Note: This is the last Monday Memo of the fall semester; it will resume Feb. 1. |
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Students record oral histories to document life during the pandemic |
Associate Professor Teri Finneman's journalism history class interviewed more than two dozen School of Journalism faculty members, students and spring graduates to record how they dealt with the 2020 pandemic. The oral histories capture glimpses of how each person found out about KU moving classes online in the spring and how they continue to try and cope with the new normal of COVID-19 life. See the project here.
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Join us for some fun events to stay connected over winter break |
The J-School Student Services office has planned several virtual events in January to stay connected with students during the extended winter break. We hope you’ll join us for an event or two!
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Pet Photo Competition, Jan. 4-22: Show us your pets! Submit a photo of your pet(s) for an online competition in cuteness.
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Hot Drinks and Hot Topics, Jan. 7, 10 a.m.: Grab your favorite coffee, cocoa or tea and join in for a rundown of hot topics in pop culture and/or current events.
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Live Game Show, Jan. 14, 1 p.m.: Join your peers for some friendly competition with the chance to win J-School prizes. Games Day competition includes J-School Jeopardy and Family Feud
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Cooking Show, Jan. 15: This pre-recorded video will feature some tried and true recipes with five ingredients or less.
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Hot Drinks and Hot Topics, Jan. 19, 10 a.m.: Grab your favorite coffee, cocoa or tea and join in for a rundown of hot topics in pop culture and/or current events.
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2021 Graduate Symposium, Jan. 26: Are you graduating in May, August or December 2021? If so, join us for a discussion on goal setting and transitioning to life after graduation.
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Alumni Roundtable, Jan. 19, 1 p.m.: Four graduates of the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications will participate in a panel discussion about their careers and share tips with J-School students on how to enter the workforce. Guest alumni are Carmen Branch, VP Corporate Communications - External Communications, Comerica Bank, Allen, Texas; Jana Calkins, Assistant News Director, WDAF-TV Fox 4, Kansas City, Missouri; Matt Gardner, Vice President, Digital Media and Emerging Technology, St. Louis Blues; and Hallie Wilson, Connections Manager at VMLY&R, Kansas City, Missouri.
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Spring 2021: Setting the Stage for a Successful Semester, Feb. 4, 4:30 p.m.: Discuss strategies for building on successes and developing new skills as you navigate another semester of in-person, remote and hybrid learning. Topics such as study skills, time management and goal setting will be discussed with time allowed for individual questions.
(Details for January and February programs will be announced at least one week in advance via email and/or social media)
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Congratulations to our Fall 2020 graduates |
Congratulations to these new BSJ graduates of the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications: Katie Elizabeth Andrew, Rachael Beal, Jessica R. Cate, Danny Price Finley, Jaida Renee Fulton, Samuel Benjamin Goldman, Connor Matthew Heaton, Sydney Marie Hoover, Isabella Audrey Kirk, Carlie Lynn Koziol, Brendan T. Kramer, Alexandra Lee, Jordyn Leon, Kellianne Marie Lopez, Maggie Mahr,, George Patrick Mannion, Nicole Rye Mitchell, Heidi Mae Myers, Phoenix Thi-Pham Nghiem, Olivia Christine Nichols, Leann Marie Peterson, Saria M. Peterson, Ansley Nicole Reynolds, Alex Elyse Rothers, Miranda J. Stalkfleet, Madison Elaine Theisen, Elizabeth Nicole Tice, Mayra Guadalupe Torres, Denita Viviana Victor, Katherine Ellen Vroman, Alana A. Washington, Mackenzie Grace Weider, Zoe E. Wilson, Tianna J. Witmer, Wenshuai Zhang. Graduates are invited to send senior reflections to jschool@ku.edu. Reflections will be posted on the J-School website.
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Research, Publications and Presentations |
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Doctoral students Muhammad Ittefaq, Annalise Baines and Mauryne Abwao are excited to announce that their paper titled "Does Pakistan Still have Polio Cases? Exploring Discussions on Polio and Polio Vaccine in Online News Comments in Pakistan" has been accepted for publication in Vaccine. The other co-authors are Sayyed Fawad Ali Shah at Jacksonville State University and Tayyeb Ramazan at the University of Lahore, Pakistan. We would like to thank Lisa McLendon for her thorough edits and extend our gratitude to Carina Schleuniger at ETH Zurich and Rebecca Johnson at University of Kansas for proofreading the early manuscript.
The Kansas Scholastic Press Association would like to thank the following presenters at “Good Stuff,” the 2020 Virtual Fall Conference: Annalise Baines, Christopher Heady, Doug Ward, Gerri Berendzen, Heather Lawrenz, Lisa McLendon, Nicole-Marie Konopelko, Pan Liu, Peter Bobkowski, Steve Rottinghaus and Genelle Belmas. The second batch of presentations featured appearances by Pulitzer Prize winner Jim Sheeler and Pete Souza, the White House photographer for Presidents Reagan and Obama (thanks to Carol Holstead). This event was made possible for Kansas journalism students by faculty members and students generously providing their expertise.
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Last chance to pre-order pandemic photo book |
This is the last week to pre-order “The New Normal: A Semester at KU Amid the Coronavirus in 2020,” which is a book of photographs taken by Eric Thomas' photojournalism class this extraordinary semester. The photographs come from projects focused on student life, the pandemic, the election and more. All proceeds from the book will benefit the scholarship funds for the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications. Read the KU News story here.
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Student News and Opportunities |
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J-School scholarship application deadline is Dec. 15 |
Each year, we accept applications for School of Journalism scholarships. All students admitted to the J-School are encouraged to apply. Last year, we distributed more than $600,000 to our students. Students who receive KU renewable scholarships should note that the School of Journalism will likely be funding those scholarships during their junior and senior years. Even so, additional funds may be available, so those students can still apply. Applications are due Dec. 15. Recipients will be notified in April 2021, and scholarships are for the Fall 2021 and Spring 2022 academic year.
Apply here (click the red Sign In button, then log in with your KU online ID and password). You may be asked to complete a general application question before moving to the School of Journalism Undergraduate Scholarship Application.
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Nancy Mays' Strategic Campaigns students presented to their client, Awesome Ambitions, a Kansas City-based nonprofit that provides mentoring and career connections to girls of color throughout the metro area. The group is run by KSHB journalist Cynthia Newsome, who founded the group nearly 25 years ago. The class worked directly with Newsome, her executive team and girls from Awesome Ambitions on a number of challenges, including alumni, volunteer and school outreach.
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The University Daily Kansan and the Jayhawk Media Group are making plans for winter break and the spring semester. Students interested in news-information and strategic communication roles should contact Rob Karwath, general manager and news adviser, to sign up or ask questions: 218-343-9418 or rkarwath@ku.edu.
The Alliance for Women in Media is now accepting applications for its Gracie Awards, which recognize exemplary programming created by women, for women and about women in all facets of media and entertainment. Early-bird deadline is Dec. 10. Learn more here.
Pettable, a virtual pet care service, is offering a chance at a $1,000 student scholarship to pet lovers by posting a photo of your pet on Instagram. Learn more here.
Little Bundle is awarding a $2,000 scholarship to students of single dads or students who are single dads themselves. Deadline is Dec. 31. Learn more and apply here.
WiseGeek is awarding a $500 scholarship to students who have experienced challenges with mental health or had those close to them who have. Deadline is Dec. 31. Learn more and apply here.
American Horse Publications is offering a $1,000 award for students interested in equine media. Deadline is Jan. 22. Learn more and apply here.
Fellowships at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics (FASPE) offers fellowships to students pursuing professional degrees in business, journalism, law, medicine and religion, as well as to early-career professionals in these fields. Fellows spend two intensive weeks in Germany and Poland, visiting Auschwitz and key historical sites in Berlin and Krakow and participating in rigorous seminars led by experts in their respective fields. Deadline is Jan. 6. Learn more and apply here.
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Find career and work opportunities on the J-School’s jobs and internships web page. You may filter by job or internship and full or part time. And don’t forget that Career and Outreach Coordinator Steve Rottinghaus can help you with your search. See more job and internship opportunities on the J-School's website and check out the University Career Center’s job and internship board.
JOBS
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Report for America is expanding throughout the country |
Report for America is adding more than 100 new reporting positions and expanding to more than 200 newsrooms across the country, at a time when the impact of the pandemic has decimated local news economically. Learn more and apply.
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Save the date for Podcast Palooza! |
JSchool Tech is excited to bring you Podcast Palooza, an amazing event with national speakers from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Jan 25. Speakers are Joel Anderson of Slate, Vickie Walton-James of National Public Radio, Sarah Rhea Werner, and Chris Tarry of Gen Z Media. If you are interested in podcasting as a career, a hobby or are just a podcast fan, this event is for you!
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Winter Break Creative Challenge: Join JSchoolTech in a creative design challenge Dec. 14-Jan. 25. Each week you will receive a challenge brief, a training video and some inspiration to build your skills in Adobe. You will also get access to our Slack channel where you can ask questions or share your designs. Sign up here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @jschooltech for all our updates and announcements.
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Gary Wallace, 1976 J-School graduate, retired as vice president of government affairs and communications at SiriusXM. He also had worked in communications at KPL/Westar Energy in Topeka and in newspapers in Billings, Montana, and Ellensburg, Washington.
Anna Attkisson, 1999 J-School graduate, is editorial director of Investopedia.com in New York City.
Katie Bernard, 2019 J-School graduate, is now covering Kansas government for the Kansas City Star.
Meredith Burtin, 2019 J-School graduate, will serve as managing editor on the 2021-2022 executive board of the UMKC Law Review.
Amity Dannefer, 2005 J-School graduate, is associate director of talent acquisition at VMLY&R in Kansas City, Missouri.
Danielle Shefler, 2020 J-School graduate, is a media associate for Starcom in Chicago, Illinois.
Corey Wogalter, 2017 J-School graduate, is the digital marketing coordinator at Centriq Training in Kansas City, Missouri.
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Gary L. Wright, a veteran Charlotte Observer reporter and editor who studied journalism at KU in the 1970s, died Dec. 10. Wright was a member of the team that won the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for reporting on misuse of funds by the PTL television ministry. Read his obituary.
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Feb. 1: First day of spring semester classes
March 4: J-School Career Fair, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
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William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications
1435 Jayhawk Boulevard
Stauffer-Flint Hall
Lawrence, KS 66045
785-864-4755
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