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UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA–LINCOLN COLLEGE OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATIONS ALUMNI MAGAZINE WINTER 2006-2007 Q&A With Steve Pederson Pages 44–51 Photo courtesy Lincoln Journal Star M E D I A Wesley G. Pippert ‘JUST POLITICS’ The nation has been reminded in recent days of the quality of There had been jokes that Ford had played football too long President Gerald R. Ford’s life and the easy, comfortable rela- without a helmet, making light of his presumed lack of wit — tionship he had with members of the press corps. even though he finished in the top third of his class both at In many ways, this relationship was another demonstration Michigan and the Yale law school. So during the speech Ford of Ford’s general friendliness with everyone. And it seems to me tried to put on an old helmet he had worn — but it wouldn’t fit. that it also was the result of his having worked on a frequent, “Heads tend to swell in Washington,” he said, a remark that daily basis with reporters during a quarter of a century in brought down the house. Congress. It was something of a surprise, then, when in 1974 Ford In times past, reporters gathered on the floor of the Senate a vetoed a bill that would have strengthened the 1966 Freedom of few minutes before the start of the session for what was called Information Act. (FOIA gives any citizen the right to gain access “dugout chatter,” a time when the majority leader would answer to government documents, with certain exceptions such as questions. On the House side of the Capitol, the speaker met papers involving national security, personnel matters or com- with “pen and pad” reporters 15 mercial secrets. Reporters use minutes before the start of the FOIA frequently.) According to session. the National Security Archive, a Since Congress was con- private organization, Ford’s chief trolled by the Democrats for of staff, Donald Rumsfeld, his most of those years, the deputy Dick Cheney and govern- Republicans responded with ment lawyer Antonin Scalia per- what became affectionately suaded Ford to veto the bill on known as the “Ev and Charley grounds that it was unconstitu- show,” named for Senate tional and would lead to leaks. Republican leader Everett According to the National Dirksen and House GOP leader Security Archive, Ford had said Charley Halleck. in a handwritten notation that a When Ford became veto would present problems and Republican leader in 1965, it asked, “How serious are our became known as the “Ev and objections?” Ford also had the Jerry show.” These sessions were support of his long-time aide, held weekly in various parts of White House Counsel Philip the Capitol. And thus Ford met Buchen. But Rumsfeld, later on a regular, frequent basis with defense secretary, and Cheney, the congressional press corps. By now vice president, and Scalia, the time he became president, he now a Supreme Court justice, knew very well how to deal with prevailed. the press. Photo courtesy Wesley Pippert In the end, though, During the two years plus of Pippert is director of the Washington Program at the University Congress voted to override the the Ford presidency, he held 39 of Missouri School of Journalism veto and FOIA was strengthened. formal news conferences, meet- I covered Ford for about six ing considerably more often than most recent presidents and months during his presidency. I was the UPI reporter in the press especially so in the wake of the hostile environment of the White pool on Air Force One when Ford was returning from a weekend House Press Room during the Nixon presidency. In addition, in Michigan. It was April or May 1975 and Ford was vetoing bill Ford had numerous informal chats that the White House after bill the Democratic Congress sent him. Ford, wearing golf- referred to as “exchanges” with the press corps. Transcripts of ing clothes — a knit shirt and slacks — and with a stubble on his these exchanges often show a lot of bantering and just plain chat- chin, came aft to chat with the pool. At one point I asked him ting. how all those vetoes were affecting his relationships in the House Deputy House Historian Fred Beuttler recalled that in 1968 where he had served so long. I’ll never forget his reply. It spoke the rising young Congressman Ford spoke to the Gridiron din- of a healthy and good man. ner, a gathering of the most elite of the Washington press corps, “Oh, those vetoes are just politics,”he said. “They don’t have teasing them and poking fun at them in his usual good-natured anything to do with my friendships.” ■ way. More Ford coverage on page 75 12 WINTER 2006-2007 J ALMNI NEWS 33 CONTENTSx E.N. Thompson Forum J Alumni News is a Lecture at The Lied | 11.09.06 biannual publication of the College of Journalism and Mass Communications at UNL in cooperation with the College of Journalism Alumni Association Dean Will Norton Jr. Editor Charlyne Berens Art director Marilyn Hahn The J school was the site of a press Photographers Luis Peon-Casanova conference for for- Bruce Thorson mer U.S. Congress- David Story man and Senator Journalism Alumni Association George McGovern Board of Directors prior to his appear- ance at The Lied. President Ann Pedersen-Gleeson Photo by Bruce Thorson Vice president/secretary FROM THE DEAN. The differ- Ashley Washburn 26 ALUMNI 4 ence between Lincoln and Ethiopia fyi National board representative is more than a difference of nine hours. ■ Native Nebraskans are a fashion hit Thom Kastrup It is a difference of decades, perhaps cen- ■ It’s a family affair for ’00 grads Board members ■ Jeans suit the sportscaster Terri Diffenderfer turies … we must help our Ethiopian Rhonda Gerrard colleagues to make up the time. ■ A small company succeeds in big city Barry Kriha ■ Monte Olson Journalism specialty leads to awards Tracy Overstreet COLLEGE. The fall semester was a ■ Footnote in Husker history Cheryl Stubbendieck 6 busy time for faculty and students. ■ Alum launches clothing line Past president ■ Newspaper is a voice for the voiceless ■ Connections help grads land jobs Dara Troutman ■ Riggs’ advice to aspiring journalists ■ Investigative reporter earns awards Student representative ■ A conversation on the the media’s future ■ Goal-setting alum starts anew Riana Perez ■ NPA v. Stuart marks 30th anniversary ■ Green Thumb Creative grows ideas College representative ■ ■ Alums join CUNY grad faculty Richard Alloway College/Journal Star conduct survey ■ ‘The Fox’ marks the end of an era ■ Fusebox is plugged in Foundation representative ■ ■ Photojournalist travels the world Steve Hill Travel to Berlin smashes stereotypes ■ Seeing the light in the City of Light Letters to the editor should be sent to: Athletic direc- ■ J Alumni News Depth report takes on local challenge 44 tor sits down CoJMC ■ Student looks at education in Ghana with J school dean P.O. Box 880443 and broadcasting pro- Lincoln, NE 68588-0443 ■ Twin disasters alters students’ views Phone ■ Students produce Election Night coverage fessor for a Q&A 402.472.3041 ■ ■ Cover Photo: The Schulte FAX A woman in a man’s world clock, in the north stadium, 402.472.8597 was converted from a game E-mail clock to a regular time piece [email protected] SPECIAL. D.C. Diva comes to J school to study journalism College Web site 42 JNews&Notes http://www.unl.edu/journalism/ G I V I N G B A C K Faculty Notes ..................................................... 52 NewsNetNebraska Web site http://www.newsnetnebraska.org Former professor, business executives and Faculty Profiles .................................................. 53 research collection enhance J school ............70 Alumni Notes .................................................... 58 Daily Nebraskan Web site http://www.unl.edu/DailyNeb/ Student Notes .................................................... 66 The University of Nebraska–Lincoln does not dis- N O T E BOOK Honors ................................................................ 50 criminate based on gender, age, disability, race, Dave Nuckolls, ’86, remembers President and NPA Hall of Fame ............................................ 67 color, religion, marital status, veteran’s status, national or ethnic origin, or sexual orientation. Mrs.Ford ...........................................................75 Broadcasters Hall of Fame ............................. 68 12 SUMMER 2005 J ALUMNI NEWS 33 FROM THE DEAN Time Travel by Will Norton Jr. thiopia is nine hours ahead of Central Standard Time. It is 11:15 p.m., approaching the end of Thanksgiving Day, Eas I begin this piece. It is 2:15 p.m. in Lincoln. Many Nebraskans have finished their turkey or ham dinners as I try to summarize the emotions of today when we visited Lalibela, Ethiopia, the site of historic rock- hewn churches for which the area is known worldwide. Lalibela was the capital of the Zaguwe dynasty during the I found it difficult to understand why millions of Americans 12th and 13th centuries. This town is well-known among those would be enjoying plentiful meals while these people were in who know early church history and/or the history of Ethiopia. such a helpless situation. King Lalibela visited Jerusalem and returned home determined This was the first Thanksgiving that I had been away from to make his city a new Jerusalem. As a result, Lalibela is most family. We had flown to Addis Ababa for meetings with Dr. famous for its churches that have been carved out of stone and Andreas Eshete, president of Addis Ababa University, and his for other sites named after biblical figures. colleagues. Our discussions concerned cooperative programs Dr. Barbara Couture, UNL’s senior vice chancellor for aca- between their university and the University of Nebraska– demic affairs, and her spouse, Paul Couture, and I were travel- Lincoln. ing with Dr. Oyvind Aadland, director of international studies We also had met with Vicky Huddleston, charge d’affaires at the Gimlekollen School of Journalism and Communication at the U.S.