Monday Memo Oct. 24

THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHT

Teri Finneman stands with deans Chris Roush (Quinnipiac), Charles Davis (Georgia), Ann Brill, Laura Castaneda (USC), Kristine Blair (Duquesne) and News Desert U conference co-organizer Pam Walck.

J-School holds first news desert conference at Stauffer-Flint

The J-School hosted News Desert U last week, which brought together faculty from across the country interested in discussing the role that universities have in addressing the news desert crisis. About 100 people from across the country attended in person and virtually and discussed creating a news desert syllabus; funding a news desert outlet; getting started with day-to-day logistics; how state press associations can help; and building trust in communities. The conference also featured a panel of students who have worked for news desert/university publications. The conference was organized by Associate Professor Teri Finneman, who is founder and publisher of The Eudora Times.

RESEARCH, PUBLICATIONS & PRESENTATIONS

The Center for Excellence in Health Communication to Underserved Populations (CEHCUP), under the direction of Dr. Mugur Geana, is working with the Kansas Birth Equity Network to develop and deploy an online certification program for Kansas physicians to gain an understanding of the various factors that contribute to African American maternal and infant health, and the mechanisms that aid in obtaining equity. The project is funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health (PI: Sharla Smith, Ph.D.). In addition to a comprehensive research agenda, CEHCUP's work with underserved populations in Kansas and abroad have produced successful health communication interventions and programs addressing diabetes, nutrition, women's health, dengue fever and COVID-19.

Stephen Wolgast, Knight Chair in Audience and Community Engagement for News, gave his presentation on "The Promise and Pitfalls of Social Media" on Oct. 21 to the New Generation Society of Lawrence, an organization of Lawrence residents who gather for discussions of historical, social and cultural interest. The presentation was sponsored by Humanities Kansas.

INSIDE THE SCHOOL

Teach a session at

KSPA Winter Workshop

The Kansas Scholastic Press Association will hold a Winter Workshop on Monday, Feb. 13, for its members. Professors and instructors: We hope you will combine the teaching that you normally do on Mondays with our event. Suggested options:

Bring your students to help you teach the workshop session.
Adjust your session to include your normal KU students and the students visiting campus for KSPA.
Cancel class that day to instruct at the workshop.

Regardless, we hope your teaching talents can be part of the workshop, which will run from morning until midafternoon. Rather than our typical breakout session format, students will stick with one subject area for the day. Sessions will be smaller than our typical class sizes so that you can help students produce something impressive during their day on campus.

STUDENT NEWS & OPPORTUNITIES

J-School scholarship application open

Students, it's time to apply for School of Journalism and Mass Communications scholarships for the 2023-24 academic year! Last year, the school awarded about $650,000 to current and incoming students, and 97 percent of students who applied received at least one scholarship. All students admitted to the school are encouraged to apply. Recipients will be notified in April 2023.

▮ Apply here (currents students should click the red Sign In button at the top, then log in with KU online ID and password). You may be asked to complete a general questionnaire before moving to the application.

▮ If you have questions or want some assistance, attend this essay workshop on Zoom Oct. 26 from 6 to 7 p.m. Passcode is 1435. Deadline to apply for scholarships is Dec.15.

The Professional Selling Program will host the seventh annual Sales Summit from 9 a.m. to noon, Friday, Nov. 4, at Capitol Federal Hall, Room 1020. This event will focus on the art of securing a job in sales. John P. Davis, author of “How to Get a Sales Job,” will present on the interviewing process for a consultative sales position, followed by a panel discussion featuring silver partners of the Professional Selling Program. The event will conclude with a Q&A session with Davis. All attendees will receive a free boxed lunch after the event and a copy of Davis' book. Register here.

Applications are now open for the Fred Young Hearst Television Producing Fellowship, a 12-week, paid fellowship program at a Hearst TV station. Applicants must be willing to spend up to 12 weeks post-graduation at a Hearst station of the company’s choosing and be willing to relocate to an appointed employing Hearst station after finishing the program. Deadline is Nov. 11. Learn more and apply here.

KU Study Abroad offers Summer Global Internships in a variety of locations around the world, which provide the opportunity to gain professional work experience and build your resume while also experiencing another culture, earning academic credit, and traveling. Learn more by attending the Global Internships Virtual Info Session Series, which runs Oct. 25-27. Please note a special funding opportunity for students participating in the ISA South Korea and Vietnam and CIEE Shanghai, Singapore, & Tokyo Internship Programs called the Freeman Foundation Scholarship for East Asia Internships. It ranges from $2,500 to $5,000 and is open to U.S citizens and permanent residents.

CAREER & OUTREACH CENTER

Career fair draws 25 companies and nearly 140 students

Twenty-five companies and nearly 140 students participated in the J-School Career Fair last week at Stauffer-Flint Hall. Here is the breakdown of participating students by class:

May 2024 — 40
May 2025 — 31
May 2023 — 29
May 2026 — 16
December 2022 — 9
December 2023 — 4
December 2024 — 4
December 2025 — 1

The most popular major/concentration represented was strategic communication with 63 students, followed by news and information (16), journalism (16) and multimedia journalism (11). The next J-School Career Fair will be March 2, 2023, at Stauffer-Flint Hall.

JOBS & INTERNSHIPS

Job opportunities

▮ Photographer/videographer, Lifted Logic (Kansas City)

▮ Morning anchor, WJTV (Jackson, Mississippi)

Internships and student jobs

▮ Magazine internship program, American Society of Magazine Editors (virtual)

▮ Fellowship in journalism, Fellowships at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics

Find more job and internship postings on the J-School website.

Cheers to Careers: Allison Mazzei

Allison Mazzei, j’08, president of the Kansas Association of Broadcasters, was a recent guest with Steve Rottinghaus on the Career and Outreach Center’s Cheers to Careers podcast. Watch on YouTube.

JSCHOOL TECH

Build your tech skills

Deadline extended! JSchool Tech is hosting a Design Challenge to push your design skills. Express your creativity within the given guidelines for a chance to be showcased on social media and throughout Stauffer-Flint! Get details on Instagram (@jschooltech). Designs are due Oct. 20. Don't miss out!

Working on your portfolio? Review the basics at our portfolio hub.

Buy Creative Cloud from the KU Bookstore for a discount! Pay $150 for the year.

EVENTS

Wellness in Our Democracy is a new series that kicked off this fall that asks important questions about the threats our democracy is facing, while pairing these challenges with a consideration of care —for ourselves and our communities. Led by Patricia Weems Gaston, Lacy C. Haynes professor of journalism; Najarian R. Peters, associate professor of law and faculty associate at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School; and Emily Ryan, director of The Commons, the discussion will offer opportunities to learn more about the insidiousness of false information. The series kicked off Sept. 28, and the second discussion is a virtual session Oct. 26 at 7 p.m., which will explore what the data tells us. It will feature a conversation with Joan Donavan, research director of the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Public Policy and affiliate at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School. The final session of the semester is Nov. 30 at 7 p.m.

ALUMNI UPDATE

David Johnston, j’94, is the associate vice president for alumni and constituent engagement at Boise State Universi.

Grant DeMars, j’19, is a media relations specialist at UC Health in Aurora, Colorado.

IN MEMORIAM

David Miller, j'81, died Oct. 2 at the age of 67. Read his obituary.

Calendar

Oct. 24: Curriculum & Assessment Committee meeting, 1-2:30 p.m., Stauffer-Flint Hall, Room 201

Oct. 26: Technology Committee meeting, 9:30 a.m., Stauffer-Flint Hall, Room 312

Oct. 28: Faculty and staff meeting, 1-2:30 p.m., Clarkson Gallery

Oct. 28: Promotion and Tenure Committee meeting, 3-5 p.m., Stauffer-Flint Hall, Room 303

Nov. 4: Concur training session for faculty/staff, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Clarkson Gallery

Nov. 4: Strategic Communication faculty meeting, 1-2 p.m., online

Nov. 4: Faculty and staff town hall meeting,1-3 p.m. (lunch provided at 12:30 p.m.), Clarkson Gallery

Nov. 7: Curriculum & Assessment Committee meeting, 1-2:30 p.m., Stauffer-Flint Hall, Room 201

Nov. 7: Graduate Committee meeting, 1-2 p.m., Stauffer-Flint Hall, Room 312

Nov. 7: Faculty and staff town hall meeting, 4-6 p.m. (appetizers provided), Clarkson Gallery

Nov. 9: Technology Committee meeting, 9:30 a.m., Stauffer-Flint Hall, Room 312

Nov. 11: Research Colloquium & Future Professoriate session, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Clarkson Gallery

Nov. 21: Curriculum & Assessment Committee meeting, 1-2:30 p.m., Stauffer-Flint Hall, Room 201

Nov. 23: Technology Committee meeting, 9:30 a.m., Stauffer-Flint Hall, Room 312

Dec. 2: Future Professoriate session for Lawrence graduate students, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Clarkson Gallery

Dec. 5: Curriculum & Assessment Committee meeting, 1-2:30 p.m., Stauffer-Flint Hall, Room 201

Dec. 5: Concur training session for faculty/staff, 3:30-5 p.m., Zoom

Dec. 9: Faculty and staff meeting with lunch afterward,10:30 a.m.-noon, Clarkson Gallery

Feb. 10: Faculty and staff meeting, 1-2:30 p.m., Clarkson Gallery

March 2: J-School Career Fair, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Stauffer-Flint

March 31: Faculty and staff meeting, 1-2:30 p.m., Clarkson Gallery

May 5: Faculty and staff meeting with lunch afterward, 10:30 a.m.-noon, Clarkson Gallery

William Allen White School of Journalism

& Mass Communications

Stauffer-Flint Hall

1435 Jayhawk Boulevard

Lawrence, KS 66012