After Missouri Governor Resigns, Missourian Reporters Tell Underclassmen How They Covered One of the Biggest Stories of the Year
The recent resignation of Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens provided a group of Mizzou undergraduate students with an unplanned, breaking-news opportunity to interact with other journalism students covering the story and see firsthand how the Missouri Method – learning by doing – yielded deadline-driven results.
By Nate Brown
Columbia, Mo. (June 8, 2018) — For a group of sophomores, breaking news turned a routine class trip to the Columbia Missourian into a master class on the Missouri Method.
During the Missourian’s daily budget meeting, the introductory news students heard from the reporters and editors who worked on the big story of the day: the resignation of Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens.
News Editor Elizabeth Stephens emphasized although rumors began swirling Tuesday afternoon about a possible resignation, the paper was in a wait-and-see mode until Greitens addressed the public.
“The cost of being wrong is higher than [the reward of] being first,” she told the JOURN 2100 students.
Graduate student Kathryn Palmer, who wrote the cover story, told the students she was in Jefferson City for a hearing and was preparing to leave when she learned of Greitens’ upcoming media conference.
“There was uncertainty to what was going on,” she said. “I didn’t hear the ‘R’ word until five minutes before [the media conference] started.”
Mark Horvit, director of the Missouri School of Journalism’s State Government Reporting Program, commended Palmer on her work to the students.
“It’s not luck,” he said. “[She] put [herself] in the right place. That’s the key.”
Print and Digital News student Noah Higgins-Dunn said he was in the newsroom on general assignment when the story broke. His front-page story focused on Lt. Gov. Mike Parson, who became Missouri’s 57th governor on June 1. Higgins-Dunn had previously reported on Parson and his possible ascension to governor.
“There are people there to help you” on a large story like this, Higgins-Dunn told the visiting class. In fact, reporters and editors alike praised the group of advanced News Reporting students who made calls and got reactions from legislators to supplement Higgins-Dunn’s and Palmer’s stories.
“There might be one name on the byline,” Palmer said. “But it’s seriously a group effort.”
That group effort extended to two assistant city editors – graduate student Sky Chadde and undergraduate Titus Wu – who previously covered the state legislature for the Missourian.
“Because it’s summer, there are fewer reporters in the newsroom,” said Professor Mike Jenner, interim executive editor for the Columbia Missourian. “This is a good example of everybody dropping what they were doing to pitch in to help.”
Assistant Professor and Director of Photography for the Missourian Brian Kratzer also commended Kyle Brown, who designed the front page; photo editor and graduate student Liv Paggiarino; and photojournalism student Jenna Kieser, who immediately drove to the state capital for photos.
Even with a newsroom full of reporters, added Higgins-Dunn, “The key is stepping up and saying ‘I got this.'”
The lively discussion then shifted to possible articles for the next day’s paper – stories that were dropped from Wednesday’s issue, the impact of Greitens’ resignation on Missouri’s U.S. Senate race, Mizzou basketball star Jontay Porter and the NBA draft – and who would cover the transition of power from Greitens to Parson on June 1. It didn’t take long for advanced journalism student Matthew Hall to step up and volunteer for the June 1 trip to Jefferson City.
For Hall – and his classmates – it’s just another day working the Missouri Method: learning by doing.
Updated: November 4, 2020
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2019
- Sep 30, 2019 Missourian wins 64 awards at the 2019 Missouri Press Association Awards
- Sep 06, 2019 Missouri School of Journalism to Host Open House, Offer Guided Tours In Conjunction with Family Weekend 2019
- Feb 25, 2019 Journalism students gain hands-on experience while providing statehouse coverage to news outlets across the state
- Jan 28, 2019 NewsPro names Associate Professor Mark Horvit a 2019 Noteworthy Journalism Educator
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2018
- Dec 06, 2018 Senior Kaitlin Washburn Receives $1,000 Jane Geisse Scholarship in Investigative Reporting
- Jun 08, 2018 After Missouri Governor Resigns, Missourian Reporters Tell Underclassmen How They Covered One of the Biggest Stories of the Year
- Jun 05, 2018 Missouri School of Journalism Earns First Place in Broadcast Radio and TV Category of Hearst Journalism Awards Program
- Jun 01, 2018 Ruby Bailey Named Missouri Community Newspaper Management Chair
- May 09, 2018 4 Missouri Journalism Students Win Dow Jones News Fund Internships
- 2017
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2012
- Sep 26, 2012 Columbia Missourian Wins 65 Awards in 2012 Missouri Press Association's Better Newspaper Contest
- Sep 12, 2012 Missourian Front Sports Page Cited as One of the 'Most Interesting Weekend Front Pages' by National Design Critic
- Jul 25, 2012 Journalism Students Produce 10-Part Series on Book Challenges in Missouri's Public Schools
- Jul 11, 2012 Missouri Journalism Students Document Lives and Dreams of Millennial Generation - Ages 16 to 35 - in the State
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2008
- Dec 22, 2008 Columbia Missourian to Continue as a Home-Delivery Print Newspaper; Two Editions to Be Discontinued
- Nov 25, 2008 Missouri Journalism Student, Alumnus Win Awards in Society of Environmental Journalists' National Contest
- Mar 14, 2008 Missouri School of Journalism Welcomes Two New Faculty Members
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