E.W. Scripps School of Journalism :: Ohio Journalist

A word from the Director

Robert Stewart — 2011-06-13T00:00:00-05:00

When I became director last year, outgoing director Tom Hodson told me that one of the challenges he hoped I would take on was the bringing together of the various generations of JSchool alumni. To grossly over simplify, Tom felt that the alumni he related to had studied with him back in the late 1960s. Alumni with whom I related more likely had graduated since my arrival at Ohio University in 1987. Of course, the most recent alumni studied after the advent of the social media revolution, thus are armed with all of the digital dexterity necessary to stay in touch with us and each other. But older alums can struggle a bit when it comes to embracing and using such tools for everyday communication. My guess is, if you were Facebook friends while in college, you are more likely to remain Facebook friends after college. Otherwise, you may not have the digital mechanism to connect, thus the generation gap among our alumni. The question that Tom asked me last year, and at least one “senior” alumni has asked as well, is: Does it matter that there seems to be a “Generation Gap” separating our alumni? We can easily might be: What’s in it for the older generation, beyond the warm glow of connecting to a fellow Bobcat? I recently found the answer. On a recent trip with business journalism students to New York City, we had a “social” for my students and our Big Apple alumni. I witnessed the “a ha” moment, when it became clear to me why it is that our older alumni might want to have easy contact with more recent grads. Larry Neumeister, long-time AP reporter and managing editor of The Post back in 1981, sat with Ellie Behling, who graduated in 2007 and now works for a Web startup in lower Manhattan. During the social, Behling schooled Neumeister on the nitty-gritty of Tweeting, which the AP has asked him to do as part of his job. In the safety of the Bobcat “cloud” of good feeling surrounding alumni from the JSchool, Behling could, with the good humor that comes naturally to her, coach Larry on good Twitter etiquette, technique, style, etc. A not-so-trival “gift” from a member of the School’s Society of Alumni and Friends.

One obvious exception, I should note, is Dick Linke, who graduated 70 years ago. Dick is a force greater than nature. He lives in Hawaii with his wife, Bettina (also a JSchool alumna), and continues to stay in close contact with friends in Athens. But if you want to connect with Dick Linke, you have to pick up a phone or send a letter (Note: I am Facebook friends with Bettina, so can contact Dick through her). On a recent vacation in Hawaii, I had the chance to interview Dick about his career as well as his student days in Athens back in the 1930s and early ‘40s. You can watch that video on our YouTube channel.

If you follow the SAF on Twitter you’ve probably already read about our “Bootcamp” on July 16. At the request of a recent alum, focuses on social media, and will be conducted by 2010 graduate Ryan Lytle. The perfect combo, as far as I’m concerned. Prof. Evarts is passionate about grammar. Lytle is passionate about using social media to connect and communicate. And is it an accident that the event comes on the concluding day of Athens’ Brew Week? I don’t think so. The 2011 edition of the Ohio Journalist can be downloaded as a PDF.

2011 Schuneman Symposium

OJ Staff — 2011-06-12T00:00:00-05:00

National Geographic photographer William Allard (right) inspired photo journalism students at Ohio University as he shared many of his stories from his career that has spanned the last five decades. Here he talks to Smitty Schuneman (left). “You’ve got to have a passion, if you don’t have a passion, someone with less talent will go by you.” John Kaplan (BSJ/MSJ) presented the crowd with a screening and discussion of his personal documentary, “Not As I Pictured,” on his battle with cancer. “I was unexpectedly diagnosed with not one type of non Hodskins Lymphoma a couple of years ago but two separate distinct cases and, you know, I was blindsided,” said Kaplan. “...I really needed a way to cope with my fear.” Photoshelter founder Grover Sanschagrin spoke to an audience about the importance of photographers focusing on self-branding and marketing themselves to a niche industry. Along with Photoshelter and Sportsshooter, for which he is executive producer, Sanschagrin blogs about tequila in his blog TasteTequila.com. OU alum Mike Webb (BSJ) of ProPublica spoke on the subject of nonprofit newsrooms and their implementation into the rest of the media world. He hit on topics ranging on all aspects of the nonprofit news world, from investigative journalism to ethics and corruption to funding. John Kaplan, Tracey Marx from the OU College of Osteopathic Medicine, and documentary maker Casey Hayward discussed medicine and the various methods that media portray it. All three speakers have used alternative media methods to convey stories related to cancer. They said these alternative methods are both successful and rewarding. University Illinois professor and Free Press founder Robert McChesney spoke on the benefits of an independent press in America. “It’s the duty of the United States to ensure that there is journalism. That’s every bit as important as making sure that it isn’t censored once it exists,” said McChesney. “Without an independent press, the whole system collapses. We lose our freedoms, we lose everything.” He is pictured here standing with Mr. and Mrs. Schuneman outside of the Baker Ballroom. Watch his keynote presentation below:

2011 edition PDF

OJ Staff — 2011-06-11T00:00:00-05:00

The 2011 edition of the Ohio Journalist can be downloaded as a PDF.

Passion Drive

Rika Nurrahmah & Elizabeth Sheffield — 2011-06-11T00:00:00-05:00

The E.W. Scripps School is filled with talent—and not just in journalism. Many students boast a wide array of interests ranging from sports to the arts, computers to hiking. These side passions often get castaside in an effort to maintain a respectable GPA. However, for these four graduates, their passions ended up being one of the driving forces in their journalistic careers. Check out their biographies and see where their hobbies have taken them today. Chelsea Toy (BSJ '10) PASSION: horses, horse barrel racing CURRENT POSITION: The HTC grad currently works for American Cowboy and Spin to Win Rodeo magazine as group managing editor. Her research-intensive position allows her to cover various scopes, including history, event coverage and news, and style and fashion. HER LIFE IN EQUESTRIAN: Toy was a powerhouse student in high school, achieving good grades and getting involved in just about everything including the school’s newspaper and yearbook. Her main focus has always been horses. “I would leave school all the time for my horses, have them waiting outside in the parking lot,” Toy said. COLLEGIATE JOURNALISM CAREER: This grad went to OU for the journalism program, but she was also interested in its heavy focus on politics and international affairs. “I wanted to go to Africa, The Middle East, and Asia and I got to do all those things in college,” Toy said. She was also a JSchool ambassador, a reporter for the Athens NEWS campus staff, staff member at InterActivist Magazine, and member of the Campus Progress National Advisory Board. HOW SHE JUGGLED JOURNALISM & HER PASSION: “I’m really good with time management,” Toy admits. “I don’t have any secrets to it – guess I don’t get overwhelmed easily.” Toy spent her whole college career juggling horses and school and was also heavily involved in being a reporter for the Athens News, writing 4 to 5 stories a week. She told OJ that she made sure to “separate 2 to 3 hours of my day to dedicate myself to just be with horses.” “It’s a matter of balance of what you care about,” Toy concludes. Wilbert L. Cooper (BSJ '10) PASSION: music CURRENT POSITION: Cooper served as editorial intern at Time Out: New York (TONY) and has since become a regular-basis, freelance to contributor to TONY. His beat is music lists and music themed packages, but a lot of his coverage involved live concert previews and reviews. HIS LIFE IN MUSIC: While in college, Cooper got together a few of his friends to form The Red Army. Within the span of his four years the band transformed from an acoustic duo to a full electric band, released an album, and even performed as The Bad Brains for a cover show. COLLEGIATE JOURNALISM CAREER: In 2008, Will was writer and marketing director for Backdrop magazine during its inception. Call him the “hype man” of Backdrop. He later went on to serve as marketing director. HOW HE JUGGLED JOURNALISM & HIS PASSION: When talking about degree prep, Cooper believes that the set-up of courses in both the journalism school and the university as a whole creates a flexibility that allows students to be “specialized in being specialized.” “Most places that you go to want you to do everything,” Cooper said. Incorporating his love for music into journalism happened naturally. “I know, as a musician, the terminology and I knew the musician way of talking about music. I think it was one of the reasons why I turned to that direction.” Shamus Eaton (BSJ '09) PASSION: running CURRENT POSITION: Eaton is currently a Nike run reporter at Nike.com. “When I read the job description, it was like they wrote it for me,” Eaton said of his job. HIS LIFE IN RUNNING: Eaton couldn’t avoid running if he tried. Both of his parents were runners; his dad even competed in college. He first started running in 1st grade and ran his first 5k in 2nd grade. Eaton continued on to run track and cross country in middle school and high school. During his senior year at Lake, Eaton was recruited for OU’s cross country team. He ran cross country on scholarship all four years and ran track until it was cut during his sophomore year. COLLEGIATE JOURNALISM CAREER: Eaton was going through the motions freshman and sophomore year. Junior year he came to a turning point and started looking for ways to become involved and be an active student. “I was lucky enough to fall into the group with Backdrop,” Eaton said. Eaton held the position of associate editor and senior editor while at Backdrop magazine. HOW HE JUGGLED JOURNALISM & HIS PASSION: “On the most fundamental level, running gave me a passion to write about. In classes, people struggled to find content,” Eaton said. ”The first thing [running] did was give me a subject, something I loved. I knew about the subject, so that really helped.” By the time Eaton had reached college, running had become so much part of his life that it hardly conflicted with academics. Instead, it provided him with what he had aspired to do throughout his adolescence: “They both came together to make the college experience what it was. I was a real student athlete.” Jen Ator (BSJ '08) PASSION: sports CURRENT POSITION: Ator is the fitness editor at Women’s Health. “As the fitness editor, there is never a shortage of workouts for me to try! Whether I’m testing a new class or meeting to work out with a new trainer, I’m fortunate that my job gives me the opportunity to stay active,” she said. HER LIFE IN SPORTS: Sports have always been a part of Ator’s life. “There was never a season of the year where I wasn’t on a team or in a camp,” she said. During her middle school and high school years, Ator narrowed down her passions to field hockey and lacrosse. “...When it came time to think about college, I just couldn’t have imagined putting down my lacrosse stick,” Ator said. She continued to play for OU’s Women’s Lacrosse team until it was disbanded along with three men’s D1 sports in 2007. COLLEGIATE JOURNALISM CAREER: Ator was initially a staff writer for Speakeasy before working through a series of positions at POISEfashion.com, a fashion webzine that was published from 2005 to 2007. While at POISE, Ator held a variety of positions, starting as a staff writer and ultimately becoming the senior editor/vice president. Ator completed two quarters of Southeast Ohio, her second as editor-in-chief. HOW SHE JUGGLED JOURNALISM & HER PASSION: “From the very beginning, lacrosse helped me maintain a structure that most non-athletes didn’t have,” Ator said. Even after the end of her collegiate lacrosse career, Ator stayed dedicated to her team by writing a five-page feature on the team’s experience after disbandment for her feature writing class.

The Business in Journalism

Brian Grady — 2011-06-11T00:00:00-05:00

Scripps alumni from the 1970s encourage Scripps students to stop thinking like reporters, and start thinking business. “I would encourage journalists to think like entrepreneurs, and not to think that a traditional media route is the way to go,” said Rebecca Fannin, an alumna from 1977. Fannin splits her time between journalism and event planning that unites venture capitalists with entrepreneurs in China. She’s the author of “Silicon Dragon,” a book that argues China is technologically far more advanced than the United States. She also writes about international tech news for Forbes, among other publications. “Some of these Chinese companies and entrepreneurs are fairly large, and as a journalist, I’ve been in the forefront,” Fannin said. “I got inspired by their stories and became an entrepreneur myself.” Until recently, Fannin said she was similar to who intend to catch the innovation bug. “I was not entrepreneurial at all,” said Randy Rieland, class of 1973. “I was an editor of publications, but I didn’t start them. The entrepreneurial part of me now is looking at what I’ve learned, what I can do and how I can turn that into a product.” Rieland worked in print for 25 years before becoming the vice president of Interactive Media for the Discovery Channel, where he launched the company’s first website. He left Discovery two years ago to freelance and start up his own consulting company. Then there’s Rudy Maxa, class of 1971, a travelling man who hosts and owns his own public television and radio show called “Maxa’s World.” “If you had told me when I was 31-years-old that I have a radio show and I have a television series with 75 episodes on public television,” Maxa said, “I would have said, ‘What are you, nuts?’” Maxa became a writer for the Washington Post straight out of college, moved to The Washingtonian and then began his “serendipitous path” to multimedia entrepreneurship. He started hosting a two-minute radio show every other week for $75 on the public show “Market Place,” then based out of Los Angeles. Freelance travel journalism opportunities led to exposure, which eventually led to Maxa’s own show and company. Neither Rieland nor Maxa wanted anything to do with business. They said in the ’70s, young entrepreneurship was reserved for stacked family bank accounts and retail. Only later in life did Rieland and Maxa pursue their own business operations. Maxa chased entrepreneurship because he wanted to control the revenue for the travel show he hosted, and not be strapped to a video production company’s label. Rieland chased it because he’s a problem solver, and decided he works best independently. Both late-blooming entrepreneurs said 2011 graduates should start earlier. “With your generation, there’s not going to be a lot of you who plug into a news organization for over 25 years,” Rieland said. “So what you need to do is go out there thinking of yourself as a product. That’s a very different model from when I was in school.” Maxa said the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism of the 1970s was too straight edged for today’s generation. After graduation, Maxa would visit campus and give advice to students, saying, “Write as much as you can in college and get involved at the student newspaper.” “I’m sorry to say it was conventional wisdom,” he noted. Now, the Scripps College of Communication is trying to bring business in focus for media students. Entrepreneurial student organizations have launched. Student publications like The New Political and Thread continue to pop up around campus. “Journalists have a significant advantage when they think about starting a new business,” said Henry Heilbrunn, founder of Interactive Directions, a media-consulting firm for startups. “The advantage is that they communicate effectively.” Heilbrunn started as a reporter for The Associated Press. A rigid journalist with intentions of being a foreign correspondent, he was offered his first stint at innovation because he was younger than the rest of the newsroom staff. The same way today’s JSchool graduates are asked to develop a publication’s social identity online, Heilbrunn was called upon to create a company strategy for the emerging cable television. “I moved on to satellite television and eventually to startups,” Heilbrunn said. It was not only a love for writing, but also creating the story from scratch that attracted him to the world of innovation. Heilbrunn said that students should learn even a “rudimentary” knowledge of business, and advised, “knowing how to present yourself in a business environment puts you a leg up on the journalist that doesn’t.” He visited Ohio University to teach business management and new media a few years back, and says now is the time students should begin taking advantage of those classes. At low cost and significantly lower barriers to entry, starting a new business can be more fun and less painful if students can find a way to differentiate their products. “When we think about entrepreneurs today, we think about them for the most part using the technology that’s available, the information assets that are available.” Journalists who possess an insatiable curiosity, the ability to network and the willingness to work in a now “global community” have an entrepreneurial edge. Heilbrunn said an individual can become an entrepreneur at any point, including straight out of college. “A good entrepreneur leverages every life experience,” he explained. “Regardless of the length of the career.”

Our Media

Kate Irby — 2011-06-11T00:00:00-05:00

People are spending more time catching up on news than ever before, according to Pew Center Research Center survey data. But the platforms are changing drastically. In 2010, every news platform except digital suffered a loss in audience, while digital experienced a 17.1 percent audience growth. It’s no secret that digital media have been undergoing rapid developments. The convenience of finding news online and the ability to interact with the news draw in the public. But what does this mean for journalists, especially those who dream of jobs in print journalism? Garrett Downing, graduate from 2010 and a web producer at the ABC affiliate in Cleveland, WEWS, said the future does not look bright for print. “To be honest, I don’t think there’s going to be anything other than online journalism. At some point, everything will be online.” Eric Hornbeck, graduate from 2008 and reporter for Law360, also emphasized the importance of digital media in the future. “I feel like if it’s only a (print) magazine, it’s probably not going to last. Like the New Yorker has an iPad app and has all kinds of stuff on their website. I don’t know of any magazine that doesn’t promote across different platforms.” These days, any publication that doesn’t have some kind of digital platform is left in the dust. Journalists must understand social media, search engine optimization (SEO) and web design to get ahead. Ellie Behling, graduate from 2007 and a Senior Writer at eMedia Vitals, said being a good writer isn’t enough anymore; journalists have to understand aspects of digital media. “We need to understand more than just writing huge quotes and prize-winning features.” Any company or publication that doesn’t understand these will be left behind. Few to no publications in current times are only available in print without an accompanying website. More forward-thinking publications have developed applications for the iPad and other mobile devices in addition to websites. Most publications take advantage of social media like Facebook and Twitter to promote their site and generate more traffic. Embracing this knowledge has become priceless in all areas of journalism, according to Behling. “As long as you understand the web—NBC, NPR, or a web startup, or Time Magazine—they’re all going to be interested in you.” SEO has become a common term in the digital world, pressuring journalists to find creative ways to push their stories to the top of search engines like Google and Bing. Downing cited a specific example where the implications of social media are obvious. “I’ve seen a couple polls concerning the Osama bin Laden story, and a large portion of people found out about the news on Twitter before the president even said it.” Behling, who graduated under the magazine sequence, now writes in what she describes as blog-style for her all-online publication. The content focuses on the media and technology industry, giving advice to print companies that are transitioning their business to digital, making her a definite advocate of online journalism. “I knew in college that I loved digital journalism, and that it was the future,” she said. With so many new developments in the journalism world, the future remains a little unclear. Journalists wonder what other new technologies will develop in the years to come. “My bosses might say ‘what’s your dream job?’” Behling said. “And I always say I don’t have one, because I don’t know what the world is going to look like.” “I’m not even a year out, but I wouldn’t say I have a dream job because the jobs are changing so much,” Downing agreed. Hornbeck pointed out that even though the jobs are changing, the basic reporting skills remain the same. “I don’t feel like the nature of my work in online is different from in print.” With online journalism comes many concerns, especially that of journalists getting paid for their work. The public isn’t willing to pay subscriptions for content they can easily access for free online. Some journalists are having issues coming to terms with this. Downing, however, takes a more optimistic attitude. “I could sit and complain about how the revenue model is broken, I wish there was still subscriptions, or I wish it was still the golden age of television when there were sports and nothing else,” Downing said. “Or I could look at it as saying there are opportunities that have been created and developed in the past three, four or one year—whatever the timeline is—that didn’t exist because of the opportunities online. I think it’s all evolved, and to me that’s exciting rather than discouraging.”

Newer Campus Publications Updates

Kate Irby, Sarah Maloy and Elizabeth Sheffield — 2011-06-11T00:00:00-05:00

If you haven't been on campus (or the jschool's website) in a few years, you probably missed the launch of several publications over the course of the past decade. Here are brief profiles of some of the publications that journalism students have started and continue to publish.

Thread Created: 2010, First issue released Spring quarter 2010 First editor-in-chief: Jamie Ratermann Website hits: 51 per day Staff Size: 250 Mission Statement: Thread magazine is the guidebook for encouraging the creation of a personal style through confident self-expression while showcasing Athens fashion culture. Also, we hope to highlight a fashion identity through activism and cultural influence.

College Green Created: March 2009. Began regularly publishing in September 2009. First editor-in-chief: Katherine Berick, ‘10 Website hits: 75-125 per day Staff size: 20 Mission Statement: “College Green is an independent publication that explores the environmental issues affecting Southeast Ohio. The publication strives to present our audience – Athens residents and students, staff, and faculty members of Ohio University – with interesting and informative stories about the environment...”

Backdrop Created: 2007, First issue released Winter quarter 2008 First editor-in-chief: Ashley Luther Circulation: 7,000 issues per quarter Staff Size: 50-60 Mission Statement: Our magazine represents the iconic flavor of college life, with Ohio University as our backdrop. It informs, intrigues, entertains and reflects its readers in the Athens Community. The magazine coves the current issues, style, culture and feeling of college life as we live it.

Inc. Created: 2008 First editor-in-chief: Ian Bowman-Henderson Website hits: 40-50 per day Staff Size: 12 Mission Statement: INC is a publication of Ohio University’s Society of Professional Journalists. Our objective is to bring our audience all the best journalism news.

InterActivist Created: September 2003 Website hits: 10-15 per day Staff Size: 10 Mission Statement: The InterActivist is a local, progressive, non-profit publication in Athens and has been serving as a local alternative to right-wing, commercial and corporate-owned media for over five years.

Newer Campus Publications Updates

Kate Irby, Sarah Maloy and Elizabeth Sheffield — 2011-06-11T00:00:00-05:00

Here are profiles of five publications staffed by students in Scripps.

Thread Created: 2010, First issue released Spring quarter 2010 First editor-in-chief: Jamie Ratermann Website hits: 51 per day Staff Size: 250 Mission Statement: Thread magazine is the guidebook for encouraging the creation of a personal style through confident self-expression while showcasing Athens fashion culture. Also, we hope to highlight a fashion identity through activism and cultural influence.

College Green Created: March 2009. Began regularly publishing in September 2009. First editor-in-chief: Katherine Berick, ‘10 Website hits: 75-125 per day Staff size: 20 Mission Statement: “College Green is an independent publication that explores the environmental issues affecting Southeast Ohio. The publication strives to present our audience – Athens residents and students, staff, and faculty members of Ohio University – with interesting and informative stories about the environment...”

Backdrop Created: 2007, First issue released Winter quarter 2008 First editor-in-chief: Ashley Luther Circulation: 7,000 issues per quarter Staff Size: 50-60 Mission Statement: Our magazine represents the iconic flavor of college life, with Ohio University as our backdrop. It informs, intrigues, entertains and reflects its readers in the Athens Community. The magazine coves the current issues, style, culture and feeling of college life as we live it.

Inc. Created: 2008 First editor-in-chief: Ian Bowman-Henderson Website hits: 40-50 per day Staff Size: 12 Mission Statement: INC is a publication of Ohio University’s Society of Professional Journalists. Our objective is to bring our audience all the best journalism news.

InterActivist Created: September 2003 Website hits: 10-15 per day Staff Size: 10 Mission Statement: The InterActivist is a local, progressive, non-profit publication in Athens and has been serving as a local alternative to right-wing, commercial and corporate-owned media for over five years.

Living the Dream

Rika Nurrahmah — 2011-06-11T00:00:00-05:00

The first time Andy Alexander, BSJ ‘72, applied to work at the Washington Post, the publication rejected the fresh college graduate and left him “crestfallen.” “I really thought I belonged at the Washington Post,” said Alexander. Before Alexander’s career path boomeranged back to the publication in 2009 when he became the newspaper’s ombudsman, the journalist spent more than 30 years working various positions with Cox Newspapers. Alexander worked his way up from being a reporter for the Dayton Daily News in 1976, to Deputy Bureau Chief of the national staff in 1997. In 2006, he turned down the ombudsman position at the Washington Post out of disinterest. After Deborah Howell stepped down in 2008 he accepted the second offer telling himself, “why not try it?” After applying and interviewing for an entry-level political reporter position at the Associated Press Philip Elliott BSJ ‘03 received a phone call on a Saturday offering a position with AP for the 2006 midterms. He moved to Washington, D.C. the following Monday from his job at Evansville Courier & Press. Two years later, Elliott became AP’s White House reporter under the Obama administration. “So much of this business is about connections and networks,” said Elliott over email. “A former professor at Ohio University [Douglass K. Daniel] opened the door for this job.” The stepping stones to these major publication companies are a mixture of credibility, hard work, networking, and pure luck. On top of excelling in their professions, both Alexander and Elliott were linked to the right people, at the right place, at the right time. But after holding these positions for several years, what has it been like to work for what many journalists perceive as “dream publications”? Alexander was ombudsman during a “tumultuous time” for the Post. The publication restructured its entire newsroom, integrated its online and print operations, and lost an estimated 40 million dollars in 2009 (“my best guess,” comments Alexander) that resulted in downsizing its staff. “Not a bad time to be an ombudsman,” said Alexander in chuckles, “because if you love the news business and you want to be a part of really seeing this transformation take place – boy it was all in front of me.” Now a “former” ombudsman (he recently stepped down after his two-year term) he said that a challenge was constantly communicating with complaints from readers “who don’t trust you,” having to break the complaints to the newsroom asking them what they have to say, and being completely independent of the newspaper make the position “the most lonely job you can possibly ever have.” But that doesn’t mean there weren’t positives. “The great part is that it’s challenging work, but really interesting work,” said Alexander. As for Elliott, he recently shifted back to political coverage for AP. But Elliott considers his former White House reporter position both “an honor and a challenge.” “There’s nothing quite like walking to the Northwest Gate of the White House, showing the bright red press badge and being waved through by uniformed Secret Service folks who know you by sight,” Elliott said. Elliott got the White House beat after developing a relationship with his sources on the campaign trail. The AP reporter frequently wrote about “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” which included a story about Cindy McCain and her daughter Meghan actively taking a stance in opposition and their appearance in the NOH8 ads. Elliot said that the White House beat was a job he held at the right time. “Covering the beginning of the Obama administration was a great chance to see history in the making,” Elliott said. “Not only is President Obama a transformational figure, he captured the attention and imagination of a nation looking to turn the page on an unpopular presidency.” Elliott said that the election of Obama was a “once-a career news event,” adding that he was “very, very lucky” to get the White House beat in 2008 at the age of 27. Although he agrees that his position is “high-profile,” he said the rise of news sites has made it easier for young journalists to get to his level. “... News organizations such as Huffington Post and Real Clear Politics are working with a staff just as young, just as hungry and, often, just as scoop-focused,” he said. “The proliferation of news sites has made it, in some ways, easier for young journalists to work at this level very quickly and prove themselves.” Both Alexander and Elliott, although on different points in their career, think they have not reached the pinacle of their careers. Complacency in their jobs, to them, means it’s time to go in a new direction. “The day I feel I can do any job in my sleep, the day I don’t wake up panicked that I’m missing something, the day I don’t find myself cursing about and, often, at a source who leaked a nugget to someone not me – that’s the day I need a new challenge,” Elliott said.

The Ohio Sunshine Summit

Robert Faris — 2011-06-11T00:00:00-05:00

This year, to correspond with National Sunshine Week, which takes place every February, Ohio University students and staff organized a Sunshine Summit. Approximately 155 students, faculty and professional journalists from across the state registered to attend the summit, including at least 100 out-of-towners who braved the bitter Ohio weather. The Sunshine Summit was dedicated to helping start a conversation about access to public records at public universities in Ohio. It invited speakers and panelists from across the country to come and speak with students, faculty, staff and professional journalists. The summit began with an overview of what sunshine laws are and how they apply to universities in Ohio. It also provided a lot of information to student journalists about their first amendment rights in regard to public records, something many young journalists have no idea about. Sunshine laws govern what types of documents are considered public records, and provide access

What Students Are Saying: “The Summit taught me about the boundaries of being a journalist and what my rights are as both a reporter and a U.S. citizen, some people confuse those rights but the Sunshine Summit showed participants that journalists are part of the broader spectrum of society.” Brooke Bunce, Freshman (BSJ ’14) “The Sunshine Summit taught me more about my rights as a journalist and how people can’t deny me of them even if I am a student.” Sandhya Kambhampati, Freshman (BSJ ‘14) “For the first time ever, students from across the state came together and spoke with one voice and told our administrators enough is enough with the culture of hostility.” Evan Millward, Senior (BSJ ‘11)

The idea for the Sunshine Summit came over the past few years, as Ohio University student journalists began to have major problems with getting access to university and public records. Back in September, Evan Millward, Jamie Ratermann and Taylor Mirfendereski decided that this year's Sunshine Week would be special, they were going to do something big. The Sunshine Summit was born. During the summit a number of distinguished journalists and journalism instructors from multiple universities held a panel to answer students’ questions about public records. Some of the more distinguished visiting panelists and speakers included the president of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Hagit Limor, the regional director of the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) Vincent Duffy, former president of the Ohio Coalition for Open Government Frank Deaner. Local panelists and speakers included E.W. Scripps School of Journalism professors Aimee Edmondson, Mary Rogus and Cary Frith. Joining them was Tom Hodson, former director of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism and current interim director of the WOUB Center for Public Media. At the conclusion of the summit, a draft resolution was crafted from people’s notes and experiences. In it is a declaration that student journalists have rights to public records that must be acknowledged by the University System of Ohio. It highlights how there is a lack of uniform enforcement within the University System of Ohio with of public records laws, one that needs to be corrected urgently to preserve the openness and transparency of public institutions in order to function properly. The final resolution is available to view at the Sunshine Summit website. The closing line of the resolution spells out its main argument: “The undersigned attendees of the 2011 Ohio Sunshine Summit request an improved relationship with and transparency of university administrations.” The resolution quickly drew major attention from the national boards of both SPJ and RTDNA. Both boards have now voted to endorse and support the resolution, a strong message that what was being said at the Sunshine Summit was a national issue that needs to be addressed in almost every other state.

2011 Scripps Awards Banquet

Sarah Maloy — 2011-06-11T00:00:00-05:00

More than $100,000 was given out at the 2011 E.W. Scripps School of Journalism Banquet, held on May 11 in the Baker Center Ballroom. Incoming students, undergraduates and graduate students were all honored at the banquet, where awards were given out based on merit, organizational involvement, interests and other academic accomplishments, all to honor the students for their hard work and accomplishments. Junior Emma Morehart attended the event to accept her scholarship, to be honored as a Scripps Ambassador and to be recognized for her work on the Ohio Sunshine Summit. “I’m honored to have been able to attend two years in a row, and touched that the Scripps faculty took it upon themselves to support and honor the Sunshine Summit volunteers,” said Morehart, who received the Norman H. Dohn Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded in honor of a former professor by the Central Ohio Society of Professional Journalists chapter to an Ohio University student who is active in the campus SPJ chapter. “The event always reminds me of the varied passions within this school, and how well the school caters to those passions,” Morehart said. “There is a lot of competition within this school, but it is nice that the faculty reward this hard work, whether through scholarships or simply nice words of praise.” Faculty and alumni also were in attendance, and the OU graduates who had donated the funds presented some students their award certificates. Public relations junior Alyssa Albertone was awarded the Frank Deaner Journalism Scholarship. “I thought I was really lucky, too, because Frank Deaner was actually present at the event so I had the opportunity and pleasure of meeting the person providing me with my scholarship.” School of Journalism Director Bob Stewart interviewed many of the donating alumni and prepared a video of the interviews to be played before the award ceremony. The banquet was not only an opportunity for students to connect with alumni, but also for journalism students of different ages and in different sequences to interact. Freshman Sandhya Kambhampati, who was awarded the Ford Scholarship, said she took time during the banquet to talk with students who had been awarded scholarships to study abroad because she hopes to one-day work as a foreign correspondent. “I met some of the people at the event who received the (Foreign Correspondence) award and they didn’t hesitate once to provide me with advice for the future,” she said. “Hearing all the exciting places they are traveling to makes me even more excited for my future.” Kambhampati was surprised and honored to be selected as a scholarship recipient in her freshman year. “I’m so happy that I got the chance to be among so many talented students and professors. It was so inspiring to hear about all the things that the JSchool students are a part of,” said Kambhampati, who plans to focus on broadcast journalism. “The event not only gave me inspiration for the future but also a greater understanding of what being a part of Scripps means.” The banquet was an opportunity for friends and classmates within the School of Journalism to come together in a relaxed atmosphere and see each other be recognized for their efforts and accomplishments throughout the year. “I left the event feeling very inspired and motivated by my peers,” said Sarah Grothjan, a sophomore who was awarded the Scripps Foundation Multimedia Scholarship. “There are many people within Scripps that I look up to and lean on for advice, and it’s a great experience to see those people rewarded. They are an integral part of this school, and I’m glad Scripps offers the chance for them to be recognized."

Top Graduating Seniors

Kate Irby — 2011-06-11T00:00:00-05:00

The annual Scripps banquet honored top graduating seniors from each respective sequence. NOTE: Sequences will give way two two "tracks" with the onset of semesters in Fall 2012.
Evan Millward Sequence: Broadcast, Outstanding Overall Student Organizations: SPJ, RTDNA, ImPRessions on the Bob Evans Account and WOUB Internships/Jobs: Green County Dailies, Dayton Daily News, Public Relations Coordinator at King’s Island, WDTN and CBS Newspath Future plans: “I either want to be an on-air personality—anchor or reporter — or even a news director where I can have a direct impact on the product.” William Tapper Sequence: Broadcast Student Organizations: WOUB and RTDNA Internships/Jobs: WTOL and WTVG in Toledo Future plans: He wants to find a job as a reporter or a journalistic “jack-of-alltrades” somewhere in the U.S., and eventually return to Ohio as a reporter. Sarah Holt Sequence: Carr Van Anda Student Organizations: WOUB, RTDNA, ImPRessions Bob Evans and Athens County Humane Society Accounts and PRSSA Internships/Jobs: Good Morning Cleveland and News Broadcast Network Future plans: “Short-term, I hope to find a job at a public-relations agency or corporation in Columbus, Ohio. Eventually I hope to work for a non-profit like the [American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals] in their communications department.” Jennifer Bak Sequence: Advertising Student Organizations: Alpha Omicron Pi, Speakeasy, OU Ad Association Internships/Jobs: Alumni Association, Sunrise Advertising, Priority Public Relations, Campus Brand Ambassador for Youth Marketing Connections (ROCKSTAR Energy Drink and Studyblue.com), Carousel Strands and The Athens Foundation Future plans: “I’m planning on aggressively pursuing a full-time job in the communications field, specifically advertising or social media.” Robert Devin Hughes Sequence: Public Relations Student Organizations: PRSSA, ImPRessions Internships/Jobs: O’Bleness Memorial Hospital, the Patton College of Education and Human Services, Cardinal Health and independent contracting for Razorfish. Future plans: Post-graduate internship with PR agency Fleishman- Hillard. “I really enjoyed the corporate PR experience with Cardinal Health, where I’ve interned the past year, but I want to learn more in an agency setting for a while before getting back into the corporate game.” Natalie Knoth Sequence: Magazine Student Organizations: Treudley Hall Council, The Post Internships/Jobs: The Athens NEWS, Dayton Daily News and Real Simple Future plans: Interning at the Dayton Daily News this summer. “I’m willing to move anywhere for a job, though I’ve been primarily looking at jobs in New York and Ohio. With my experience at both magazines and newspapers, I’m open to working at either type of publication, as well as online publications.”

Guest Column

Stephanie Pavol — 2011-06-11T00:00:00-05:00

This past year has been a fascinating time to be board president of the E.W. Scripps Society of Alumni & Friends. Not only are we experiencing a transformative and transitional time in our industry, but at the journalism school itself. Our industry is in flux. Newspaper readership and broadcast news viewership are down. But while the way we receive our news is changing, our appetite for news is not. Americans spend more time with the news than over much of the past decade. In fact, the average time Americans spend with the news on a given day is as high as it was in the mid-1990s, when audiences for traditional news sources were much larger. We as journalists and communicators must view this as an opportunity and evolve with the times. According to the Pew Center, we are shifting from the “Industrial Age” to the “Information Age”, where information is abundant, cheap, personally-oriented and designed for participation. This brings questions of accuracy of information and what responsibilities we will have as journalists and communicators. But one thing is clear: there has been a ground shift in communications and the media industry. Big changes are happening at the J-School as well. Journalism students will move into a new building in 2013, which faculty hope will encourage innovation. The curriculum is being revamped too, which reflects the move to semesters in 2012. The six sequences currently offered (advertising, public relations, news editing, magazine, broadcast and online) will instead be condensed into two tracks: Strategic Communications and News and Information. But amid all of these changes, I am confident that journalism remains a vital part of our future and that a journalism degree is a strong asset to any incoming student. A journalism degree provides key verbal and written skills, as well as an analytic mindset and inquisitive nature, which are necessary to be successful in a variety of professions. However, it is our responsibility as alumni and educators to help prepare these students for a changing landscape. As I close out my tenure as SAF board president, I am proud of what our society and the J School have accomplished this year. The society held its annual Scripps Senior Saturday event for more than 70 graduating seniors, started a LinkedIn group that attracted nearly 600 J School alumni, and fostered a lively dialogue on our various social networks. The JSchool has had a truly a landmark year as well. A few highlights include: >> The school’s SPJ and RTDNA chapters hosted the Ohio Sunshine Summit, bringing together student journalists and professionals from across the state to discuss challenges facing student journalists on college campuses. This led to the school’s overall “Outstanding Senior” Evan Millward being honored with the Central Ohio Society of Professional Journalists Pro Chapter’s First Amendment Award. >> The school’s student-run PR-firm ImPRessions became nationally affiliated with the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA). >> The Ad Club is making yet another trip to the National Student Advertising Competition. >> The school’s SPJ chapter was named Outstanding Campus Chapter of the Year by national SPJ. I am so proud of our society and JSchool’s accomplishments, but I am even more excited about what the future holds for us and for our industry.

How to Keep in Touch

Compiled by Elizabeth Sheffield — 2011-06-11T00:00:00-05:00

Facebook: 1. www.facebook.com/home.php#!/scrippsjournalism 2. www.facebook.com/home.php#!/ScrippsSAF Twitter 1. https://twitter.com/#!/ohiojournalist 2. https://twitter.com/#!/SAF_OU 3. https://twitter.com/#!/scrippsjschool iPhone: Go to Apps store and search: E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University Old school contact info: 740.593.2590 (voice) 740.593.2592 (fax) info@scrippsjschool.org (email) http://scrippsjschool.org (website) 32 Park Place, Athens, Ohio 45701 (street address)

Quick test

Article by Bryan Duffie — 2011-06-10T00:00:00-05:00

This is a quick test.

Checking foreign keys

Article by Bryan Duffie — 2011-06-03T22:22:00-05:00

This is a test article.

mp3 player test

Article by Bryan Duffie — 2011-04-20T00:00:00-05:00

test of the mp3 player

Martin to step into associate director position

Molly McDonnell — 2010-06-21T15:50:00-05:00

Hugh J. Martin, associate professor at the Scripps School of Journalism, will be taking over for Robert Stewart as associate director for undergraduate studies beginning July 1. Martin taught an online journalism seminar and a course called Managing Media during spring quarter.

Martin received a Bachelors of Arts in economics at Indiana University, a Master of Arts in Mass Communications at the University of South Florida and a Doctorate in Mass Media from Michigan State University. Martin worked as a reporter and editor at the Tampa Tribune and later served for nine years as a faculty member at the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia. He joined Scripps in the fall of 2009.

Louttit discusses career, experiences at Ohio University

Catherine Roebuck — 2010-06-11T00:00:00-05:00

Meghan Louttit, BSJ ’08, has gone far in the two years since she graduated from Ohio University. Louttit took time out of her busy schedule as local managing editor of WashingtonPost.com to talk with the Ohio Journalist about her career and how her experiences at Ohio University helped to prepare her. *Ohio Journalist: How did you land this job?*
Meghan Louttit: When I first started at The Washington Post, I was a producer and editor for LoudounExtra.com, their first major “hyper-local” experiment. About a year in as a full-time employee, the Post started the process of merging the online and print newsrooms. At the same time, we were shutting down Loudoun and were folding it into the main site. During this period, nearly everyone on the online side was being transitioned into a new position. Since I had been involved with Loudoun, however, the online metro section editor, Jonathan Krim, approached me about being part of the team that would implement and run the new Local Homepage, an opportunity I jumped at. *OJ: What organizations and classes at OU helped prepare you to take on such a demanding role right out of college?*
L: Speakeasy was the best preparation I could have asked for. Since it was entirely conceived, planned out, implemented and run by students, there was no one above us pushing us to do it – if we wanted it to succeed, it was all on us. And besides Bob Stewart, there were few people in the journalism school who had any understanding of what went into starting and running a news website. We were left to figure out a lot of things on our own, especially when it came to the technology. I didn’t accomplish everything with it that I personally wanted to, but that experience alone taught me most of the skills that I utilize in my job now, and gave me the groundwork for learning new ones. I also had a job as a design assistant with Ohio University Without Boundaries (a PACE position when I started), where I worked with a fantastic boss, Christopher Keesey, who was instrumental in my learning HTML, CSS, MovableType and the basics of what makes good design. As far as classes go, obviously all my online classes and my media economics class with Tatge helped me tremendously, by simply helping me be confident and well-versed in the media industry as a whole. I had the opportunity to have coffee with Jim Brady (former executive editor of WashingtonPost.com) shortly after I started, and we had a great conversation about the state of the industry, about questionable business practices, etc. I was able to speak intelligently about the industry and was able to apply that knowledge to the Post’s specific situation and use that knowledge to brainstorm possible solutions and ideas for moving the company forward. *OJ: What is your favorite part about your job?*
L: I’ll be the first to admit, I get bored easily. The most important thing for me in a job is being able to do a variety of tasks in a given day. Luckily, nearly all of the positions I’ve had with the Post have allowed me to do that. I’ve also been able to continually learn new skills from some really smart people, which is so important. I don’t feel comfortable in a position if I feel stagnant. And third, I am now in a position where I can leave my work at work (for the most part). When you’re really passionate about something, and especially in a 24/7 industry like this, it’s easy to get so caught up that all you’re doing is working. But that’s unhealthy for anyone. It’s crucial to have a life separate from work, to see friends and family and do things that you enjoy – whether it’s working out, reading, dancing, cooking, etc. – it makes you a healthier person, a better journalist and helps you keep perspective. *OJ: What is the most challenging aspect of your job?*
L: Juggling all those tasks that I enjoy doing! There is some irony in that, I’m sure, but this is where time management skills come in handy. Keeping track of all the projects I’m working on, keeping to-do lists and prioritizing them and still leaving enough room in the day for the on-the-spot issues that occur every day. I’ve become the tech liaison on my team and even have people from other desks making requests of me, so it’s been a challenge to balance all that. I’ve also found it challenging simply dealing with the bureaucracy of a place as big as The Washington Post, which I suppose isn’t really that big when compared to other large media companies. The merger especially tested my patience with it, in terms of how the company treats and values its employees, their communication skills (or lack thereof, which is also ironic) and the loopholes you sometimes have to jump through to get things done. None of this is surprising, but for me it’s a difficult situation to deal with sometimes. *OJ: What have you learned working in such a fast-paced environment?*
L: Well, for one, most of the time the newsroom is not as fast-paced as we always imagine it to be when we’re in school. Maybe a few times a week we’ll have some fairly important breaking news, but we have a routine in place that makes it easy for everyone to jump into their roles and get the tasks done that need to be done right away. Everyone here is talented at what they do so it makes it easy to work together to respond to things. It’s mostly learning to rely on other people, knowing the strengths of the people you work with and being able to take a deep breath and concentrate on the details when required. *OJ: What is the best way to adapt to the constantly changing media world?*
A: Don’t be set in your ways to begin with. Have ideas rather than beliefs. Become familiar not just with the content but how the content is delivered and supported. Adjust and discuss with others even your idea of what journalism is. It’s easy to romanticize journalism and journalists, but don’t do it. You can value and have respect for the process you’re participating in, its history and the people who do it well while honestly acknowledging its flaws and where it needs to evolve. *OJ: What do you look for when you are hiring interns?*
L: We look for students who have not just a demonstrated story-telling ability and strong initiative but for students who are interested enough to learn a myriad of skills and to do them well. It’s also important to know what you’re interested in and what you’re passionate about. When that comes through, it’s easy on our end to be confident that the experience will not be wasted. *OJ: What is your advice to current students on how to get into the current job market?*
L: Learn a skill (or two) that will make you rare in a newsroom. Learn JavaScript, PHP, MySql or even just CSS. Teach yourself about how servers operate. It might not be like this forever (I hope), but at this point in time, if you have a dedicated ability in some sort of tech language, not only will it make learning or operating within others easier, but you immediately make yourself a valuable part of the newsroom. Even just being a master with Photoshop or Excel can get you in. Know it and make sure other people know you know it. Secondly, network like crazy. The more people you have contact with (whether they’re in the industry or not) the more likely it is that you’ll hear about a job opening or that someone will recommend you. Become a brand unto yourself. Utilize social media, go to conferences and keep in touch with intern supervisors and other people you work with or do projects with. I got all four of my internships and my job because it started with someone I knew. *OJ: How does the use of multimedia play into your job?*
L: When I first started at the Post, I was a reporter. In that role, I was expected to utilize a variety of methods to tell my stories. I wrote stories, created audio clips, shot and edited video, took photos, edited photos, created graphics and more. Granted, this was when I was working on an auxiliary site of the Post’s, but it gave me a chance to demonstrate my chops. We’re slowly trying to instill this in all reporters, that a story doesn’t just have to be text. If you understand this already, you will be an attractive prospect, especially for newspapers. Now that I’m on the homepage and working on special projects, I don’t work as much with the creation of multimedia, but more with the editing of photos, page design and interactives. Still, I have to have an understanding of all these items in order to make them work within our system. *OJ: Any final thoughts?*
L: We are living through a period in time where more than ever we need to drop our learned notions of what the world should look like, how we should operate and conduct ourselves and the impact we have on each other, the environment and the creatures that we share the planet with. This is especially important when you are someone that reports on the goings on in the world, documents history and analyzes causes and effects and when you have an effect on what people know about and the manner in which they learn about it, when you set the terms of the dialogue. I won’t try to tell anyone what journalism is or what exactly defines a journalist, but I will say that if this is what you choose to do with your life, in any capacity, you should be particularly attuned to this shift. With that said, have fun! Also, use my e-mail: m.louttit@gmail.com. I love talking to people about “journalism,” how to best cook tofu, the best places to go dancing in D.C. and why I think grammar is just another tool of oppression.

McCoy discusses her work with Las Vegas Sun, experiences at OU

Catherine Roebuck — 2010-06-04T15:25:00-05:00

Cara McCoy, BSJ ’06, is an Ohio University alumna and current local managing editor of the Las Vegas Sun. In a video interview with Alex Kubec, McCoy discusses her work with the Sun and the experiences at OU that afforded her the opportunity to work with the Sun's new-media editor Rob Curley, a self-proclaimed internet punk in love with local news and the evolution of traditional media.

The Las Vegas Sun has won numerous awards, including second place in the National Headlines Awards in the “Journalistic Innovation” category, recognizing the success of the Sun's print and online journalists in producing the multimedia project “Bottoming Out: Gambling Addiction in Las Vegas.” The Sun also won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for its investigation of construction deaths on the Las Vegas Strip.