FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 28, 2005

CONTACT: Birgit Wassmuth, (515) 271-4594, birgit.wassmuth@drake.edu
Lisa Lacher, (515) 271-3119, lisa.lacher@drake.edu

POYNTER DEAN TO DISCUSS HOW TO HANDLE THE TOPIC OF RACE

Award-winning journalist and educator Keith M. Woods of The Poynter Institute will deliver the third annual Community in Diversity lecture at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 9, at Drake University's Sheslow Auditorium in Old Main, 25th Street and University Avenue. Woods' illustrated lecture, "Race: How to Handle an Explosive Topic Without Blowing Yourself Up," is free and open to the public.

Woods is dean of the faculty at The Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Fla., which provides journalists, students and educators with media-related workshops and seminars. Before joining the institute he worked for 16 years at the New Orleans Times-Picayune as a sports writer, news reporter, city editor, editorial writer and columnist. He is the co-author of "The Best Reporting on Race and Ethnicity in America: The Authentic Voice."

He received a 1991 Associated Press award for his coverage of the end of apartheid in South Africa and a 1994 National Headline Award for his contributions to the 1993 series "Together Apart/The Myth of Race," an exposé on race relations in New Orleans.

At Poynter, Woods specializes in diversity and media ethics and has written about many topics, including fatherhood, race relations and the emerging South African post-apartheid press. He writes a regular column on race and media for Poynter's Web site and leads seminars and workshops on diversity and ethics.

A native of New Orleans, Woods holds a master's degree in social work from Tulane University and a bachelor’s degree in social welfare from Dillard University.

The Community in Diversity Lecture Series began in 2003 to provide Drake University and the metro area an opportunity to hear diverse viewpoints from distinguished media professionals. Speakers give a public lecture and teach in several journalism classes as part of their three-day visit to the campus. The series is organized by the School of Journalism and Mass Communication with support from the Office of the Provost and the College of Business and Public Administration at Drake University.

For more information, call (515) 271-4594.
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