J-School Breaking News
| School of Journalism | The University of Montana | April 1999 |
Candidates vie for dean's position at School of Journalism
Five candidates are being interviewed for the position of dean of the School of Journalism. Each of the finalists complete a whirlwind schedule of meetings, lunches and dinners over the course of three days on campus, meeting with faculty, students, university administrators and journalism professionals. UM Provost Robert Kindrick is expected to make the final hiring decision shortly after the last candidate's visit has ended.
The candidates are:
William A. Babcock, associate professor and director of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Minnesota at Minneapolis. Babcock's professional experience includes two stints as a senior international news editor and staff writer for the Christian Science Monitor. He received a bachelor's degree in English and history from Principia College, a master's degree in international communication and West European relations from American University, and a doctorate in journalism and environmental sciences from Southern Illinois University. Babcock visited UM March 20-23.
Paul Steinle, associate professor and director of Mass Communication in the School of Liberal Arts at Quinnipiac College in Hamden, Conn. Steinle was director of the Graduate Studies in Journalism program at the University of Miami from 1991-97, and was adjunct associate professor there from 1993-97. He also has been executive editor of the Miami News Service and president and CEO of United Press International. He received a bachelor's degree from Amherst College, a master's degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration, and a master's degree in radio-TV from Syracuse University Graduate School of Communications. Steinle visited UM March 27-30.
Jerry E. Brown, professor and head of the Department of Journalism at Auburn University in Auburn, Ala. Brown has taught at Auburn since 1979, before which he was editor of the Vinton Messenger, assistant professor of English at Longwood College and graduate teaching fellow at Vanderbilt University. Brown received a bachelor's degree in journalism from Auburn University, a master's degree in creative writing from Hollins College, and a doctorate in English from Vanderbilt University. He completed postdoctoral fellowship at Dartmouth College. Brown visited UM April 3-6.
James E. Redmond, associate professor and associate chair of the Department of Journalism at the University of Memphis in Tennessee. Before coming to the University of Memphis in 1993, Redmond was an Air Force Reserve plans and operations officer for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He also has been a graduate teaching assistant at the University of Colorado journalism school, news anchor and documentary producer for KMGH-TV in Denver, and Air Force Reserve public relations officer. He received a bachelor's degree in English from The University of Montana, a master's degree in journalism from the University of Colorado and a doctorate in communications from the University of Colorado. Redmond is visiting UM April 10-13.
Carol Van Valkenburg, professor and interim dean of the UM School of Journalism. Van Valkenburg began her career at UM in 1979, when she was a visiting lecturer at the J-school. She became an assistant professor in 1984, worked her way up to full professor in 1996, and has served as interim dean since August 1998. Van Valkenburg has spent four summers as a copy desk editor at the Philadelphia Inquirer. Before coming to UM, she worked at the Missoulian as a reporter, associate editorial page editor and copy editor. She received a bachelor's degree in journalism from UM and a master's degree in interdisciplinary studies from UM. Van Valkenburg will interview at UM April 18-20.
Faculty, staff, students and professionals are invited to attend open forums with the remaining candidates. The forums will be on the topic of "A Vision of Journalism Education," and will begin at 4:30 p.m. Mondays in the Journalism Library, with a reception to follow.
Brokaw to speak at annual Dean Stone Lecture
NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Brokaw will deliver the School of Journalism's Dean Stone Lecture Saturday, April 17, at The University of Montana. Brokaw's speech, "A New Century, Old Problems," will be at 7:30 p.m. in the University Theatre. General admission tickets for the lecture go on sale Friday, March 26, at the University Center Box Office, the University Theatre and Worden's Market. General admission tickets are $8, and student tickets are $6.
Brokaw, author of the best-selling book "The Greatest Generation," agreed to deliver the lecture at the invitation of Don Oliver, a 1958 UM journalism graduate who was an NBC national correspondent for more than 20 years, and who last fall was a visiting professor in the school's radio-television department. Brokaw had been scheduled to deliver the Dean Stone Lecture in 1989. His plane was on its way to Missoula when he was called back to New York to cover unfolding events during the Tiananmen Square uprising in China. The lecture is named after Arthur L. Stone, the first dean of the UM School of Journalism. Tickets can be charged by calling the ticket office at 1-888-666-8262. The Dean Stone Awards banquet is scheduled for the previous night, Friday April 16. More than $50,000 in fellowships and scholarships will be awarded to journalism students.
Freedom of Information Conference coming to UM
The 1999 Montana Freedom of Information Conference will be held Saturday, April 17, at The University of Montana. The conference will start at 9 a.m. in the Castles Center of the School of Law. The $12 registration fee will include lunch. Tonda Rush, former executive director of the National Newspaper Association and a nationally recognized expert on freedom of information, will be the keynote speaker during the lunch. A highlight of the conference will be the presentation of the Montana Free Press Award, which was established in 1994.
The conference is sponsored by the law school, the School of Journalism, the Montana Freedom of Information Hotline and the Montana Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
The FOI conference will include three panel discussions:
"Confidential Settlements" Increasingly, court cases of significant public interest are settled out-of-court, with the details sealed. Some cases are removed entirely from court records. This panel will look at trends across the country, including alternative dispute resolution, and what the trends mean for public access to court information. The discussion's moderator will be Professor Clem Work of the School of Journalism. Panelist will be James Regnier, Montana Supreme Court justice; Bill Rossbach of Trial Lawyers for Public Justice; Larry Riley of Garlington, Lohn and Robinson; and Nick Ehli, Billings Gazette courts reporter.
"Access to Electronic Government Records." This has been a hot issue in recent months, even in Montana. What is the status of electronic records in the state? How does Montana compare to other states? And what challenges do state information managers face when reporters or citizens ask for large volumes of records in specific form? Ian Marquand with KPAX-TV will moderate the discussion. Panelists will be Dennis Swibold, journalism professor; Katja Stromnes, journalism master's degree candidate at UM; Jon Sesso with the Butte-Silver Bow Planning Department; and John Kuglin, Associated Press bureau chief.
"Political Speech." What happens when public policy designed to insure fairness and access in political campaigns clashes with constitutional guarantees of free speech? UM law Adjunct Assistant Professor Jeff Renz will moderate this discussion. Panelists will be John Motl with Reynolds, Motl of Helena and Beth Brenneman with the Montana ACLU. Two other panelists will be announced.
For more information, contact Clem Work at (406) 243-2160, Dennis Swibold at (406) 243-2230 or Ian Marquand at (406) 542-4449.
The FOI Conference will be followed that same day by the Dean Stone Lecture at 7:30 p.m. in the University Theatre. NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Brokaw will be the featured speaker. Call 1-888-666-8262 to purchase $8 tickets for that event ($6 for students).
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