J-School grads on the front lines

Gordon Dillow,left, a 1977 J-School grad, reports from Iraq for the Orange County Register.

At least two UM Journalism School graduates are embedded with troops fighting in the war with Iraq. Tom Nybo (1994), who works for CNN, is with the U.S. 173rd Airborne and reported from the scene as troops dropped into Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq and took an airfield.

Gordon Dillow (1977), a columnist with the Orange County Register, is with the First Marine Division. Dillow’s first dispatch, on March 7, reported on the sale of gas masks and chemical protection suits in Kuwait. On March 23, after his unit moved into Iraq, he reported from Southern Iraq after a battle at an oil pumping station. "Seeing violent death up close changes young men - even if they're Marines," Dillow began his report. Click here to read the Kaimin story about Dillow that ran on April 9. Click here to see more of Dillow’s dispatches.

Native News Honors Project
gets outside exposure

photo by Erin Berzel

In a photo that appeared in last year's Native News project, Talita Black Crow sits patiently while her aunt braids her hair before a practice session for the Nee-wah's Dance Troupe.

In addition to seeking out news stories and photos on Montana's Indian reservations, the J-School's Native New Honors Project is making news itself. The class, which produces an annual supplement to the Missoulian and Great Falls Tribune, was recently profiled on the PDNedu (Photo District News) Web site.

While classifying Montana's Indian reservations as "nearby" is open to interpretation, PDNedu's profile of the UM class does contain a simple factual error that multiplies the number of students working on the project to 133, instead of the usual 19. PNDedu is the companion site to a biannual magazine targeted to photo students and instructors, which is sponsored by Photo District News and Nikon. Photo District News is a monthly magazine for professional photographers that covers business, new markets, technology and emerging trends.

UM students win more Hearst journalism awards

Two radio and two television students from UM placed in the top 20 in the most recent Hearst Broadcast Competition. Each student submitted two pieces to be judged on criteria such as writing and the use of sound.

Of 24 students in radio, Danielle Cross took second place for a report on the closing of the last barber college in Montana and a piece on underage drinking that examined the liability for students over 21 who buy alcohol for younger students.Being in the top five, Cross qualified for the semi-finals and received a $1,500 award, which she plans to save. She was delighted that the Hearst program awarded a matching grant to the broadcast department.

"I feel really good to be among the top five," she said. "If anything it shows that we can compete with those larger schools. It wouldn't have been possible without the wonderful instruction of the broadcast instructors. This only proves that they are doing an effective job teaching us the ins and outs of the trade—it's paying off for students individually and for the department in general."

For the semi-finals, Cross has resubmitted the barber-college piece, two stories on the anniversary of Sept. 11, and a piece on the School of the Americas. If she ranks in the top five in the semi-finals, she will go to San Francisco for the broadcast championships. "It's not over to me yet," she said. "It doesn't seem like a done deal."

Marci Krivonen

Marci Krivonen tied for 12th place for a report on a peace rally and a piece on budget cuts in the state legislature that would affect disabled people employed through Opportunity Resources. She received an award certificate.

Of 39 television competitors, Eric W. Taber placed 15th for pieces on the Buffalo Field Campaign in Yellowstone and a men-can-stop-rape workshop on campus. Kim N. Dobitz placed 18th for pieces on a children's science workshop at the University and the struggles of gay couples that aired on public television as a part of a larger piece on being gay in Montana. Taber and Dobitz will receive award certificates.

In the latest round of the Hearst Intercollegiate Writing Competition, Brittany Hageman, Kaimin sports editor, tied for 15th place in the personality/profile section for a piece titled "The Veteraned Rookie" about freshman Griz receiver Jon Talmage’s bout with cancer The story ran in Gameday Kaimin last November.

The Hearst program sponsors three photo, six writing and four broadcast news contests during its yearly competition. The Broadcast News Competition was added in 1988. UM's combined scores in the radio and television competitions this year rank it fifth in the nation for broadcast. The number of points each participating school’s students accrue by the end of each cycle determine the school’s rank. Last year, the J-School finished in 10th place overall. Students from more than 100 colleges and universities compete in the program, which gives more than $400,000 in awards, matching grants and stipends yearly.

Broadcast students take home SPJ awards
Several broadcast and R-TV students won Mark of Excellence Awards in the regional competition on April 12 sponsored by the Society for Professional Journalists. First-place winners will advance to the national competition.

Jenny Kuglin won first place in television feature photography for a piece called "The Lost Woodsman." Second and third place in the same category went to Jordan Caskey and Bryan Rogers. In the television feature reporting category, Kim Dobitz and Jordan Caskey won first place for their science workshop report. Second place went to Lindsey Lear for a feature on the Vienna Choir.

In general news reporting for television, Amanda Tutschek and Kirsten Hansen won first place for a report on the teacher of the year. Also in television, senior class won first place in in-depth reporting for a Montana Journal piece that followed 24 hours in the lives of emergency workers around the state. Second place was a tie between another Montana Journal piece on being gay in Montana and the student documentary on gambling in Montana.

In the radio feature category, Keagan Harsha and Marci Krivonen tied for second place, while Gwen Lankford and Aaron Flint tied for third place. In radio spot news, Danielle Cross won first place for a piece on the School of the Americas. Second place went to Marci Krivonen for a story on a peace frally.

UM competes in SPJ Region 10, which includes Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Montana and Idaho. National winners will be announced Sept. 11-13 at the SPJ convention in Tampa, Fla.

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