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

   Iowa caucus news . . . journalism volunteers

Susan Page, USA Today, wrote, "Jill Shesol has a big voice for a small person. "Have you signed supporter cards for John?" the petite, 20-year-old Drake University junior bellows to no one in particular as Iowans in bulky coats stream out of a John Edwards for President rally into a cold night.She waves a clipboard holding red, white and blue commitment cards over her head. "Are you going to caucus for John?" read more

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.

Both THiNK and 515 won Pacemaker awards in Washington, D.C.

    In the individual design contest —
          Lauren Christie, THiNK First Place
          Leah Marr, 515 Second Place
          Laura Kudia won honorable mention for Drake Magazine

515, is a magazine about the Des Moines area produced by magazine seniors, and Think, is a news magazine created by a joint news-Internet and magazine class.

The Pacemaker competition is considered by many to be student journalism's highest honor.

   Junior National Alumni Council hosted"Legal & Ethical Issues of New Media"on Friday, October 19th,in Drake Legal Clinic.

This was a continuing education workshop on the legal and ethical issues of new media(including blogs,vlogs, wikis, citizen journalism and social networking sites). The goal of this workshop was to offer continuing education opportunities for Drake alumni & journalism & mass communications professionals; increase the school's visibility in the professional community; and provide an opportunity for student, alumni and professional interaction.

The link for the podcast is...

itpc://dtcpodcast.drake.edu/weblog/sjmccontinuingeducation/?flavor=rss2

'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.

    *************************************************************
SJMC alums will visit campus this fall to deliver public lectures as part of the School of Management and Communication's "Executive in Residence" series.

Larry Fish,JO'66, chairman of the Royal Bank of Scotland, America unit, spoke September 11.

Screenwriter John August, JO'92, whose credits include the films Big fish, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Corpse Bride and the Charlie's Angels movies, will give a public lecture in Sheslow Auditorium on October 4 at 7 pm.

DRAKE'S SCHOOL OFJOURNALISM  ANNOUNCES
SHIFT IN LEADERSHIP

Patricia Prijatel, director of Drake University's School of Journalism and Mass Communication and the E.T. Meredith distinguished professor of journalism, has retired at the close of the 2006-07 academic year. Kathleen Richardson, associate professor of journalism, has been named the school's new director. David Wright remains associate dean and associate professor. "Teaching at Drake and helping lead the J-School have been extremely rewarding, so leaving will be bittersweet," Prijatel said. "Looking back on more than two decades worth of excellent colleagues and students, it has truly been a marvelous way to spend a career." Drake will conduct a national search during the 2007-08 academic year to find a successor for head of the magazine program. Rick Tapscott, former managing editor of the Des Moines Register, will join the SJMC as a visiting adjunct professor in the news-Internet program. Angela Renkoski who heads the Meredith Service Journalism Apprenticeship program and directs the E.T. Meredith Center for Magazine Studies, and Lori Blachford, former managing editor of Country Home magazine, will continue to teach magazine courses. "Under Prijatel's leadership, the magazine program has grown from fewer than 20 students her first year to more than 120 magazine majors now," said Dean Charlie Edwards. "She has turned the magazine sequence into an award-winning program of national prominence and has brought extensive resources to the School of Journalism, not least of which is development of the E.T. Meredith Center for Magazine Studies." Prijatel's 23-year career at Drake has been marked by accolades such as receiving Drake's Madelyn M. Levitt Teacher of the Year Award and the Burlington-Northern Junior Teacher Award, both University-wide honors for classroom excellence. She was named the E.T. Meredith distinguished professor of journalism in 1997 and director and dean of the SJMC in 2005. Prijatel is co-author of "The Magazine from Cover to Cover," a textbook used in more than 70 universities throughout the world. Prijatel and her collaborator, Sammye Johnson of Trinity  University, recently published a second edition of the book. "As much as we are indebted to Prijatel for her service to Drake and the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, both she and I, along with the journalism faculty, are confident that Richardson will do wonderful job as the new director," Edwards said. "The school is in good hands." Richardson succeeds Prijatel with more than 20 years of professional experience working at the Des Moines Register as copy editor and copy desk chief, wire editor, news editor, features editor, book reviewer and columnist. She received a bachelor's degree in journalism from Drake in 1976 and a law degree from Drake Law  School in 2002. Richardson began teaching at Drake in 1997 and also serves as executive secretary of the Iowa Freedom of Information Council, which is headquartered in Drake's Meredith Hall. "I look forward to working with the rest of the SJMC faculty to build on our tradition of innovation and excellence," Richardson said.

*********************************************************************

The Iowa Press Women organization held its fall meeting at the Drake School of Journalism and Mass Communication on October 21. Dorothy Pisarski, asst. professor of advertising and Kathleen Richardson, asst. professor of news-Internet and media law, gave presentations to the group. In addition, Michelle Thilges, a junior news-Internet major who has worked for the Ft.Dodge Messenger, was awarded the Iowa Press Women scholarship for 2007.

2006 Outstanding Journalism Alumni Selected. . .

Sandra Soria ('82) and Sheldon Ripson ('83) have been named Alumni of the Year for 2006 by the Drake University School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Soria, who graduated with a major in magazine journalism, is executive editor of Country Home magazine, which has a circulation of more than 1.2 million and was a finalist for the prestigious National Magazine Award in 2005.  She has held editorial positions on a variety of Meredith magazines for more than 20 years and managed the design content of the Emmy-winning Better Homes and Gardens Weekly syndicated television show.

Despite her success in the industry, Soria continues to mentor young journalists. According to her nominating committee, Patricia Prijatel, Angela Renkoski, Lori Blachford and Rachel DeSchepper. "Sandy has been a speaker in Drake magazine classes throughout her career at Meredith and most recently addressed the Ed On Campus group, explaining the redesign of Country Home.  As a mentor to young professionals, she has been generous with her time and wisdom."  

Ripson, who graduated with a broadcast news emphasis, has been a television reporter, anchor and news director, in six cities.  He has served in his present capacity as news director of Tribune-owned KPLR (TV), St. Louis, since June 1998. KPLR has received Regional Emmys for Best Newscast in both 2004 and 2005.

"He maintains great interest in the work of our School," according to his nominating committee, John Lytle, Todd Evans and Gary Wade.  "He continues to share materials that come his way from his consultants, especially those dealing with news ethics.  HeÕs always been willing to visit classes and meet tomorrowÕs stars.  In fact, in October 1999, Sheldon helped teach the Radio News class while Prof. Lytle served on a Polk County jury."

Soria and Ripson will be honored at the Alumni Reunion at Blank Park Zoo Friday, September 29, 6 to 9 p.m.

The School of Journalism and Mass Communication - SJMC - is committed to developing educated professionals. Our School couples hands-on training in professional skills with a strong liberal arts education. Our students are prepared not just for their first job, but for becoming leaders in their fields. Professional education begins early in the School. First-year students take SJMC courses and are encouraged to participate in campus media opportunities so that they are soon ready to take advantage of the hundreds of internship opportunities available to Drake SJMC students in Des Moines and all over the world.
Thanks for stopping by our web site. We hope you'll find everything you need!
If not, please let us know!

SJMC's 2007 E-Media Newsletter has been published!
If you did not receive a copy, please email John Lytle, john.lytle@drake.edu, and he will forward a copy to you electronically.

     J-School Grads Succeed!
Almost 95 percent —94.9—of 2006 Drake journalism graduates reported being employed in the field or in graduate school, according to a recent survey by the university.Of these,89.5percent reported having had an internship while in school. Most—53.5 percent—remained in Iowa; 12.7 moved to Illinois; 32.4 percent to other states; and 1.4 percent were working or studying abroad.