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Fall 2004 Multimedia Newsroom creates a stir in the Dole Center By Deron Lee, graduate student isitors to the second floor V of the Dole Center this semester have been unable to resist peering through the large windows of the new Stan and Madeline Stauffer Multi- media Newsroom, where J- School students and faculty are at work. “We’re beginning to cope with the fact that we’re living in a fishbowl here,” Professor Rick Musser said. Musser is managing the newsroom and teaching his Online Journalism course there. Nick Irvin, senior, a pro- Professor Rick Musser, Stauffer Multimedia Newsroom director, ducer for KUJH-TV, welcomes and Sandra Barry, KJHK radio news director, review the rundown of stories in the TV Newsroom system. The “amoeba table” in the opportunity to work in the the center of the room provides a place for students from KUJH, fishbowl. KJHK, and the Kansan to share ideas and work together. “We report on people. We watch them,” he said. “So I think it makes sense that they should be able to watch us work. I think it’s good.” This summer, work crews gutted the second floor lobby to clear space for the newsroom, which is designed to prepare J-School students for the converged media environment that awaits them in the workplace. A $200,000 donation from Stan and Madeline Stauffer made the project possible. What’s Inside... (Newsroom – continued on page 2) + Meet the New Faculty Letter from the Dean + Editor’s Day-Walter Mears + Rich Clarkson-Dedicated Graduate s you can see from this issue of JLinks, it’s a busy + William Allen White Day A and exciting time here at the J-School. In August, + Bremner Editing Center we opened the Stauffer Multimedia Newsroom in the + Accreditation Process Dole Center. Since classes began this fall, students have + Professional/Community Outreach been taking advantage of the Bremner Editing Center, + Tuition Differential Fee named in honor of the late journalism professor and the + New J-School Web Site icon of quality editing, John Bremner. + International Experiences In September, more than 100 editors from Kansas + Alumni News & Notes and other states gathered on Editor’s Day to hear Walter - Sally and John Buzbee Mears, an AP Pulitzer Prize winner, talk about a new - Mike Moffet way of reporting–blogging, a sort of online diary. Some - Ranjit Arab - Kevin Helliker Ann M. Brill, Interim Dean (Dean – continued on page 2) (Dean – continued from page 1) (Newsroom – continued from page 1) say it’s the future of reporting. The symbol of the new media We’ll see, but it’s great to see landscape in the Stauffer Multimedia journalists–professionals and Newsroom is the convergence table Photo of training students–trying new things (also called the “amoeba table” for its labs or KUJH at unusual shape), which contains and, at the same time, relying on work in newsroom the tested skills of solid workstations for the University Daily reporting, writing and editing Kansan, KUJH, and KJHK radio news. that are the bedrock of quality Here, students from the different journalism. campus media outlets can exchange We also have new faculty story ideas and formulate various members this year. Kristen methods for telling those stories. Swain, an expert in medical and The amoeba table also features two xxxxxxxxxxxxxx science journalism, brings skills workstations for students in the Online in investigative reporting and Journalism class, who will be helping writing to a complex area. other students in various journalism Doug Ward, a Kansas courses get their stories from class native, combines the highest published in the Kansan or aired on Multimedia reporting students attend training professional accomplishments KUJH or KJHK. sessions with Staci Wolfe, multimedia coordina- with strong academic The goal is not only to enhance the tor, in the new multimedia newsroom eMac lab. credentials. Until joining us, he news-gathering capabilities of the was a copy editor at The New campus media, but also to improve the Kansan newsroom remains in Stauffer- York Times. He also worked educational opportunities for students. Flint Hall, but at least one Kansan staffer will work at the amoeba table. with Gene Roberts, the 17-time “This is a learning laboratory,” Most of the newsroom’s equip- Pulitzer Prize winning former Musser said. “The real test is how much ment is now installed and operating editor of the Philadelphia and how well people are learning.” according to plan, but there is still Inquirer. The newsroom also features a Our third newcomer is training lab with 12 eMac computers, work to be done. As the newsroom I-Huei Cheng, who spent the as well as broadcast and editing continues to evolve, Staci Wolfe, multimedia coordinator, expects to see summer in the public relations facilities for KUJH and KJHK. The the installation of a office of the Estee Lauder video camera, a cosmetics company. They join a Webcam, and a large- faculty committed to providing the very best education possible screen plasma TV while instilling passion for the visible from the hallway outside. craft of journalism. “We’re in a constant In addition, we are state of construction,” preparing for our reaccred- she said. itation visit in February. That experience is helping us take a Musser said he look at the past and set a plan hoped that all J- School students and for the future. Stay tuned. Just faculty will take like the past, our future is advantage of the looking great! newsroom. Amanda Stairrett, University Daily Kansan campus editor, juggles paper, Meanwhile, computer and phone during her shift in the multimedia newsroom. Stairrett, who also is enrolled in the Online Writing, Design & Production Musser encourages class, works with multimedia reporting students to help them get their people to visit the newsroom. “The Ann M. Brill, stories published in the Kansan. operative term is, Interim Dean come on down.” 2 Fall 2004 JLinks New faces in the J-School Editor’s Day 2004 alter Mears was the fea- W tured speaker for the J- School’s Kansas Editor’s Day Saturday, September 25. He discussed the November election. Mears covered politics for most of his 45-year career with the Associated Press, winning the Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of the 1976 presidential campaign. Mears retired in 2001 and wrote his third book, “Deadlines Past.” More than 100 Kansas editors, publishers and faculty members attended Editor’s Day. They also had a pre-game Lisa Loewen, Kristen Swain, Doug Ward and I-Huei Cheng (Chris Ralston not pictured). brunch at the Chancellor’s house and attended the Kansas- he Jayhawk flock has grown this career also has included editing Texas Tech football game. T fall with the addition of three positions at the Kansas City Star, “Editor’s Day is a time to new full-time assistant professors and Hutchinson News, Parsons Sun, show our appreciation to two part-time lecturers. Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia editors from around the state Prof. Kristen Swain, a former Daily News. and to show them what we are assistant professor at the School of Ward graduated with a B.S. in doing at KU,” Dean Ann Brill Mass Communication, University of journalism and mass communications said. “We were also excited to Arkansas-Little Rock, was selected to from Kansas State University, has a have Walter Mears here. He’s a fill the newly-created medical/science master’s degree with honors in veteran political reporter, who communication position. She has journalism from the University of through his ‘blogging’ at the taught health communications and Kansas, and received his Ph.D. in mass political conventions, took a writing at Texas A & M University, the communications from the University new approach to journalism.” University of South Florida and of Maryland. Mears teamed up with Arkansas, and published extensively Prof. I-Huei Cheng has joined the Washington reporter Nancy in the field. faculty on a one-year appointment as Benac for the AP debut of its Swain graduated with a B.A. in an assistant professor, teaching first blog at the Democratic journalism from the University of Marketing and Media Research and convention in Boston. They Mississippi, has a master’s degree in co-teaching Strategic Campaigns. She provided journalism from the University of is currently completing her Ph.D. at running Alabama College of Communications, the University of Missouri. com- and received her Ph.D. in mass Part-time lecturers Lisa Loewen, mentary, communications from the University teaching Research and Writing, and insight of Florida College of Journalism and Chris Ralston, teaching Print and and news Communications. Online Design, also have joined the tidbits Prof. Douglas Ward, a former faculty. from the copy editor with the New York Times, Republican teaches editing and writing. Ward’s convention too. www.journalism.ku.edu JLinks Fall 2004 3 Walter Mears A photographer gives his all tice. During a water break, By Charles Higginson, ACEJMC program associate Allen came over and invited the boys to meet another ob- any alumni say they give their alma mater their full server of the day’s session – M support, but few take it as literally as Rich Clarkson, James Naismith. Denver photojournalist and a 1955 graduate. He has arranged Or the time when a bequest through which virtually his entire estate will come Clarkson, as the 11-year-old to the University. His extensive photography collection, in- publisher of an aviation news- cluding prints by Ansel Adams, is destined for the Spencer letter, got a call from one of Museum of Art, and the remainder will benefit the J-School. his regular contacts, the head Values are undetermined, but the gifts help substantially of the aeronautical engineer- boost the School toward its $5 million KU First goal.