He has been to every Olympics since 1980 and is one of two primary anchors for all Olympic programming. 2008 marked Jack’s 16th straight Olympics for the AP where he served as the anchor of the daily recap podcast. He also anchors the weekly AP College Basketball podcast and covers major sporting events.

Before joining AP, Jack was a sportscaster in several major cities around the country. He was the play-by-play voice of the ABA’s Utah Stars and for several years called college basketball games. Jack graduated from Ohio University and is originally from Cleveland, Ohio.

Where? Alden Library Rm. 319 (Friends of the Library Room)

When? Jan. 26, 2012 at 6 PM (Free Admission)

[Source: Converge website]

Information for the London (Olympics) program will be held Jan. 26 (5 p.m. in Singtao 101) and Feb. 13 (7-8 p.m. in Singtao 101).

An information session for the Leipzig (travel writing) program will be Feb. 1 (5 p.m. in Scripps 108).

A word about study abroad

Having grown up overseas, I can assure you that getting off of “The Island” (i.e., the U.S. mainland) can be a very important part of becoming a journalist or media professional, indeed, a world citizen. Just talk to any of our students who recently returned from Zambia.

I’m very excited about the two programs we’re offering this summer. Hey, the Olympics! Are you kidding me? And a second program on travel writing in the former East German city of Leipzig. Pretty cool. (Ironically, Leipzig was the city that Germany nominated to host the 2012 Olympics!)

Speaking of Leipzig, next week I’m headed there, in part to celebrate the 60th birthday of my friend and colleague, Prof. Dr. Ruediger Steinmetz. We’re now in our 20th year of working together on programs that benefit his German and and my American students.

I first met Prof. Steinmetz in December, 1992, my first time in Leipzig. Just three years before that visit, the Berlin Wall had opened up, creating incredible exchange opportunities never before considered possible.

During those years, our very own Prof. Kevin Grieves was a journalist working in Germany for CNN. He covered the collapse of East Germany and the unification that followed. That’s one of the reasons I’m very excited about the program he has created, along with Prof. Mirit Shoham in Communication Studies.

Here’s some information about the Leipzig program:

Travel at the Crossroads of Europe: Communicating Culture and Place
Leipzig, Germany Study Abroad Program Summer 2012

We will be holding an Information Session for all who have already applied, all are in the process of applying, or who are interested in the program. We will accept applications past the Feb. 1 deadline for those who attend the info session.

The program directors will be at the session to answer any questions. Our Office of Education Abroad point person will also be there. Bring any questions you might have related to funding, application procedures, program logistics, things to see and do in Germany, etc. You will also have a chance to meet Leipzig students who are studying at OU. Light refreshments will be served.

If you are unable to attend the info session, but are interested in the program, contact the program directors as soon as possible:

Dr. Mirit Shoham (shoham@ohio.edu; 740-593-9159)
Dr. Kevin Grieves (grieves@ohio.edu; 740-593-2616)

THE PROGRAM:

Experiencing other cultures is an increasingly vital component of living in a more globalized world. The program and field experience will help in preparing students to communicate with and about different cultures. This program explores travel and tourism as students are immersed in a different culture. Students will learn from their own travel experiences and will investigate how various places and cultures are promoted through communication of identity. We will explore entertainment, food, environmental issues, history, social dynamics, and business as facets of cultural identity.

2012 marks the 20th anniversary of the close relationship between Ohio University and the University of Leipzig. That close relationship has resulted in a number of connections, including study abroad programming. Leipzig, Germany, is rich in history and culture. Excursions to Berlin and to Dresden are also among the plans. In addition to Ohio University’s longstanding relationship with the University of Leipzig, this city was featured in a New York Times article of the top 31 places to visit in 2010!

Program dates: June 19-July 13, 2012.

The program is open to undergraduate and graduate students in the Scripps College of Communication. Students from HTC as well as other students across campus who have ideally had some communication coursework are also welcome to apply. There is no language prerequisite for the program.

For the Olympics/London program:

The Office of Education Abroad and the Institute for International Journalism (IIJ) are accepting applications for a summer study abroad program to London, England, July 23 through August 13, 2012. Professor Hans Meyer, program director, said the program will give students hands on experience with the the world’s most prestigious global sporting event.

Students with a 2.5 GPA or higher are eligible to apply. Successful applicants will participate in weekly orientation sessions as part of the mandatory pre-departure course work in the Spring Quarter, instructed by IIJ Director Dr. Yusuf Kalyango.

Students who wish to learn the multimedia facets of global communication and reporting are encouraged to apply for the program; but all students in the Scripps College of Communication who are interested in international affairs, global communication, visual communication, entertainment, and global sports can apply. Students will earn credits for two courses: Specialized Journalism (JOUR461) with Dr. Kalyango while here on campus to prepare for the trip, and Sports Journalism (JOUR470) with Dr. Meyer while in London.

According to the program coordinator, Lawrence Tuccori, in the Office of Education Abroad, “participants will work with the AP and USOC (US Olympic Committee) to cover Olympics events, and will attend at least two Olympic events as a group.” This will allow students access to practices and a tour of the Media Center.

Ohio University alumnus, Jack Briggs, assistant sports director for the Associated Press, has covered sixteen Olympics, and will share his experience with students interested in International Sports Reporting at an informational session on January 26, 2012 at 6 p.m. in Alden 319.

Fourteen students will be chosen to participate in this once in a lifetime opportunity. Join us January 26 at 5pm or on February 13 at 7pm in Sing Tao 101 across the street from Scripps Hall, for the two information sessions about the program.

Students can find out more about the program through the IIJ office located in Scripps Hall or the Office of Education Abroad in the Walter International Education Center. Application deadline is February 20, 2012; so apply today for the London Olympic program.

For information about the London Education Abroad visit http://www.ohio.edu/educationabroad/Programs/OlympicsLondon.html

For more information contact

Dr. Hans Meyer
206 Scripps Hall
meyerh@ohio.edu
Office: 597.3084

Or 205 Scripps Hall (IIJ)
597.3335

Listen to the 30 minute program.

This (free!) annual event is sponsored by our Society of Alumni & Friends. Its purpose is simple and direct: help graduating journalism students get a job! What could be better than that? (Did I mention that it is free?)

Here are the important details:

a) The 10th annual Scripps Senior Saturday will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012, in Scripps Hall.

b) You will receive a resume critique as well as advice on your portfolios, cover letters, job hunting strategies, and more (and it’s free).

c) This year we have two keynote speakers: Meghan Louttit (BSJ ’08) of the New York Times and Ryan Lytle (BSJ ’10), who competed in the MTV TJ competition and now works for U.S. News and World Report. Meghan and Ryan will tag-team a talk about creating your brand.

d) Scripps Howard Visiting Professional (and JSchool alum) Andy Alexander (BSJ ’72) will talk about how to network with more seasoned alumni out in Bobcat Nation.

e) A panel of new graduates will offer their tips for surviving in the real world and being a valuable—and happy—first-year employee.

f) Professional panels will help students to connect with professionals and alumni in their specific fields.

If you are a senior journalism student, you should attend this (free!!) program! If you haven’t yet registered, it isn’t too late. Email Debbie Depeel at depeel@ohio.edu with your name and choice of professional panel by the end of the day this Friday (Jan. 20).

NOTE: More information will be posted on the group’s Facebook page at facebook.com/ScrippsSAF — and you can follow @SAF_OU on Twitter for updates.

Prof. Ellen Gerl, designated by the JSchool as the “leader of the pack” on Q2S, led us through an advising workshop to get us all ready to complete so-called “TDCP”* forms with our students over the course of the next few weeks.

Yes, it’s the task we all knew would come: The creation each student’s customized academic plan for graduation. Given the university’s switch to the semester plan, plus the JSchool’s overhaul of our curriculum, this transition can seem overwhelming. Completing the TDCP is a way to confront reality, to sort out what concerns are real and what concerns are based on myth.

If you are an undergraduate journalism major, here’s the takeaway from this morning’s workshop: BEFORE your upcoming advising session, download the TDCP form as well as Q2S Checksheet; using that checksheet as a guide, fill out (using a pencil!) the TDCP form as a preliminary plan for completing your degree. Bring that TDCP form with you to your advising session as a kind of conversation “starter.” By the end of the advising session, you and your adviser will have the final TDCP form completed and signed. All of those TDCP forms will be forwarded to me or Prof. Hugh Martin for another sign-off before it is forwarded to the dean’s office for a last look-over. Once the dean’s office has signed off on your TDCP form, your plan will be official.

One final point about the TDCP form. Yes, you can still graduate if you make a change or two to your plan, but be advised that you should check with your adviser if/when you make such changes. The greater the change, the greater the urgency to check with your adviser.

*“Transitional Degree Completion Plan”

The documentary, produced in cooperation with ProPublica, details the plot by an American (David Coleman Headley) who confessed to helping plan the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India.

New York Times columnist Mike Hale included the documentary in his “10 Favorite TV Shows of 2011” compilation.

Read more about the film on the PBS website.

The story, written by Audrey Rabalais, caught my attention because my daughter, a doctoral student at the University of Wisconsin, took up roller derby last year and very much delights in telling me of this recent “bout” or that. For Christmas this year she gave me a T-shirt with her number (594) and derby nickname (“Maul’s Dolls”) on the back.

Rabalais’ article gave me an understanding of the sport’s appeal, and filled in some knowledge gaps about the regional popularity of roller derby.

Other articles in the same issue touched on the coal mine industry, the Underground Railroad, a bed and breakfast in Logan, Ohio, country rappers, and one of my favorites — a journalist born in 1844 New Lexington who became a foreign correspondent covering major international conflicts.

For these stories and much, much more, go to your local newsstand and pick up a copy of the Winter 2012 issue of Southeast Ohio magazine — the one with Rena Loebker, an Athens, Ohio baker, in full roller derby gear.

>> Trips with our students to New York City and Washington DC to visit top media companies such as the New York Times, NPR, C-SPAN, CNBC, the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post.

NOTE: These trips were organized with tremendous help from our alumni.

>> Hosting (through our Institute for International Journalism) 17 journalism educators from around the world this summer.

>> Reading Tweets and blog posts written by our students in Zambia this winter break (see photos).

>> Observing faculty and graduate students presenting their research at this year’s AEJMC in St. Louis.

>> Celebrating our students’ many achievements, such as the PRSSA Chapter’s “Outstanding Chapter Newsletter” award (see newsletter).

>> Hosting Brandt Ayers, recipient of our top award for lifetime achievement, the Carr Van Anda. Ayers is publisher of the Anniston Star (in my hometown of Anniston, Alabama).

>> Hosting our first (and I hope, not last!) Mel Helitzer Humor in Communication Lecture, featuring comedian and commentator Lee Camp.

>> Attending the Creating the Future: Managing Media in the Digital Age at the outset of the Fall quarter. Check out the video interview I did with Scripps CEO Rich Boehne, a featured speaker at the conference.

>> Interviewing alumni and current students about their on-campus (and beyond) experiences that shape their careers.

>> Our opening event for the E.W. Scripps Statehouse News Bureau. Read stories by fellows in the program.

>> Hosting my classmate from grad school, Bob McChesney, as well as Craig Aaron from Freepress.

>> Hosting alumnus Jonathan Peters for our inaugural Kappa Tau Alpha Lecture.

>> Attending the inaugural Ohio Sunshine Summit, organized by students in our SPJ and RTDNA chapters.

>> Listening (and watching) long-time National Geographic photographer William Allard speak at the Schuneman Symposium.

NOTE: The introduction by Smitty Schuneman is not to be missed.

>> Seeing our social media “Swat” team realize our goal of becoming more interactive on Facebook and Twitter.

>> Hosting Brian Stelter of the New York Times shortly after the release of Page One, a documentary that features media writers at the venerable newspaper are featured. Listen to the podcast of his presentation in my JOUR 101 class.

See the list of courses that fulfill this requirement.

Media stops included Cox, the Washington Post, C-SPAN, Bloomberg, NPR, and Scripps Howard News Service. We also met up with our alum, Clarence Page (BSJ ’69), two-time Pulitzer Prize winning columnist for the Chicago Tribune.

And just for fun we spent some time at the Newseum (thanks for the free tickets!), the National Press Club, and the Senate Press Gallery.

I should mention that the visits were arranged with the assistance of our DC alumni, and coordinated by Andy Alexander (BSJ ’72) — currently the school’s Scripps Howard Visiting Professional.