Award-winning photojournalist and University of Arkansas journalism graduate Art Meripol was honored on Oct. 31^st during the 65^th annual Alumni Awards Celebration hosted by the University of Arkansas Alumni Association. Meripol, a 1977 graduate, got his start at the student publications Arkansas Traveler and the Razorback yearbook. For thirteen years, he shot photos for area newspapers, mostly the Arkansas Gazette and went on to publish photographs in The New York Times, USA Today, Sports Illustrated and Time. But his employer these days is Southern Living magazine, which frequently sends him and his camera to the Caribbean and Mexico. Now living in Birmingham, Ala., Meripol still describes himself as a passionate Arkansan – despite the fact that he is a Texas native. At the awards celebration, Meripol renewed his love affair with Arkansas when accepting his award. “I love this university, and I love this state,” he said. In all, eleven alumni were honored, including Gov. Mike Beebe.

Chalk up another victory for the Razorback. At the Associated Collegiate Press Annual Convention inAustin, Texas on Oct. 31, the award-winning University of Arkansas yearbook received  two ACP Pacemaker Awards – one for the book in its entirety and one for its Web site, http://yearbook.uark.edu. The Pacemaker is perhaps the most prestigious prize in the world of college media. “For the yearbook to receive two is an honor indeed,” Steve Wilkes, UA director of student media told the UA newspaper, the Traveler. “It speaks very highly of the students who participate in the Razorback.” Shannon Sanders, the editor of the 2008 Razorback, accepted the award.

Matt Waite, designer of Pulitzer Prize-winning Web site PolitiFact

The Walter J. Lemke Department of Journalism is pleased to present a national symposium, “When the Ink Runs Dry: A Forum on the Future of the News Business,” from Nov. 4 to Nov. 6. The symposium will bring together national and regional journalists to discuss online news trends, online journalism business models, ethics, and the new role of citizen-propelled journalism in the age of social networking. Guests include: Matthew Waite, the senior news technologist at the St. Petersburg Times and designer Pulitzer Prize-winning Web site PolitiFact; Gordon Witkin, managing editor of the online investigative team Center for Public Integrity in Washington, D.C.; Michelle Malashock, Web content editor at the Morning News (Springdale); and Conan Gallaty, the online director for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. The Nov. 5 panel begins at 12:30 and will be followed by a Q&A session and reception.

The symposium will also feature a sneak preview of the 10-part television series, “the Future of News,” produced by Washington, D.C.-based Newseum and scheduled to air in early 2010. And on Nov. 6, Waite and Witkin will appear for a taping of a UATV student program. The events are free and open to the public. The symposium is funded in part by the Arkansas Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Please see the schedule below for specifics.

“A Glimpse of the Future” – The presentation of three videos produced by the Washington, D.C.-based Newseum, with showings scheduled in Kimpel 111 beginning at 9:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 2:30 p.m., throughout Nov. 4. The videos are part of “The Future of News,” which features “lively, cutting-edge conversations with well-known journalists and new media pioneers about the evolution of news reporting in an Internet age,” according to the Newseum.

“The Fog of New Media” – A panel of speakers, including Matthew Waite, technologist at the St.Petersburg Times and designer of PolitiFact, which won the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting in 2008,; Michelle Malashock, Web editor at The Morning News; Gordon Witkin, the managing editor at the Center for Public Integrity; and Conan Gallaty, the online director for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, in the Donald W. Reynolds Center Auditorium at 12:30 p.m. Nov. 5. The panel will last approximately 90 minutes. Refreshments will be available following the panel, compliments of the Lemke Journalism Alumni Society.

“Advice for the Future” – The taping of a student media program, which will include a student-led interview followed by a Q & A session, in Kimpel 111 at 9:30 a.m. Nov. 6.

For more information, please contact Bret Schulte, assistant professor, Walter J. Lemke Department of Journalism at (479) 575-6659 or bjschult@uark.edu.

Prof. Larry Foley (left) won an Emmy for “Buffalo Flows,” edited by colleague Prof. Dale Carpenter.

Two University of Arkansas professors and a team of students captured Emmy Awards Oct. 3 in St. Louis from the Mid-America chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Journalism professor Larry Foley, who wrote and produced the documentary film “The Buffalo Flows,” won an Emmy for best writer for a TV program. Music professor James Greeson won for an Emmy for his musical composition for the film. The team of Hayot Tuychiev, Kelley Miller and Nikki Wise won the award for outstanding student production for their documentary film, “KURM Radio-Soapbox of the Air.” The students produced their program while enrolled in Foley and Professor Dale Carpenter’s documentary film classes.

The Emmy is the third for Foley, who has also received eight nominations. “It just blows you away,” Foley said. “These people do good work. They don’t just throw these things out there.” This was Foley’s first Emmy award in the category of writing. “As a broadcast and journalism professor who teaches writing, it was a great, great honor to receive a writing award,” he said. The professor has long emphasized the importance of strong scripts and story composition in his courses. Demonstrating how much he prizes strong writing in film work, Foley routinely lists his writing credit before his production credit. The filmmaker’s other previous two Emmy’s were for production work.

Another student program, produced by students in Foley’s Advanced TV reporting class, received a nomination for a news magazine show, “On the Hill,” which reported on the reunion of the Razorbacks’ 1994 NCAA championship basketball team, held last spring.

Trey Marley of the Pryor Center for Oral and Visual History, was nominated for his photography for The Buffalo Flows. The film also received a nomination for cultural documentary.

Capenter, who edited the film, contributed to Greeson’s Emmy by composing and singing an original song. Professor Kim Smith of biological sciences served as technical advisor on the documentary.

The Buffalo Flows will air nationally on PBS, Tuesday, October 6, at 9 p.m.

Three films produced by faculty, students and staff at the University of Arkansas have collected a total of six Emmy nominations from the Mid-America Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

Four of those nominations went to the documentary film The Buffalo Flows. University journalism professor Larry Foley wrote and produced the film, which recounts the battle to preserve and protect the Buffalo River, which ended with the creation of the nation’s first national river. The film was
nominated in the category of Cultural Documentary; Foley was nominated in the category of Writer/Program; Trey Marley was nominated in the category of
Photographer/Program; and university music professor James Greeson, who composed and performed the film’s sound track, was nominated in the category
of Musical Composition/Arrangement.

“This film was a project I had wanted to work on for years, and I’m thrilled people seem to like it,” said Foley. “I had a dream team working with me. Trey Marley’s photography is brilliant, Dale Carpenter does a masterful job editing the stories together, and James Greeson’s musical score may be his finest effort ever. University faculty members Kim Smith, David Stahle, Walter Manger, Tom Hapgood and George Sabo played critical roles in
research, production and story development as well, and several of them appear in the film as on-camera experts.”

The Buffalo Flows will air nationally on PBS, at 9 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6.

A student-made documentary, KURM Radio: Soapbox of the Air, was nominated in the category Student Production/Non-News Program. The film was produced by Kelley Miller, Nikki Wise and Hayot Tuychiev, students in two graduate-level documentary production courses taught by Foley and journalism professor Dale Carpenter. A three-minute video “University of Arkansas Sustainability,” produced by the Global Campus media services department was also nominated for an Emmy award in the category of Advanced Media - Informational/Instructional. The video was produced by Chris Erwin, business
development manager for the Global Campus; Mandel Samuels, media services director; Nick Brown, executive assistant for sustainability; and members of
the media services staff. The video was created to educate students and the community about some of the university’s sustainability efforts over the
past year.

The video is available for viewing at these links:

GoGreenTube.com

YouTube.com

Award winners will be announced at the 2009 Emmy Gala on Saturday, October 3, 2009 at the Renaissance Grand Hotel in St. Louis.

The Walter J. Lemke Department of Journalism has assembled a tribute in honor of benefactor Elizabeth “Bettie” Messner, who died at age 91 on Sept. 17. Messner, graduated from the University of Arkansas in 1938 and was the first woman to be elected business manager for the Arkansas Traveler. Messner was also a member of Pi Kappa, the women’s professional journalism sorority. In 2005, Messner’s son, Michael, and his wife Jenny, donated $340,000 to endow the Elizabeth Barnes Messner Scholarship in Journalism. “Through that scholarship, she made a big difference in the lives of students,” said Patsy Watkins, chair of the journalism department. Messner periodically visited the department, Watkins said. “Those of us who met her were struck by her personality. She was very gracious and warm and very outgoing. She was a nice person to be around.”

To commemorate her passing, the journalism department has hung a memorial outside the department office that includes newspaper clippings and photos of Messner. Students are invited to learn more about Messner and her contribution to the department. The Messner scholarship will continue to support a junior or senior undergraduate in journalism is awarded based on high academic achievement and proven writing ability. The scholarship pays for tuition, books and fees for one year.

The Walter J. Lemke Department of Journalism congratulates recent graduate Marci Manley for being a national finalist in the Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence Awards in August.

In the nationwide competition, Manley finished in the top three in the category of Television In-Depth Reporting for her coverage of the aftermath of a tornado that struck Atkins, Ark.

The 2008 SPJ Mark of Excellence Awards, held in Indianapolis, recognized collegiate work published or broadcasted during the calendar year. This year, student journalists submitted more than 3,600 entries in 39 categories.

These Mark of Excellence Awards winners are some of the best journalists coming out of colleges today.” stated Neil Ralston, SPJ’s Vice President for Campus Chapter Affairs, in a press release. “I believe they represent a lot of hope for the future of journalism in America, and SPJ is honored to recognize them for their excellent work.”

National winners and finalists were previously recognized by receiving first place in one of the SPJ’s 12 regional competitions. Each first place regional winner advanced to the national competition.

For additional information on the Mark of Excellence Awards or the Society, please contact Lauren Rochester, Awards Coordinator, 317-927-8000 ext. 210 or lrochester@spj.org.

The Society of Professional Journalists works to improve and protect journalism. The organization is the nation’s most broad-based journalism organization, dedicated to encouraging the free practice of journalism and stimulating high standards of ethical behavior.

Founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi, SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to a well-informed citizenry; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and protects First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press. For more information about SPJ, please visit www.spj.org.

By Brady Holzhauer

To conclude this year’s J-Days festivities, the Walter J. Lemke Department of Journalism hosted a putt-putt golf tournament at Gator Golf on College Avenue.
Students and non-students alike participated in the tournament, but the event drew some other guests - including Lioneld Jordan, the mayor of Fayetteville.

“It’s a great time to be with people, it’s a good cause,” Jordan said. “You all did a fantastic job, and keep doing the good work!”

Carol Rachal, one of those in charge of the event, said she loved doing the event and that it was the most fun part of J-Days. Others from the department showed up to play, including Professors Larry Foler, Hoyt Purvis, Gerald Jordan, Robyn Ledbetter, Bret Schulte and Patsy Watkins, department chair.

There were a couple of golfers who finished with winning scores of 40 - which was par for the 18 holes played. One of those golfers, Henry Adams, who works in the journalism department office, said he wouldn’t let his play get to his head.

“It was very fun, luckily I got the lowest score so I got a hat,” Adams said. “But no, I better not smack talk any!”

Incoming editor Tina Korbe extends an invitation to all talented would-be writers, photographers and editors of The Arkansas Traveler!

Set aside time at 11:30 a.m. this Friday, April 24, (tomorrow!), to find out more about the future of the University of Arkansas’ most venerable news source.

As those of you who have worked for - or even just read - the paper know, The Arkansas Traveler is a time-honored tradition at the University of Arkansas. More than a century old, the Traveler reflects the reality of living and working at the UA through its coverage of campus news, lifestyles and sports. That tradition of excellence provides the Traveler with a solid foundation to set a new and higher standard for student media. This year, I am excited to announce, the paper will do just that!

In the 2009-2010 school year, the Traveler will build on its 103-year background to become a more current, deeply researched, multimedia student news organization. The changes will be comprehensive in all but a couple of respects. Journalistic integrity will still be the backbone of the paper. And this campus will remain at the core of all coverage. In other words, the paper will be still be “about you and for you.” But the improvements will encompass a new publication schedule, staff restructuring, dramatically increased visual appeal, more - and more kinds - of content, special features and a palpable commitment to “connecting students with the story,” whether that means writing, tweeting, chatting or chalking the sidewalks!

If this vision of a tradition-oriented, imaginative Traveler sounds appealing to you, please come to the first “Future of the Traveler” meeting at 11:30 a.m. this Friday, April 24, in the Traveler newsroom (Kimpel 119) to hear more and to find out how you can help to shape the future of the paper, too!

By Brady Holzhauer
The annual Walter J. Lemke Department of Journalism scholarship awards reception awarded more than 30 scholarships to deserving students Wednesday afternoon at the Janelle Y. Hembree Alumni House. Journalism faculty took turns presenting the scholarships while honoring the donors who made them possible.

Professors Larry Foley, Patsy Watkins, Robyn Ledbetter, Jan Wicks and Gerald Jordan all took part in the afternoon ceremony. University Chancellor David Gearhart was also on hand to award the George A. Gearhart Scholarship, named after his father and funded by the Gearhart family.

The reception was a key event in this year’s “J-Days” for the department.

“J-Days has been around for a very long time,” said Carol Rachal, alumni liaison director. “I love the scholarship awards reception because I really enjoy seeing the excitement on the students’ faces and the pride in the parents’ eyes.”

The food was prepared and provided by Catering Unlimited.

WINNERS:
Edsel Ford Scholarship
Ji Won Ahn
Jennifer Cope
Matthew DeRycke
Alexis Edwards
Clint Fullen
Jennifer Joyner
Amanda Kimbrough
Delcie Kincaid
Justin Lewis
Jessica Powviriya
Andrew Reynolds
John Thomas

Joseph A. Thalheimer Memorial Scholarship
Jordan Jackson
Lindsey Pruitt

Walter J. Lemke Memorial Scholarship
Emily Keeter

Wanda A. Belzung Scholarship
Johanna Baker

Northwest Arkansas Advertising Federation Scholarship
Alyssa White

Clifford Cooper Memorial Scholarship
Alyssa White
Maiko Michishita
Saba Naseem

KUAF Public Radio Endowed Scholarship
Bailey Boyd

Television Broadcasters of Arkansas Scholarship
SaVannah Reading

Arkansas Broadcasters Association Scholarship
Jonathan Weaver

Paul Eells Memorial Scholarship
John Gossett

Ernie Deane Memorial Scholarship
Jordain Carney
Cedrah Rush

John Rosso Scholarship
Cedrah Rush

Lemke Alumni Society Scholarship
Brady Holzhauer

Ronald A. Robinson Endowed Scholarship
Bailey McBride

Richard F. Cooper Endowed Journalism Scholarship
Lauren McCloy

Trish Brown Joyner Endowed Scholarship
Jocelyne Pruna

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Scholarship
Harold McIlvain

George A. Gearhart Scholarship
Kimle Nguyen

Elizabeth Barnes Messner ’38 Scholarship
Taniah Tudor

James Jones Memorial Scholarship
D. Brian Washburn

Jim Moriss Journalism Scholarship
Kimber Wenzelburger

Ronald A. Robinson Scholarship
Kimber Wenzelburger