CLA: SJMC News

Elliston Fund Hits $1 Million In Giving

2013-06-07T15:25:04Z

Since its inception in 1980, the Herbert Berridge Elliston Memorial Fund has provided scholarship and fellowship support to nearly 450 graduate and undergraduate students. Here, we take a look at where some recipients have ended up.

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PDF of Elliston Fund Chart

Grieving Online

2013-06-07T15:09:41Z

In the wake of recent school shootings, communication researchers explore why people use Facebook to connect and pay their respects.

]]> In 2007, Peter Joseph Gloviczki (Ph.D., 2012) noticed a trend. After two people in his life died much too soon, he saw that people were turning to Facebook to talk about their grief and express condolences. Facebook Groups were forming and messages were being written on walls, often within moments of the tragedy.

As a graduate student at SJMC, Gloviczki wondered how people react to tragedy on social media in new and old ways? What characteristics of social media allow them to grieve?

So he dove into his dissertation research about the 2007 shootings at Virginia Tech and how individuals engaged with social media to discuss the event and its aftermath. According to Gloviczki's dissertation, the group reached 185 postings within 36 hours of the shootings. At one time it had more than 3,000 members.

"Virigina Tech was so significant because Facebook was so college-oriented at that time," said assistant professor Shayla Thiel-Stern, an SJMC faculty member and Gloviczki's co-adviser. "Most of the users were college students and the fact that this shooting took place on a college campus, it really spoke to Facebook users."

The connection between school shootings and social media is again relevant in the wake of the recent attack at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn., where a lone gunman shot 20 first-graders and six teachers on Dec. 14, 2012. Within moments, Facebook groups started to form, including "R.I.P. Sandy Hook Elementary School Children," which has more than 1.4 million members, and "In Loving Memory of Sandy Hook Elementary Victims," with more than 357,000 members.

Turning to social media in times of tragedy is now a common coping mechanism. "It really has become a natural thing to do," said Thiel-Stern. "When tragedy happens and when people are already accustomed to connecting on Facebook, it seems like the default thing to do is to tell someone about it and have a conversation about it."

Like those now created after so many tragedies, the Sandy Hook memorial pages serve as a way for users to create a community around the event. Members share posts, photos, drawings, videos and online memorials. "Through all of the sadness in the aftermath of the event, there can be occasions where people come together," Gloviczki said. "It provides a kind of glue to bring together communities that might have otherwise not even recognized one another."

"These Facebook groups bring a visibility to the grieving process in a way that wouldn't have been possible before social media," said Thiel-Stern.

Thiel-Stern says that one can look to the Uses and Gratifications Theory for an explanation. The theory says that people have an inherent need to use, in this case, a certain type of technology to gratify themselves. "The gratification in this case could be that the person is truly trying to connect or that this is their own personal way of grieving or memorializing."

For many, social media becomes a vehicle of self expression. "People tend to reach out for support during moments of tragedies," Gloviczki said. "We all see terrible moments and these moments really encourage us to think about what it is that makes us human, and it's this desire, I think, to connect and find the good in one another."

This trend is sure to continue. "People are used to connecting on social media now," said Thiel-Stern. The trend is moving toward more visual expression, as seen in the Sandy Hook Elementary remembrance groups where some members share memorial art. "Right now we see mostly text expressions, but I wouldn't be surprised if we see more interactive forms of expression, like videos and photos," said Gloviczki. He also points to location-based expression, since so many users connect to social media through mobile devices. "When we think about our own forms of telling the story and increasing the richness, I can see location-based and video tools becoming increasingly popular." -Sarah Howard

Peter Gloviczki is an assistant professor of communications at Coker College in Hartsville, S.C.

Faculty Research Spotlight: Brendan R. Watson

2013-06-07T15:06:04Z

We sit down with assistant professor Brendan Watson (Ph.D., University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill) to learn more about his research and his thoughts on today's hot topics.

]]> Tell us about the research you're working on.
I recently received a grant-in-aid to study bloggers in New Orleans, L.A. and the role they're playing in starting a discussion about the city's post-Katrina problems, particularly in the context of the decline of local news media. I'll then look at this in the larger context of the citizen media movement across the country in other post-industrial cities like Oakland, Calif., Richmond, Va., Buffalo, N.Y. and St. Louis, M.O. These cities all have the "perfect storm" of citizen bloggers who discuss weighty issues, civic problems and the decline of civic media.

So how do you feel about bloggers acting as journalists for communities?
You have to take blogs on a case-by-case basis. A lot of blogging activity is now done by former journalists who want to keep writing about important issues in their communities. There is also a strong movement of bloggers who don't have a traditional journalism background, but have a professional expertise and can create substantive, informative blogs. Yes, there is amateur reporting, but many amateur bloggers are reporting on issues of importance to their community. And blogs can go beyond journalistic purposes. Many blogs help residents relieve stress about local issues. We can't be too dismissive of the value of self expression.

Congratulations on your Top Dissertation Award from AEJMC. Do you plan to continue that research?
An ongoing interest of mine is the relationship between community structure and communication processes. In my dissertation, I looked at how community structure keeps certain civic issues from being discussed. Going forward, I want to turn that into a more positive model regarding community information needs -- looking at how community structure influences community information needs. For example, is there a relationship between the number of families with school-aged children and a demand for education related information? If we can find relationships between community structure, measured with demographic data, and information needs, we can understand not only current needs but also use demographic techniques to project that population forward to understand future information needs and how well a community is situated to meet those needs.

How does your background in newspapers affect your research?
I understand the role that a strong local news media can play in the civic life of a community. Because of my experience working at the St. Petersburg Times in Florida, a lot of my research looks at disparities in access to local public affairs information and how that affects subcommunities. I hope my research improves the quality of public affairs information that communities have access to. -Sarah Howard

Honoring a Legend

2013-06-03T19:48:45Z

Professor Emeritus and Renowned Media Law and Ethics Scholar Donald M. Gillmor Passes Away.

]]> Master teacher. Respected scholar. Kind soul. There are many ways in which SJMC emeritus professor Don Gillmor is described by those who knew him best. But above all, law and ethics sage may be at the top of the list.

Gillmor was known internationally as a leading expert on media law and ethics, and his many years of teaching and research "shaped the major contours of the field of mass communication law," said Daniel Wackman, former SJMC director.

"Don's contributions brought this institution to center stage nationally and internationally," said current SJMC director Albert Tims.

In 1970 Gillmor authored the seminal "Mass Communication Law: Cases and Comment" with Jerome A. Barron. Now in its sixth edition, the book helps students and scholars in the field to this day. The first edition received the Frank Luther Mott Research Award from Kappa Tau Alpha, the discipline's honor society.

"Don viewed the law as a sort of institutional morality, and he considered laws without a strong moral underpinning to be vacuous," said William Babcock, former director of the Silha Center for the Study of Media Ethics and Law, in a commentary about Gillmor published on MinnPost. "It's no surprise Don considered ethics to be at the core of the First Amendment's protection of freedom of speech."

A fierce advocate of media law, Gillmor was known to get into heated arguments, but never to disrespect other's opinions. "Don could be blunt, harsh and opinionated - but at the same time kind, open and eager to entertain a serious rebuttal," said Theodore L. Glasser, a visiting assistant professor at Minnesota in the 1980s who was eventually named assistant director of the Silha Center under Gillmor and is now a professor of journalism at Stanford University's Department of Communication. "It was incredibly empowering for an untenured junior faculty member to be able to work with a senior scholar who invited debate and dissent. Titles didn't matter to Don. We worked as partners, as a team. "

A visionary trailblazer, Gillmor was a founding member of the Free Press-Fair Trial Council of Minnesota and of the Law Division of AEJMC, the national academic organization for journalism and mass communication educators.

Gillmor received his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in 1961 and joined the University of Minnesota's faculty in 1965. From 1984 to 1995, he served as the founding director of the Silha Center for the Study of Media Ethics and Law. In 1990, he was named the first Silha Professor of Media Ethics and Law, a position he held until his retirement eight years later.

The Center was endowed by the late Otto Silha, a former executive with The Minneapolis Star and The Minneapolis Tribune, and their parent company Cowles Media, along with his wife Helen. Gillmor worked closely with Silha to name the center, emphasizing the importance of the word "study" in the center's name, as its primary purpose and mission is scholarship and research. "He didn't want ethics to become a residual topic, taken up only when the law failed to address something," said Glasser. "Don appreciated the significance of the difference between law and ethics - between what we have a right to do and what's right to do - but he also understood why questions of ethics precede questions of law, why what's ethical is a more foundational question than what's legal."

"Don was the inspiration for Otto Silha to endow both the Silha Center and the professorship," said Jane Kirtley, current Silha Professor and director of the Silha Center. "Don's research and teaching embodied the marriage between these two related but distinct aspects of media scholarship. His legacy continues to influence our research, publications, outreach and support for graduate and law students at the Silha Center," Kirtley said.

Gillmor obtained his bachelor's degree from the University of Manitoba in liberal arts in 1949. Shortly thereafter he joined the editorial staff at the Winnipeg Free Press as a reporter and editor.

In 1950 Gillmor received his master's degree in mass communication from the University of Minnesota. His academic career began as a professor of journalism at the University of North Dakota from 1953 to 1965. Here, Gillmor established and served as the first director of an all-University honors program. While teaching at UND, he spent his summers as a part-time copyreader for the Fargo Forum and Grand Forks Herald.

Throughout his 45-year academic career, Gillmor held a number of additional appointments, including visiting professorships at the University of Munich in Germany in 1985 and the University of Lund in Sweden in 1994. He was also appointed a fellow at the Annenberg Washington Program in Telecommunications in 1987 and a senior fellow at the Freedom Forum Media Studies Center at Columbia University in New York City in 1990.

Gillmor advised nearly 60 Ph.D. dissertations, M.A. theses and summa theses as a Minnesota faculty member. His 23 doctoral advisees went on to become professors at some of the nation's most prestigious universities. "He trained some of the finest media law scholars," said Tims. "It was impossible to be a graduate student in mass communication in the 1970s, as I was, and not know the name Donald M. Gillmor," said Glasser.

"For generations of graduate students at the University of Minnesota, Donald M. Gillmor was indispensable as their teacher, mentor, guide and friend. I was privileged to be one of them," said Everette E. Dennis, dean and CEO of Northwestern University Qatar. "He was generous and helpful, reading his students' work with a gimlet eye and never afraid to make the kinds of critical comments that drive learning and change."

Gillmor received the Distinguished Teaching Award from the Minnesota Press Club in 1975 and 1978, the University of Minnesota Student Alumni Board of Governors Award for Contributions to Student Experience in 1985 and, for the 1992-93 school year, the Horace T. Morse Minnesota Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Contributions to Undergraduate Education. "He always kept his door open to answer questions, serve as a mentor, provide guidance on projects, or feedback on ideas," said Wackman. "Students responded to Don, respected him, and remembered the impact he had on them."

"It was the way Don engaged students that empowered them intellectually and marked him as a master teacher," said SJMC professor emerita Hazel Dicken-Garcia.

Gillmor was recognized by a number of other organizations, including the Constitutional Law Award from Minneapolis law firm Mansfield, Tanick and Cohen in 1996.

For 30 years Gillmor served as the adviser to the Minnesota Daily student-run newspaper and is credited with saving the student newspaper in the 1980s after it published a string of controversial articles, which led to lawsuits. In 1996 he received the Minnesota Daily Alumni Association's George Hage/Mitch Charnley Award of Excellence.

In 2009, Gillmor was awarded SJMC's highest honor: its Award For Excellence, given by the SJMC Alumni Society Board.

A well-published scholar on media ethics and law, Gillmor authored a number of books, including "Fundamentals of Mass Communication Law" in 1996, "Power, Publicity, and the Abuse of Libel Law" and "Free Press and Fair Trial" in 1966.

Dicken-Garcia said it best: "There was - and will ever be - only one Don Gillmor."

On Feb. 14, 2013, Gillmor passed away at the age of 86 from complications of Alzheimer's Disease and other illnesses.

He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Sophie; daughter Vivian Cathcart of Toronto; son Peter; and grandsons Steven Cathcart and Kevin and Geoffrey Gillmor. He is also survived by brothers Douglas and Alan.

To honor Gillmor's legacy, the University of Minnesota School of Journalism & Mass Communication has established the Donald Gillmor Memorial Fund. To make a donation, visit http://z.umn.edu/gillmorfund or checks made payable to the University of Minnesota can be mailed directly to The Donald Gillmor Memorial Fund c/o University of Minnesota Foundation, C-M 3854, P.O. Box 70880, St. Paul, MN 55170-3854.

Online tributes from colleagues, friends, former students and more can be found on SJMC's website. Please email showard@umn.edu to add your own tribute.

SJMC alumnus named VP of Communications for U of MN Alumni Association

2013-05-17T20:32:37Z

On May 16, 2013 it was announced that Daniel Gore (B.A. '91) will be the vice president of communications for the University of Minnesota Alumni Association.

]]> Gore officially joins the UMAA staff on June 3 and will oversee the Alumni Association's communications team to strengthen pride, loyalty and engagement among alumni.

Gore has more than 20 years experience in strategic marketing and communications and has a background in large corporations, agencies and nonprofits. Gore is currently director of strategic marketing for E Group, Inc., where he develops and implements digital strategy, develops marketing initiatives for professional and collegiate athletic teams and creates marketing plans for paid and earned media. His previous roles include director of strategic communication for business-to-business at Padilla Speer Beardsley, manager of strategic communication for 3M and director of marketing communication for J. Walter Thompson, among others.

He is heavily involved with SJMC as a past-president of the SJMC Alumni Society Board and an adjunct instructor teaching strategic communication cases courses.

Reporting the World

2013-05-17T19:58:13Z

Projects by assistant professor Giovanna Dell'Orto explore the role of foreign correspondents in international relations and border journalism

]]> With one book recently published, two books in the works and a summer session global seminar to plan and teach, assistant professor Giovanna Dell'Orto is having a busy year.

After a four-year process, "American Journalism and International Relations: Foreign Correspondence from the Early Republic to the Digital Era," was published in March 2013. The book, released by Cambridge University Press, is a history of U.S. foreign correspondence from the 1840s to the present and its interplay with major foreign policy trends. Dell'Orto examined more than 2,000 news articles and the coverage of 20 world events to document the evolution of foreign correspondence in America.

The book also includes a forward-thinking perspective about the troubled present and future of foreign correspondence. In this chapter, Dell'Orto interviews current foreign editors in news organizations around the world, from The New York Times to Al Jazeera. "I wanted to apply lessons of history to see what the future may be for foreign correspondence," Dell'Orto said. "I feel passionate about the need for people to learn about the world to make informed decisions."

The cover of the book features Associated Press reporter George Bria working by candlelight during a power outage in the AP's Rome Bureau in 1946. Bria is now 98 years old and is included in Dell'Orto's next book project, an oral history of AP foreign correspondents. The book, tentatively titled, "Bringing the World to America: An Oral History of Foreign Correspondence," spotlights reporters who have covered everything from World War II to the Arab Spring.

Dell'Orto received a Grant in Aid and a single semester leave for Spring 2013 to travel the world -- from Arizona to Morocco to Thailand -- to hear reporters' stories. "Talking to these reporters has been amazing," Dell'Orto said. "It's amazing to see the recall that these reporters have, some who have been retired for a number of years, and the passion that they have. These are clearly people who believe in what they were doing and the value of what they do."

Dell'Orto herself worked off and on at the Associated Press from 1999 to 2007, most recently covering immigration. For this project, she wanted to focus on the AP because in most scholarly work, other news outlets are the focus, despite the reach of the AP. "The AP really sets the agenda to inform the vast majority of the public," she said. "The AP isn't about the reporter, it's about the story. I needed to convey that."

For her third book project, Dell'Orto has secured a book contract for Routledge's series Studies in Global Information, Politics and Society. "Reporting at the Southern Borders: Journalism and Public Debates on Immigration in the U.S. and the EU" looks at how the practices of journalism help shape public debates over undocumented immigration. The book, slated for a fall 2013 release, stemmed from a grant Dell'Orto received from the University of Minnesota Center for German and European Studies to co-teach a graduate seminar about the topic with Georgia Tech political science professor Vicki Birchfield, who serves as co-editor of the book. The class inspired a conference in April 2012.

With the support of the School of Journalism & Mass Communication and 10 other departments throughout the University, Dell'Orto and Birchfield were able to invite reporters, human rights advocates and academic researchers from across the U.S. as well as France, Italy, Mexico and the U.K. to Minnesota so that scholars could interact with professionals, and vice versa. "It was great watching these two groups interact," Dell'Orto said. "It allowed scholars to interact with the professionals they were studying, and it allowed the professionals to see the bigger picture."

From this conference, the book was born: Every person who attended is contributing a chapter. "It's great to have this comparative perspective and to bring the dialogue to both the professionals and the scholars," Dell'Orto said.

To explore the topic further, Dell'Orto led nearly 15 students in May session 2013 on a study abroad global seminar to explore immigration issues in the Mediterranean, focusing on the borders of Spain and Morocco. "Students interviewed border patrol officers and Red Cross workers on the borders," she said. "It was very much a reporting trip." Issues regarding border immigration are similar across the globe, whether you're at the intersection of Europe and Africa or the United States and Mexico. And it's often foreign correspondents reporting at these borders and informing the world.

Dell'Orto hopes her research not only sheds light on the role of the Associated Press, but on the role of foreign correspondence in the media and global culture. "This is brand new research," she said. "I wanted to provide a new theory of the influence of international news on international relations and foreign policy." -Sarah Howard

Students in the Newsroom

2013-05-17T19:31:15Z

Through community partnerships, journalism students are being immersed in newsrooms alongside reporters and editors.

]]> Clips. When you're in journalism school, that's the magic word. You're told time and time again that you can't leave school without clips. But given the chicken-and-the-egg phenomenon of being published (you need clips to get clips!), how do students get their work published?

The answer comes for many through partnerships between SJMC and Twin Cities news organizations. These opportunities give students the chance not only to gain clips but also to work in newsrooms, experience beat reporting and work one-on-one with editors.

Field-Based Practicums Immerse Students In Newsroom
The Pioneer Press Practicum began the trend in 1998. For 15 years this class has allowed students to work among editors in the St. Paul newsroom. In fall 2012 students had a total of 247 bylines. "The students get such great experience at the Pioneer Press," said SJMC lecturer Gayle "G.G." Golden, who developed and still leads the practicum. "They're immersed in the newsroom, attending meetings and are sent out on their own to do reporting."

In 2004, the Star Tribune followed suit, led by SJMC instructor and former Star Tribune reporter Chris Ison. On the model set up by the Pioneer Press Practicum, students work in the newsroom with editors and are put on a beat. "Students are spread around the newsroom," Ison said. In spring 2013, students worked on the health, sports and suburban teams. The student staff also included a photographer and two students creating video content for online applications.

The first-hand experience with editors becomes a key takeaway for the students. "I was never more than 10 feet from my editor," said SJMC senior Rachael Krause, who worked with Pioneer Press political team leader Phillip Pina in fall 2012. "My editor was a cheerleader for better writing," she said. "He taught me how to write quick, but do it right."

Being within the newsroom is what makes this experience so significant for students. "You always feel like you're a piece of the pie," said Krause. "I was able to hear editors reporting on the phone and building relationships with their sources, which was unbelievably helpful."

Working alongside editors also gives students a "safe place" to ask questions and learn. "There was a great mentoring aspect that was a huge benefit of working in the newsroom," said 2012 graduate Urmila Ramakrishnan, who worked with Pioneer Press public safety editor Hal Davis in fall 2012. "Everyone knows you're there to learn," she said. "There is a built-in safety net for you to ask questions and get the most out of learning from professionals in the trade."

The partnerships are not only valuable for students, but, also for the editors. "This is a fantastic program that allows young journalists to get real-life experience working at a major newspaper," said Suzanne Ziegler, editor of the Star Tribune's Minneapolis team of reporters. Her intern in spring 2013 was SJMC senior Brian Arola, who covered several controversies in Minneapolis, including the Megabus parking lot dispute. "That story ran as a B1 display and was top-read online for about 24 hours," she said. "It goes to show how valuable these young journalists are. We are delighted to work with them."

Both Golden and Ison say that Practicum classes are vital for journalism students who want to work in news. "These students do really well in the job market," said Ison. "They come out of the class feeling ready to go to work."

Case-in-point is Joseph Lindberg. The 2010 graduate worked in the Pioneer Press newsroom in 2009 with Watchdog editor Debra O'Connor to create a series about unemployment rates. As a team they created the content for the series, then Lindberg created the website and interactive elements. Following graduation, he became the government reporter at the Faribault Daily News, thanks, in part, to his experiences at the Pioneer Press. "Going into a job interview and being able to talk to an editor about concrete newsroom experiences you've had is so important," said Lindberg. "They get a sense that you've covered projects under pressure and you know how to work on deadline."

In fall 2012, Lindberg was hired as the Pioneer Press' breaking news reporter and shortly thereafter he found himself working alongside a new crop of practicum students. "It's kind of surreal," he says.

Newsrooms Move Digital
In 2010, students enrolled in Jour 5131: In-depth Reporting began working with MinnPost. By the end of the semester, they had produced four in-depth stories that examined topics such as the underfunding of the Minnesota Public Defender's Office and how the recession changed the gender make-up of the state and national workforce.

Building on this success, in 2011, MinnPost received a grant from the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation to hire a full-time reporter to work with journalism students. That year, long form features centered on such topics as Adderall use in high schools, the lack of training for language interpreters in medical settings and organic farming. "The project . . . not only benefitted the students by helping them develop their journalism skills, it has also benefitted the community by providing information and raising important issues," said MinnPost managing editor Roger Buoen.

In 2012, MinnPost received a grant from the Northwest Area Foundation to work with students to create a series about subprime lending. Throughout the semester students were devoted to the topic, compiling data and writing in-depth articles. MinnPost reporter Sharon Schmickle, along with Ison, worked with the students to create these features. "It was a wonderfully constructive and instructive process," Schmickle said. "The editing and polishing was very hands-on. Going through stories line by line really combines everything that we value in journalism and ensures that stories are accurate and presented clearly."

"The online space allows for longer, more in-depth stories," Ison said. "Students have to dive deep into these topics and, on top of the writing and reporting, the student produce all of the graphics and photos."

Students Create Multimedia News
In fall 2012, another new partnership hit the ground running, this time with Minnesota Public Radio News. A small group of students enrolled in the Pioneer Press Practicum entered the MPR newsroom to work on a dedicated, semester-long project about English language learners in Minnesota. "This was an issue that MPR News wanted to explore," Golden said. "Teaching the World in Minnesota" investigated the role that non-native English speakers have in Minnesota schools.

MPR News editor Bill Wareham served as real-life editor to the students and oversaw the process. "We spent the first few weeks doing research and exploring how we could best do this project," Wareham said. "It was a very organic process."

The students -- made up of not only journalism majors, but also a computer science major and an aerospace engineering student with an interest in photography -- did the reporting, writing, sound recording, photography and web design for the project (see the finished product at z.umn.edu/sjmcmpr). "We really wanted to use all of the platforms available," Wareham said.

"We did some things with this project that we hadn't done yet in the newsroom," Wareham said. "It's a good, solid piece of work that we can continue to use and link back to."

And in coming years, MPR News wants to continue the project to deepen coverage of non-native Minnesotans.

For many, these opportunities become about much more than just clips. These partnerships not only help student journalists become newsroom reporters, they also allow editors to help shape the next generation. "The editors nurture the students and love working with them," Golden said. "The editors are impressed with the level of skills our students have and how they are ready to hit the ground running," Ison said.

"I learned a lot from the students," Wareham said. "They work with a different mindset than career reporters and were often willing to put in extra hours."

Schmickle agrees: "Working with student journalists is so refreshing for me," she said. "Watching them grow as journalists is so enjoyable."

Alumni Spotlight: Luke Behrends

2013-05-17T19:25:36Z

After a number of national campaigns, SJMC alumnus Luke Behrends (B.A., '04) scored a touchdown in the advertising world when he created Tide's 2013 Superbowl ad, which, post-game, was ranked second by USA Today's Ad Meter. The senior copywriter at New York-based Saatchi & Saatchi, whose clients also include Miller beers, Honey Nut Cheerios and Trident Gum, tells us about creating work in the national spotlight and what keeps him creative.

]]> First off, tell us about the Tide commercial.
We wanted to be topical. The entire project -- overseen by 1998 SJMC alumna Susan Young, creative director at Saatchi & Saatchi -- was a moving target. We knew about this ad before the NFL season even started, so we worked throughout the season on ideas. We didn't start to nail things down until it got to the playoffs. When it got down to the last four teams, it was decision time. We shot everything multiple ways with different teams and started filming two weeks before the game. It was crazy, stressful and tiring but thrilling and invigorating. And at the last second, the client moved it from a 30-second commercial to 60 seconds. It threw the best sort of wrench into things. By the time we finished the ad, the Superbowl was 48 hours away.

The commercial begins with a man whose salsa stain resembles San Fransisco 49ers football legend Joe Montana. The man becomes an instant celebrity and fans make the pilgrimage to see the stain until his wife, a Baltimore Ravens fan, washes the jersey. It all became very serendipitous, because we needed a tight score for the ad to work -- with the blackout and the comeback of the 49ers, it was perfect.

What was it like the first time you saw your work on a national level?
My first big campaign was for Nike baseball during the All Star Game in New York City. It was strictly billboard and out-of-home ads and we blanketed the entire city with this campaign, which was a love letter to baseball in the city and the fans. It felt very grand and iconic. To see it all over the place just walking down the street in New York City was pretty wild.

How did you know advertising was for you?
In high school I was on the newspaper, and I knew I wanted to write and be creative. One day, our adviser said he had been at an advertising agency once and they had a room with arcade games. From that day on, I told people I wanted to be in advertising. But it wasn't until junior year in SJMC when I took a strategic thinking and copywriting class with Sarah Shaw that I found out about copywriting as a career. When I realized I could write and be in advertising, everything seemed to fit together.

What's your tactic for combining creativity with strategy?
There are strategists who do the research and give you insights as to the path forward and what positioning could be best for the brand. As long as you stay true to the strategy, you can really do anything creatively. If you know the box you're playing in, you can make the walls as big as you want. You don't have to be trapped in it.

What experience at SJMC was most helpful to you?
I loved the National Student Advertising Competition. You're working with like-minded people with the same goals. It's the closest to the real life advertising world as you can get while still in school. -Sarah Howard

SJMC Class Allows Students to Create App Prototype

2013-05-09T15:05:16Z

On May 9, 2013, nearly 15 students across University of Minnesota majors presented a prototype for an iPad app for the Weisman Art Museum on the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities campus.

]]> The app opens with a video highlighting the museum and its unique features. "Thousands of people walk by the Weisman every day, but not many of those people go inside," said Alex Lauer. "The video is an opportunity for them to learn about the museum."

The app navigation highlights artwork, architecture and events, as well as WAM's story and an opportunity to learn within the museum. "The Learn section allows people to learn about opportunities within the museum and to collaborate," said theater student Rebecca Wilson.

The students presented the app prototype in-front of Weisman staff. "It really is truly remarkable," said WAM director Lyndel King. "You students have inspired us. I'm so impressed."

On top of highlighting museum exhibits and events, the app features original content, including a highlight of artists in Minnesota telling the user what the Weisman means to them. "The highlight of artists is so exciting! I love it," said one Weisman staff member.

"The students added so much original content," said another Weisman staff member. "It was good to see fresh and exciting content."

The app experience has proved to be a great learning opportunity for the students and something they'll carry into the future. "To get something really tangible for my portfolio has been great," said SJMC strategic communication student Laura Schmidt. "I've gotten internships by showing this app in interviews."

"It was great to work on a real project with real deadlines and a real client," said SJMC journalism major Noel Clark. "It was nice to step into something a little scary and take risks."

The students created a user manual for the app prototype, which has now been passed off to the Weisman Art Museum for coding and creation.

The class was led by Camille LeFevre, who will teach another app creation class in 2013-2014 for the Goldstein Museum of Design on the University of Minnesota's St. Paul campus.

Learn more about the app and its features:

See the app in action.

Assistant Prof. Brendan Watson Wins AEJMC Top Dissertation Award

2013-05-07T18:50:49Z

SJMC assistant professor Brendan Watson was awarded AEJMC's Nafziger-White-Salwen Dissertation Award for the top dissertation in mass communication research. His dissertation is titled, "Is Twitter a Counter Public? Comparing Individual and Community Forces that Shaped Local Twitter and Newspaper Coverage of the BP Oil Spill."

]]> Watson's dissertation examines the individual and community-level variables that prevented journalists from 164 Gulf Coast newspapers from raising more critical questions in the aftermath of the oil spill and compares their coverage with the forces that shaped it to the Tweets of 240 "most-followed" Gulf Coast Twitter users. The dissertation seeks to answer whether, in the context of the BP oil spill, Twitter might have served as a counter-public, which challenged the social, political and economic forces that constrained journalists' coverage.

The research committee applauded Watson's use of multi-method design and data collection. Said the committee: "The design and theoretical conceptualization of the research also led him to innovations in data collection. The dissertation is meticulously researched, thoroughly documented, logically organized, methodologically sound, innovative, and eloquently written. It is a fascinating story and a good read, bringing together complementary evidence to explore important questions in the public sphere and contribute to mass communication theory."

Watson received his Ph.D. from University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill in 2012 and his master's in journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2007.

Professor Jisu Huh Named VP of AAA

2013-05-02T18:26:20Z

SJMC professor Jisu Huh has been named vice president of the American Academy of Advertising. Her term will run one year beginning in 2014.

]]> As vice president, she will coordinate AAA Conference papers and editor of the Conference proceedings, process papers for the best paper award and will serve on the Executive Committee of AAA, among other duties.

Huh has been involved in AAA for a number of years and currently serves on the Publications Committee.

Huh is SJMC's director of graduate studies.

SJMC NSAC Team Wins District Competition

2013-04-15T14:56:09Z

SJMC students won first place at the district competition for the American Advertising Federation's National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC). The team will advance to the national competition, to be held in Phoenix at AAF's National Conference in early June.

]]> NSAC allows students to create an integrated strategic communication campaign from start to finish. This year's client was Glidden paint.

The team was recognized through separate judging for OLSON's Strategy of Brand Champions (Best Integrated Campaign) and Anastacia Economou won the best female presenter award.

Presenters were Parker Mullin, Anastacia Economou, James Lager, Michelle Hum and Kelly Starkey. The NSAC team included more than 30 members total.

"This was a terrific team," said adviser Earl Herzog. "They were incredibly creative, great collaborators and highly focused. They produced phenomenal work and delivered the perfect presentation."

The University of Minnesota NSAC team competed with other teams in District 8, which includes St. Cloud State University, University of St. Thomas, North Dakota State University, South Dakota State University and University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Campbell Mithun CEO Steve Wehrenberg Accepts Leadership Position at SJMC

2013-04-11T20:15:24Z

Campbell Mithun CEO Steve Wehrenberg will join the University of Minnesota as teaching professor of strategic communication and program director of its Professional M.A. in Strategic Communication, offered in the School of Journalism & Mass Communication. An adjunct instructor at the University for the past eight years, Wehrenberg will assume his new position in August 2013.

]]> The Professional M.A. in Strategic Communication has established itself as the Twin Cities' leadership program for strategic communication professionals who want to lead and move organizations ahead by developing cutting edge communication strategies and programs. Students complete a specially designed two-year program in a cohort model that helps them become a communication expert their colleagues and companies depend upon.

"I've had many conversations over the years with the University about this program's direction and about being involved in shaping its future," said Wehrenberg. "With my passion for teaching and respect for the contributions of this program to our corporate community, I just couldn't pass up this opportunity to lead it."

"I am delighted that such a highly experienced and successful business builder and leader will be joining us full time," said John Eighmey, the Raymond O. Mithun Chair of Advertising at the University of Minnesota's School of Journalism & Mass Communication and director of graduate studies for the Professional M.A. in Strategic Communication. "Steve has been with us from the beginning of the Professional M.A., helping us design the program and teaching one of the key first-year courses. Now, we are looking forward to taking this successful program to even greater heights, and Steve's vision and extensive background as a business and communication leader will propel us forward."

Wehrenberg will remain at Campbell Mithun for a transition period beyond June, in the newly created role of non-executive chairman, to guide the agency's leadership shift, contribute to strategic planning and provide counsel to key clients.

Wehrenberg has served at Campbell Mithun for 31 years, transitioning through account leadership and strategic planning roles to become chief executive officer in fall 2007. Over the years he contributed to award-winning work and served as account leader on the agency's legacy General Mills, Land O'Lakes and Toro accounts. As CEO he focused his leadership efforts on transforming operations to serve a digitally integrated marketplace and also unifying agency media units under the Compass Point Media brand. Heavily involved in the community, he serves on the board of directors of Greater Twin Cities United Way and on the Augsburg College Board of Regents.

Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer at CBS Josie Thomas speaks at Professional M.A. in Strategic Communication's new Spring Forum

2013-04-11T16:44:08Z

On April 2, 2013, SJMC welcomed Josie Thomas, Esq., as the keynote speaker at its first Spring Forum event for the Professional M.A. in Strategic Communication.

]]> Thomas is the senior vice president and chief diversity officer for CBS Corporation in New York City. Here, she works to increase the company's record of diversity and has worked with senior executives to create and implement inclusion strategies.

More than 100 invited guests -- including members of the professional community as well as current and former students of the program -- gathered in the Johnson Great Room at McNamara Alumni Center to hear Thomas speak about diversity in media organizations and CBS's own diversity initiatives.

Quoting CBS President and CEO Leslie Moonves, Thomas said: "diversity is just plain good business."

In her presentation, Thomas laid out CBS's plan for diversity incorporation, which includes leadership from the top; employee engagement; external engagement such as internships and a diversity showcase; dual purpose engagement; communications and branding around diversity; supplier diversity, including an awards program for suppliers; and to establish a goal.

"Our multidimensional strategy for inclusion is designed for one purpose, which is impact," said Thomas. "You want to impact the industry both in front of and behind the camera. We want to impact opportunities at all levels in our organizations and we want to impact engagement across the board."

During her two-day visit to the University of Minnesota, which was co-hosted by the SJMC Diversity Committee, Thomas met with multiple student groups, including students enrolled in Jour 4272W: Advertising in Society and Jour 5522: Law of Internet Speech. Thomas also met with graduate students interested in media law.

Thomas is a Twin Cities native whose mother is former University of Minnesota Regent and civil rights trailblazer Josie Johnson.

Photos by Mark Vancleave

SJMC Alumni Receive 2013 Alumni of Notable Achievement from the College of Liberal Arts

2013-04-10T19:58:06Z

On March 28, 2013, four SJMC alumni received the College of Liberal Arts' Alumni of Notable Achievement Award. Recipients are selected by CLA alumni, faculty and staff. Less than one percent of the College's graduates have received the recognition.

]]> Tom Dupont (B.A., 1967) has been the principal/account director at Kazoo Branding in Minneapolis for nearly 15 years. He has introduced products, managed franchise cooperatives, developed corporate identities and helped clients of all sizes implement branding strategies. Prior to this role, he worked at Martin Williams for more than 20 years in the vice president and then managing director roles.

Scott Meyer (B.A., 2004) heads Scott Meyer Consulting, where he provides strategic communications consulting and implementation for a number of clients. He is a founding member of the Twin Cities agency Mona Meyer McGrath (later named Mona Meyer McGrath & Gavin). Meyer helped the agency grow into Minnesota's largest public relations firm, and, in 1988, it became part of the worldwide network of Weber Shandwick. Meyer served as CEO of Weber Shandwick International, and, later, chief strategy officer. Meyer has most recently held roles at the University of Minnesota, including as senior counselor to the office of University President Eric Kaler and as interim president and CEO of the University of Minnesota Alumni Association.

Tina Karelson (B.A., 1985) is president of creative at Risdall Advertising Agency, where she is instrumental in creative department strategy, new business efforts and creative troubleshooting. She began at Risdall in 1986 as the only copywriter on staff and has since held such roles as associate creative director, vice president/creative director and EVP/group creative director. She has held her current role since January 2010.

Steve Bergerson (B.A., 1970) is one of the nation's leading trademark attorneys with Minneapolis-based Fredrikson & Byron. He has been involved in registering and protecting more than 3,000 trademarks in more than 80 countries. He has been named a Super Lawyer for 20 consecutive years and was designated by Fortune Magazine as one of "America's Premiere Lawyers." The former advertising agency executive, Bergerson created the Twin Cities' first advertising law practice in 1974.