News Releases: 2006 Calendar Year

December 2006

Dec. 14, 2006: Professor Emeritus Honored as Namesake of Inaugural Awards Program The Missouri Association of Publications, a professional organization affiliated with the Missouri School of Journalism, has named its new awards competition after Professor Emeritus and MAP Founder Don Ranly. The Ranlys will honor excellence in quality print and electronic publications, one of the goals of the relatively new MAP organization. [More]

Dec. 13, 2006: Vogue Venture: MU Freshman Casey Lewis' Interest in Style Led Her to Create a Fashion Blog A 19-year-old freshman journalism student at MU, Casey Lewis, is making fashion waves. She began her career writing for fashion.about.com and now dabbles in freelance writing about fashion. Gaining the most attention, however, is her fashion blog: TeenFashionista.com, which Lewis said gets 20,000 hits a month. [More]

Dec. 8, 2006: Skamenca Wins National Unity Award for Coverage of Minority Affairs August Skamenca, a KBIA reporter and senior radio-television journalism major from Denver, Colo., is the first Missouri School of Journalism student to receive a national Unity Award in Media from Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Mo. His award-winning story, "Odyssey of Oppression," is an in-depth look at human smuggling in the central United States. [More]

Dec. 7, 2006: School of Journalism to Recognize 96 Graduates at December Commencement Ceremonies The Missouri School of Journalism will recognize its 96 December graduates during commencement ceremonies at 3:30 p.m., Friday, Dec. 15, in Jesse Auditorium. Graduate degrees will be awarded to 35 students, including three doctoral candidates and 32 master's recipients. [More]

Dec. 7, 2006: Journalism Graduate Students Take Advantage of Opportunities at Recent Society of Environmental Journalists Conference Graduate students Rebecca Townsend and Traci Angel found themselves amid almost 700 environmental writers at the Society of Environmental Journalists 16th annual conference in Burlington, Vt., earlier this fall. [More]

Dec. 6, 2006: Freshmen Tackle iLife Challenge, Learn Career-Building Multimedia Skills Hundreds of University of Missouri students, faculty and staff members recently filled Bush Auditorium in Cornell Hall for the awards presentation of the third annual Freshman iLife Challenge, a multimedia contest designed by the Missouri School of Journalism. [More]

Dec. 5, 2006: Always the Bridesmaid, Never the Bride A study by a Missouri School of Journalism researcher has found that magazine portrayals of fairytale weddings are missing a key element: African-American brides. "The dominant image of today's bride is that she is white, blond, blue-eyed and thin," said Cynthia Frisby, associate professor of advertising at the School. [More]

Dec. 5, 2006: Central and South American Journalists Encouraged to Apply for Prestigious Tina Hills Fellowship The Missouri School of Journalism announces a call for applications for the Tina Hills Fellowship for Latin American journalists interested in earning a master's or doctoral degree at the world's first journalism school. The fellowship is part of a long-term program to expand relations between the School and the news business in Latin America. [More]  Español

November 2006

Nov. 15, 2006: RTNDA Student Members Visit Kansas City Television Stations Seventeen members of the Radio Television News Directors Association (RTNDA) student chapter at the Missouri School of Journalism had the opportunity to learn about news operations at two Kansas City television stations during a recent trip. The visits allowed students to compare the real-world media experience they receive as part of their radio-television journalism curriculum at KOMU with other professional news organizations. [More]

Nov. 15, 2006: Judging of National College Photography Competition Now Online through Vodcasting For decades Missouri School of Journalism photojournalism students have had the unique opportunity to observe and collaborate with professionals during the annual College Photographer of the Year (CPOY) contests. Remote audience members can now go online and watch the judging of some 12,500 images in 16 different categories, including spot news, sports action, feature and more. [More]

Nov. 15, 2006: New Grant Connects Journalism to the Arts A new grant awarded to the University of Missouri-Columbia will now connect the School of Journalism with the College of Arts and Science to provide journalism students with rare opportunities to study the fine arts. The $250,000 grant, which will be received from Carnegie Corporation of New York over the next two years, will provide funding for specialized courses in theater, music and art for journalism students, beginning next semester. [More]

Nov. 13, 2006: Summer Internship Contest Recognizes Thirteen for Outstanding Journalism Work Thirteen students in the magazine journalism and newspaper journalism emphasis areas at the Missouri School of Journalism were recognized for outstanding work produced while working at summer internships. Sponsored by the newspaper journalism emphasis area, the contest was open to all journalism students. Entries could be submitted in one of six categories: profiles, features, in-depth reporting, breaking news, editorials/opinion and sports. [More]

Nov. 10, 2006: Walter Williams Scholars Pick Up New Service Project 44 Walter Williams Scholars (first-semester freshmen at the Missouri School of Journalism), all of whom earned a 33 or above on the ACT (1470 on the SAT), have adopted a stretch of pavement on Locust Street between Fifth and Ninth streets in downtown Columbia. The stretch includes the office of the Missouri Press Association, which has been located just one block north of the School since moving out of Walter Williams Hall in 1970. [More]

Nov. 10, 2006: Building a Better Online Community A new University of Missouri-Columbia study may help increase online social interaction if Web designers and operators take note. The study found several characteristics that make people more likely to contribute to online communities, including the presence of a moderator and messages that are interactive and posted at a slow rate. [More]

Nov. 10, 2006: Collaborative Merge of KBIA, KOMU and the Missourian Newsrooms Creates a New Convergence Experience for Students Missouri Journalism students and faculty from all areas of study recently participated in a groundbreaking convergence project called "Smart Decision," a multimedia Web site that provided in-depth coverage of the 2006 state and local mid-term elections. Three of the School's professional media outlets, whose newsrooms also double as learning laboratories for students, were involved in the project. [More]

Nov. 3, 2006: Radio-Television Professors Earn Emmy for Tsunami Coverage The Mid-America Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences recently awarded an Emmy for best specialty program outside a newscast to radio-television journalism faculty members, Sarah Hill and Gary Grigsby. Both teach at KOMU-TV, the only university-owned commercial television station in the United States that uses its newsroom as a working lab for students. [More]

October 2006

Oct. 31, 2006: Convergence Project Helps Magazine Journalism Students Learn Radio Skills When Katy June-Friesen signed up for Mary Kay Blakely's advanced writing class at the Missouri School of Journalism, she had no idea that she would be producing a broadcast feature for KBIA, the University of Missouri's National Public Radio member station. Blakely started the assignment four years ago because she wanted students to learn different styles of writing and how to use different mediums to display that writing. [More]

Oct. 31, 2006: Wilkins, Wright Honored with 2006 MUAA Faculty-Alumni Awards The MU Alumni Association has named Lee Wilkins, professor of radio-television journalism, and Dalton Wright, a member of the board of the Missourian Publishing Association, as recipients of the 39th annual Faculty-Alumni Awards. The Faculty-Alumni Awards express the MU Alumni Association's pride in the accomplishments of faculty members and alumni and appreciation for their service to the University. [More]

Oct. 30, 2006: Research Abilities Develop Practical Career Skills When Roseann Moring, from San Diego, Calif., and Matt Velker, from St. Louis, Mo., enrolled at the Missouri School of Journalism, it wasn't because they were thinking about research. Moring was more intent on getting hands-on training through real-world media outlets such as the Columbia Missourian or Vox magazine, and Velker was focused on working for the convergence journalism media outlets - the Missourian, KOMU and KBIA. [More]

Oct. 30, 2006: Career Fair Attracts Prospective Employers from Coast to Coast Missouri Journalism students had the opportunity to rub shoulders, visit and interview with recruiters from 16 media organizations from across the United States during the Missouri School of Journalism's sixth-annual Fall Media Career and Internship Fair, which took place Oct. 18-19. [More]

Oct. 24, 2006: Strategic Planning for Strategic Communication Education For one day, five decades-worth of advertising and public relations professionals gathered at the Missouri School of Journalism with a common mission. The recent Strategic Communication Summit held in Gannett Hall's Tucker Forum may have been only one day, but it represents an ongoing dialogue among the alumni, faculty and students of the School that will shape the future of strategic communication education. [More]

Oct. 24, 2006: Trip to Africa Shows Master's Student That Journalism Can and Does Effect Change Missouri School of Journalism master's student Casey Parks recently returned from her 10-day reporting assignment in Africa, admittedly with more questions than answers. In the following essay, Parks struggles with the issues she encountered in Africa: real poverty, death, reporters' intervention and journalism's impact on it all. Follow Casey's physical and emotional journey through Africa. [More]

Oct. 19, 2006: "New Media, Enduring Values" Partnerships to Drive Innovation and Change Introduced at Hurley Symposium The Missouri School of Journalism, the Committee of Concerned Journalists (CCJ) and the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute announced the details of upcoming research partnerships with three news organizations around the country during the 2006 Curtis B. Hurley Symposium at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. The announcement is the first of what all hope will be many opportunities to collaborate on research and outreach that will drive innovation and positive change in journalism. [More]

Oct. 17, 2006: NPR Associate Producer/Alumna Heats Up the Air Waves at KBIA as a Hearst Visiting Professional Jesse Baker, BJ '03, shared her enthusiasm, excitement and energy for radio journalism as a Hearst Visiting Professional earlier this semester. She highlighted creative ways to make stories more interesting while working with students at KBIA, one of the most successful NPR stations in the nation. Baker also anchored newscasts and hosted a weekly business show. [More]

Oct. 16, 2006: Missouri Journalism Student Wins Outstanding Intern Award Matthew Haag, a senior newspaper journalism major and business minor from Dallas, Texas, has been honored as the runner-up for the 2006 H.M. Fentress Memorial Award for Editorial Excellence. The annual award is presented by Cox Newspapers to the top two reporting or feature writing interns in the Texas Daily Newspaper Association Intern Program. [More]

Oct. 16, 2006: MA Student Named 2006 David Kaplan Memorial Fellow at ABC News in D.C. Jia Zhou, a Missouri School of Journalism master's student, is the 2006 recipient of the David Kaplan Memorial Fellowship. The fellowship, which is awarded each year to one Missouri graduate student who has an interest in broadcast production, includes a paid position at the ABC News Washington Bureau and a $10,000 stipend during the winter semester. Zhou will be the School's first convergence journalism student and second international student to receive the fellowship. The School has named 14 David Kaplan Fellows. [More]

Oct. 16, 2006: Journalism Student Named Winner in National Hispanic Essay Contest Missouri School of Journalism sophomore Carolina Escalera is one of 12 Hispanic youth leaders named winners of the second annual Lideres de Hoy National Essay Contest sponsored by Allstate Insurance Company and the National Council of La Raza. Escalera, of Tallahassee, Fla., received a $5,000 award during a special reception for all winners at NCLR's headquarters in Washington, D.C. [More]

Oct. 12, 2006: Journalism's Future: A "Panorama of Possibilities," Concludes Overholser in New Study Journalism will survive only if it adapts to the times, writes Geneva Overholser in a new report titled "On Behalf of Journalism: A Manifesto for Change." The report is being released today by the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. The Overholser report, a project of the Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands, in partnership with the Annenberg Public Policy Center, is the result of more than a year's worth of research and interviews. [More]

Oct. 11, 2006: Woelfel to Be the First Missouri Journalism Faculty Member Inducted into Elite "Silver Circle" Stacey Woelfel, a radio-television journalism instructor and news director for KOMU, will be inducted into the Silver Circle of the Mid-America Chapter of the National Association of Television Arts and Sciences at the 30th Anniversary EMMY Gala on Oct. 28 in St. Louis. He is the first Missouri Journalism faculty member to receive the honor. The Silver Circle is an elite group of professional journalists who have made significant contributions to television. [More]

Oct. 4, 2006: Journalism Professor Ranked No. 1 Researcher in Internet Advertising A recent study by Nielsen/NetRatings ranked Shelly Rodgers, associate professor of strategic communication, as the No. 1 researcher in Internet advertising and No. 4 researcher in Internet advertising, marketing and communications. The rankings were based on the number of articles published in 15 peer-reviewed journals between 1994 and 2003. [More]

Oct. 2, 2006: Tan is 'In': Study Finds Light Brown More Attractive than Pale or Dark Skin Some African-American stars have been ridiculed for trying to lighten their skin color, but many Caucasians go to tanning salons to darken their skin. A new study by Missouri School of Journalism researcher Cynthia Frisby found that people perceive a light brown skin tone to be more physically attractive than a pale or dark skin tone. [More]

September 2006

Sept. 27, 2006: Eight Journalism Leaders to Receive Preeminent Journalism Award Eight outstanding journalists and a leading journalism organization will receive one of the industry's highest awards: the prestigious Missouri Honor Medal for Distinguished Service in Journalism. The School has awarded the medal annually since 1930. Tom Brokaw, Christiane Amanpour of CNN, Sir Winston Churchill, Carol Loomis of Fortune magazine and Gordon Parks are among the distinguished journalists, advertising and public relations practitioners, business people, institutions and media organizations who have been recipients of this influential award. [More]

Sept. 26, 2006: Journalism Students Compete With Industry Professionals - And Win The Columbia Missourian brought home 36 awards from the Missouri Press Association's Annual Better Newspaper Contest. The Missourian garnered 13 first-place finishes in a variety of categories, including content, design, photography, and beat reports such as religion, sports, rural life, and business. A first-place award in the General Excellence category highlighted the Missourian's performance, which also included several second place, third place and honorable mention awards. In 2005, the Missourian won 27 awards. [More]

Sept. 26, 2006: Upcoming Symposium to Discuss "New Media, Enduring Values" The Missouri School of Journalism and the Committee of Concerned Journalists will commemorate their alliance at an upcoming symposium at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. The new partners will announce projects that exhibit the kind of work their partnership makes possible. All are designed to point toward promising ways in which journalism's most important values can be translated, and made even more effective, in the digital world. [More]

Sept. 20, 2006: Journalism School Welcomes 44 Walter Williams Scholars Forty-four freshmen were recognized as Walter Williams Scholars in a recent ceremony, making the 2006 class the largest group ever to become a part of this elite program. In all, 117 students are enjoying Walter Williams Scholar benefits. The program recognizes the highest-achieving incoming journalism students at Missouri. To be considered for the program, applicants must earn an ACT score of at least a 33 (1470 on the SAT). [More]

Sept. 18, 2006: SPJ Honors Davis with President's Award Calling him a "tireless worker," outgoing president Dave Carlson presented Charles Davis with the President's Award at the recent Society of Professional Journalists' national convention in Chicago. Davis is an associate professor at the Missouri School of Journalism and serves as executive director of the National Freedom of Information Coalition, which is headquartered here. [More]

Sept. 15, 2006: Missouri Faculty, Students to Present at Upcoming AJHA Conference Seven Missouri School of Journalism faculty members and graduate students will present their scholarly research or speak on academic panels next month at the 25th annual convention of the American Journalism Historians Association. Missouri Journalism alumnus Fred Blevens, PhD '95, associate dean at Florida International University, will begin his term as AJHA president at the end of this year's convention. [More]

Sept. 13, 2006: Missouri Journalism and Law Schools Set to Blaze New Paths in Study of Media and Conflict The Center for the Study of Conflict, Law and the Media, a groundbreaking collaboration linking the Missouri School of Journalism and University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law, is hosting an international conference, "News Reporting and Its Impact on Conflict," Sept. 15-16 in Hulston Hall on the MU campus. [More]

Sept. 11, 2006: "Fall Welcome" Serves Up Journalism Possibilities, Tiger Stripe Ice Cream Another opportunity for freshman students to enjoy free Tiger Stripe ice cream came recently as faculty and upperclassmen presented various journalism opportunities at "Fall Welcome." Representatives from journalism-related organizations and programs gathered at Peace Park, sharing the scoop on ways for incoming freshmen to develop their journalism skills, expand their professional networks and become involved in the School outside the classroom. [More]

Sept. 8, 2006: Debra Mason Named Director of Center for Religion, the Professions and the Public Debra L. Mason, a nationally recognized, award-winning and widely published specialist in religion journalism, has been named the new director of the Center for Religion, the Professions and the Public at the Missouri School of Journalism. The Center's research and teaching seeks to advance religious literacy and public knowledge of America's increasing cultural and religious diversity. [More]

Sept. 6, 2006: Knight Center in Editing Excellence Creates New Leadership Role to Guide Journalism's Future The Knight Center in Editing Excellence at the Missouri School of Journalism is expanding efforts to face the journalistic challenges of the 21st century with the creation of an exciting new leadership role: Executive Editor for Innovation. [More]

Sept. 6, 2006: Stern Named Managing Editor of the Columbia Missourian Reuben Stern has been named the new managing editor of the Columbia Missourian. He will oversee the daily operations of the newsroom as it expands its use of technology to deliver news. Stern helped lead the re-conceptualization of the Missourian's Sunday newspaper, which included a unique public prototyping process and significant academic research. [More]

Sept. 1, 2006: Biography of Quad/Graphics Founder Published by Journalism Professor "Ready, Fire, Aim," a new book by Missouri School of Journalism Associate Professor John Fennell, is a business biography on the life and legacy of printing industry icon Harry V. Quadracci. Fennell, a member of the magazine faculty and former editor of Milwaukee Magazine, wrote the book after the founder of Quad/Graphics died in a tragic drowning accident. Quadracci started the company with 11 employees in the then-rural community of Pewaukee, Wis., in 1971. [More]

August 2006

Aug. 31, 2006: Writer at Charlotte Observer Wins Second Sifford Prize Elizabeth Leland, a reporter for the Charlotte (N.C.) Observer, is the 2006 Darrell Sifford Memorial Prize in Journalism winner. The Missouri School of Journalism administers the prestigious award. Leland also won the Sifford Prize in 2001. [More]

Aug. 31, 2006: Senior Wins $2,000 C.W. Gusewelle Journalism Scholarship Megan Rolland, a senior newspaper journalism and political science double major from Grand Junction, Colo., has won the 2006 C.W. Gusewelle Journalism Scholarship. The $2,000 scholarship, now in its second year, is awarded to an outstanding student in his or her final year of undergraduate or graduate study in print or broadcast journalism. [More]

Aug. 31, 2006: Skamenca Wins His Second PRNDI National Award KBIA reporter Aug. Skamenca won the first place award in the news feature category in the 2006 Public Radio News Director, Inc. awards competition, the only national contest recognizing outstanding public radio news reporting at local stations. His winning entry, "Odyssey of Oppression," examined human smuggling and travel by undocumented workers across the border and through the Midwest. [More]

Aug. 29, 2006: Magazine Students Win Five Awards at AEJMC Vox magazine and a magazine publishing class took home five awards in the 2006 Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Student Magazine Contest. The awards were presented during a special ceremony at the group's annual meeting held recently in San Francisco. [More]

Aug. 29, 2006: Special Section of Columbia Missourian Receives 1st Place Award A Columbia Missourian newspaper special section titled "Connections-How mid-Missourians stay plugged in to a world ruled by technology" received the first place award at the Inland Press 2006 Newspaper Special Sections & New Products/New Revenue contest. The winning entry was chosen from more than 600 entries submitted by 80 different newspapers across the nation. [More]

Aug. 29, 2006: Faculty Member Publishes New Edition of Public Relations Textbook Coverage of global markets, new technologies, and multiculturalism throughout make the recently published edition of Public Relations: The Profession and the Practice one of the leading college textbooks on the topic. The book is co-authored by Suzette Heiman, associate professor and director of planning and communications at the Missouri School of Journalism. [More]

Aug. 28, 2006: School's Viewbook Wins Bronze Medal in National Contest "The World's Journalism School" won a bronze medal in the "Visual Design in Print" category of the 2006 CASE (Council for Advancement and Support of Education) Circle of Excellence Awards. The viewbook was one of approximately 30 bronze medal winners out of 615 entries in the category. The entries were submitted by both public and private colleges and universities and represented a variety of printed materials. [More]

Aug. 28, 2006: New Book Explores Media, Mission and Morality in Journalism A new book by Missouri School of Journalism Professor Emeritus John Merrill explores moral and theoretical issues in the field of journalism. Media, Mission and Morality: A Scholarly Milestone Essay in Mass Communication is the first in a series designed to stimulate thinking and challenge ideas while encouraging journalists to embrace ethics. Subsequent titles will be written by some of the journalism's leading writers and thinkers on the topic. [More]

Aug. 28, 2006: Homeland Security and Media Evaluate Terror Threats Differently A recent study by Glen T. Cameron, professor of strategic communication and Maxine Wilson Gregory Chair of Journalism Research at the Missouri School of Journalism, found the Department of Homeland Security and media evaluate and communicate terror threats differently. [More]

July 2006

July 17, 2006: Journalism Students and Faculty to Present 31 Papers at 2006 AEJMC Conference Thirty-one scholarly papers - including five receiving top recognitions - will be presented at this year's Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication conference by Missouri School of Journalism faculty and current and recent graduate students. Their work covers an impressive breadth of topics including advertising, public relations, newspaper journalism, international communications, media ethics and media law. Scheduled for Aug. 2-5 in San Francisco, Calif., the annual meeting is held to encourage academic, industry professionals and students to investigate field trends and issues as well as to create and expand personal networks. [More]

July 13, 2006: Recent Journalism Graduate Named a Finalist for National Religion Writing Student Award Leah Lohse, BJ '06, is one of ten finalists for the highest national award given to young writers on religion. The Chandler Award for the Student Religion Writer of the Year recognizes excellent reporting skills at the collegiate level and a grasp of religion issues that is fair and balanced according to journalistic standards. [More]

July 7, 2006: Having Control Might Be Good, but It's Not Interesting When people don't have control, they feel uncertain, worried and nervous. However, a recent Missouri School of Journalism study led by Assistant Professor Kevin Wise found that these concepts don't apply to interactive media like the Internet. The study discovered that people respond more positively to images if they don't have control over when the picture is displayed. [More]

June 2006

June 30, 2006: Salvo Named 2006 RTNDA Fellow, Wins National Internship at CBS Radio News Hayley Salvo, a senior radio-television journalism major at the Missouri School of Journalism, was named the 2006 Rob Sunde Fellow at the recent Radio and Television News Directors Association's annual conference. She will graduate magna cum laude in Aug., and was inducted into Kappa Tau Alpha, a national journalism honor society that accepts the top ten percent of each graduating class in May. [More]

June 29, 2006: Media Convergence Student Wins a $10,000 Scripps Howard Top Ten Scholarship Matt Sokoloff is one of only 10 college students in the U.S. to receive a $10,000 Top Ten Scholarship awarded by the Scripps Howard Foundation in 2006. A senior from Orlando, Fla., Sokoloff is studying media convergence journalism at the Missouri School of Journalism. Missouri Journalism students have won this prestigious national award for five years in a row and six out of the eight years it has been given. [More]

June 28, 2006: Expanded Media Career Fair to Benefit Students and Employers The Missouri School of Journalism's sixth annual Media Career Fair will be held Oct. 18-19. The fair gives current journalism students a chance to meet with potential employers and recruiters, gain practice interviewing, form connections with industry professionals, receive resume or portfolio feedback, and to gain overall insight into their future career options. [More]

June 26, 2006: Journalism Student Sarah French Crowned Miss Missouri Sarah French, a radio-television journalism junior at the Missouri School of Journalism, has been crowned Miss Missouri for 2006. French will take a leave of absence from her studies to devote her time to her Miss Missouri appearances, press conferences and preparation for the national title. She anticipates traveling more than 50,000 miles to fulfill her engagements around the state. French will also travel to Los Angeles to participate in the filming of the reality television show, "Finding Miss America." [More]

June 26, 2006: School's KBIA-FM News Lab Wins Prestigious National Award The Missouri School of Journalism's KBIA-FM news lab has won one of America's top journalism awards. "What's on the Line?" earned a national 2006 Edward R. Murrow Award in the small-radio market news documentary category from the Radio-Television News Directors Association. The story is an account of how residents living along the New Madrid fault line in Missouri, Tennessee and Arkansas are preparing for an earthquake disaster. [More]

June 23, 2006: Advertising Student Receives $1,500 Scholarship for Community-Based Summer Course Rachael Bax, a senior advertising major at the Missouri School of Journalism, recently received a $1,500 scholarship that will allow her to continue work started by her classmates in an unusual "real life" advertising experience. Bax will work with Rocheport Mayor Brett Dufur, BJ '94, and Rocheport Area Merchants Association president Lisa Friedemann to implement some of the ideas she and her classmates presented. [More]

June 22, 2006: Weinberg Honored with $10,000 McIntyre Professorship for Excellence in Teaching Missouri School of Journalism professor, author and freelance magazine writer Steve Weinberg was recently named the 2006 recipient of the O.O. McIntyre Professorship for excellence in teaching. In his more than 25 years of service at the School, Weinberg has taught courses in investigative reporting, feature writing, arts journalism, criminal justice journalism, business journalism and the initial newswriting course. [More]

June 21, 2006: Radio-Television Journalism Faculty, Student Win MBA Excellence Awards Four radio-television journalism faculty members and a recent graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism captured two first-place awards and two certificates of merit for excellence in journalism in the Missouri Broadcasters Association's annual competition. [More]

June 20, 2006: Jeffrey Dvorkin Named New CCJ Executive Director and Goldenson Chair at the Missouri School of Journalism Jeffrey Dvorkin, the first ombudsman for a major U.S. broadcast news organization, has been named the new executive director of the Committee of Concerned Journalists and the Goldenson Chair of Community Broadcasting at the Missouri School of Journalism. Dvorkin will direct the CCJ's Traveling Curriculum, a training program designed to engage journalists in a critical discussion about what it is they do and why they do it. He will also work to expand the Committee's work to promote standards and engage the public in a common effort to assure the social and economic value of a journalism of verification. [More]

June 8, 2006: Rick Shaw Named Director of Pictures of the Year International Rick Shaw, an award-winning photojournalism and design editor, has been named director of Pictures of the Year International (POYi). Shaw teaches newspaper photo editing at the Missouri School of Journalism and also serves as the director of photography for the Columbia Missourian, the student-produced daily newspaper serving Columbia. Shaw has been involved with POYi since he was a student at Missouri, working under former POYi director Angus McDougall. [More]

May 2006

May 26, 2006: Journalism Master's Student Wins The New York Times "Win a Reporting Trip to Africa" Contest Missouri School of Journalism master's student Casey Parks is the winner of a "Win a Reporting Trip to Africa" contest sponsored by The New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof. Parks will write a blog about her experience for nytimes.com and create a video blog for MTV-U. Kristof selected Parks' winning entry from 3,800 applications. Her essay spoke of her southern Mississippi heritage, of growing up poor and isolated from the world. [More]

May 25, 2006: Missouri Journalism Faculty and Students to Present 31 Papers at 2006 ICA Conference in Germany The Missouri School of Journalism will be well represented at this year's International Communication Association (ICA) conference with 31 papers accepted, which were written or collaborated by faculty and student authors from the School and with other professors from the University of Missouri-Columbia and other universities. The 56th annual ICA convention will be held June 19-23 in Dresden, Germany. [More]

May 25, 2006: Journalism Under Fire: Discussion Series to Focus on News, Gender, Censorship and Photojournalism Issues "Journalism Under Fire," a four-part program in conjunction with The New School in New York, will bring together faculty, students, alumni, professionals and citizens to discuss hot topics in the field. The discussions, taking place at 7 p.m. each Tuesday in June, will range in topics from the lack of women's coverage to censorship in photojournalism. Several alumni, in addition to faculty, are participating in the panels. [More]

May 25, 2006: Kappa Tau Alpha Initates 41 Students at Spring Commencement Forty-one students were inducted into Kappa Tau Alpha (KTA), the national honor society for journalism and mass communication, at the May 12 graduation ceremony in Mizzou Arena. Founded at the Missouri School of Journalism in 1910, KTA is the seventh-oldest national honor society and recognizes academic excellence and promotes scholarship. Kappa Tau Alpha means, "The Truth Will Prevail," and its Greek letters stand for Knowledge, Truth, and Accuracy -- words that encapsulate the mission of the society. [More]

May 18, 2006: Journalism Alumni Return to Campus for 2006 Reunion Rally Seven Missouri School of Journalism alumni returned to the University of Missouri-Columbia campus as part of the 2006 MU Alumni Association Reunion Rally activities held May 1. The alumni, from the classes of 1956, 1961 and 1966, were celebrating their 40th, 45th and 50th graduation anniversaries. They toured the School and were recognized at a special luncheon for Lisa Myers, BJ '73. [More]

May 10, 2006: Adam Schreck Wins Atwater Prize for Writing Master's student Adam Schreck has been recognized for his outstanding work in writing as the recipient of the 2006 Atwater Prize for in-depth reporting. His submissions for the competition included two in-depth Columbia Missourian reports from the Mississippi coast following Hurricane Katrina and an investigative story about former Enron CEO Ken Lay's connections to Missouri. [More]

May 8, 2006: Nine Design Students Win National Awards in the Student Society for News Design Contest Nine Missouri School of Journalism students were among the winners of the 18th annual contest of the Student Society for News Design awards, the college version of the Society for News Design's international competition. Hosted every year by the Missouri School of Journalism, this year's competition numbered almost 800 entries from around the country and were judged by professional judges from newspapers around the country. The SSND awards recognize the increasing importance of the college work students in the news design field. [More]

May 8, 2006: Wanta to Serve as 2007 President of National Journalism Organization Wayne Wanta will be the 2007 president of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, the largest professional organization of journalism educators in the world with more than 3,500 members. He will assume his term this Aug. when the organization holds its annual meeting in San Francisco. [More]

May 8, 2006: School to Recognize 398 Graduates at Upcoming Commencement Ceremonies The Missouri School of Journalism will recognize its 398 May and Aug. graduates at the upcoming commencement ceremonies that will begin at 4 p.m., Friday, May 12, in the Mizzou Arena. The alumnus speaker will be Adrian Holovaty, BJ '01, editor of editorial innovations at washingtonpost.com. The Master of Ceremonies will be Sylvia Snowden who will graduate with a degree in radio-television journalism and a minor in sociology. The student speaker will be Millie Munshi, a dual major in newspaper journalism and economics. [More]

May 4, 2006: Glen Cameron to Present the 2006 21st Century Corps of Discovery Lecture Glen Cameron will deliver the 2006 21st Century Corps of Discovery lecture, a recognition of his excellence in scholarly and creative discoveries. As a recipient of the award, he will receive a $5,000 honorarium and a reception in his honor. Cameron is the Maxine Wilson Gregory Chair in Journalism Research at the Missouri School of Journalism and a professor in the advertising sequence. He also serves as a professor of Family and Community Medicine and an adjunct clinical instructor at the School of Nursing, and is founder-co-director-scientific adviser of the Health Communication Research Center. [More]

May 3, 2006: Master's Student to Use $12,000 Fellowship to Write about China's Economic Development Missouri School of Journalism graduate student Michelle Dammon Loyalka wants to combine her experiences living in China with her journalism education to improve reporting on China's rapid economic development. As the recipient of the 2006 O.O. McIntyre Postgraduate Writing Fellowship, Loyalka can do just that. Loyalka was recently awarded the $12,000 fellowship in order to write a book on the rise of China. [More]

May 2, 2006: Justin Giles Selected for "Pat on the Back" Staff Recognition Award Justin Giles is the 2006 recipient of the "Pat on the Back" staff recognition award. The award includes a $500 check and a plaque. Giles serves as a user support analyst for J-Net, the Missouri School of Journalism's technology services. [More]

May 1, 2006: Sophomore Journalism Student Receives $70,000 IIPP Fellowship Award Missouri School of Journalism student Carolina Escalera has received a $70,000 fellowship award from the Institute for International Public Policy (IIPP) and the United Negro College Fund Special Programs Corporation. The fellowship offers a complete graduate education in international public policy, study abroad opportunities, summer policy institutes, extensive language training, internships and career development. [More]

May 1, 2006: Sorbara Named Top Copy Editing Student in U.S. Diego Sorbara has received the $2,500 Aubespin scholarship, given to the top copy editing student in the U.S. by the American Copy Editors Society. Sorbara is a newspaper journalism student at the Missouri School of Journalism. As part of his journalism coursework, Sorbara works as a reporter, copy editor, designer and assistant news editor for the Columbia Missourian, the city's daily morning newspaper, and its bilingual magazine, Adelante. Both serve as learning laboratories for Missouri Journalism students. [More]

May 1, 2006: Stacey Woelfel Receives the Excellence in Education Award Stacey Woelfel, a member of the Radio-Television Journalism faculty and news director of KOMU, is a recipient of the 2006 Excellence in Education Award at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Students select the 10 faculty members, advisers and academic administrators who have made significant contributions to the out-of-class learning experiences for MU students for the award each year. The award celebrates how critical these experiences are to the learning and success of students. [More]

April 2006

April 27, 2006: Byron Scott Retires, Earns Professor Emeritus Status Missouri School of Journalism professor Byron Scott, known as "Scotty" to his colleagues and students, will retire effective this Aug. and earn emeritus status. He has been a Missouri faculty member in the magazine journalism sequence for 20 years. Scott joined the School in 1986 as its first endowed chair, the Meredith Chair in Service Journalism. [More]

April 24, 2006: NBC Correspondent Lisa Myers to Receive Missouri Honor Medal on May 1 Lisa Myers, BJ '73, and the senior investigative correspondent for NBC News, will be awarded a Missouri Honor Medal for Distinguished Service in Journalism for her dedication and commitment to truth and high ideals, for producing investigative reports that improve society and elevate the public's trust in journalism, and for her selfless devotion and untiring energy on behalf of journalism and democracy. Myers will be on campus on Monday, May 1, to present her Master Class from 10-10:45 a.m. in Tucker Forum. [More]

April 24, 2006: Missouri Journalism Alumnus Turns 100: A Look Back at the Life of an International Correspondent In the spring of 1927, a young man graduated from the Missouri School of Journalism with a mission shared by timeless reporters - to report the truth to citizens of a world filled with turmoil, trouble and triumph. Few journalists have fulfilled that mission as completely as Lester Ziffren, BJ '27. From covering South American revolutions to breaking the news of the Spanish Civil War, Ziffren has filed reports on some of the 20th century's most cataclysmic events. [More]

April 21, 2006: Mojo Ad Launches Web Site Mojo Ad, the new student-staffed agency of the Missouri School of Journalism's advertising sequence, has launched its Web site. The site features staff profiles, a history of the organization, information about how industry professionals can hire Mojo Ad and how students can apply to become members. Additionally, the site details Mojo Ad's capabilities, agency partnerships and case studies. [More]

April 10, 2006: Nine Journalism Students Receive Mizzou '39 Outstanding Senior Award Nine journalism students are among the top seniors in the Class of 2006. Created in 2005 by the University of Missouri Alumni Association, the Mizzou '39 Award honors 39 outstanding seniors for their leadership, scholarship and service to the University and community. The recipients were recognized at four different events including a special Mizzou '39 reception, the Founder's Day Celebration, a special Mizzou '39 award banquet and at half-time of the MU vs. Texas A&M men's basketball game. [More]

April 10, 2006: Broadcast News Student Places Fifth, Wins $600 Scholarship in Hearst Competition Andrea Ramey, a Missouri School of Journalism broadcast news senior, placed fifth and won a $600 scholarship in the television news competition for this year's Hearst Journalism Awards. The win makes Ramey eligible to compete in the next round of the contest, the semi-finals, the winners of which will go to the national broadcast news championships in San Francisco, Calif., in June. Ramey, of Paducah, Ky., will graduate magna cum laude in May. [More]

April 10, 2006: KBIA Faculty and Students Win Five Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards The collaborative work of Missouri School of Journalism faculty and students at KBIA radio has earned the station five regional Edward R. Murrow Awards. This is the most Murrow Awards ever won by KBIA, the NPR-affiliate member station at which radio-television and media convergence journalism students cover events, write stories and air newscasts. KBIA won five out of nine categories in the competition, including "Feature: Hard News," "News Documentary," "Newscast," "Sports Reporting," and "Use of Sound." [More]

April 6, 2006: Master's Student Shares Win in 2006 Best of Cox Award Master's student Ben Poston and two of his former colleagues from the Hamilton (Ohio) JournalNews won a 2006 Best of Cox Award for best deadline reporting on the Katrina coverage. The award carries a $1,000 cash prize. Their winning entry recounted the group's travel to Stone County, Miss., on Labor Day weekend in 2005 to cover the Katrina aftermath. [More]

April 5, 2006: Two Journalism Professors Win Regional Edward R. Murrow Award The work of two Missouri School of Journalism professors has earned KOMU one of broadcast journalism's highest awards. Sarah Hill, KOMU anchor, reporter and adjunct professor, and Gary Grigsby, assistant professor and KOMU photographer, won a regional Edward R. Murrow Award in the documentary category for "Dealing with Disaster: Sarah's Stories from South Asia." [More]

April 4, 2006: Master's Students Receive International Recognition for Excellence in Visual Journalism Work produced by students for the Columbia Missourian has received international recognition for excellence in visual journalism by the Society of News Design for the second consecutive year. Two information graphics created by master's students Robbie Ketcham and Reuben Stern won an Award of Excellence in the 2005 Best of Newspaper Design category at the organization's 27th annual competition. [More]

April 4, 2006: Missouri Photojournalism Students Win Pictures of the Year International Awards The work of more than 25 Columbia Missourian photo editors and staff photographers and a recent Missouri School of Journalism student were among the top winners at the 63rd annual Pictures of the Year International (POYi) contest. The steep global competition of the contest's entries makes the Missouri Journalism wins even more significant. [More]

March 2006

March 27, 2006: Live from J-School: Institute Construction A new Webcam is providing real-time viewing of the work being done in the Missouri School of Journalism courtyard area. This includes complete renovation of the vacant Sociology Building, partial renovation to Walter Williams Hall and the construction of a new addition between these two buildings. The Institute's new facilities are expected to be finished in fall 2007. [More]

March 27, 2006: Master's Students Win First Place in Page Society Competition For the second consecutive year, a student team from the Missouri School of Journalism took first place in the Case Study Competition in Corporate Communications sponsored by the Arthur W. Page Society and the Institute for Public Relations. Master's students Yuliya Melnyk and Moushumi Anand, with faculty adviser María Len-Ríos, took top honors in the communications/journalism schools competition. [More]

March 24, 2006: Arnett a Top Winner in National Hearst Writing Competition Dugan Arnett, a Missouri School of Journalism senior, placed eighth in the personality/profile writing competition for this year's Hearst Journalism Awards. There were 90 students from 54 universities and colleges competing in the contest. The Missouri School of Journalism is currently in fifth place in the overall Intercollegiate Writing Competition, with five of six contests complete. [More]

March 13, 2006: Carol H. Williams to Receive Missouri Honor Medal, Deliver Major Address on Market Segmentation Carol H. Williams, president, chief executive officer and chief creative officer of Carol H. Williams Advertising, will be awarded a Missouri Honor Medal for Distinguished Service in Journalism for her pioneering work and award-winning advertising on Wednesday, March 22. She also will deliver a major address on "The Growing Clout of Market Segmentation" during her campus visit. The Missouri School of Journalism has awarded the Missouri Honor Medal for Distinguished Service in Journalism annually since 1930. [More]

March 8, 2006: Graduate Student Turns "Keep. Do Not Sell." Discovery into Master's Project Alexander Cohn, a master's student at the Missouri School of Journalism, uncovered thousands of old photo negatives taken in the Civil Rights era and now has exposed them to the world. His story has been making its way around the world via the Associated Press and CNN. The Civil Rights pictures that Cohn found appeared for the first time in the Feb. 26 issue of The Birmingham (Ala.) News, in an eight-page special section titled, "Unseen. Unforgotten." [More]

March 8, 2006: Reporters Believe General Public Is Unable to Understand Scientific Issues, MU Study Finds A new study conducted by Missouri School of Journalism researchers examined the role of the scientific reporter, who acts as the gatekeeper of scientific information. "While scientific reporters seemed to have a generally positive approach to biotechnology and shared these beliefs with friends and peers, they were not so optimistic about the beliefs of the general public," said Glen T. Cameron, MU professor of advertising and Gregory Chair of Journalism Research in the School of Journalism. [More]

March 8, 2006: MU Study Shows Adolescents More Affected Emotionally, Intellectually by Fear-Based Commercials Than Adults A new study from the Missouri School of Journalism finds that adolescents react more intensely and emotionally to fear-based commercials than young adults. The researchers, led by Assistant Professor Paul Bolls, believe these findings may lead to recommendations for the design of more effective messages promoting healthy behavior. [More]

March 3, 2006: Ad and PR Students Visit New York Agencies and Corporations Missouri School of Journalism strategic communication students were encouraged to "be a sponge" and to have diversified skills during a recent visit to New York advertising and public relations agencies and corporations. Some of the students will participate in the School's New York Summer Program, an interdisciplinary program in partnership with the New School University in Manhattan. [More]

March 3, 2006: Graduate Student Wins Overseas Press Club Foundation Scholarship Missouri School of Journalism graduate student Michelle Loyalka has been awarded a scholarship worth $2,000 by the Overseas Press Club Foundation. Loyalka's winning essay described the startling psychological impact of breakneck change and social upheaval that underlie the booming Chinese economy. [More]

March 3, 2006: Alejandro Junco de la Vega, El Norte Publisher, to Receive Missouri Honor Medal Alejandro Junco de la Vega, the publisher of El Norte in Mexico, will receive the Missouri Honor Medal for Distinguished Service in Journalism for his courageous leadership in reforming journalism in that country. Junco has built one of the most powerful newspaper conglomerates in Latin America, with dailies in Mexico's three largest cities: Mexico City (Reforma), which today ranks number one among Mexico's elite readership, Guadalajara (Mural) and Monterrey (El Norte). [More]

March 3, 2006: WSJ's Clare Ansberry Wins Darrell Sifford Memorial Prize Clare Ansberry of The Wall Street Journal is the latest winner of the Darrell Sifford Memorial Prize in Journalism. She serves as the Journal's Pittsburgh bureau chief and is a seasoned feature writer. Ansbury's winning articles, including "Uneven Care," "Frayed Lifeline" and "The Tender Trap," highlight the challenges of aging parents caring for a disabled child. [More]

February 2006

Feb. 27, 2006: Two Missouri Graduate Students Receive Health Journalism Fellowships Missouri School of Journalism graduate students Natalie Fieleke and Leslie Yingling are among the 20 recipients of the 2006 AHCJ-Missouri Health Journalism Fellowships. The Association of Health Care Journalists, which moved to the Missouri School of Journalism last summer, granted the fellowships to Fieleke and Yingling to support their attendance at Health Journalism 2006, the seventh national conference of AHCJ. [More]

Feb. 27, 2006: Missouri-Moscow State Faculty Collaborate to Offer New Convergence Course Seven Missouri School of Journalism faculty are working with 13 Moscow State University faculty in Russia this semester to teach a media convergence journalism course modeled on the School's new sequence in this area. The new course being offered to 50 MGU students brings together American and Russian teachers who specialize in different aspects of journalism, including photography, radio, television and print reporting, graphic design and Web publishing. [More]

Feb. 17, 2006: Ad Fair Helps Advertising and Public Relations Companies Meet, Recruit Top Applicants Missouri School of Journalism students had the opportunity to meet, interview and make formal contacts with recruiters in the advertising and public relations fields at the fifth annual Ad Fair. [More]

Feb. 14, 2006: Ten Missouri Journalism Students Win Dow Jones Editing Internships Ten Missouri Journalism students have been selected for the prestigious 2006 Dow Jones Newspaper Fund summer internships in newspaper copy editing and sports copy editing. The students were among the 115 students selected from an applicant pool of more than 600. [More]

Feb. 14, 2006: Missouri Students Tour Top European Media Outlets Thirteen students from the Missouri School of Journalism spent the first two weeks in Jan. touring some of the finest European capitals, museums and media outlets in Paris, France; Brussels, Belgium; Madrid, Spain; and Frankfurt/Heidelberg, Germany. This was the third year the School has sponsored the European Study Tour. [More]

Feb. 13, 2006: Professional Experience, Networking Benefit Students in Washington Program Divya Abhat, a Missouri Journalism master's student, is meeting influential Washington journalists, visiting newsrooms and other professional sites, networking with alumni and taking advantage of the museums, historical points of interest and other treasures in the nation's capital. Abhat is one of a record 22 students enrolled in the Washington Program, now in its nearly 40th year. [More]

Feb. 13, 2006: BBDO Managing Director to Deliver Raymond M. Solomon Memorial Lecture Nancy Hill, executive vice president and managing director of BBDO New York, will be the 2006 Raymond M. Solomon Memorial Lecture speaker. Hill oversees BBDO's largest accounts, including HBO and Visa, and helped launch the "Life Needs" and "Want a better Internet" campaigns for AOL. Her talk will begin at 5:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 16, in Fisher Auditorium. [More]

Feb. 6, 2006: Two Journalism Students Win Hearst Writing Awards Missouri School of Journalism student Dusty Luthy and recent graduate Elspeth Reeve are among the top 20 winners in the in-depth writing competition for the 2005-2006 Hearst Journalism Awards. Luthy won seventh place in the competition; Reeve tied for twentieth place. [More]

Feb. 6, 2006: Upcoming Publishing Summit to Provide Professional Development, Networking, Student Recruitment Opportunities The second annual Publishing Summit will provide publication professionals from the Midwest with the opportunity to improve their skills, network and get reenergized about their profession. Sponsored by the Missouri Association of Publications (MAP), the event will take place on Thursday and Friday, March 2-3, on the University of Missouri campus. [More]

Feb. 6, 2006: New PRIME Lab Web Site to Facilitate Sharing of Media Effects Research With the launch of the new PRIME Lab Web site, faculty, students and other scholars will have an easier way to share data and other information about media effects research. The PRIME (Psychological Research on Information and Media Effects) Lab is equipped to conduct advanced research on how different features of media messages affect attention, emotion and memory. [More]

Feb. 1, 2006: Newspaper Journalism Student Named Best Intern in National Editing Program Missouri School of Journalism student Diego Sorbara has been chosen as the 2006 Ed Trayes Scholar, an honor given to the best intern in the Dow Jones Newspaper Fund's intensive copy editing summer program. Sorbara, the award's second recipient, received a $1,000 scholarship. Approximately 100 students participate in this national internship program each year. [More]

Feb. 1, 2006: School Welcomes Two New Faculty Members The Missouri School of Journalism welcomed two new professors to its Radio-Television Journalism faculty this semester. Holly Edgell is an assistant professor and executive producer at KOMU. Sarah Ashworth is an assistant professor and the news director at KBIA radio, one of the most successful National Public Radio stations in the nation. [More]

January 2006

Jan. 24, 2006: Former Tina Hills Fellow Wins International Award A story with its roots in a journalism master's thesis has won the European Commission Lorenzo Natali Prize in the Latin America and the Caribbean zone. Marina Walker Guevara, MA '05, from Mendoza, Argentina, wrote a 4,000-word account about the environmental and health threats posed by a St. Louis-based mining company, Doe Run Co., in a small Peruvian town in the Andes. Guevara is one of 15 journalists selected from a pool of nearly 1,000 from Latin America, Africa, Asia and Europe for the Lorenzo Natali award. [More]

Jan. 23, 2006: Award-Winning Photojournalist Ami Vitale to Visit Missouri for Lecture Ami Vitale, an award-winning photojournalist best known for her international news and cultural documentation work with Getty, will share insights and tips with Missouri School of Journalism students and other interested persons at an upcoming presentation at 7 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 26, in the University of Missouri Museum of Art and Archaeology in Pickard Hall. A reception will follow the 90-minute lecture in the Cast Gallery. [More]

Jan. 17, 2006: Innovative Digital eMprint Delivers Breaking News With a federal court's decision on the public school teaching of "intelligent design" looming in mid-Dec., Nieman Reports Editor Melissa Ludtke knew that her upcoming issue of the quarterly journalism magazine, with a collection of articles about news coverage of the intelligent design debate, would not reach its worldwide audience of journalists before the judge issued his ruling. Using an eMprint newsbook, however - a pioneering digital publishing platform - Ludtke was able to send a section of stories by e-mail to hundreds of journalists worldwide who are Nieman Fellow alumni. [More]

Jan. 12, 2006: Two Journalism Students Win Hearst Broadcast Awards Missouri School of Journalism students Travis Thompson and Marie Saavedra are among the top 20 winners in the features competition of the 2005-2006 Hearst Journalism Awards for broadcast news. Thompson tied for seventeenth place; Saavedra tied for nineteenth place. The Hearst Journalism Awards Program is presented annually under the auspices of the Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication (ASJMC) with full-funding by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation. [More]