UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA–LINCOLN COLLEGE OF JOURNALISM & MASS COMMUNICATIONS ALUMNI MAGAZINE WINTER 2005 MEDIA CREDIBILITY | GO TO PAGE 10 C ONTENTS VO1. 14 • NO. 2 From the Dean Cover Journalism students tackled the state of Franco-U.S. relations and will ALUMNI MAGAZINE WINTER2005 Jschool partners with produce a documentary film and a magazine that will analyze their findings and impressions, much as an earlier group of students analyzed Cuba after a trip there in January 2003. Ethiopians, Norwegians 32 UNL in Paris: Four faculty and 11 students from the University of Nebraska- J Alumni News is a biannual Lincoln traveled to Paris, France, on an 11-day depth-reporting mission in publication of the College of Journalism and Mass Communications September 2004. In an effort to apply the principles of media convergence students at NU in cooperation with the College By W ILL N ORTON J R . from all three majors in the college — advertising, broadcasting and news-editorial of Journalism Alumni Association. — were present on the trip. Dean Cover photo by Alyssa Schukar Will Norton Jr. CoJMC Editor 3 From the dean: J school joins forces with Ethiopians, Norwegians Charlyne Berens 4 Seeds are planted in Ethiopia Art director New faculty Marilyn Hahn 6 Pamela Morris: Advertising success leads Morris to UNL Photographer 32 UNL IN PARIS 8 Carolyn Johnsen combines skepticism with curiosity Mike Nichols Media spotlight 10 John Seigenthaler writes on media credibility Journalism Alumni Association 12 Nebraska tradition: Turmoil nothing new at dear old Nebraska U Board of Directors 14 Rimington’s plaque survives 9-11 President Alumni spotlight Brian Noonan, Lincoln 17 Sriyani Tidball: People helping people Second vice president 18 Tsunami disaster: “Life will never be the same” Marilyn Hahn, Lincoln 20 Chris Anderson succeeds Husker legend UNL International Affairs, Quadriplegic activist dies at 49 Secretary/treasurer 21 William Rush: Jane Gustafson, Lincoln 22 Dispatch from Baghdad: 22 Grad develops appreciation for “sacrifice” National board representative 25 Deanna Sands sees journalists as stewards Thom Kastrup, Lincoln 27 E.N. Thompson Forum series brings world to UNL Board members 4 Seeds in Ethiopia 28 Chip Haskell: used cars, lab rats and Snowbears Rhonda Gerard 29 RED GALA recognition of winners Barry Kriha Photo by Peter Levitov/ Donna Kush Student spotlight Kristi Routh Dean Norton, Peter Levitov, Dr. Asrffa Medhane, dean, and Zenebe Beyene. 30 “In Cold Blood” Dara Troutman Students seek answers at scene of the crime Kevin Warneke Dean’s Note: The Norwegian Addis Ababa University — who died in 32 French dispel stereotypes Ashley Washburn embassy in Ethiopia reported that Dr. December 2004 — and Mesfin 34 Student photographer captures Czech culture Past president Asrffa Medhane, dean of the Graduate Belachew, assistant director of distance 36 Study abroad: Students visit China, Argentina and Europe Peggy Rupprecht School of Journalism and Communi- learning at the school. The three of 38 Capstone class Chemistry puts sizzle in advertising campaigns Student representative cation and its first director, died of a them talked in Amharic as I soaked in 40 Persistent ad major takes home field advantage in New York City Angel Jennings heart attack Dec. 28, 2004. He was 66. the sounds of the evening. 42 Child actor studies broadcasting at UNL College representative Assistant Dean Zenebe will serve as There is something haunting about College notes Rick Alloway 44 APME study: Newspaper credibility is in decline interim director until a new person African nights, and I reflected on the 44 Richard Chapin endows scholarships Foundation representative is selected. fact that I was in the land of Lucy, 30 ‘In Cold Blood’ 46 Press freedom is essential to democracies Steve Hill whose remains are those of the oldest J News & Notes Letters to the editor should be sent to: human. This is the cradle of 48 Faculty notes J Alumni News he sound of waves lapping humankind, and Africa is a continent 48 Broadcaster inducted into NBA Hall of Fame College of Journalism and against the shores of Lake that brings one face to face with his Mass Communications T 50 College implements new curriculum 147 Andersen Hall Awassa accented the lilting sounds of a roots. 51 UNL Mortar Board chapter honors three J school faculty P.O. Box 880443 flute from the veranda of the hotel bar My thoughts went back to my Lincoln, Neb., 68588-0443 52 Alumni notes as the sun set beyond the western shore childhood in the Belgian Congo in the Student notes Phone 402-472-3041 of this resort in the Great Rift Valley in 1940s: the names of Congo friends and 56 Brazilian blog: How to earn 16 credit hours of foreign-language FAX 56 Brazilian photographer communicates through images 402-472-8597 southern Ethiopia. the chaos many of them face each day. E-mail I sat in a wicker chair next to Abiyi My father’s former students and their 58 Student notes [email protected] Miscellaneous notes Ford, a professor in the department of children struggle daily to provide edu- 59 90.3 KRNU has a birthday College Web site: film at Howard University and a cation and medical help to the people http://journalism.unl.edu/ 36 Studying abroad 59 Letter to the editor Fulbright Fellow at Addis Ababa of the Equatore Province of the Daily Nebraskan Web site: University. Nearby were Dr. Asrffa Republic of Congo. http://www.unl.edu/DailyNeb/ Medhane, dean of the Graduate School The University of Nebraska-Lincoln does not discriminate based on gender, age, disability, race, color, religion, marital status, veteran’s of Journalism and Communication at DEAN | go to page 4 status, national or ethnic origin or sexual orientation. WINTER 2005 J Alumni News 33 From the Dean From the Dean DEAN from page 3 | But the price isn’t the nation, and Nebraska’s Norton and Now I have been introduced to only problem with news in Oyvind Aadland, director of interna- Ethiopian education through the Ethiopia. Years of repres- tional programs at Gimlekollen, acquaintance of Oyvind Aadland, sion by a socialist military worked out the details. another former student of my government created a cli- Last August, the president and the father’s. Through his initiatives, the mate of fear and censorship dean of the Graduate School of Norwegian Ministry of Foreign that is only now beginning Journalism at the Addis Ababa Affairs had provided funding for 10 to ease, 12 years after the University as well as Aadland and the years to establish a graduate school regime was ousted. president of Gimlekollen came to the of journalism and communication Journalism in Ethiopia is United States to make final arrange- at Addis Ababa University. developing along with ments for the second year of the pro- The first cohort of students democracy, and the College gram. began classes in March of 2004, and of Journalism and Mass Dean Norton was scheduled to I was asked to join a team of Communications is one of teach the principles of journalism to instructors to teach the introduction the factors in that develop- bright, experienced people who had to journalism class for the second ment. not taken journalism courses. It was- cohort. The college is working n’t long before the plan turned into The 27 students were men and with the Gimlekollen action. women from all regions of Ethiopia School of Journalism in Norton spent three weeks in and from a variety of tribes and Norway to develop a pro- Addis Ababa at the end of October ethnic groups. Many were experi- fessional graduate journal- and beginning of November, teaching enced journalists with exceptional ism program at the Addis 30 Ethiopian students who had been intellect. They were selected from Ababa University in the accepted into the graduate program. 188 applicants, and their goal was Ethiopian capital. It’s an “They are the best and the brightest to enhance the movement of interesting combination: a in a country that has many of the Ethiopia toward democratic struc- Nebraska school working best and brightest students in Africa,” ture and processes. with a Norwegian school to Norton said. During our time in Ethiopia, improve journalism in He explained that Ethiopia is an Peter Levitov, associate dean of Africa. ideal place for a cooperative program international affairs at UNL, and I, It all started, Norton like the one at AAU because of the visited Aksum, the capital of the said, when a graduate of nation’s history: It is the only African ancient Kingdom of Aksum. It had Wheaton College Graduate nation never colonized by a European been an empire as grand as the Inca School in Illinois state. Although the Ethiopians have and Aztec empires of Latin approached Norton’s suffered under repressive regimes at America. It is now at the southern father, who had been the various times in their nation’s history, edge of the United Nations buffer man’s teacher during his “there’s an independent spirit there,” zone between Eritrea and Ethiopia. undergraduate years. The Norton said. One evening Peter and I walked By ERYNN HERMAN Wheaton graduate, now Ethiopia, he said, is “moving up a mountain toward an ancient J Alumni News staff working with the United toward democracy.” UNL’s participa- Ethiopian Orthodox monastery on Nations Commission on tion in the journalism program at the edge of the city. Halfway to the Human Rights, told the AAU means the students can become top, we stopped and looked north senior Norton that acquainted with American principles and east. In the distance the setting Seeds planted in Ethiopia Gimlekollen was working of free expression and mass commu- sun was shining off the Adwa to develop journalism pro- nication so the students “can develop Mountains where the Ethiopian grams in Africa and asked an Ethiopian version of free expres- forces were the first in Africa to Photo by Peter Levitov/International Studies, UNL the senior Norton what American sion as a model for Africa.” Students walk to school in the ancient capital of Aksum while Orthodox believers repel a European invasion when oys stand on the busy streets university Gimlekollen might work Terje Skjerdal, academic coordi- return from an early morning service at a church on the hill.