J-student accepted to elite photo program
Junior wins spot at Poynter sports institute
Scholarship awarded to broadcast student
Bulger hits the Big Time
Polson students get taste of college journalism

School of Journalism Class of 2006

photo by Ray Ekness

Broadcast news and production seniors stack the steps outside the RTV building at 730 Eddy.

photo by Tim Kupsick

In the library with Professor Clem Work (far left) and Professor Carol Van Valkenburg (far right), print and photo seniors get goofy at the end of Fall semester 2005.

J-student accepted to elite photo program

photo by Garret W. Smith

Mike Greener said he laughed with joy after learning he had won a spot at the 2006 Poynter Summer Fellowship for Young Journalists.

UM photojournalism student Michael J. Greener postponed graduation last year to photograph a fly-fishing expedition in New Zealand. He built his own dark room when he was a high school student in Illinois, and during college worked as an intern at the Missoulian. This summer the 23-year-old’s photography career will take another step forward as he joins 15 other students for a six-week fellowship at the Poynter Visual Institute in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Greener will work as a beat photographer for the St. Petersburg Times while learning from instructors at the institute, which combines classroom instruction with weekly community reporting to give promising young journalists a shot at improving their skills. The institute has been around for 30 years, and has educated some of the nation's leading reporters, such as Ceci Connolly of The Washington Post and Jason DeParle of the New York Times.

photo by Mike Greener

A photo from Mike Greener's portfolio, of a cancer patient in hospice care.

“I look at it as more opportunity to get grilled by the best,” said Greener, who looks forward to new eyes on his work and new standards, along with more opportunities to improve.

“You can see the growth in his photography in the past year. He really took huge steps. That is why he got accepted. He's willing to go the extra mile to excel,” said Keith Graham, professor of photography at the J-School, in an e-mail interview.

Another UM photo student, Rachel Van Blankenship, received an alternate position for the summer program at the Institute. 

Greener said his love of photography channels easily into a pursuit of journalism and story-telling.

“There’s not one thing in photography that I don’t want to explore,” said Greener. A pursuit of the world in pictures seems to beckon to Greener, who says he wants to “come out of college and hit the ground running.”

- Hannah Heimbuch

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Junior wins spot at Poynter sports institute

photo by Michelle Gomes

Danny Davis won a spot in the Summer Sports Journalism Institute at Poynter this summer.

Junior Danny Davis was right there sweating along with all of the nervous students — until the end of January

Davis, a double major in print journalism and history, received word that he had been accepted as one of 12 students in the Sports Journalism Institute.

“I was really excited, but I think, when looking back, it’s just more of a feeling of relief because you spend so much time on internships it’s just kind of a pain in the butt getting rejection letters,” said Davis, sports editor for the Montana Kaimin. “I think I was just more relieved than excited.”

The training portion of the program is hosted by the Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Fla., from June 2-10. After the training, Davis and the 11 other students will be sent to their paid internships. The locations are not revealed until the students’ training is completed

“I hope to take this experience in being in a high stress workplace and apply it to myself personally with my writing skills,” Davis said.

-Sarah Swan

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Scholarship awarded to broadcast student

photo by Michelle Gomes

Ryan Coleman, a reporter for KECI-TV and a journalism junior, has won a $1,250 scholarship from the Broadcast Education Association.

Ryan Coleman, a junior in broadcasting, has won the 2006-2007 Harold E. Fellows Scholarship from the Broadcast Education Association

Coleman, who focuses on reporting, has extensive professional experience. The 20-year-old grew up in Bozeman, where he began his broadcasting career.  While in eighth grade, he said he did morning announcements of “little happenings” for his middle school on his show, “Live at 55.” 

“At the end of the year, they let us take a tour of the smallest station in town,” Coleman said.  That local independent FOX station captivated Coleman and spurred him later to return. 

“I rode my bike across town and asked for an internship,” he said.  He got it.  After the internship, Coleman said KTVM-TV, the town’s NBC affiliate, offered him a job as a cameraman.  He eventually moved up to become the station’s news and sports anchor. 

Coleman now works at KECI, the NBC affiliate in Missoula, as a general assignment reporter. He said he dedicates about 20 hours per week to his job during the school year and works full time during breaks.

He’s currently working on a 10-minute special segment on abortion and economic issues for KTVM as well as a special project in February for KECI, Coleman said.

The National Association of Broadcasters sponsors the $1,250 scholarship, awarding it to a qualified student in any area of broadcasting. 

Coleman is the fourth student from UM to win a BEA scholarship and the second student to win the Harold E. Fellows Scholarship.

- Katrin Madayag

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Bulger hits the big time

Junior Peter Bulger tries out a typewriter once owned by renowned sportswriter Jim Murray during a trip to La Quinta, Calif. in December to pick up a $5,000 scholarship check. Bulger was one of seven winners of a nationwide essay competition for a Jim Murray Scholarship. With Bulger at left is Sports Illustrated columnist Rick Reilly, a board member of the Jim Murray Memorial Foundation.In bottom photo, Bulger receives the big check from Linda Murray, widow of Jim Murray. (photos by Tom Bulger)

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Polson students get taste of college journalism

Polson students gather in the J-School library.

J-School Pollner professor Christine Boese teaches Polson students about blogging.

photos by Jon Schumaker

Journalism students from Polson High School caught an early bus to Missoula on Dec. 1 to visit the Journalism School. The students spent the day sitting in on classes, meeting professors, eating lunch in the Food Zoo and getting a feel for college life.

Editors of the Polson High School newspaper, the Salishian, met with Kaimin editors while other students sat in on editing, reporting and photo classes.

"They raved about their experiences, the professors, the students, the classes and the journalism school," wrote Polson High School journalism adviser Judie Woodhouse in a letter to Professor Sheri Venema, who arranged the trip.

"After my day at the J School, I felt such enthusiasm for journalism," wrote one student.

Polson High School photographer Jon Schumaker took the accompanying photographs.

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