E.W. Scripps School of Journalism :: 2010 Ohio Journalist

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.

German Bobcat shares words of wisdom from across pond

Catherine Roebuck — 2010-06-04T13:34:00-05:00

Ruediger Mandry graduated from the University of Leizpeg in Germany but attended Ohio University for one quarter in the spring of 1998. Although he never formally enrolled for classes at OU, his experiences at the university led him to become involved with the European Chapter of the Ohio University Alumni Association, of which he is now president. In an interview with the Ohio Journalist, Mandry discusses his experiences at OU and his current occupation in Germany. *Ohio Journalist: What about your experiences here at OU made you so passionate about the school and specifically the journalism school?*
Ruediger Mandry: The weird thing is I never really studied at OU, and yet, I feel such a passion and connection to that great school! I just happened to be at the right place at the right time, but in Leipzig, Germany. Dr. Stewart was in the process of setting up the link between OU and the University of Leipzig. While I was finishing up my journalism studies in Germany at that time, I realized I hadn’t gained much TV work experience yet. When I heard that Scripps runs a TV news program, I got in touch with Dr. Stewart and inquired about internship opportunities. Things worked out so that I finished my German journalism course by taking my last exam on March 31, 1998, and headed to Athens, Ohio, only a few days later to start an internship with the ACTV-7 news program. I had no idea, though, that that program was linked so closely to the university and would bring me in touch with so many journalism students. I also got the chance to attend a couple of classes and was most fascinated by the quality of the relationship between students and professors. In Leipzig, I had been studying with hundreds of students and often felt like I was being treated like a number only. At OU, I could hardly believe how personally and individually professors and students interacted with one another. All of a sudden, studying was so much fun! The same attention seemed to be given to the students as well as to the course of study itself. In addition, I hadn’t come across such great studying conditions before, which certainly derives from the fact that in Germany no one was required to pay for school, which on one hand was a good thing as it allowed students to take up a course of study that they wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise from a financial point of view. Still, just seeing this new, comfortable, personal, but unknown world of study made quite a big impression on me. *OJ: How do you stay in touch with the Bobcat community from across the world?*
M: Of course, new as well as social media make it easy these days to stay in touch with one another. Nevertheless, for quite a number of occasions I still prefer using “old-school” methods for staying in touch - such as actually seeing people. Thanks to the OU Alumni Association, I’m able to do so on a regular basis, despite the distance. Once a year they invite leaders like me to the Alumni Leaders Conference, which this April drew the attention of more than forty participants. As for me (and for everybody else, I guess), it’s a great event for staying connected with like-minded buddies I’ve gotten to know over the years, for meeting new faces, for networking and socializing, for getting to know the work of the Alumni Association, for learning about the new tools they provide for our chapter work, for sharing 'Best Practices’ and for sharing experiences in recruiting new volunteers or keeping alumni involved and, matter-of-factly, for living the “good old days” for three nights. *OJ: What is the European Chapter of the Ohio University Alumni Association? How do you communicate?*
M: According to our mission statement, we have identified several goals as guidelines for our activities, such as keeping a close connection to Ohio University, organizing social events for alumni promoting OU in Europe and serving as a source of information for young Europeans interested in studying at OU — as well as being a source of assistance for OU students and alumni traveling or working in Europe. With regard to communication, we, of course, use e-mail for staying in touch and usually meet twice a year to spend a weekend together in Prague, Berlin, Dresden, Paris, Brussels, etc. *OJ: What is your current occupation?*
M: For more than 10 years I’ve been working for the Corporate Communications division of DFS, Deutsche Flugsicherung [German air navigation services - the German equivalent to the US FAA]. Duties include thinking about ways to get young people to become interested in applying for air traffic controller jobs, putting together brochures, doing project management, such as producing image movies, radio spots, organizing events for employees as well as for the public, representing my company at national and international fairs, etc. *OJ: What is your advice to current Bobcat students?*
M: Usually, you get two sorts of advice: either specialize in a certain area to enhance your chances on the job market, or it’s about not specializing and being as open as possible in order to enhance your chances on the market. I personally tend to support the latter. Instead of tying myself down too early, I was trying to stay as open as possible; I did internships for radio stations as well as newspapers. I did TV as well as PR work. In my mind, the overall job situation has definitely not improved in the last decade, which is since I left school. Thus, if you want to work as a journalist with an income you can live on, be as open as possible in terms of the medium you eventually want to end up working in. In terms of getting your job done, internalize three more bits of advice: Be curious! Be persistent! Be reliable!

Parting thoughts from SAF president

Mike Ramsey (BSJ '96) — 2010-05-28T21:23:00-05:00

Here’s how I joined the Board of Directors for the E.W. Scripps Society of Alumni and Friends. I kept pestering the president about updating the society’s website. I aggravated her so much, that she asked me to join the board and do it myself. Of course, that’s what I wanted all along. I wanted to be able to give something to the society and get something too. And in five years, I did both. Of course, the first thing I did when I joined was to set up a basic website, and I found that it was more work to keep it updated than I thought. Being volunteer board members, the only thing really driving success of the organization was the desire of the members to do their part, myself included. As I leave my role as president, I feel good about things that we have accomplished and frustrated about things that have foundered. The centerpiece of organization, Senior Saturday, continues to be an excellent event that provides valuable advice to outgoing seniors about what to expect. In the past year, we launched the fund-raising effort for a scholarship to defray the costs of internships. I am very proud of that effort, and I hope it bears fruit and helps many students. Mike Ramsey talks with JSchool senior Meghan Ventura at Senior Saturday 2010 The society also is planning a summer event next year in conjunction with the school to do retraining workshops for alumni in grammar and updates to computer and multimedia skills. But there are things that never were fully formed or failed. We haven’t been consistent on newsletters or finding ways to connect alumni. It’s been hard to keep board members involved throughout the year, and there has been less direct connection with students and faculty than I desired. It’s my hope that the people who follow me are able to find success in some of those areas and continue with new projects to broaden the services the society can provide. We particularly want to be a better resource for alumni, after focusing primarily on students. The school is in transition, just as journalism is. There’s a new director; there will soon be a new curriculum as OU moves to semesters, and a new building is not far behind. The society should have a role in the transition, whether it is through advice to the administration, or by a greater presence in the classroom. If there are people out there who want more from the society, start aggravating me. I might ask you to be on the board. Editor's note: Mike is an automotive reporter for The Wall Street Journal

International programs offer students hands-on learning abroad

Megan Krause — 2010-05-27T00:00:00-05:00

Students in the Scripps College of Communication will travel to Germany and Africa this summer to develop their communication skills in a foreign culture. The two new collaborative programs offer a mix of education and cultural immersion. *Documentary storytelling in Europe*
Twenty students from the journalism, media arts and studies and visual communication programs will team up this summer to produce documentaries about German culture. The program is facilitated by the Ohio-Leipzig European Center, and students will live on the University of Leipzig campus. Each group will research, write and produce a five- to 10- minute documentary that will be posted to the program's blog.

Professor Ruediger Steinmetz promotes new study abroad programs for communication students.

Sam Girton, the program's co-founder and a School of Visual Communication faculty member, recruited first and second year undergraduates to encourage younger students to study abroad. Surrounding yourself with people who move more quickly than you pushes you to excel, Girton said. With that in mind, he sets high expectations for students, some of whom may only have partially developed skill sets in their area of study, and provides them with an international learning experience. The idea was born in Asia when OU Media Arts and Studies faculty member Frederick Lewis met with Girton and his students during the "Design in Asia program":href="http://www.samgirton.com/asia09.html. After the trip, they decided to collaborate on a new project. While abroad, Girton's students will produce interactive content with audio, still photos and video that will resemble the type of content produced on the website "Mediastorm.org":http://mediastorm.org, which was founded by the Missouri School of Journalism in 1994. The University of Leipzig will serve as the program's home base, but Girton encourages students to travel. “Ideally, they will jump on a train and go chase their story,” he said. Between the university’s central location and Girton’s willingness to give students freedom, each group has endless opportunities to explore, learn and create. Among the students attending is sophomore Annette Drapac, a student in the visual communication and media arts and studies schools. Besides the opportunity to study abroad, Drapac is hoping to learn more about the entire journalism process. “I haven’t done much storytelling," she said. "I want to get the ability to take an idea and create it through all stages of production." While students could improve their media skills at home, traveling to Germany will allow them to learn about a new culture in the process. “I hope to see that people are just people,” Drapac said. “Even though there's a cultural difference, you can make connections.” *Uganda: media, diversity and governance*
The Institute for International Journalism is also running a four-week pilot program this summer. The goal of the institute is to expose journalists to world issues and prepare them to work internationally. This year’s program will focus on the relationship between news media and government. IIJ director Dr. Yusuf Kalyango worked with journalism graduate student Sally Ann Cruikshank and junior Honors Tutorial College student Taylor Mirfendereski to create buzz about the program by visiting classes and student organizations. Mirfendereski, who will travel to Uganda with the program this summer, is enthusiastic about traveling to Africa for the first time with Kalyango. “I don’t feel like this opportunity will ever come again in my life,” she said. “What better way to learn than from someone who is a native of the country.” The program allows students of any age to complete their tier three course requirement and earn 50 to 60 internship hours abroad. They also receive nine additional credit hours. Participants will stay at a luxurious hotel. Students have the opportunity to work two days a week for not-for-profit organizations, international marketing and advertising firms or government organizations in Uganda. Students will tailor their internships to their personal goals and interests. The collective group will also produce a 22-minute documentary to run on Voice of America. It will cover a social issue that is yet to be determined. Other journalism experience will come from online clips the students write over the course of the trip. The rest of the time there, students will hear presentations from high-profile figures such as the vice president and president of the Human Rights Initiative, Kalyango said. Students will also learn about the culture. “Africa has a lot to offer. It is a very green, great climate,” he said. “A lot of students have no idea about what the world is like.” The program ideally will open students' eyes to humanity and the world issues that affect all people. “[Traveling] broadens your mind,” Kalyango said. “Everything you do changes somebody’s life.” Both programs will run on a regular basis for the foreseeable future. The documentary program in Germany will be offered every other year. On the off years, Girton plans to continue taking students abroad for his Design in Asia program. The IIJ program will also continue annually, but the location within Africa will vary from year to year. For more information about international programs visit the"IIJ homepage":http://scrippsjschool.org/iij/. For updates on the Leipzig program check their "blog":http://www.samgirton.com.

Pulitzer Prize-winning alumnus discusses his experiences at OU

Catherine Roebuck — 2010-05-21T00:00:00-05:00

John Kaplan, BSJ '82, MS '98, is not only an Ohio University alumnus, but also the 1992 Feature Photography Pulitzer Prize winner for his work on "Age 21 in America," a photo essay about the lives of young adults. Now a professor at the University of Florida, Kaplan directs the Florida FlyIns international journalism program. In a video interview with E.W. Scripps School of Journalism assistant director Robert Stewart, Kaplan discusses his experiences at OU and the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism.

Kaplan discusses two films he produced in another video interview with Stewart, available "here":http://www.youtube.com/user/scrippsjschool#p/u/15/kFNSPzhnuR4. For more information on Kaplan, read the "INC article":http://scrippsjschool.org/news/scrippsNotes.php?id=1416 written by Cameron Glover.

Director Hodson leaves big shoes to fill

Sarah Buelterman — 2010-05-17T17:07:00-05:00

When it comes to Ohio University pride, it is safe to say that E.W. Scripps School of Journalism director Tom Hodson bleeds green. And, although Hodson announced in April that he will be stepping down from his role as director, he will — as a proud Bobcat — remain entwined with the university and the region. Hodson graduated from OU in 1970 with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism. He continued his academic studies at The Ohio State University, where he earned a juris doctorate law degree. He returned to Southeastern Ohio to serve as a trial lawyer in both the municipal and common pleas courts. Hodson also spent a year serving as a judicial fellow under United States Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist. “It was an interesting experience," Hodson said. "He and I probably didn’t agree on anything from a legal perspective, but he was a fascinating man. He was one of the smartest people I’ve ever met, and we got along quite well as far as any kind of management issues." *Home sweet home*
Hodson returned to his roots at OU in 1987 to serve as an adjunct faculty member in the School of Journalism and the School of Communication Studies. “I enjoyed it a lot," Hodson said, "and it worked well with my judicial duties because I would teach people how to cover courts and how to cover government. And I taught public affairs reporting during that period of time." In 2001 he decided to leave his law practice to become the head of the mass media program at Marietta College. Nearly two years later, Hodson received an unexpected phone call from then-OU Dean Kathy Krendl offering him the possibility of the position of a lifetime. “I was actually giving a speech at the National Judicial College in Reno, Nev., when she tracked me down to ask if I would even consider it,” Hodson said. “I was excited. I went from a program at Marietta College that was a very nice program, but we had about 100 students, to come to [Scripps] where, at that time, we had about 850 students. Now we have close to 1,000 students, so we’ve grown substantially during that period of time. It was quite a jump.” Hodson was the first OU undergraduate alumnus to become director of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. “When I had the opportunity to come back here in July of 2003," Hodson said, "it was sort of like the icing on the cake to come full circle from being a student here to being a director here. It was a real honor." Hodson’s experience as an OU student influenced many of the decisions he made as director. As an undergraduate student, he recognized the importance of a quality faculty, so as director he set out to hire the best. And, his understanding of OU student life prompted him to spend a significant amount of time raising money for scholarships and student awards. “I pretty much lived at _The Post_," Hodson said. "I was the news editor one year, associate editor my senior year and I was a staff writer. [The staff] would spend between 60 and 80 hours at _The Post_ every week. The first contract I ever negotiated was at _The Post_, before I ever went to law school, so it has life-long benefits.” Hodson said he remains, 47 years later, close friends with many of the people he worked with at the paper. Hodson’s accumulation of accomplishments over the last seven years serve as a true reflection of his impact on the journalism program. He hired 12 new faculty members during his time as director, including eight in the past three years alone. He has also raised millions of dollars for scholarships, allowing Scripps to recruit top students from all over the country. But, Hodson is especially proud of a recent triumph: the passing of the school's new curriculum that will go into place for the university's 2012 transition from quarters to semesters. “It’s modern and sleek," Hodson said. "It will allow for a lot of cross-disciplinary work." *New path ahead*
Hodson formally announced April 7 that he will be stepping down from his position in June in order to devote more time to his family. He will become a full-time faculty member. Associate director Dr. Robert Stewart will succeed him. “[Stewart] is a really good people person, and he gets along with everyone,” Hodson said. “He has a great personality that’s even-tempered. He knows the school because he served as the associate director. In fact, he’s the first associate director to become director." When Hodson began his term as director in 2003, his work ethic and demeanor provided the momentum necessary to inspire and mobilize a journalism faculty that was seemingly at a standstill. “He was always the first to arrive and often the very last to leave, so he’s set the bar very high for all of us who worked with him," said colleague Dr. Robert Stewart, the assistant director of the school. "No one can come in and do a halfway decent job here working next to Tom because that’s not acceptable."

Stewart discusses working as Tom Hodson's colleague and the goals he has as the next director of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism.

Curriculum changes to give students more academic freedom

Megan Krause and Kelly Kettering — 2010-05-14T15:39:00-05:00

Today’s changing media world, in which audiences interact with media and Twitter is used professionally, calls for a re-evaluation of journalism education. In the case of Ohio University, that means a new curriculum that will take effect in the fall of 2012 with the university’s change to semesters. Current sequences within the journalism school include advertising, public relations, news editing, magazine, broadcast and online, but the administration decided those were no longer applicable. Instead, students interested in advertising and PR will be funneled through the program on a track called Strategic Communications, while other students will follow the News and Information track.

Professor Mary Rogus discusses the new curriculum for the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism.

*The process*
The journalism faculty was broken into committees to rework courses to fit the new format. Craig Davis chaired the Strategic Communications track and Mary Rogus chaired the News and information track planning. The new curriculum will be similar to the current course plan for the magazine sequence. Students will have a tremendous amount of choice in the classes they take, said Dr. Robert Stewart, the associate director of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. The change to semesters will also reduce the number of courses students take before graduating, with only eight 14-week semesters compared to the current twelve 10-week quarters. Typical journalism students at OU take 48 to 50 quarter-based courses before they graduate, Stewart said. Under semesters, it will be reduced to about 40 courses. This requires some flexibility in courses in order to ensure the average student graduates in four years.

Professor Craig Davis discusses the new curriculum and the merge of the PR and advertising sequences.

*The courses*
The new plan divides the journalism curriculum into three equal parts: core, intermediate skills and elective courses. Students will take 12 hours from each level. Core classes will be completed during freshman and sophomore years. Four courses will make up the core of the journalism curriculum. All journalism students will be required to take the core courses. They include an introductory journalism class focusing on the future of journalism, a multi-platform reporting class in which students learn basic news reporting and video skills, as well as media law and media ethics classes. The new core eliminates the requirement to take introductory courses in grammar, graphics and information gathering. The goal, however, is for students to learn those skills in the core courses. The 14-week term will allow professors to spend time teaching the basics to students in classes that were previously 10 weeks. After the core courses are completed, students will choose one of the two tracks. They will then take three intermediate skill level courses specific to their area of study and a capstone course. The capstone will involve production of media. Students from all areas will enroll in the capstones, creating a staff with varied skills that simulate real-world work environments. Students must also complete four journalism electives. Of the four, two elective courses must be issue-oriented classes that teach theories, not skills. To meet the remaining elective requirements, students may choose to take a course in the School of Visual Communication or the School of Media Arts and Studies, as well as one additional journalism course. The three different areas of course work will give students a great deal of freedom to shape their education, Stewart said. Some may choose to take a broad approach and graduate with a basic knowledge of every form of journalism. Others may come to Scripps knowing they love radio, for example, and focus their time on broadcast classes. “Students are going to define the education they get to a much greater extent,” Stewart said. All journalism students will still be required to take courses outside of the school to meet accreditation standards. Students will choose classes according to their interests and graduate with a specialization in one or two areas. The transition
The implementation in 2012 will be the hardest part of the transition to the new curriculum. Incoming freshman will register without a sequence and remain unlabeled until the changes are in effect. All in all, it is a pacing issue, Stewart said. He assures students they will get the education they came for. The change in course structure inevitably means a change in class sizes. However, skills classes will remain small in order for Scripps to meet accreditation standards. The Scripps College of Communication will be centralized in the old Baker Center building currently under construction. The remodeled building will provide the extra seats needed to accommodate students in larger classes. The move to the new building will occur in two phases and begin in December 2012, Stewart said. Scripps Hall will be used by the College of Communication at large after the move. Lasher Learning Center, for example, will be transformed into a creative space for students. Stewart refers to it as a “sandbox” that can be used for anything from producing a magazine to broadcasting at TV show. Between remodeling buildings and revamping the curriculum, the journalism faculty has had a lot on its plate. Stewart says it has been tricky. “It’s a bit like juggling crocodiles and someone throws you a bowling ball,” he said. But overall, everything has gone smoothly. “We were encouraged to think change, change, change, and I think we did a pretty good job of that.”

Social media offers public relations, advertising new opportunities

Katherine Ritzert — 2010-05-14T00:00:00-05:00

As news media begin to shift, and new forms of media are introduced, it is obvious that technology is playing a large role. Ready or not, new media are impacting all professions in some way, so it is essential for people to embrace it and learn to use social media to their advantage.

Publicist and blogger Jen Nedeau discusses the impact of new media on advertising and public relations at the "2010 Schuneman Symposium":http://scrippsjschool.org/2010.php.

The Internet provides endless opportunities to use social media to connect to others, whether it is through sites like Twitter, Facebook or blogs. In public relations and advertising, this revolution in social interaction is both exciting and helpful. The idea of social networking provides a new, faster way for public relations and advertising representatives to do their jobs. At the E. W. Scripps School of Journalism’s Schuneman Symposium, guest speaker Jen Nedeau explained that it is important for young adults to embrace converging media because they will be seen as the social media experts in their future workplaces. She also expressed the need to use online tools both professionally and personally. “Be your own advertising agent," Nedeau said. Nowadays, it is all about showing it, socializing it and selling it." While the Internet makes public relations and advertising more accessible to professionals, those fields are also more accessible to consumers and the public. Nedeau explained, “It’s amazing what the Web does. It’s an equalizer, and it makes things easier. It collapses hierarchies.” Social media and online networking sites provide both media sources and consumers with opportunities to interact, deliver and consume news and information of all varieties. The Internet allows people of different stature to connect and share information freely and openly without bias or intimidation. Sites like Twitter, for instance, give the public the opportunity to follow their state’s senator, see what his or her thoughts are or what he or she is doing and comment. In other words, social media makes it possible for consumers to have access to people who they never thought would hear their voices. Social media also makes it possible for companies and professionals to feel more connected to their consumers and to get to know them personally. For a news organization, social media can be used to find which stories spark consumer interest, providing the organization with helpful information to know which stories to cover. At the symposium, guest speaker and Ohio University aluma Arian Smedley explained that journalists “need to take news coverage a step further because consumers want to participate and engage in journalism.” While social media make interaction easier, however, there are risks and a certain etiquette that must be taken into consideration when participating in this exchange of information. For example, when taking advantage of social media sites online, it is important for public relations and advertising representatives to focus on their brand, have their own personality and speak to consumers in each medium in a specific manner. With social media becoming the new way for people to interact both personally and professionally, it seems that public relations and advertising are two professions that will continue to benefit from the convergence of the Internet and newsworthy information.

The changing landscape of media

Catherine Roebuck — 2010-04-23T00:00:00-05:00

Goodbye, journalism. Hello… what? It is not a secret that new media have greatly changed how we function as journalists. We rely less on the tried and true methods that brought journalism to the forefront and more on technology to help us do our jobs.

Jose Azel of Aurora and Quanta Productions discusses the changing
landscape of media at the "2010 Schuneman Symposium.":http://scrippsjschool.org/2010.php

Social media, such as Facebook, Twitter and Digg, have impacted the way we perform our day-to-day jobs. Before new media came into our lives, journalists had to hunt down leads, exploring their cities and making vital contacts. New media have changed that immensely. With a click of the mouse, journalists can email all their sources, set up interviews and find an interesting story lead without leaving the office chair. With the onslaught of new media, journalists have to tell their stories in more than just hard text. The use of multimedia is vital to storytelling. Journalists no longer have to be writers; they also have to be a one-man band, taking video and pictures while still getting the story. Readers’ attention spans have lessened, and they want the news quick and to the point. Visual storytelling is one way of keeping readers interested in the story. By using multimedia, such as pictures and video, readers aren’t just reading large blocks of text anymore; they are interacting with the story, becoming one with the details. Visual storytellers must be able to express with images everything that a writer would express with words. Effective storytelling must be compelling and dynamic; there is no room for failure. The images have to be powerful, otherwise the message is lost. Visual storytelling, however, may be the one way new media have improved journalism. With technology, journalists can tell a story not only through the powerful images they capture, but also with interactive maps and graphics, audio and video. The point is to keep readers engaged in the story at hand. That means that not only to journalists have to find new ways to tell their stories, but find new ways to get the story out there. “We do a lot of things to create awareness,” said Brian Storm, the president of Media Storm, in an article from niemanreports.org. “We use YouTube; we'll do this as a trailer that allows the viewer to then click through to our site. That drives a lot of traffic and exposure. We're really focused right now on the social network opportunity. We're on MySpace because a ton of people will watch a project there — and the granddaddy, Facebook, which went from nothing five months ago for us to the number seven driver of traffic to our website. I use Facebook pretty intensively.” With the addition of new technology and how readily available it is, anyone can take photos or videos. The average man or woman can film video or take pictures of a breaking event before the newsroom is even aware. “The tools are so powerful now that, as journalists, we can take journalism back — to not be answering to shareholders but to be focused on doing the kind of journalism we want to do and then partnering with other organizations to get the word out,” Storm said. “The opportunity now is really big for independent producers to create compelling content and transact with larger organizations. And, we do interactive applications. When I look at the future for a media company, this is an important element: being able to do interactive applications that help make information more accessible.” In light of all this change, journalists are taking the reins and evolving to survive in this new media world. Shawn Rocco, a staff photojournalist with the News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C., is doing amazing things with his blog Cellular Obscura, in which all the photographs are taken with his cell phone camera. Ariana Huffington started the number one news blog on Technorati, The Huffington Post. Newspapers, such as the Las Vegas Sun, have started interactive websites with videos, pictures and interactive maps. It is the job of journalists to continuously adapt and evolve with the world around them. So, as new media continue to grow, so must journalists. New media have forever affected visual storytelling, for better or worse.

Adapting to the role of new media

Sarah Buelterman — 2010-04-23T00:00:00-05:00

How often are Twitter feeds projected on large screens to supplement panel discussions? Actually, that practice is becoming increasingly popular during conferences and large-scale dialogues. Considering the topic being covered at the Schuneman Symposium on Photojournalism and New Media, it only seemed appropriate. The second annual symposium at Ohio University brought in journalists from all across the U.S. to discuss the impact new media are having on communication professions. E. W. Scripps School of Journalism director Tom Hodson introduced Political Coverage panelists Phil Elliott, Lyle Denniston, Laurin Manning and Taylor West to an audience of more than 200 in Ohio University’s Baker Center. Former Bobcat Phil Elliott, a 2003 graduate of Ohio University who studied journalism and political science, led the discussion. Elliott joined the Associated Press’s Washington bureau in 2006 as a political editor for the congressional midterm elections and spent two years covering the presidential campaign. He was recently promoted as one of the AP’s new political reporters. “Phil has covered almost every major political event,” Hodson said. “His coverage will now expand, and he will be doing state races. He will be doing congressional races. He will be able to freelance and do the stories that he wants to do about the politics of the United States – a really plumb assignment and well deserved.” The panel had depth and variety over the political spectrum and included Lyle Denniston, who spent 52 years covering the U.S. Supreme Court and is currently reporting the Supreme Court’s work in the blogosphere on SCOTUSblog. Lauren Manning, a new media strategist for state Sen. Vincent Sheheen’s campaign for governor in South Carolina, offered insights from her current job, as well as her experience covering the Obama campaign. Panelist Taylor West, a communications consultant with New Partners, a Washington, D.C. – based consulting firm, gave ideas as a veteran of strategic communications for state and federal campaigns in some of the nation’s most critical electoral states. *Filling the gap*
After introductions, Elliott dove right in, asking his fellow panelists what they see as the best online practices and who is successfully implementing them. West addressed the transitional phase of media. “The best practices will probably end up coming from the people in this room who are coming into it in a much more natural way than a lot of the reporters who are out there now - who are having to adapt their style to these new technologies,” West said. “Politico [a national political news publication] has changed the way that people cover politics, and I think it will be interesting to see in both this cycle, the 2010 cycle and even more so in the 2012 cycle. I believe those campaign trail advances happen in politics in a way that they may not in other industries because you get this giant generational shift every two and four years.” Denniston added that commenting on his blog allows him to offer depth and perspective on topics that might only be of little interest to readers. “From what has been my experience is that going from practicing daily journalism has allowed me to speak in the vernacular of the street but about topics of deep complexity,” Denniston said. He thinks legal and specialized media like his own are filling the gap created by daily media by providing context and a complete understanding for his readers. “I have used all the tools that I have learned over the 50-plus years I spent in daily journalism in order to communicate in an online community,” Denniston said. *Cultivating a community*
Elliott then shifted gears to a topic many in the audience were antsy to hear about: the success of the Obama campaign. He asked Manning how the Obama campaign was able to tailor certain information to specific supporters. “We were able to cultivate a sort of community of our supporters through the blog [Obama for America], and one of my responsibilities as part of the blog team was to communicate directly with bloggers,” Manning said. The campaign used social networking tools like Facebook, personal blogs and Twitter to build relationships. “We didn’t look at our supporters as an ATM, and I think that’s one area where campaigns really get it wrong. We tried to make sure that for every time we were asking folks for money that the next couple of ‘asks’ didn’t involve money. They involved asking ten of your friends to forward an email, watch a video or attend a house meeting.” Covering a political campaign is tricky because the success of national campaign tactics does not always translate at the local level, Elliott said. It is crucial that teams choose particular elements in order to mold campaigns according to the scale of the election. Some tools are useful and other tools are trendier. West, who served as the communications director for the campaign of Sen. Mark Udall in Colorado, helped develop a similar array of online tools that successfully created an online community for the Obama campaign; however, they did not have nearly the same impact. It is important to note that a Senate campaign is inherently different from a national campaign. The Obama campaign was particularly special because it was so inspirational and had a human quality, West said. “You don’t want to rule out innovative ideas… and not put resources into the things like getting voter turnout or raising money or driving their message,” West said. “I will be interested to see five years from now, when we look back at some of the things that we started doing, which of them last and which of them end up being flashes in the pan.” New media can be risky because tools like Twitter accounts for candidates are only effective if they feel authentic. On the other hand, those devices can also efficiently combat false rumors or minor mishaps among candidates. Manning and her team set up fightthesmears.com, a website that responded directly to misinformation about Obama during the campaign. It also had a share tool allowing supporters to click a link and send the correct information directly to people in their email contact lists. The site also had a “truth squad” geared toward supporters with especially vested in the campaign. The “truth squad” was emailed every time falsehoods were reported, so they could immediately take action. *Who are the curators?*
Such a vast array of information makes it difficult to find articles with substance and depth. Denniston explained how the Tiger Woods saga is a perfect example of repeatedly giving coverage to a superficial topic. American daily journalists are responsible for giving the public the information that they genuinely need. When it comes to the political spectrum, Denniston noted how when a candidate displays one moment of human frailty in the new media culture, it becomes multiplied thousands of times. “Sit down among educated, committed, professional journalists and say ‘what is it that we must be putting into our daily content?’ And, instead of doing that, they pick up on what this alternative medium is telling them is news. Maybe it isn’t a question of redefining news. Maybe it’s a question of returning to an older style of news selection,” Denniston said. Both West and Denniston noted how important it is for journalists to act as curators who can help navigate the public to worthwhile stories among an abundance of content. The barriers to entry are incredibly low, and it is important for journalists to remember that they are entering a profession in which they are learning every day. *Take a risk*
Journalism has taken on so many different forms in the past several years, and the barriers to entering the profession are constantly diminishing. Taking that into consideration, what is the secret to success? Many people entering the field of journalism face adversity before finding their footing. Manning spent four years writing a blog and was constantly told by law professors and potential employers that it endangered her long-term career. Ironically, her blog launched her career into covering politics, eventually serving as the national editor for President Obama’s campaign blog. Denniston noted the importance of adaptability. “If there’s any enemy to quality journalism, it’s contentment. You are always a student,” he said. Journalists should be prepared to transform throughout their profession as the media evolves. “You have to get out there and take chances…. You build your own brand,” Elliott said. Credibility is not only a standard in journalism. It is a minimum. Journalists need to build their own brand, adopt what is being done and engage their users because this profession is not a one-way street. West echoed similar thoughts and stressed how the ability to gain readers is determined largely by the quality of one’s work. If people have an encyclopedic understanding of the topics they write about and utilize the correct tools, their work will be noticed, she said. “If your goal is to rise quickly, risk taking is part of the deal,” West said.

Phil Elliott discusses his career as a White House AP Correspondent at the "2010 Schuneman Symposium."http://scrippsjschool.org/2010.php

Ana Marie Cox on new media

Kelly Kettering — 2010-04-23T00:00:00-05:00

Having reached 2010, in can no longer be denied: new media has taken over the idea of not only what media can do, but even the very definition of media. One person who has certainly embraced many forms of new media, including website formation, blogging and Twitter is Ana Marie Cox. Cox was the keynote speaker on April 8 at the E. W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University’s Schuneman Symposium on Photojournalism and New Media. True to new media form, Cox left a job in the oldest form of old media — book publishing — to move across the country and jump start snarky political website "Wonkette.com.":http://www.wonkette.com She has also lent her liberal quips to the cultural and political satiric daily commentary site, "Suck.com":http://www.suck.com and Time magazine’s website Time.com. Currently, she is the Washington correspondent for GQ magazine and is a frequent guest on The Rachel Maddow Show. When it comes to new media, journalists are often living their media presence behind the comfort of the computer screen —and with your critics often doing the same — the tips that Cox gave during her speech are important because journalists that are used to the print world of many edits and re-edits of an article are not always used to the immediacy of the Internet and sometimes post impulsively. Cox emphasized that online writers should not post anything that they wouldn’t critique or degrade in person. This is because in the world of online, if your content becomes too guttural or don’t have the facts to back up your claims your readers will call you out and your reputation will be tarnished. After her speech Cox spoke frankly of a degrading joke about Jenna Bush she once posted and later regretted it because it was insulting just for the purpose of being insulting and had no real reason for being said, allowing her adversaries to have a field day as they whizzed insults back at her as a result. Having such a diverse and impressive background made Cox an excellent choice for the symposium’s keynote speaker, and her informal speech gave a few main key points of advice, including “Don’t be afraid to do things that have no point,” “It is okay to have thin skin, but you have to heal it quickly,” “Transparency is more important than lack of bias” and “Keep your vanity in check.” Arguably her most important point was that we should all “do what is unsafe in journalism,” which she stressed is crucial to keep in mind with new media. Many journalists, young and old, still debate today whether blogs, Twitter, podcasts and the website components of print publications are as important as their paper and glossy counterparts. But if the work of Ana Marie Cox and the other speakers of the Schuneman Symposium means anything, it can’t be denied that technology-oriented media has become a crucial resource and is absolutely here to stay.

Ana Marie Cox discusses her career and the effects of new media on journalism at the "2010 Schuneman Symposium":http://scrippsjschool.org/2010.php

New media's impact on media literacy

Megan Krause — 2010-04-23T00:00:00-05:00

Gradethenews.org founder and media critic John McManus told an eager audience of professors and students at the 2010 Schuneman Symposium at Ohio University about an April Fool’s Day prank published on his website. The "story":http://www.gradethenews.org/commentaries/aprilfool.htm was what McManus calls “Bull.” All signs pointed to a case of blatant disregard for truth, including a byline crediting the story to “April Loof” and a dateline reading April 1. Would you mistake the foolishness for truth? The current media climate calls for increased media literacy among the public to protect citizens from unreliable information and to act as quality control for news media. However, as McManus illustrated, journalists are not exempt from the pressure to buff up their literacy. They need to increase their new media knowledge by mastering the newest technology and preventing a growing digital divide between themselves and their readers.

John McManus, founder of gradethenews.org, discusses the impact of new media on media literacy at the "2010 Schuneman Symposium":http://scrippsjschool.org/2010.php

*Media literacy in the new media world*
Bias is inherent in journalism, according to McManus. “Any source who has any sense at all will spin,” he said in a workshop following his lecture. He calls it “Buyer Beware Journalism.” A time when local television news, the media form surveys show the public considers most reliable, is partially produced by public relations representatives and fed to consumers as news. McManus refers to this method of filling news space for low costs as “the Hamburger Helper Quadrant.” Within the journalism community, professionals accept general ethical standards concerning truth and public service, according to the Society of Professional Journalists ethics code. The problem is that the public does not recognize junk journalism, McManus said. Without ethical accountability, news organizations will continue to follow ratings and ignore bitter diatribe from readers. While good journalism is still alive and well, McManus said journalists need to reverse the decline of news quality. As new media outlets continue to grow, traditional journalism steams on the back burner and makes choices based on advertising dollars. Still, the money moves online, where there are few restrictions and endless opportunities. The web is the best platform journalists have had thus far for producing quality content, McManus said. Many news consumers are moving to online formats. The Internet is the third most popular news platform, according to a study by the Pew Research Center. It still ranks below local and national television news; however, 59 percent of Americans reported getting their daily news from a combination of online and offline sources. News consumers are turning more to the Internet to get information quickly. They are becoming familiar with the various platforms, but they might still lack the ability to detect “Bull.” As consumers depend more on the web, where junk journalism thrives and everyone is a journalist, the need for media literacy becomes greater. McManus encourages consumers to dissect motives of all media platforms, including websites. *Teaching media literacy*
As readers grow up submerged in new media age, journalists need to provide information in formats that will be compatible with a digital way of life. The demand for information on the go is not going to go away. “The speed of technological change is not likely to slacken,” Neil Anderson, school media consultant, writes in his article “New Media and New Media Literacy.” “Meeting its challenges will require us to avoid snap judgments while seeking more objective points of view.” Educators are varying curriculae to teach young students to be digitally literate. According to an article from School Library Monthly, “Students must be able to gather information from any format and more importantly make sense of that information, use it, and communicate it to others.” They are emphasizing the importance of researching information from different perspectives. Schools will also begin teaching students how to communicate through new media formats. This proposed format for curriculum will hopefully build digital citizens who will be active consumers of new media formats, and, therefore, more media literate. Meanwhile, journalists are learning the same skills. Within the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism itself, administrators and faculty are already adapting the curriculum to best train future journalists to thrive in the new media environment. *The evolving journalist*
Adapting to new media is not a onetime action. Technology will continue to change and media literacy will evolve with it. Media literacy implies that journalists need the ability to learn new skills and apply them in useful ways. News organizations that delve into new media platforms risk being lost among a sea of information. Online, everyone is a journalist, and all information is easily reachable. The only way to distinguish quality information from “Bull” is through critical thinking skills. No matter their age, it is important for media experts to understand the platforms that will be second nature to the next generation. News organizations must utilize high-quality platforms to tell stories well and to catch the attention of a media-savvy audience. A digital divide between journalists and readers ultimately leads readers to search elsewhere for information. The mission of educators across the country- as well as McManus - is to teach critical thinking and to hold media to new standards. The challenge to the public, then, is to be critical information gatherers and recognize that not everything on the tube or the Internet is news. McManus asked his audience of journalists to consider the current Tiger Woods scandal and its coverage by media outlets. Is it really news? The presence of sensationalism and entertainment in the news further hammers home McManus’ point that ratings often rule in media. New media presents a chance to redefine what it means to be a journalist and the quality of news.

2010 edition to cover symposium, new curriculum

Bob Stewart, Editor\nAssociate Director for Undergraduate Studies — 2010-03-31T18:19:00-05:00

Students enrolled in the Newsletter Journalism course this quarter will be producing the 2010 edition of The Ohio Journalist, starting with coverage of the 2010 Schuneman Symposium. The symposium is April 8. Our class meets the following day to post stories about the panels and speakers, as well as videos and slideshows. Once the symposium coverage is done we'll begin profiling new faculty in the JSchool, as well as the recently approved curriculum that will be "launched" with the transition to semesters in 2012. Stay tuned for those stories, as well as profiles of alumni and students who are making a difference in the world of journalism.

Slideshow of the 2010 Schuneman Symposium.