story, reported for a Journalism 107 project, and view a audio slideshow, here.

The Nevada Sagebrush received a Pacemaker Award, given for excellence in student journalism, at this year’s Associated Collegiate Press Conference in Austin, Texas.

This is the second year in a row the Sagebrush won the award, considered to be the highest national award or the "Pulitzer Prize" for student news media.

The Nevada Sagebrush, an independent student newspaper, also won a first place Best of Show Award for a weekly broadsheet newspaper from a four-year institution. Its Web site placed fourth for schools of more than 10,000 students. Sagebrush Editor Jessica Fryman won an honorable mention for a diversity story.

 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.

(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.

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.”

Find more videos like this on Soup du Journalism

    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."