Indiana University School of Journalism » 2009

Cultural Lens projects set to air on local cable

Sarah Hutchins — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 13:33:06 +0000

Courtesy photo

Graduate student Anand Harshvardhan recorded his standup for the intro to his video story for J520. Students’ work is set to air on Cultural Lens this spring.

In the next few months, students in assistant professor Mike Conway’s fall J520 Seminar in Visual Communication class may see their work hit the local airwaves.

Students teamed up with the producers of Cultural Lens, a program sponsored in part by the Asian Culture Center, to create videos highlight diversity in Monroe County. Cultural Lens airs on Cable Access Television Services (CATS), a service from the Monroe County Public Library, on cable Channel 7.

Multimedia lab director Scott Myrick, who has been involved with Cultural Lens since its start more than a year ago, came up with the idea of a partnership. Both Myrick and Conway said they though the pairing would be a good way for students to produce meaningful work that could be used in a real production.

For many of the students, Conway said, the class was their first experience shooting and editing video.

While students could pick any topic for the video, Asian Cultural Center director Melanie Castillo-Cullather asked students to consider four themes: diversity in Monroe County, sustainability, love across cultures and winter cultural celebrations.

Iranian musicians, female break dancers and students with disabilities were just a few of the topics students covered. Graduate student Linshan Li profiled a student studying Tai Chi.

Li, who is from China, said coming up with a topic was one of the biggest hurdles.

"I talked to professor Conway and said, I’m new here and everyone here is new to me," Li said.

Li contact the Chinese Student Association and decided to focus on a student learning Tai Chi. She said one of the most rewarding and unexpected parts of the project was becoming friends with her subject.

Courtesy photo

Soheil Zolfonoon, an Iranian musician living in Bloomington, performed in student Rashad Mammadov’s video story.

"It’s more than just helping out a friend," Li said. "It’s bringing Chinese traditions to the IU community."

While Conway and Castillo-Cullather were impressed by all of the videos, they both singled out Li’s as one of the most memorable.

This was Li’s first time working with video, an experience she described as challenging and exciting. She quickly came to view the camera as more than a device.

"It is like a magic tool in your hand that helps you communicate," she said.

Li said she was impressed by some of the other videos produced in the class. She admired many of the techniques her classmates used to tell their stories.

"People were looking at things differently," she said.

Castillo-Cullather said she thinks all of the students’ videos will be aired on the Cultural Lens shows in February, April and June.

"I was impressed by the work of the students," Castillo-Cullather said. "They went beyond what they were asked for, but the theme was still there."

PR students present service projects without Wood

Shannon McEnerney — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 12:52:03 +0000

Courtesy photo

Students regrouped to complete their projects after senior lecturer Beth Wood’s Nov. 4 death. “She had such high expectations. You never wanted to let her down," said senior Clare Krusing. "That’s what I miss most about her – that little push she would give.”

Near the end of the semester, students in two public relations classes had the usual last-minute jitters as they prepared to present their volunteer recruitment campaign to directors of the Monroe County Court Appointed Special Advocates program.

But preparation aside, the students were missing a key element in their work: their mentor, School of Journalism senior lecturer Beth Wood, who died Nov. 4 from complications of treatment for lung cancer.

Students in Wood’s two classes, J560 Public Relations Writing for graduate students and J349 Public Relations Writing for undergraduates, were left to finish the semester without her guidance.

“It was a blow to me,” said senior Clare Krusing. “When she wasn’t there, we were very much struggling to make sure to fulfill CASA’s wants.”

Wood had structured the service learning project to involve two of her classes. The J560 class worked on the overall volunteer recruitment campaign for CASA, an organization that provides representations in juvenile court for child victims of physical abuse, sexual abuse and neglect. The program recruits and trains its volunteers to serve as court appointed special advocates, providing advocacy to the child victims to ensure these children are taken care of and found a safe, permanent home as soon as possible.

While the graduate students presented an overall campaign, Wood’s J349 undergraduate class was divided into four groups. Each group presented and provided CASA with materials to help the organization achieve its goal of recruiting more volunteers. Groups focused on speeches, volunteer brochures and handouts, and an e-newsletter.

Two veteran instructors and PR professionals, adjunct lecturer Irene Bushaw and Ralph Winslow Visiting Professor Jim Bright, took over Wood’s classes.

Graduate student Emily Hampton recalled the first class without Wood.

Photo by Shannon McEnerney

Public relations students in the late Beth Wood’s classes presented their ideas to their clients in early December. Students and colleagues recalled Wood’s dedication to service learning projects.

“We were really lucky to have Jim Bright step in as our instructor after he we lost Beth,” Hampton said. “He was really close to her, so he knew what we were going through and we could all try to heal together.”

Hampton and Krusing said students tried to jump into finishing their presentations, but the shock of Wood’s death, along with details about how to tie together two class presentations, was difficult.

“We had lots of goals to provide a good product for the client and to hand over materials Beth would have been proud of,” Hampton said. “I feel like we did that, but it still felt like something was missing.”

Graduate student Elizabeth Wepler said students tried to regroup.

“Beth would have wanted us to continue and finish the project – we all recognized that – but it was a struggle not to be emotional about it,” Wepler said.

Bright said Wood always had been a proponent of service learning and recalled how excited she was to have CASA’s partnership. He said she selected organizations in need, who served people in need, to provide a quality experience for students.

“Beth wanted to make a difference,” Bright said. “She had a big heart and high expectations of her students. Her students jumped through hoops to make her proud of them.”

Bushaw said Wood had a passion for service learning which inspired students.

“They were doing something to help better the community and it gave them a good feeling, and we have Beth to thank for that,” Bushaw said.

While the students struggled emotionally, they said they were satisfied with the final product.

“I think Beth would have been very proud,” said Krusing, who considered Wood a mentor.

It was also through Wood’s influence that Hampton developed a greater understanding of public relations. After completing her undergraduate degree at IU with a focus on broadcasting, she enrolled in the journalism graduate program. In August, Hampton attended the new graduate student information session where professors gave short speeches on their courses for the fall.

“Beth got up and spoke about her class and she was so passionate about it,” Hampton said. “She said you would really make an impact if you took her class.”

That afternoon, Hampton signed up for J560.

“Beth changed my mind and showed me that you can use public relations tools to do good things in the world,” Hampton said. “It was very eye-opening to have her influence.”

For Wood, education went beyond public relations, Krusing said.

“Beth wanted us to give CASA the elements to transcend the materials of what they already had and put the organization on the path to be very successful in the future,” Krusing said. “She had such high expectations. You never wanted to let her down. That’s what I miss most about her – that little push she would give.”

“As a student, she always taught me to be true to what I believe in,” said senior Lauren Brush, a veteran of several of Wood’s classes. “She was always someone that I went to and now that she is not here, I am finding that I am very lost without her.”

Bright said he has received nearly a hundred responses in reaction to Wood’s passing from alumni, students, friends and acquaintances. The list is growing.

“I just can’t believe we will never see her again,” Bright said. “Although, we will. She will live on in our minds and hearts.”

Rudolph’s work wins design honors

Gena Asher — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 19:32:45 +0000

Corya wins Counts photojournalism award (May 14)
Students celebrate Hearst achievements (May 3)
Students interested in magazines find several options to learn, network (May 2)

Non-degree student Laura Rudolph’s work as design editor of her college yearbook has won third place in the College Media Adviser’s Best of College Design contest.

Rudolph, who is communications coordinator at the IU Office of Overseas Study, worked on The Milestone yearbook at Eastern Kentucky University. The 2008 issue was the first in nearly a decade and Rudolph was a member of the “revival” staff who resurrected the yearbook’s publication.

Rudolph was in associate professor Radhika Parameswaran’s J510 Media and Society course this fall.

View her work and others at www.collegemedia.org/BOCD2009.

Fargo authors book chapter on privilege law

Gena Asher — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 18:36:22 +0000

Associate professor Anthony Fargo is the author of a chapter in the new book, Law of Privileges: Journalists and Executives, published by Amicus Books, an imprint of Icfai University Press in India.

The chapter, “The Strange Case of Josh Wolf: What It Tells Us About Privilege Law,” is an updated version of a paper Fargo presented at a symposium at the University of Oregon in 2007. The book was edited by R. Satyanarayana.

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

Kastner attends D.C. forum on energy

Gena Asher — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:06:07 +0000

Freshman and Ernie Pyle Scholar Lauren Kastner’s experiences as a leader in the local Sierra Club’s coal free campaign led to her selection as a participant in a White House forum on energy.

Semester break Dec. 19 to Jan. 10

Gena Asher — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 12:37:54 +0000

A few dates to remember for journalism students planning to return to classes for spring semester:

IU winter break is Dec. 19 to Jan. 10.
Over the break, the School of Journalism library and multimedia lab will be closed. Both reopen Jan. 11. The main office in Ernie Pyle Hall will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Spring classes begin Jan. 11.
No classes on Martin Luther King Day Jan. 18.
The deadline to apply for several school scholarships is Jan. 19. Students may want to plan to gather necessary materials for these applications in advance. All the details are here.
Some contest deadlines also fall within the break or shortly thereafter.
- The deadline for the Woman’s Press Club of Indiana collegiate communications contest is Jan. 7. (Details here.)
- Deadline for the Society of Professional Journalists’ contest is Jan. 27. (Details here.)

The school calendar is at this link, or access by clicking on Calendar in the upper right corner of the school Web site.

HSJI students blog year-round

Gena Asher — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:17:32 +0000

Photo by Jessica Haney

Students at HSJI 2009 received completion certificates at the end of their workshops. Many of the students continue to blog about high school journalism at hsji.org long after their summer experiences.

IDS focusing on Web, multimedia (April 26)

Kourtney Liepelt of Bartlett High School in Illinois is reflecting on how to match audience interest with stories that need to be told.

London Swan of Heritage Christian High School in Indianapolis is sharing her experience as a sideline reporter for MyINDY television station’s high school football coverage.

While the High School Journalism Institute is in high gear each summer as high school teachers/advisers and high school journalists flock to campus to learn new skills, the Web site developed last summer is keeping students engaged throughout the year.

HSJI.org provides a forum to keep students connected after their shared experiences in summer workshops, as well as a place for aspiring journalists to learn a bit about opportunities in the field, said HSJI Director Teresa White.
IU journalism senior Jessica Haney took on the task of setting up the blogs on the site in advance of last summer’s sessions. She still maintains the blogs.

White said she hopes School of Journalism students and faculty will read and comment on the high schoolers’ blogs. Topics in the last couple of weeks include ethics, interviewing, design and one entry about the excitement of hard-won success of an editor’s first print product.

Friday concert to benefit Whitney King fund

Gena Asher — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:40:51 +0000

Law, wine bring St. Louis alumni together (May 15)
Take It Easy Open July 28 (May 9)
Brinkman inducted into Kansas hall of fame (April 25)

Students from the IU Jacob School of Music will perform in a Baroque Christmas Benefit Concert at 8 p.m. Friday in support of the Whitney King, BAJ ’09, who was seriously injured in a traffic accident July 30 and has been recovering from head injuries. The concert will be at the First Presbyterian Church, 221 E. Sixth St.

King and her family will attend the concert, which was organized by conductor Paul Mauffray and music students who knew King or knew of her and followed her progress online.

The organizers suggest a $15 minimum donation to the Whitney King Recovery Fund, which is used to offset medical costs not covered by other sources.

Friends have followed her progress in an online blog at www.caringbridge.org/visit/whitneyking. The latest entries detail King’s therapy, which includes swimming and cooking, a skill that requires people with brain injuries to work on performing tasks in order. She also attended the Nov. 21 IU football game, including the tailgate festivities.

Media Scholars wrap up fall semester

Jessica Birthisel — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:57:31 +0000

Photo by Bruce Carver

Media Scholars students checked out the memorabilia at Nick’s Olde English Hut during a dinner at the pub. Students in the program often gather to discuss lectures or media topics over meals at local restaurants.

For freshman Jeff LaFave, the School of Journalism’s Media Scholars Program has provided a way to interact with students his age who share his passions, a connection he felt was lacking with his high school peers.

“Now that I’m a scholar, I know that the people I’m talking with will take me seriously and are genuinely interested in what I have to say about journalism,” he said. “They aren’t going to shake it off and nod, like people from my old high school. This is a bigger stage, and we have bigger players, so to speak.”

LaFave is one of 10-15 freshmen accepted each year into the program, which provides opportunities for participants to meet guest speakers, have access to one-on-one mentoring and network with fellow students, professors and alumni.

The program, in its second year, seeks students with a strong academic record and a documented passion for journalism, according to Director of Experiential Learning and Recruitment Kathleen Lee. As part of the application process for IU, incoming students who meet the qualifications are invited to join Media Scholars. (All details are on this Web page.)

One key to the program, Lee said, is the mentor. This year’s mentor is visiting lecturer Marty Pieratt, who brings his experience in newspaper, radio, television, public relations and the business knowledge that comes from his years operating seven radio stations.

“These students are some of the best and brightest of IU’s incoming freshman,” said Pieratt. “The program is a little something extra to reward their past efforts in high school, their current efforts here at IU and to prepare them for what comes next.”

The group does not have a formal meeting schedule but gets together regularly to talk about current issues, to visit with School of Journalism guests, to tour local media outlets and to attend formal events, including this year’s Indiana Broadcasters Association awards ceremony.

Sometimes, the students gather after events to share a meal and chat with one another and Pieratt about the talk or tour.

Participating students run the gamut in terms of career interests, said Pieratt, so program experiences cover all areas of media including radio, print, broadcast and online journalism.

Freshman Juan Cano, who is pursuing a career in journalism education, says that this variety of experiences has been beneficial to his academic career.

“The exposure to all the sides of journalism helps us in our choice of what type of journalism we might want to pursue,” said Cano, who added that interaction with other journalism majors with different experiences and opinions has been valuable.

From both the student and mentor perspective, one clear benefit of the program is the fostering of relationships within the School of Journalism, especially with one another. Freshman Jessica Wimsatt agreed with others that spending time with other aspiring journalists as well as an experienced mentor has been beneficial.

She said she also has enjoyed meeting professional journalists, such as Fox Sports’ Joe Buck, who visited as a guest of the school’s Speaker Series. Buck met with Media Scholars and other students at lunch the day of his appearance. After the evening lecture, the Media Scholars and Pieratt met for pizza to reflect on Buck’s talk.

“I never would have dreamed of meeting Joe Buck, but thanks to Media Scholars, I did,” said Wimsatt.

Pieratt says that the experience of mentoring the scholars has been rewarding.

“They’re all really bright and really eager,” said Pieratt. “They all have this insatiable curiosity.”

As a father of four children between the ages of 17-24, Pieratt said he feels comfortable working with college students and helping them get their professional lives started.

“Plus, it helps me with my empty nest syndrome,” joked Pieratt. “I’ve adopted 15 more.”

Johnson to lecture at Moscow State

Gena Asher — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:20:20 +0000

Associate professor Owen V. Johnson will visit Russia Dec. 13-15 at the invitation of the College of Journalism at Moscow State University, where he will give two lectures. One is devoted to an analysis of the challenges facing American journalism, and the other addresses a consideration of the problems of doing research on the history of the communist media in the Russian and East European area.

In 1991-92, Johnson and Roy W. Howard Professor David H. Weaver worked with a team of researchers at Moscow State on a survey that compared journalists in Russia with those in the United States. Their findings were published in both Russia and the U.S.

Johnson has been in Poland this semester as part of his duties as a Fulbright Distinguished Chair in East European Studies at the University of Warsaw.

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

Indiana University School of Journalism » 2009

Cultural Lens projects set to air on local cable

Related

PR students present service projects without Wood

Related

Rudolph’s work wins design honors

Related

Fargo authors book chapter on privilege law

Related

Kastner attends D.C. forum on energy

Semester break Dec. 19 to Jan. 10

HSJI students blog year-round

Related

Friday concert to benefit Whitney King fund

Related

Media Scholars wrap up fall semester

Related

Johnson to lecture at Moscow State

Related