News briefs

Broadcast legend pays e-visit to J-School

photo by Peet McKinney

Broadcast seniors Wayne Stell and Jamie Leary listen as legendary newsman Sam Donaldson visits Senior Seminar via videoconference on Nov. 5. Donaldson, 73, works half the year for ABC News in Washington D.C. He urged students to distinguish themselves the old fashioned way, by working hard. He shared memories of stories that have affected him, his viewers and his subjects. Donaldson told students he's still in news because he enjoys the work and has a sense of accomplishment when he tells a story that matters.

Student election coverage

Photographers and public affairs reporting students were out in force to cover the city elections Nov. 6. A news blog fed by students from the Public Affairs Reporting classes led the pack in reporting election returns. Fast and thorough, the Missoula's Choice 2007 blog reported updated election returns, as available, leading local political and news sites including The Missoulian.

In all, about 35 students worked with Professors Dennis Swibold and Nadia White to write stories on the six ward elections, a sense-of-the-city vote on withdrawing from Iraq and a school bond issue that was the surprise loser of the night. Professor John Saul's graduate reporting students also covered the election.

Leading up to the election, the blog carried student written candidate profiles and question and answers formats, as well as information on ward boundaries and voting dates and times. Follow-up stories considered the impact of the city's first all mail-in general election.

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