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| Courtesy photo |
| 2009 Howard winners posed for a group shot their last night in Japan. IU student Brian Spegele is second from left. |
As winners of the Roy W. Howard National Collegiate Reporting Competition, the students received a 14-day, all-expense paid trip from the Scripps Howard Foundation, which sponsors the program with the assistance of the Indiana University School of Journalism.
Dean Brad Hamm and assistant professor Emily Metzgar led the students, including IU journalism major Brian Spegele, one of the nine winners, on the trip June 13-27. Metzgar supplied trip reports.
The competition, established in 1984, honors the memory of Roy W. Howard, who led Scripps Howard Newspapers from 1922-1953 and United Press International from 1912-1920. Asia was an area of special interest to Howard, who traveled and reported on the area extensively, even while leading major news organizations.
Trip log:
June 24-25Wednesday morning, we went to Bloomberg’s Tokyo headquarters for an introduction to the financial information company and to learn more about journalism opportunities there.
In the afternoon, we visited the American Embassy and visited with the press attache, learning more about how journalists operate in Japan and how the embassy interacts with the Japanese reporting system.
In the evening, we took a dinner cruise on Tokyo Bay. The weather was perfect and it was an ideal setting for the Roy Howard award ceremony, at which all nine student participants on this trip were awarded medals in recognition of their past accomplishments and future promise.
Thursday morning, we made a trip to the Tokyo Edo Museum, followed by an excursion to the Shinjuku neighborhood of Tokyo for some great Chinese food for lunch and some last-minute souvenir shopping.
Our attention now turns to re-packing not only everything we brought, but also that which we’ve acquired along the way. We check out of this lovely hotel early Friday morning and head out to Narita airport via express train. Our flight leaves a bit before noon on Friday, and then it’s back to the United States.
June 23:
Today, we visited the Asahi Shimbun, one’s of Japan’s largest newspapers. We toured the paper’s operations and watched the state-of-the-art printing press speed through copies of the afternoon edition.
We also met with several Asahi journalists who have worked all over the world. Students asked questions and participated in discussions with these seasoned journalists.
One of the themes emerging from discussion was the need to identify alternative funding models for newspapers. Indeed, although industry dynamics are different on the ground in Japan and the United States, there is one common challenge: Adapting newspapers to the changing media environment and ensuring readership for the future.
We also visited Tsukiji Fish Market, one of the biggest fish markets in the world. We topped off the tour with a lunch of some of the freshest sushi we are ever likely to have.
The day ended with a trip to Asakusa, visiting the temple there and browsing around the many shops lining the walkway to the temple.
It was another full day — this one, without rain!
June 22:
We had some down time today since we didn’t need to meet up until 11 a.m. Some of the group went to Osaka Castle (in the rain). Others opted to sleep in and catch up on some rest. We’ve been doing a lot of walking over the last week and were glad for a chance to give our feet a break.
We gathered at 11 a.m. and headed to Mainichi Broadcasting Service (MBS), the major broadcaster in the Osaka region. We visited with reporters there, had a nice lunch in the MBS cafeteria, then had a tour of the newsroom.
After leaving MBS, we walked back to the hotel, picked up our bags and scurried to the train station to catch the bullet train. The ride from Osaka to Tokyo took fewer than three hours. It was overcast and occasionally rainy (it is the rainy season, after all). The train delivered us to Tokyo Station, which is right where our hotel is located. We checked in and finalized our plans for the evening.
It’s safe to say everyone’s pretty tired, but we’re all eager to make the most of the last four days of this trip. Tuesday will be another full day and the first real chance to explore the city. We’ll be visiting one of the largest circulation newspapers in the world and eating some of the world’s freshest sushi. Look for another update tomorrow.
June 15:
Today was our first full day in Seoul. Although the forecast called for rain, we never saw a drop. We started the day by stretching our legs, exploring the neighborhood and getting oriented. We wandered past City Hall, the Korean Press Foundation and the American Embassy. We then stopped at the Presseum, where we got an orientation to the history of media in South Korea.
From the Presseum, we headed toward the Insadong district. We were waylaid by the sound of traditional music coming from a temple. Guards in colorful uniforms oversaw the ringing of the large temple bell. Two of the students in our group were invited to help ring the bell the required 12 times.
We then headed for lunch in Insadong district. Rich with history and full of little shops selling everything from traditional paper to calligraphy brushes to silk pillow cases, Insadong is an area where we would all like to have spent more time. Alas, today there was only time for lunch. We divided into smaller groups and went off to try our luck – because there is always a bit of luck involved when ordering food without the language skills necessary to clarify one’s preferences. Some of us had more of a culinary adventure than others, but everyone arrived at the designated meeting spot right on time.
From Insadong, we walked to the subway and navigated our way underground to the War Memorial of Korea. The grounds are covered with military equipment that has seen service on the Korean Peninsula, including a B-52 bomber, a Sherman tank and SCUD missiles. Inside, the memorial is a powerful lesson in history.
Leaving the museum, we took the subway back to the hotel. With the warm, muggy air and an overall jet-lagged induced lethargy slowing us down, we called it a day.
Tomorrow promises to be equally busy. We will visit a major Korean newspaper, Chosun Ilbo, and the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS). It will be another full day.
June 14:
Arrived safely in Seoul. "Travel was long but uneventful," Emily Metzgar reported in an e-mail. "Those with the energy to do so will soon head for dinner, then likely a hot shower and bed."