TMU 5(30) -- November 18, 2008

Management students tour OW-H
Discussion centers on convergence

A day after employee layoffs at the Omaha World-Herald, students in UNO’s Electronic Media Management class toured the newsroom, observed the 6:15 p.m. news meeting and met with top editors.

Students observe the 6:15 p.m. news meeting

C. David Kotok and Alexandra Hayne discussed the transformation of the newspaper brought about by increasing interest in online news.

Kotok discusses changes in the newspaper business

The newspaper filed streaming video reports for the first time on election night and has hired a professional videographer, alumnus Pete Soby.

Alumnus donates TV equipment
Smith remembers days on campus

Dick Smith, a freelance videographer and field producer for ABC News, returned to campus Nov. 12. Smith donated television equipment, including a camera used last summer at the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis.

Dave Webber and Dick Smith appear on Consider This

Smith and WOWT sportscaster Dave Webber were interviewed for an installment of Consider This on the history of the television industry. UNO TV General Manager Robert Franklin coordinated the visit.

Dean Gail F. Baker, Smith and Franklin

“I also had a great time meeting all of you and will remember the occasion fondly,” Smith said. He also donated a recording deck, monitor and lights. “I am gratified that all will be put to good use developing young men and women for careers in our profession.”

Smith shows Franklin the donated camera

Smith began his career at the Gateway and the Omaha World-Herald before moving into television at KETV. “When I walked into my first job as a night side reporter at the Omaha World-Herald, I felt Dr. Paul Peterson and all of the other Journalism professors at the university had prepared me well,” Smith said.

He moved to NBC in Chicago and then later formed Iguana Productions in Buffalo Grove, Illinois – his own production company near Chicago.

Step up
Syrek receives recognition for forensics coaching

Abbie Syrek was recognized Nov. 17 with a Step Up Award for her efforts in coaching the UNO Forensics team.

Abbie Syrek receives her Step Up Award

Syrek’s team finished 13th in the nation last year and challenged larger squads with higher budgets. She was recognized for the many weekends worked during the season.

The Department of Art and Art History, meanwhile, received the strategic planning award for community engagement. Bob Carlson, interim chair, worked on the application. This is the same award PRSSA won last year. The School of Communication is a previous recipient of the academic excellence award.

Inside Art
UNO Television lands grant

Inside Art, a new UNO Television production, received a $10,000 grant from the Pacific Life Foundation.

Gary Repair is the producer of Inside Art and is assisted by students from the School of Communication. In the process of producing the program elements of Inside Art, students learn location field production skills including videography, lighting and sound recording as well as post-production skills in editing the segments together.

Art forms explored on Inside Art include performances such as drama, vocal and instrumental music, the visual arts of sculpture, painting, photography, engraving, precious metals, and written art such as poetry and prose.

Venues include studios, galleries, stages and theatres where art is created, displayed and performed.

A typical 30-minute program contains three or four features on the subjects listed above. The program’s hosts introduce each feature and give follow-up information after the features. Each program also has a brief interview shot on location with someone connected to the arts community in Omaha. An arts calendar gives information about various arts offerings in the metro area.

Faculty research
Robinson-Moore leads lively post-election discussion

Cynthia Robinson-Moore presented her research Nov. 14 on skin color, hair and race. She is preparing for a presentation of her findings at the National Communication Association meeting this week in San Diego.

Robinson-Moore lectures at faculty colloquium

The thought-provoking presentation produced discussion about President-elect Barack Obama, his wife Michelle and their children, as they prepare to move to the White House.

Chris Allen, Shereen Bingham, Ana Cruz, Teresa Lamsam, Lynnette Leonard, Jeremy Lipschultz, Holly Miller, Hugh Reilly, Randy Rose and graduate student Kenny Hopkinson attended.

Of note
Excellence in action

The Lynnette Leonard and Paige Toller paper, “Speaking Ill of the Dead: An analysis of MyDeathSpace.com,” has won the Top Paper Award in the Media Studies division of the Central States Communication Association. They will present the paper in St. Louis this April. Leonard’s paper with Adma Tyma, “Online Identity Assembly Theory,” has been accepted for presentation in the Communication Theory division of the same meeting, as has the panel proposal “Living and Working in a ‘Second Life’: How have social network sites/online social communities influenced, well, everything?” This will be an experimental panel held in two parts. The first will be completely in SL, where the speakers will discuss (via avatars) not only their research but where computer-mediated communication research might be going, while attendees observe from gallery seating around the speakers. This will be followed by a face-to-face discussion. Tyma also has another panel, “Picking a different gate to get into the class – moving from theory to praxis in the classroom,” which is a critical reflection piece based on experiences with the Media Literacy class this fall.

Did you know?
People in the news

Barb Pickering has been selected to participate in a day-long workshop at the NCA convention in San Diego. The topic of the workshop is “Deliberative Democracy.” Eighteen faculty from around the country have been selected to participate. The group will explore avenues of scholarly research, teaching and service involving communication studies and deliberative democracy. The seminar will emphasize activities aimed at generating collaborative projects. Topics under discussion, in part, include generating research projects, sharing best practices in teaching and outreach, and building a scholarly network. Furthermore, the seminar will allocate time for participants to develop strategies to strengthen their area of study. In sum these activities will build capacity for communication scholars to make a significant contribution to the deliberative democracy movement.

* * * *

Chris Allen, Shereen Bingham and Marshall Prisbell have received initial approval for their 2009-2010 academic year faculty development fellowship proposals. Bingham and Prisbell plan on being on leave next academic year. Allen is requesting a one year delay and plans to seek a Fulbright fellowship abroad for 2010-2011. The FDF applications are sent to NU Regents for final approval.

Footnotes
Evidence of excellence

1. Lynnette Leonard has received word that the Knight News Challenge remains interested in the School of Communication proposal, “Mobile Voices and Media Literacy in North Omaha.” The idea has been selected from hundreds of concepts to complete a full proposal. The project is a School of Communication collaboration with the UNO Service-Learning Academy, Girls Inc., Omaha North Magnet High School and the College of Information Science and Technology.

The week in photos
Images from around the school

Student Karl Johnson runs the audio board

Student Maureen Kaufman prepares for a live shot from the newsroom

Alumnus Tony Flott and the Alumni Association received a Step Up Award

NOMA – the North Omaha Media Alliance completes its first successful semester

The Omaha World-Herald news staff discusses Dundee violence coverage

Consider This prepares to record in the student center

Dates & times
Mark calendars for interesting events

November
17 – Toys for Tots drive begins
20 – Thanksgiving Bake Sale, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
23 – Maverick PR Induction-Senior Dinner, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Venice Inn, 67th and Pacific Streets

December
4 – Voices Against Violence, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., MBSC Nebraska Room
5 – Nebraska Lt. Governor Rick Sheehy will officiate at the Certified Public Manager (CPM)
graduation on Dec. 5 at the new CPACS Collaborating Commons on campus at UNO, 4 -6 p.m.

CFAM college meeting, Thompson Alumni Center, 3 p.m.
CFAM college Holiday Party, Thompson Alumni Center, 4 p.m.

7 – Santa Paws, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Bookworm in Countryside Village, 87th and Pacific streets
10 – School of Communication Holiday Party, Arts and Sciences Hall 140, 11:30 a.m.

18 – Construction management students unveil initial plans for a Communication Building, PKI, 10:30 a.m.


2009
January
15 - High School Journalism Dinner, 6-9 p.m. at the MBSC Chancellor’s Room.

February
12 - Thursday, Feb. 12 Valentine's Day Bake Sale first floor ASH 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

26 - Thursday, Feb. 26, MBSC Nebraska Room Bateman team campaign event for National Banking Association College Program 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

March
12 - Thursday, March 12, MBSC Nebraska Room One-Five-0 and in Control Alcohol Awareness event 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

31 - Thursday, March 31, MBSC Dodge Room Communication Career Development Workshop 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

April
23 - High School Journalism Workshop, 12 p.m. at the MBSC Ballroom.
28 - PRSSA Presentations, 4 p.m. at the MBSC Chancellor’s Room.
30 - 10 a.m. Scholarship Breakfast at the MBSC Chancellor’s Room; 5th Annual Alumni Panel at 1 p.m. at the MBSC Dodge Rooms); 54th Annual Awards Banquet, 6 p.m. at the Thompson Alumni Center.

May
8 - Friday, May 8, at the MBSC Ballroom School of Communication Graduation Breakfast 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.