Indiana University School of Journalism » 2008 » February

Students attend photojournalism group’s annual meeting

SoJ Web Report — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 18:36:45 +0000

Photo by Ethan Cirmo

At right, Jeri Reichanadter, picture editor and photojournalist at The Indianapolis Star and president of the Indiana News Photographers Association, reviewed Matt Beuoy’s photojournalism portfolio as Jesslene Ames and Heather Brogden watched during an INPA gathering Feb. 22 at IUPUI in Indianapolis.

The three photojournalism students traveled to the IUPUI with students Ethan Cirmo and Eli Espinosa and associate professor Jim Kelly to attend the annual meeting of the INPA. INPA members critiqued student portfolios as well as conducted their own contest, with judges David Stephenson of the Lexington Herald-Leader, Nancy Stone of the Chicago Tribune and Michael Chow of the Arizona Republic presiding.

The students observed the judging, then joined the judges and INPA officers for dinner.

Stocking paper at annual ethics meeting

Gena Asher — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 17:43:36 +0000

Associate professor Holly Stocking presented "Buddhist Moral Ethics: Intend No Harm, Intend to be of Benefit" at the annual meeting of the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics in San Antonio Feb. 21-24. The paper applies Buddhist ethics to media practice.

Public affairs reporting students take in State House atmosphere

Abby Tonsing — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 15:08:54 +0000

Photo by Abby Tonsing

J501 Public Affairs Reporting graduate students waited for the action at the Indiana State House Thursday.

Multimedia

Former Kenya class partner now KTN broadcaster (May 13)
Two groups headed abroad for media experiences (May 6)
Five groups set to travel for spring break learning (March 3)

J501 Public Affairs Reporting professor Carol Polsgrove is known for taking her students away from campus to conduct some firsthand reporting on the ground. She did, after all, take a former J501 class to cover Hurricane Katrina’s devastation along the Gulf Coast in late 2005.

And now, in her last semester of teaching, Polsgrove and her public affairs reporting class attempted to get some face time with Indiana state legislators. Thursday, Polsgrove and 10 graduate students traveled to the Indiana State House in Indianapolis. The trip to the State House was a first for Polsgrove and her J501 class.

Students wanted to meet with state senators and representatives to ask questions about various active bills in this year’s legislative session. Some managed to make face-to-face contacts with legislators, while others played the “hurry up and wait” game. They waited to witness live legislative sessions but both political parties quickly moved to caucus.

“Well, I think we got a really accurate view of what goes on at the state legislature, which is a lot of things happen behind the scenes,” Polsgrove explained.

“It seems to me it’s important to do something like this even if nothing really big or dramatic happens,” she said. “It enables you to envision the legislature at work in a way that you can’t from just calling people or just looking at bills on a Web site, that you get a much better feel of the place where human drama is taking place, even if you don’t see a big debate or a major vote.”

Photo by Abby Tonsing

Professor Carol Polsgrove talked with graduate student Greg Ruhland while visiting the State House.

That’s not to say the day was a bust for the young reporters.

Polsgrove and her students did pick the brains of two guests during lunch at Government Center South. John Stieff, director of office of code revision at Legislative Services Agency, explained the complicated process of how a bill becomes law. Niki Kelly, Indianapolis bureau chief of the The Journal Gazette in Fort Wayne, shared tales of her eight years of experience covering the Indiana legislature.

The trip was in conjunction with the class’ unit on reporting on legislation and lawmakers. All students will be producing reports this semester, and two already have done so: Charli Wyatt’s story, “Language minorities cut from cultural competency bill,” was published on The Bloomington Alternative’s Web site and Daniel Robison completed two stories for WFIU, the Bloomington NPR affiliate.

Groshek article in media journal

Gena Asher — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 14:24:08 +0000

Doctoral student Jacob Groshek‘s article, "Homogenous Agendas, Disparate Frames: CNN and CNN International Coverage Online," is scheduled to appear in the March issue of Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media.

Lavin recounts path from coach to analyst

Emily Wilson — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 14:05:29 +0000

Photo by James Brosher

ABC and ESPN analyst Steve Lavin talked to students Monday about making the transition from fired coach to network broadcaster.

Panel on women in news set for Monday (April 19)
Panel discusses media coverage of LGBT community (April 17)
Lehrer draws on many presidential debates to analyze political process (April 15)

As a former coach under fire, Steve Lavin empathized with former IU men’s basketball coach Kelvin Sampson by telling a packed house Monday night that journalists should be fair and balanced.

“In 12 Angry Men, Henry Fonda was trying his best to get at the truth,” said Lavin, currenlty an ABC and ESPN sports analyst. “That’s what journalism should be about.”

Lavin addressed almost 200 attendees, including a few members of the men’s basketball team, in the Ernie Pyle Auditorium with his talk, “Coaching, College Sports and the Media.” The event was co-sponsored by the School of Journalism and the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation.

Lavin had a front row seat for some of the drama surrounding Sampson’s eventual resignation last week. As an ESPN sports analyst, Lavin covered the IU-Purdue game, which ended up being Sampson’s last as IU coach.

But Lavin said he could view the events from a personal as well as professional level. He talked at length about his termination at UCLA in 2003 after seven years as head coach.

Photo by James Brosher

"I went from the bottom to the top to the chopping block," Lavin said of his coaching experience.

After spending 12 years moving up the ranks from volunteer assistant coach to the head of the show, Lavin always knew that he was standing on tenuous ground.

“I went from the bottom to the top to the chopping block,” he said.

Sometimes more is learned when you lose, he said, than when you win. Lavin learned about human nature, integrity and compassion when he was fired and it has influenced him as a sports commentator.

“I’m a more sensitive as a broadcaster because of what I went through,” he said.

Lavin described his strategies to crack the secret of great coaching as well as those he used to transition to broadcast – namely, learning from masters.

In 1987, after writing countless letters to the top coaches in the Midwest, he was allowed to observe former coach Bob Knight and the men’s basketball team for three weeks, before heading up to Purdue University to observe its program. He described his experience at IU as a “crash course seminar in basketball coaching.”

After returning to Bloomington in the summer, Lavin eventually took an assistant coaching position at Purdue. However, he still feels a connection with Bloomington and the IU campus.

“There’s a gravitational pull that keeps bringing me back to Bloomington. I don’t know what it is, but I like it,” he said. His job has brought him to IU and Bloomington several times lately, and he’ll be courtside for ESPN at Tuesday night’s IU-Ohio State game.

Broadcast journalism has been a great learning experience, Lavin said, and a second wind of sorts after coaching for 15 years. While Lavin admitted that he was rough around the edges when he transitioned to broadcasting, he said one of his mentors, fellow sports commentator Brent Musburger, has helped him improve greatly.

One of the things he realized is that coaching and broadcasting has a definitive bottom line: Deliver results—either with wins or ratings.

In order to improve his skills, Lavin Tivos broadcasts from all major news networks to pick up tips from anchors. He made it clear that leaving the coaching arena didn’t stop him from keeping on his toes.

Photo by James Brosher

Lavin talked often about his mentors, who include his parents and former UCLA coach John Wooden.

“For better or worse, we live in a very competitive world,” he said. “Somebody’s always nipping at your heels.”

Lavin explained the need to mentor and be mentored in order to succeed in life and work. His parents and John Wooden, the Indiana native who led UCLA teams to 10 national championships, were the two main influences in all of Lavin’s major life decisions. Whatever your passion or interest, he said, you can’t start finding your mentors too soon.

Audience members said they appreciated Lavin’s story.

“It was amazing he had so many mentors so early,” said Reid Heeke, a junior nuclear medicine major.

Others, like Mark Shuller, a junior sports communications major, thought he simply had “great insight” into the world of coaching and sports broadcasting.

Asked if he’d consider coaching IU in the future, Lavin paused.

“I enjoy what I’m doing. If I go back, it’s going to have to be a fit,” he said. “It’s not about bigger, it’s about balance.”

Ed2010 students hear tips on landing magazine internships

Emily Wilson — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 12:35:13 +0000

Photo by Emily Wilson

A teleconference with a New York-based editor allowed students interested in magazine internships to gather a few tips on applying. Junior Allie Townsend (center) moderated the talk.

Several students braved the sleet on Thursday to hear a magazine editor’s advice on landing internships.

Organizers of Ed2010, a magazine interest group, sponsored the teleconference with Elisa Benson, associate features editor of Seventeen Magazine, in the Ernie Pyle Lounge.

Ed2010 organizer Allie Townsend’s phone call caught Benson just as she was wrapping up an interview. While walking the streets of New York, Benson talked to the group. First, she stressed personal touches.

“‘To whom it may concern’ is the kiss of death,’” she said. Instead, contact human resources to find out the name and gender of the internship coordinator you’ll be addressing in your cover letter.

Benson advised showing personality in a cover letter rather than sounding too formal. “I’m looking for a cover letter that feels like a love letter,” she said.

For those without much experience, put as much thought into your cover letter as possible. Benson said if she isn’t impressed with your letter, she won’t even look at a résumé. If she is impressed, she said she may offer you an interview no matter how lean your résumé might be.

Benson’s Advice:
Resume Necessities

Name and contact information
Education
Experience
Awards
Hobbies and other activities
References

Townsend, a junior, suggested students do their homework before applying for internships.

“They really want to see that you’ve read the magazine,” she said. Benson even recommends talking in “magazine speak.” For example, editors don’t contribute ideas, they “pitch” them.

Benson doesn’t recommend sending dozens of your best clips to the publications. Instead, send the clips that are most relevant for the publication. Don’t automatically send the hard news piece you won an award for, if you have plenty of solid features to send in. And, don’t send more than two unless the publication says otherwise.

And what’s Benson’s ultimate pet peeve? It’s when people attach their cover letters instead of pasting them in the body of the e-mail. Benson stressed that these seemingly minor issues may cost you a competitive internship.

In January, Townsend and others decided to try to establish a chapter of Ed2010 at IU. Ed2010 is a nationwide network of young magazine writers who hope to have magazine jobs by 2010.

The students plan to bring Chandra Czape of CosmoGirl to campus at the beginning of April.

Benson’s Advice:
The Art of Cover Letters

Tell a story
Don’t be boring — or formulaic
Know the gender and name of the person you are addressing
Set the letter in block style
Tell what job you want near the top of the letter
No typos

Benson’s Advice:
Decoding Résumés

Tailor résumé to the internship
Keep it short
Include your GPA only if it’s higher than 3.0
Don’t include past jobs that aren’t relevant to journalism ( unless you don’t have any journalism experience at all)

Stocking named AAAS fellow

Gena Asher — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 12:30:40 +0000

Stocking

Associate professor Holly Stocking was one of five IU professors elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science at the society’s annual meeting in Boston on Feb. 16.

Scholars are selected by their peers for "scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications," according to AAAS. Stocking was elected for her teaching of science writing and journalism ethics, for influential research on scientific ignorance and uncertainty, and for work that has enhanced the scientist-journalist interaction and public understanding of science issues.

Stockng is just the second IU non-scientist to be named an AAAS fellow. The other four IU fellows are School of Medicine biologist Howard J. Edenberg and Bloomington biologists Miriam E. Zolan, Thomas Kaufman and Michael Wade.

Plan to graduate? Apply now

Gena Asher — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 12:27:39 +0000

Undergraduates who plan to graduate in May, August or December 2008, or May 2009, should file for graduation now. Certificate students do not need to apply. If you want your name to appear in the May 2008 commencement program, apply before 5 p.m. March 5.

Apply online using the Undergraduate Application for Graduation. You will receive an e-mail when the application is processed.

Review the information on the School of Journalism Web site and at the Indiana University Ceremonies Web site.

Charlie Rose on campus March 2

Gena Asher — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 14:18:32 +0000

Journalism students may watch an Emmy-winning interviewer in person March 2 as broadcaster Charlie Rose visits campus to talk about "Politics and the Arts." The free talk is at 6 p.m. at the IU Auditorium.

Rose’s weekly interview show on PBS has been noted for its guest list, which ranges from international and national politicians to celebrities to artists and authors, and its stark set: Rose and his guest sit at a round oak table in front of a black backdrop, with water glasses as their only props.

The Charlie Rose Show began in 1979 as a local production and now appears on more than 215 PBS stations. Rose, who produces his own show, also is a former correspondent for 60 Minutes II, has reported and anchored a variety of news shows and just recently signed on as a contributor to 60 Minutes. He also plans to launch his own science series later this year.

Rose’s appearance is part of ArtsWeek, an annual arts festival showcasing Bloomington and Indiana University artists and performers.

To prep for trip, students teleconferencewith professionals in Japan

Lindsey Lucenta — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 13:34:31 +0000

Courtesy photo

Mazda’s Craig von Essen described office culture.

Panel on women in news set for Monday (April 19)
Panel discusses media coverage of LGBT community (April 17)
Lehrer draws on many presidential debates to analyze political process (April 15)

What’s it like to work in a corporate office in Japan? To find out, 16 students in Ralph Winslow Visiting Professor Jim Bright’s J460 International Public Relations class teleconferenced with Mazda PR professionals in Hiroshima, Japan, last week.

Mazda corporate communications’ Craig von Essen, Mayumi Handa and Chris Keeffe talked about their experiences working for Mazda Motor Corporation, the fourth-largest company in Japan. The 40 employees of the Hiroshima-based Mazda Corporate Communications and Liaison Division are responsible for global communications, product launches and media relations.

J460 students are preparing for their own trip to Japan March 8-15 as part of their course work. Several asked the three professionals about how work in Japan differs from that in the United States.

Von Essen, formerly based in South Africa, noted the Japanese limits version of office space, where 40 people work in the same open office space, elbow-to-elbow in rows of facing desks, with little privacy. He said two to four employees often share one phone.

But the three also said this reflects Japanese culture, and isn’t a detriment as people are more attuned to what is going on and, therefore, can help one another.

The culture also imparts a formality between employees. Regardless of their personal relationship, people address each other by their last names and they bow to one another as a sign of respect. They offer deeper bows to senior people in the organization.

Courtesy photo

Mayumi Handa, Mazda communications assistant manager

Canadian Chris Keeffe said there’s no “chit-chat” in the office whatsoever. “You won’t see people gathered around the water cooler,” he said. “We take our jobs very seriously.”

Media relations also reflect the sense of formality in Japanese businesses. PR practitioners don’t develop close relationships with journalists as they often do in the U.S., they said.

Also, employees maintain a high degree of company loyalty, with a typical work day of 10-12 hours, usually starting at 9 a.m. with many employees staying at the office until 10 p.m. or later. Mazda sends workers home by 6 p.m. on Wednesdays.

The students will have some long days during their week in Japan, making the most of the opportunity to visit Japanese professionals. They will visit the Asahi Shimbun newspaper, Nissan’s corporate PR offices, Bloomberg’s Tokyo newsroom, the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan (FCCJ) and the U.S. Embassy.

Indiana University School of Journalism » 2008 » February

Students attend photojournalism group’s annual meeting

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Stocking paper at annual ethics meeting

Public affairs reporting students take in State House atmosphere

Multimedia

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Groshek article in media journal

Lavin recounts path from coach to analyst

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Ed2010 students hear tips on landing magazine internships

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Stocking named AAAS fellow

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Plan to graduate? Apply now

Charlie Rose on campus March 2

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To prep for trip, students teleconferencewith professionals in Japan

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