Indiana University School of Journalism » 2008

Grad students shadow political journalists

Anne Kibbler — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 18:05:46 +0000

Courtesy photo

Tara Titcombe, left, and Erica Hunter visited Washington, D.C., the day after the national election to shadow political reporters.

On the day after Barack Obama was elected president of the United States, graduate students Tara Titcombe and Erica Hunter flew to Washington, D.C., to observe first hand the work of political journalists. The trip was part of an independent study course on political coverage supervised by Amy Reynolds, associate dean for research and graduate studies.

Titcombe and Hunter met with Peter Copeland, editor and general manager of Scripps Howard News Service, and shadowed some of the service’s political reporters. The Scripps Howard staff also provided the students with tickets to a taping of National Public Radio’s Talk of the Nation at the Newseum, a museum devoted to the history of the news.

During the show, veteran ABC journalist Ted Koppel interviewed South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Palestinian legislator Hanan Ashwari.

After their Newseum visit, the students had different agendas. Titcombe attended a conference at the Institute on Political Journalism on “The Press, the Presidency and Politicians,” where she heard speakers from Politico, Time magazine and Fox News. Hunter visited Washingtonian, an arts and lifestyle magazine.

They brought away different but equally strong impressions of their trip.

Hunter stumbled across the “Tents of Hope” campaign, an effort to bring support and humanitarian relief to refugees in Darfur, Sudan, on the National Mall.

“I was overwhelmed to see people coming together for such a great cause,” Hunter wrote of her experience. “This could not have been timelier; as the United States looks to the future for change and renewed hope, we are also providing that same sense of change and hope to other countries.”

Titcombe said the most valuable lessons she learned came from the professional journalists she met.

“The trip increased my desire to become a political journalist,” she wrote in a piece about the visit. “As a quote showcased in the Newseum by H.L. Mencken stated, ‘I know of no human being who has a better time than an eager and energetic young reporter.’”

Note: Anne Kibbler is editor of the School of Journalism alumni magazine, Newswire.

Tim Franklin to join School of Journalism

SoJ Web Report — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 21:08:29 +0000

Courtesy photo

Baltimore Sun editor Tim Franklin joins the faculty in January.

Baltimore Sun editor and senior vice president Tim Franklin will join the School of Journalism in January as the Louis A. Weil, Jr. Endowed Chair and will direct a new sports journalism program based in Indianapolis.

“He has distinguished himself in a variety of roles at some of the best news organizations in the country, and I’m confident he will make a very good mark when he returns to Ernie Pyle Hall,” said Paul Tash, B.A. '76, editor of the St. Petersburg Times and chairman and CEO of the Times Publishing Company.

Franklin, B.S. '83 (education), has served as a jurist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2006 and 2007 and also has been editor of the Orlando Sentinel and the Indianapolis Star.

“Tim is an ideal person for the Weil Chair because he has been a leader throughout the country in what has become a multimedia era in journalism. He will be an excellent teacher in reporting and management and will help us build one of the nation’s best sports journalism programs,” said journalism Dean Brad Hamm.

Louis A. Weil Jr. was publisher of newspapers in Grand Rapids and Lansing, Mich., and Lafayette, Ind. He was president of Federated Publications, Inc., a company operating newspapers in Michigan, Indiana, Idaho and Washington, at the time of its merger in 1971 with the Gannett Co. From 1971 to 1978, he served as an officer and member of the board of directors of Gannett. Weil’s son, Louis A. “Chip” Weil III, the former CEO of Central Newspapers, Inc., hired Franklin for his first top editor job at The Indianapolis Star in 2000.

“I’m thrilled to have this opportunity to return to IU and work with the faculty, staff, administration and students in continuing to build one of America's premier journalism schools,” Franklin said. “I’m especially looking forward to starting up and directing a new sports journalism center in Indianapolis and Bloomington. The IU School of Journalism is the perfect place for the nation's pre-eminent sports journalism program.”

Prior to his three editing jobs, Franklin spent 17 years as a reporter and editor at the Chicago Tribune. He was sports editor and business editor as well as a reporter covering the Illinois Statehouse, Chicago City Hall and Cook County government.

Franklin received praise from journalism leaders at USA Today, the Washington Post and the Orlando Sentinel.

“Tim Franklin is a fine newspaper editor and a true leader in the newspaper industry. He’ll have a powerful and positive impact in working with students at Indiana University,” said Ken Paulson, editor of USA Today.

Marcus Brauchli, executive editor of The Washington Post, commended Franklin’s leadership skills.

“Tim Franklin is a first-rate editor who has overseen and been a rock of stability at one of the country’s great metropolitan newspapers during a time of transition and upheaval in our industry,” Brauchli said.

“Tim’s been a fine editor in wildly varied markets and is a good guy,” said Donald E. Graham, chief executive officer and chairman of the board of The Washington Post Company. “He’ll be excellent at helping young people prepare for careers in journalism. IU is lucky to have him.”

Franklin is active in First Amendment and freedom of information issues. He is co-chairman of the American Society of Newspaper Editors' Freedom of Information Committee. His “open government” initiatives were honored by the Society of Professional Journalists and the First Amendment Foundation.

“He also is a nationally recognized champion of the public’s right to know, fighting for decades to open government records and assure access to newsworthy events,” said Charlotte Hall, senior vice president and editor of the Orlando Sentinel.

Pozzi presents capstone project on light pollution

Ariel Tung — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 14:11:09 +0000

Photo by Jonah Williams

Senior Kevin Pozzi explained his LESA project during his capstone presentation at City Hall Dec. 5.

After reading an article about how light pollution blocks thousands of stars from view and reflecting upon previous visits to the starry-skyed desert southwest, senior and journalism major Kevin Pozzi was inspired to take on the topic of light pollution for his capstone project with the Leadership, Ethics and Social Action (LESA) program.

He presented “Light Outs: Astronomy Education and the Girl Scouts” at Bloomington City Hall Dec. 5. His was one of nine student presentations for the LESA program, a project of the city and IU to encourage students to get involved in their communities through service learning programs.

Joelene Bergonzi, assistant director of the LESA program, said that for most students, this is their first time being involved with people and organizations outside of campus. Students spend the semester working on a project that connects their interests, campus and community groups.

“Service learning uses the techniques of reflection activities for students to learn from their own experiences while working with people different from themselves,” Bergonzi said. “As students meet and listen to people from different backgrounds, they deepen their understanding of many complex issues facing American society.”

LESA offers a minor course of study, with classes and community interaction that lead to the capstone projects during senior years. Those projects are presented to IU, city and local organizations.

Pozzi has long been interested in astronomy, and, now, in how light sources affect the ability to see the sky.

“Many of us are not aware of how street lamps and stadium lights create light pollution, especially in metropolitan areas,” Pozzi said. “Dr. Simon Driver of the Australian National University estimates that there are 5,000 stars visible to the naked eye on the darkest areas of the planet. However, only about 100 could be seen in many of the world’s large metropolitan areas.”

Pozzi’s initial idea was to adjust the lights on the IU campus to enable people to view the stars clearly against the dark sky. Later, he decided to shift the project’s focus to astronomy education, due to safety concerns with regards to adjustment of lighting on campus and after discussions with his faculty mentor from the department of astronomy, Caty Pilachowski.

For his education event, “Awesome Astronomy,” Pozzi worked with Tulip Trace Girl Scouts, Stonebelt Stargazers Astronomy Clubs and the City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation. The event at sunset at Thomson Park Oct. 4 drew about 60 Girl Scouts and their families. He taught participants about astronomy with a focus on cosmological topics such as meteorites, comets, light and the constellations. Participants stargazed on telescopes provided by the Stonebelt Stargazers Astronomy.

Pozzi also used his journalism skills for many aspects of the project. He co-wrote and co-edited a book, Leadership, Ethics and Social Action: An Experiment in Democracy, for which he also designed the cover.

“The purpose of the education event was to generate interest among the Girl Scouts in light pollution,” Pozzi said. “The project enables me to explore my abilities and learn how to work with the community organizations. I learned how to coordinate an event and bring people together, and experienced what it’s like to be actively involved in something you are interested in.”

Stocking retires after 22 years

Shannon Ryker — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 16:21:12 +0000

Photo by Ann Schertz

Associate professor Holly Stocking retires this year.

Read about Stocking's AAAS fellowship.
Routledge publishes The Global Journalist (May 13)
School research group launches survey (May 10)
Faculty, student work set for AEJMC presentation (May 10)

After more than 22 years, associate professor Holly Stocking is grading her last students’ papers. At the end of this year, she will retire and join the list of professors emeriti at the Indiana University School of Journalism.

Stocking said she’ll miss the energy around the school as it prepares students for careers.

“Under our new dean, we have more active alums willing to help students than ever before,” she said. “We continue to receive funding to support all kinds of student initiatives — a student magazine that looks better and better every year, trips to national meetings, trips abroad.”

A full-time faculty member since 1986, Stocking taught here while working on her doctorate, contributing to that energy through her own teaching and research. Since receiving her Ph.D., Stocking has co-written or co-authored four books and about 50 articles, essays and chapters in textbooks, handbooks, encyclopedias and academic journals.

She also has been a visiting scholar at the University of Cambridge in England in the history and philosophy of science department. Before coming to IU, she taught at UCLA, Cal State Long Beach and, briefly, at Boston University.

Stocking has worked at numerous print publications, including the Los Angeles Times, where she was the second woman hired in the news department. She also worked at the Minneapolis Tribune and the Associated Press and was a contributing editor for Human Behavior Magazine. Her freelance work has appeared in a variety of publications, including the Columbia Journalism Review, Ms., Ladies’ Home Journal, Christian Science Monitor and Pacific News Service.

Much of Stocking’s research interests have been in the public communication of science, though some of her more recent work has focused on media ethics. She currently is under contract with the Congressional Quarterly Press to create a collection of science articles from The New York Times.

In 2007, Stocking’s accomplishments in science communication led to her election as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, only the second non-scientist from Indiana University to receive this honor.

When Stocking is not writing for various publications, she is teaching students at the School of Journalism. In addition to science writing, her class lists include media ethics, literary journalism, magazine reporting and editing, and J200 Reporting, Writing and Editing I and J201 Reporting, Writing and Editing II. She also has taught classes in science, society and media, journalism for social change, public affairs reporting, psychology and media, the newsgathering process, and the journalistic essay.

“Holly has really pushed the school toward more science and environmental writing. It was something we didn’t really have before she showed interest in it,” said Bonnie Brownlee, associate dean for undergraduate studies.

The school has supported Stocking’s efforts.

“With generous support of our new dean, I’ve taken science writing students to national meetings, such as the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the National Association of Science Writers,” she said. “These were amazing experiences for the students, terrific motivators, and that can make all the difference in an educational setting.”

For all the journalism students who are looking to graduate this year, or in the near future, Stocking has some advice.

“Get clips or their equivalent, even if it means staying over the summer after you graduate and writing for the IDS.”

Stocking also mentioned it is crucial for students to, “learn everything you can about emerging technologies.” And, job hunters should take the initiative.

“Don’t wait for job notices,” she said. “Be a bulldog. But be patient, too. There is always going to be a place for people who can bulldog information and write clear, engaging prose.”

Learning doesn’t end in the classroom, she said.

“Learn about as many different things as you can both inside and outside the classroom.”

Stocking says this could be by simply changing the way you walk home or reading a different type of book.

“Wake up to everyone and everything around you. It’s a good rule both for professionals in the media and for life,” she said.

After her retirement, Stocking says she will miss her students the most.

“I love being around people whose life experiences are different from my own and this generation in many ways is different from my own. They teach me so much,” she said.

Students and colleagues will miss her, too.

“It really is bittersweet to see Holly go. She has been here as long as I have and is a good colleague to have,” said Brownlee.

Stocking says she is ready to go.

“Journalism as I once knew it and loved it is dying,” she said. “There’s still some excellent journalism going on, but less and less of it is being done in the print media, where I garnered most of my professional experience, and more and more of it’s being done on platforms I’ve never experienced.”

Retirement for Stocking, however, will not be all leisure but rather more of what she loves: her work. Among other things, she plans to finish many of what a retired friend calls her “legacy projects,” those in which she can share the expertise she’s accumulated over the years. The Congressional Quarterly collection is an example of this, she said.

Of a personal interest, Stocking wants to write a collection of Buddhist stories and folk tales she has collected over the last 10 years.

Other than these projects, Stocking’s schedule is open.

“If any of my former students out there are in a position to hire writers, call me,” she said.

She said it is an exciting time to be in the school, and is sad, in many ways, to go.

One thing she said she won’t miss, though, is grading papers.

Crimson team wins centennial campaign contest

Shannon Ryker — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 21:19:39 +0000

Photo by Kurtis Beavers

Members of the Crimson Communications team showed their centennial campaign ideas during a 20-minute presentation last week. From left are EunBee Kim, Claire Hunter, Jessica Keys, Madison Spruell and Casey Baksa.

Faculty, student work set for AEJMC presentation (May 10)
Journal accepts Jaesik Ha article (April 16)
Shuo Tang to speak on earthquake photo coverage (March 25)

After hours of research, hundreds of phone calls, long nights at the library and four intense presentations, Ralph Winslow Visiting Professor Jim Bright’s J429 Public Relations Campaigns class is over and the winning centennial campaign has been chosen.

Dec. 11, after much debate, Dean Brad Hamm and Director of Communications Beth Moellers chose Crimson Communications as the winning campaign.

Crimson Communications is comprised of account executive Casey Baksa and team members Clair Hunter, Jessica Keys, EunBee Kim and Madison Spruell.

“Dean Hamm and I thought that their campaign was well thought out and the presentation was polished nicely,” said Moellers.

As the class started in September, Bright informed students that they would work in four teams to analyze, develop and create publicity campaigns for the School of Journalism’s 100th anniversary in 2011. Teams presented to their clients, Moellers and Hamm, in special sessions last week.

Moellers said numerous aspects of the Crimson campaign stood out.

“We thought that Crimson Communications had some great ideas. Their idea for a special commemorative edition of the IDS was something we thought was reasonable and would be very special,” said Moellers. “We also thought their idea of having only Indiana University journalism alumni for the yearly speaker series would say a lot about what the school can produce.”

Along with the honor of being chosen, the winning team also receives an A on the campaign project for the class.

“This is a huge honor,” said Baksa. “This project forced us to have something we can use in real life.”

Crimson Communications, along with Nouveau Communications, Spotlight Communications and Acme Communications, worked throughout the semester to produce a professional 20-minute presentation to their clients, Moellers and Hamm, last week.

During each presentation, teams highlighted important aspects of their campaigns for the centennial in 2011. Similar ideas included a Hall of Fame induction ceremony, producing either a memorable book or DVD highlighting the history of the Journalism School, hosting a road show that would visit various locations around the country where many alumni are located, having a weekend when alumni come to Bloomington to celebrate and reconnect with their alma mater, and developing a Web site made specifically for the celebration.

Each team had some ideas that Moellers said could be used for the real campaign.

Photo by Kurtis Beavers

The school centennial judges said Crimson Communications’ campaign for the school’s 100th anniversary was the best of the four presented last week. Team members are Claire Hunter, Jessica Keys, Madison Spruell, EunBee Kim and Casey Baksa.

“Dean Hamm and I were very pleased with everyone’s work,” said Moellers. “Seeing these presentations actually taught us some new things. We could see what gaps we need to fill in.”

Each team was judged on multiple aspects of their campaigns. The teams were required to provide a time line, which set goals and measurable objectives; a detailed budget estimated costs for all the events; and a variety of different tactics to be implemented throughout their campaigns.

While there was only one winner, it was apparent that these teams had put sweat and tears into their campaigns, even shedding some tears after the class had finished.

“I am very pleased and proud of all of you,” Bright told his students as he ended the last class. “This is a life changing and life enriching opportunity. Remember, no one of us is as good as all of us, when one looks good, you all look good. ”

Scholarship application deadline Jan. 20

Shannon Ryker — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:39:12 +0000

Photo by Ann Schertz

Dean Brad Hamm, right, greeted journalism scholarship donors and other guests at the spring 2008 scholarship ceremony.

See a list of scholarships.
Apply online.
Take It Easy Open July 28 (May 9)
Apply for Murray scholarship by April 27 (April 23)
Nearly 90 students earn scholarships, awards (April 18)

The start of a new semester may be the perfect time to prepare resumes and applications for one of the 62 scholarships the School of Journalism offers each year.

Each scholarship varies in the amount awarded to the winner and the qualifications needed to apply, and some require essays or other materials. The deadline is 11 p.m. Jan. 20, and students may apply online once to be eligible for a variety of scholarships.

When applying for scholarships, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies Bonnie Brownlee offers some advice.

“The scholarship committee will look for scholars, students who are committed to journalism and the program, and students with experience,” she said.

Scholarship recipients are chosen by the School of Journalism’s scholarship committee. It is comprised of Winslow Visiting Professor Jim Bright, Riley Visiting Professor Dennis Elliott, Director of Student Media Ron Johnson, HSJI Director Teresa White, Brownlee and senior Mike Sanserino.

“The committee meets once, individually reviews the applicants, and then meets once more to determine the scholarship recipients,” said Brownlee.

There are a few strings attached for the winners, who must attend the annual ceremony on at 1 p.m. April 5 in the Alumni Hall at the Indiana Memorial Union. Families of winner are invited to attend. Winners also send letters thanking their donors for the scholarship. Many students even schedule a lunch with their donors to get to know one another.

J201: Bloomington SourceFall 2008

Jeff Johnson — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:03:54 +0000

The Fall 2008 issue of the ongoing e-zine produced by J201 Reporting, Writing and Editing II students.

Journal publishes Ogan, J614 class research

Gena Asher — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 12:00:27 +0000

Professor emerita Chris Ogan and students in her spring semester J614 Communication and National Development class are authors of a paper accepted for publication by the journal International Communication Gazette.

“Development Communication: The State of Research in an Era of ICTs and Globalization” lists as authors Ogan and students Manaf Bashir, Lindita Camaj, Yunjuan Luo, Brian Gaddie, Rosemary Pennington, Sonia Rana and Mohammed Salih.

The paper reports on research that “investigates scholarly articles in peer-reviewed online and offline journals that address the topic of communication and development from 1998-2007 to determine publication trends in the field,” according to the abstract. “The study finds that published studies have moved away from mass communication and toward ICTs role in development, infrequently address development in the context of globalization, and often continue to embrace a modernization paradigm despite its many criticisms.”

Routledge publishes The Global Journalist (May 13)
School research group launches survey (May 10)
Faculty, student work set for AEJMC presentation (May 10)

Tokyo AP chief to join faculty

SoJ Web Report — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 14:02:48 +0000

Photo by James Brosher

AP Tokyo bureau chief Joe Coleman joins the School of Journalism faculty in January as the Roy W. Howard Professional in Residence.

Fledgling photographer submits work for INPA review (Feb. 19)
Gall column connects Mumbai attacks to community (Dec. 5)
Pulitzer winner French to join faculty in 2009 (Aug. 28)

Longtime foreign correspondent Joe Coleman, bureau chief for the Associated Press in Tokyo, will join the faculty of the Indiana University School of Journalism in January.

Coleman has reported from Asia, Latin America, Africa, Europe and the Middle East, and most recently has been based in Paris and Tokyo. He will serve as the Roy W. Howard Professional in Residence, which is named for the longtime leader of Scripps Howard, an ardent believer in the importance of international reporting.

Coleman, who has a master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University and a bachelor’s in English literature from Vassar College, began his career by traveling to Bogota, Colombia, in 1989 to cover the drug cartel war against the Colombian government.

“I was there two weeks and got a job because there was so much news,” said Coleman, who was hired by United Press International as a stringer-correspondent.

Coleman spent the past four years leading AP’s Tokyo bureau and directing multimedia coverage of the Asian tsunami, global warming and events in North Korea. His editor said Coleman played an important role in the tsunami coverage.

“There was no question that this was the biggest story in the world for about a month, and Joe’s contributions were key to what was one of the AP’s best and most-praised performances on an international story in many years,” said AP’s Asia-Pacific editor Patrick McDowell.

Dean Brad Hamm said Coleman is a good fit for the position named for Howard, one of the leading journalism figures of the 20th century and an early advocate of global reporting.

“For as much as Roy W. Howard loved journalism and global travel, especially in Asia, I believe he would have enjoyed long talks with an outstanding journalist such as Joe Coleman, who has reported from around the world for almost 20 years,” he said.

Scripps Howard owned newspapers from New York City to San Francisco, including many in the Midwest, and the United Press, a worldwide news wire service.

The School of Journalism has close ties to Howard. It oversees the Roy W. Howard Archives; co-sponsors the Roy W. Howard National Collegiate Reporting Competition, which takes top student journalists nationwide to Japan and Korea each year; and includes among its faculty appointments the Roy W. Howard Professorship, held by David Weaver.

After five years as AP’s Tokyo bureau chief, Coleman might have become bureau chief in London or Moscow. But he said he was ready to explore journalism in a different way — through books and in-depth magazine articles — and to work with student journalists.

“No matter what’s happening in the newspaper business, we still need thoughtful, well-prepared reporters,’’ Coleman said. “And I think through working with students and thinking more deeply about these questions, I’ll become a better journalist myself.’’

IDS staffers win three first place awards at ICPA

Gena Asher — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:21:04 +0000

Indiana Daily Student staffers came away with several awards at the Indiana Collegiate Press Association’s contest, held in conjunction with the Hoosier State Press Association Foundation competition Dec. 6 in Indianapolis.

Winners include:

First place, news writing: Brian Spegele and Paul Coover for "Leaders refuse to divest, calling logic flawed”
First place, feature writing: Allie Townsend for "Lights out”
First place, sports writing: Michael Sanserino for “Lies?”
Second place, editorial/opinion writing: Nathan Dixon for “Sex-ed overhaul”
Third place, photography: Crista Chapman for “Unlocking his silent world”

Students who attended the luncheon awards ceremony were ICPA board member Natalie Avon, Allie Townsend and Nathan Dixon. Student Media Director Ron Johnson and IDS news adviser Ruth Witmer accompanies the students.

Also, School of Journalism lecturer Nancy Comiskey spoke at Saturday’s HSPA Newsroom Seminar. Her session was “More muscle, less fat: Or how to shape up your writing with the Robin Hood Diet.”

Indiana University School of Journalism » 2008

Grad students shadow political journalists

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Tim Franklin to join School of Journalism

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Pozzi presents capstone project on light pollution

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Stocking retires after 22 years

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Crimson team wins centennial campaign contest

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Scholarship application deadline Jan. 20

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J201: Bloomington SourceFall 2008

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Tokyo AP chief to join faculty

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IDS staffers win three first place awards at ICPA