| November 2008 | |
TPA reaches out to journalism students
A primary goal for TPA this year is to reach out to journalism and mass communication graduates of Texas colleges and universities. We want to explain in detail why community newspapers offer an excellent environment to launch a career. The aim of TPA’s Journalism Education Committee is to arrange on-campus visits by teams of publishers, editors and advertising managers to as many campuses as possible. Our current database lists 22 colleges and universities that offer education in the field of journalism. Our purpose is two fold: (1) to increase awareness of and interest in community newspapers among forthcoming graduates; and (2) to arrange summer internships for aspiring print journalists who will not yet have completed graduation requirements at the end of the current term. TPA will coordinate with the five regionals to help pair interns with available positions. The goal is to meet with students in classroom settings, where a meaningful dialogue can address specific questions. We also hope to meet with interested students in an informal setting, perhaps during lunch. The first visitation team traveled to Lubbock Nov. 6 to participate in the College of Mass Communications Career Fair at Texas Tech University. Rochelle Stidham, publisher of the Stephenville Empire-Tribune, is chairing this year’s Journalism Education Committee and welcomes your participation. If you would like to be part of a visitation team, send a note to Rochelle. * * * Another exciting journalism education initiative is unfolding on the University of Texas campus in Austin. A $1.5 million grant from the Hearst Foundation will establish a faculty fellowship endowment to help support faculty members in the College of Communication. It will also facilitate renovation of the Texas Student Media building. The 25,000-square-foot TSM building houses the student newspaper, The Daily Texan, and its 32-page offset press. With 700 students working for the Texas Student Media program at any given time, it is the largest pre-professional program of its kind. Dr. Roderick P. Hart, dean of the College of Communication, says the most recent Hearst gift will “provide ‘start-up’ money to help us retain the best and brightest faculty, while enhancing students’ out-of-class experience in one of the most storied pre-professional programs in academia.” “It’s through gifts like this that we will become the most far-reaching institution for media education in the United States,” Dr. Hart adds. Renovation of the TSM building will also open space for computer and digital technologies — such as online journalism, interactive advertising and convergent media — hallmarks of the new media era. * * * Sincere thanks to the 35 TPA folks who helped judge the Wisconsin Newspaper Association Better Newspaper Contest and Advertising Contest Thursday and Friday, Oct. 16 and 17, in Austin. (list on page 3) With about 3,300 entries, the Wisconsin contest was among the largest ever judged by TPA. “We certainly appreciate your help in judging such a large contest,” said Pauline Word, TPA publications director and coordinator of annual reciprocal judging with other state press associations. TPA members who assist in the judging will attest to the value of reviewing community newspapers from other states and regions. Ideas we glean from the judging experience make our own newspapers better. Next year, TPA will judge entries from Oregon. As a change of pace, Oregon contest entries will be mailed to judges for review at home. Watch for details, and seriously consider volunteering to help judge the Oregon contest. You will be glad you did. Make note, too, the deadline for Texas Press Association Better Newspaper Contest entries in 2009 will be March 9, one month earlier than the traditional time line. The advanced deadline will ensure time to mail entries to judges in Oregon and have results back for award presentations in June. Better Newspaper Contest winners will be announced at the 130th annual TPA summer convention Thursday through Saturday, June 18-20, at the Sheraton Austin Hotel in downtown Austin. |
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