Drake University School of Journalism and Mass Communication

The 2009 E-MEDIA NEWSLETTER is now available in PDF format. If you missed your copy, please contact Professor John Lytle for your copy.

Drake University's journalism students have been honored by the 2009 Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Student Magazine Contest in the following categories —

Single Issue of an Ongoing Print Magazine: Design (15 entries)
Judge: Bob Gray, design consultant for aarp.org and former design editor at National Geographic
First Place: Think Annie Fuhrman, art director
Second Place: Drake Magazine Annie Fuhrman, art director

Single Issue of an Ongoing Print Magazine: General Excellence (17 entries)
Judges: Will Palmer, managing editor, Mary Turner, deputy editor, and Ryan Krogh, associate editor of Outside
First Place: Think Emma Barker, editor

Single Issue of an Ongoing Print Magazine: Editorial (14 entries)
Judge: Ashley Deahl, acting editor-in-chief and managing editor of Phoenix Magazine
Second Place: Think Emma Barker, editor
Third Place: Drake Magazine Tara Richards, editor

Online Magazine (10 entries)
Judge: Nick Fauchald, editor-in-chief of tastingtable.com, an online food magazine, and a former editor at Food & Wine
Second Place: Drake Magazine Matt McGuire, editor

Consumer Magazine Article: Service and Information (27 entries)
Judge: John Rockhold, managing editor of Mother Earth News
Third Place: "Your Morning After Survival Guide," by Tara Richards

In addition, the 2008 online edition of the senior news magazine, Think, was a finalist in the national Associated Collegiate Press contest for college journalism Web sites.

School of Journalism and Mass Communication students earned six Region 7 Mark of Excellence awards from the SPJ for their work in the 2008 calendar year. The Drake winners are:

. . . Best Student Magazine
Drake Magazine, spring 2008; editor Justine Blanchard, a senior magazine major from Grimes, Iowa.

. . . Best Student Magazine
515 magazine, fall 2008, editor Meghan Siroky, a senior magazine major from Orland Park, Illinois.

. . . Best Student Magazine
Think magazine, spring 2008; editor Sarah Hall, a 2008 graduate from Normal, Illinois.

. . . Feature Photography
Emilee Richardson, a senior public relations major from Clarinda, Iowa; Drake Magazine, "Hit the Road."

. . . Nonfiction Magazine Writing
Evan Jurkovich, a 2008 graduate; Think, "Lost No More."

. . . Nonfiction Magazine Writing
Rachel Vogel, a junior magazine and writing double major from Moline, Illinois; Drake Magazine, "Don't Stop Believing."

Although SPJ has announced that the six entrants have won regional Mark of Excellence Awards, it won't announce whether each entrant won first, second or third place until the regional conference to be held April 24-25 in St. Louis. The first-place regional winners will then advance to the national competition. The national winners will be announced in August.

Evan Jurkovich's story also won sixth place and $500 in the national Hearst Journalism Awards Program for personality and profile writing.

The 2008 Web version of Think was a finalist among 223 entries in the Associated Collegiate Press' 2009 Online Pacemaker awards.

CONTACT INFORMATlON
Sarah Clark
sarah@thesowetoproject.com
314-422-7148August 31 , 2009314-422-7148
www.thesowetproject.com

LIFE-CHANGING EXPERIENCE LEADS TO FOUNDATION OF CHARITY FOR DRAKE GRADUATE

BALTlMORE, Maryland - Three years ago, Sarah Clark (JMC '06) graduated from

Drake University and wondered what to do now that she was done with school. Realizing this may be her only opportunity, she decided to go on a volunteer trip to South Africa. What she didn't know at the time was how much this trip would change her life. During the trip, Sarah visited Soweto, a group of townships outside of Johannesburg with deep roots in South Africa's apartheid past. While there, she visited a shantytown populated by crudely built homes and a countless number of families. The purpose of the visit was to deliver candy, pens and notepads to the kids. The experience proved to be overwhelming - both in the sheer number of children who lived there and also the emotions that took over when she saw how happy the kids were just to have something they could call their own. These children serve as the inspiration for The Soweto Project, a tax-exempt nonprofit Sarah founded earlier this year that works with Sowetan school children toward achievement of their educational pursuits and eventual economic empowerment.

"The main focus of The Soweto Project is the human connections that are established through giving," Sarah said. "Our goal is to raise donations to be used to purchase

Christmas gifts for kids who come from families that can't afford toys during the holidays. We also want to supply their schools with whatever resources they need for the kids to gain the greatest benefit from their education. Eventually, our goal is provide job skills training so that these kids have all the tools necessary to enter the workforce and help to create a sustainable economy in South Africa."

These lofty goals cannot be met without the financial support of the public. If you would like to make a donation to The Soweto Project, please visit www.thesowetoproject.com.

The J-School's Jr. National Advisory Council is excited to announce www.DrakeMediaGigs.Wordpress.com
a forum where we'll be posting career opportunities sumbitted by members of the Drake alumni family and of the professional media community.

It's clear that Drake professionals are out there looking for talented people to hire — both for internships and full-time positions — but don't have an easy way to announce the openings to the Drake journalism community.

In addition, we will use the site to post job-hunting tips and links to media career resources, as well as
information about job fairs, skills workshops and other tools you can use to jump-start your professional lives.

For example, the SJMC is currently planning a series of workshops on campus this spring, aimed both at
graduating seniors and area professionals seeking to ensure they have the skills necessary to compete in this challenging media environment.

It's all free and we won't use your e-mail for any purpose other than to send you updates.

And remember that we're just getting started, so please be patient while we get the word out and work out any kinks as we get the site off the ground. We're also open to ideas, questions and suggestions-submit those to drakemediagigs@gmail.com.

Stelter Company duo gives gift to enhance Drake's magazine journalism program

               Drake University's nationally recognized magazine program will grow even stronger thanks to a $1.5
               million gift to establish a faculty chair in magazine journalism from Drake alumna Peggy Fisher and her
               husband, Larry Stelter. (more)

                Drake Magazine won the prestigious Pacemaker Award, given by Associated
                Collegiate Press in Kansas City, November 1, 2008 at the College Media
                Convention. Editors-in-Chief Sarah Hall and Justine Blanchard attended
                the awards ceremony to collect their awards.

Students in this fall's JMC73 Radio News class enjoyed a visit with Van Harden (RTV'73) and a tour of the Clear Channel facilities October 2.

Harden underlined the importance of radio for delivering immediate information about such events as weather and traffic conditions to a broad audience.

Van serves WHO-AM and KXNO as program director. He joined WHO in 1986 and continues co-hosting an award-winning weekday morning program from 6 to 9.

He advised class members to begin planning for the day when Web sites will replace broadcast stations trying to maintain expensive transmission equipment.

Following graduation, Harden worked a year in Tulsa radio before joining KRNT-AM as mid-morning personality, in 1975.

Society of Professional Journalists, Region 7 "Mark of Excellence" regional awards presented the following Drake students at the spring conference early in April, 2008 for Drake Magazine, a biannual publication. Entries are first judged on the regional level; first-place winners move on to the national competition.
       Drake Magazine Online Staff
       Best affiliated Web site
       Drake Magazine Online
       Best Student Magazine
       Drake Magazine
       Justine Blanchard
       Non-Fiction Article
      A Shot in the Dark
       Kayla Porter
       Non-Fiction Article
       Girls Gone Mild
       Sara Brock
       Non-Fiction Article
       Pink Washed Market

Two Drake journalism students worked with other area college students covering the caucuses for the Iowa bureau of the Associated Press. Michelle Thilges, a news-Internet senior, is at back left in the blue sweater; Julie Ann Marra, news-Internet senior, is in the front row in the pink shirt.

'First lady of the press' Helen Thomas visited Drake

Des Moines, Iowa — Longtime Washington reporter Helen Thomas talked with Drake University and area high school students about finding her voice as a woman and journalist.

Thomas, known as "the first lady of the press" for her decades in the Washington press corps, spoke informally and responded to questions at Sheslow Auditorium beginning with Drake alum Erin Kiernan, news anchor for WHO-TV in Des Moines. Kiernan moderated the discussion, which was open to members of the Drake community and area high school journalism students.

The appearanc was sponsored by Drake's School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Students for Women's Issues and the Office of Admission. Thomas was brought to Des Moines by the Chrysalis Foundation, a local organization whose mission is to develop strong women and girls through education, advocacy, grant-making and philanthropy.

Longtime Washington journalist Helen Thomas with Kate Baier, at left, a news-Internet junior, and Niki Jobst, a news-Internet senior, during Thomas' visit to Drake campus September 27, 2007. Kate and Niki were on a panel of fellow Drake students and area high school journalism students.

Thomas grew up in Detroit, the daughter of Lebanese immigrants. She was one of the few female reporters who covered the federal government when she joined United Press International in 1943. Thomas began covering the White House with the Kennedy Administration in 1961, becoming known for her front-row seat at presidential news conference and her conclusion of conferences with the tagline "Thank you, Mr. President." She became a correspondent and columnist for Hearst Corp. in 2000.

Thomas has written four books, including her most recent, "Watchdogs of Democracy," published in 2006.