Murphy Reporter Winter 2020 by University of Minnesota Hubbard School of Journalism & Mass Communication

REPORTER MURPHY

LASTING LEGACY KATHY HANSEN RETIRES AFTER 40 YEARS

+ CHRIS ISON DEPARTS FOR NEW ADVENTURES + THE POWER OF MENTORING

WINTER 2020

CONTENTS MURPHY

REPORTER WINTER 2020 DIRECTOR Elisia Cohen

EDITOR

Amanda Fretheim Gates

DESIGN

Jeanne Schacht

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Lauren Borchart, Katie Dohman, Riham Feshir, Scott Memmel, Courtenay Parker

PHOTOGRAPHY

Bill Kelley, Patrick O’Leary, Phuong Tran

PROOFREADER

FEATURES

TWO ICONS RETIRE Chris Ison Steps Back.............................................. 6 Kathy Hansen Retires After 40 Years.......... 10

Katie Dohman

Kaylee Highstrom

2019-2020 HSJMC ALUMNI SOCIETY BOARD MEMBERS Jenni Pinkley, president Karen Schultz, vice president Riham Feshir Nicole Garrison Eric Hansen Brian Hurley John Maher Tim Nelson Jennifer Sorenson Jacque Smith Kelli Theiler Tanya Wright Allison Kuznia

The Murphy Reporter is published semiannually by the University of Minnesota Hubbard School of Journalism & Mass Communication for alumni, faculty, staff, students and friends of the school. Send questions or comments to murphrep@ umn.edu or Murphy Reporter, 111 Murphy Hall, 206 SE Church St., Minneapolis, MN 55455 The University of Minnesota shall provide equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. This publication is available in alternative formats upon request. Direct requests to murphrep@umn.edu

1 NEWS FROM THE DIRECTOR 2 AROUND MURPHY

Field-based Practicum Turns 20............................. 2 Welcome President Gabel....................................... 2 Scholarship News................................................... 2 The Charnley Legacy............................................... 3 Online Subscription Study....................................... 4

BOTH PHOTOS BY PATRICK O’LEARY

ALUMNI RECORDS

5 EVENTS

Ralph D. Casey Award............................................ 5 34th Annual Silha Lecture..................................... 14 Research Workshops............................................ 16

23 TEACH

Faculty News......................................................... 23 Twelve Distinguished Fellows................................ 26 Emily Vraga’s Research......................................... 28

29 LEARN

Graduate Students................................................ 29 Undergraduate Students....................................... 30 Meet a Student..................................................... 30 Student Spotlight.................................................. 31

20 ALUMS

The Power of Mentoring........................................ 20 Why We Give: Jim and Jen Schweigert................ 22 Alumni Spotlight.................................................... 32 Alumni News......................................................... 33 Alumni Board Letter.............................................. 34 Donor Report........................................................ 35

CONNECT WITH US! facebook.com/umnhsjmc twitter.com/umn_hsjmc instagram.com/umnhsjmc youtube.com/umnhsjmc U of MN Hubbard School of Journalism & Mass Communication Alumni On the cover: Kathy Hansen, photo by Patrick O’Leary

NEWS FROM THE DIRECTOR

that translate the work faculty and students do in our classrooms and research laboratories into careers and industry practice. As the School enters its next three-year planning cycle with the College, we will move to strengthen these partnerships and grow new ones in the years ahead. This past fall, the School supported exciting opportunities between our faculty and national communities. Assistant Professor Sid Bedingfield gathered journalism historians to explore the impact of the press during the rise of Jim Crow rule. In partnership with Professor Jisu Huh, the Hubbard School convened its first biennial Advertising Thought Leadership Forum (TLF). And in partnership with the William T. Grant Foundation and Associate Professor Matthew Weber, the School also hosted the Knowledge Networks and the Public Policymaking Process Workshop (networks.umn.edu). Read more about these events on page 16. Our most recent hire, Associate Professor Emily Vraga, shares her interests in correcting misinformation in the media environment on page 28. Vraga joined our School in the fall as the first holder of the Don and Carole Larson Professorship in Health Communication. Her research expertise bridges problems in health and political communication, two areas where the School’s research contributes pragmatic relevance to the health of society and democracy in partnership with the College of Liberal Arts’ Civic Readiness Initiative. We continue to push the boundaries of the classroom by extending relationships between the Hubbard School and our industry and community partners. In journalism, we are grateful to the Pioneer Press (see page 2) and Star Tribune for continuing to partner with our journalism classes. This year the Mitchell V. Charnley Professorship in Journalism supported a research and investigative partnership between Benjamin Toff and Chris Ison. You can 1

MURPHY REPORTER ❙ Winter 2020

read more about the successful semester on page 3. In our strategic communication courses, we continued to have a variety of companies work with our students. Our digital strategy class led by Amelia Reigstad partnered with The Herbivorous Butcher to develop a 12-week digital strategy campaign that focused on increasing online sales. Mark Jenson’s campaigns class presented their final projects for Red Wing Shoes. We are also grateful to local agencies and organizations who continue to open their doors to our student groups for agency tours. We also have two announcements of well-deserved and planned retirements. Professor Kathleen Hansen has joined the ranks of emeriti faculty as she follows in the footsteps of her partner, former director Al Tims. On behalf of the faculty and staff, I share tremendous gratitude to each of them for their dedicated service to the School, building many of the facilities, resources and programs currently supporting our work. We wish them both many years of scuba-diving adventures in their retirement. Read more about Kathy’s legacy on page 10. Chris Ison (B.A. ’83), teaching professor, Star Tribune Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and current director of undergraduate studies retires this spring. Each year he has supported students in their work from basic through advanced reporting classes, cultivated and mentored Daily editors and oversaw a team of students writing an average of 140 stories each year for the Star Tribune practicum. He will be missed in the day-to-day activities of Murphy Hall—though I hope to keep him in classes as long as he is willing to return! Find out more about Chris’ contributions to the School on page 6. In closing, I am grateful for these examples of connection and engagement. We will be featuring many more at our Spring Showcase on April 22, 2020; I hope you will consider attending. I invite and look forward to developing additional partnerships with many of you to support our students’ career and professional development as well as their strategic communication, media and journalistic work.

As the School enters its next threeyear planning cycle with the College, we will move to strengthen these partnerships and grow new ones in the years ahead.

In partnership,

Elisia L. Cohen, Director

PHOTO BY CHRIS COOPER

I BEGAN THE NEW YEAR BY REFLECTING ON THE MANY PARTNERSHIPS

NEWS FIELD-BASED PRACTICUM TURNS 20

WELCOME PRESIDENT GABEL THE HUBBARD SCHOOL JOINED IN THE CELEBRATION

IN THE LATE 1990S, SEVERAL FACULTY MEMBERS at the Hubbard School felt

journalism students needed more “reallife” experience outside of the classroom. The School reached out to the Pioneer Press to discuss a partnership. In the fall of 1999, the two entities launched a fieldbased practicum that placed six students at the newspaper for a semester. The students met weekly at the newspaper with instructor Gayle Golden, and also worked up to eight hours a week with the newspaper’s editors, getting paid to write stories and earn professional bylines. What began as an experiment has now completed its 20th successful year. The class has run every fall since 1999, with anywhere from 13 to 20 students participating each semester. That’s more than 300 students writing thousands of stories over two decades. While the class originally started at the Pioneer Press, over the years Golden has added Minnesota Public Radio, APM Reports, KARE 11, and TPT online publications as well. The course is a huge jumping-off point for many journalism students, giving them a step up in building their portfolio and making connections in the local industry.

of inaugurating the first female president of the University of Minnesota. President Joan Gabel was inaugurated on Sept. 20, 2019, at McNamara Alumni Center before proceeding down the Scholars Walk and speaking on the steps of Northrop Hall. Guests feasted on a lunch of chili, corn and Minnesota-grown apples. “Together we will build spaces of discovery, standing as a beacon of inclusion, preparing students for lives well lived, and driving Minnesota forward. And as we serve our state, we will help change the world,” she says.

Students working at the Pioneer Press in 2012.

SCHOLARSHIP NEWS ON NOV. 14, 2020, THE HUBBARD SCHOOL LAUNCHED its Give to the Max Day campaign for the Rachel Chazin Memorial Scholarship. Within 24 hours, and

with the help of 45 supporters, the scholarship raised nearly $3,500. By the end of January 2020, nearly 70 supporters had contributed almost $6,000 to the scholarship, plus it earned a $500 bonus from the University of Minnesota Foundation for having a donor that lives farther away (Australia) than any other donor. The Hubbard School plans to match these funds as well. A 2013 graduate, Rachel You can support was clever and witty, finding humor in everyday moments. the fund at When she passed away in June z.umn.edu/ 2018, all who knew her were rachelchazin deeply saddened. In order to 2

MURPHY REPORTER ❙ Winter 2020

honor her memory, the School, along with Rachel’s family, created the scholarship to provide support for undergraduate students in the College of Liberal Arts and the Hubbard School interested in pursuing a career in social media and/or digital journalism. Scholarship support can give a student a boost when they need it the most, and we know this is something Rachel would have embraced. In addition to the Chazin fund, new funds are being established in the School to honor Professor Kathy Hansen’s interest in education abroad and Chris Ison's support of student practicum experiences (see pages 6 and 10 for more on these two faculty members). For information about philanthropic opportunities, contact Natalie Bigley at nbigley@umn.edu.

AROUND MURPHY HALL

THE CHARNLEY LEGACY

The late Hubbard School professor’s fund provides students with real-world experiences. BY COURTENAY PARKER MITCH CHARNLEY DEDICATED HIS

life to furthering the education of those around him. In his career, Charnley worked for the Honolulu Star Bulletin, Detroit News, and The American Boy, among others. Charnley joined the University of Minnesota as an assistant professor in journalism in 1934, and by the time he retired in 1966 his name was already a symbol of excellence and ingenuity in the journalism field. His students included Eric Sevareid and Harry Reasoner, and he wrote a number of textbooks, including Reporting and News by Radio. He received the Distinguished Achievement Award from the Radio-TV News Directors Association in 1963, and in 1968 he was awarded Sigma Delta Chi’s Distinguished Teaching in Journalism Award. On Feb. 16, 1991, Charnley passed away, leaving behind a legacy that lives on through the Mitchell V. Charnley Alumni Professorship in Journalism, which provides students in the Hubbard School with a chance to be partnered with faculty in a real-world situation that breaks away from a lecture-based class and instead offers an in-depth, hands-on experience. The fund was used in Fall 2018 to launch the Charnley Project course. The course brought together strategic communication and journalism students to investigate and collect data on political ad spending. The students then published two articles about their findings in MinnPost. This past fall, students tackled a new topic: public opinion in the state of Minnesota.

In 2018, Assistant Professor Christopher Terry and Teaching Professor Chris Ison co-taught the class. “Chris Terry has expertise in analyzing campaign advertising spending, and last year was the first year that you could really track as much of the advertising spending in real time,” Ison said. “That gave us an opportunity to do something that had never been done in this state.” During the Fall 2019 semester, Ison co-taught the Charnley Project course with Assistant Professor Benjamin Toff. The two classes— Communication, Public Opinion, and Social Media taught by Toff, and In-Depth Reporting taught by Ison—had 66 students working to evaluate public opinion in Minnesota. Toff’s class was responsible for creating and sending out surveys that had oversampled immigrant families and young people, while Ison’s students took the survey information and further investigated and reported on the responses. The stories were published in the Minnesota Daily, MinnPost and an immigrationfocused online publication, The Sahan Journal. “If you go into political reporting you’ll end up writing stories like this, using data often with less access to the people who were involved in collecting it,” Toff said, adding that students can benefit from working side by side with another class. The Charnley Fund helped the class distribute the survey through a survey firm and encourage participation with gift card incentives. Toff’s class undertook all the analysis of the survey results themselves.

“I think Mitch Charnley saw the importance of students and faculty doing real work together, and you can’t do enough of that in four years of studying. You always want to look for ways to do more of it and some of it costs money,” Ison said. “The fact that this money is there means that more than 60 students are doing real professional work in these undergraduate classes, and that’s some of the most valuable stuff they’ll do here.”

Mitch Charnley teaching in the 1950s.

By the time he retired in 1966, Mitch Charnley's name was already a symbol of excellence and ingenuity in the journalism field.

To read more about the work the Charnley Project students completed during the Fall 2019 semester, visit hsjmc.umn.edu/ charnley-project-course If you’re interested in supporting the Mitchell V. Charnley Alumni Professorship in Journalism, please visit z.umn.edu/ CharnleyFund

HUBBARD SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION

AROUND MURPHY HALL

New study results stem from a partnership between the Hubbard School, Star Tribune and News Media Alliance. BY COURTENAY PARKER SINCE 2012, REVENUE GENERATED

from media subscriptions has grown more than 300 percent. On average, consumers spend $600 a year to get the latest dose of entertainment, sports and news. Newspapers have seen steadily declining numbers as television overtook afternoon editions, offering a speed and diversity of coverage that newspapers couldn't match. It didn’t take long for news organizations to use the internet to find a new way to share their stories. And with the internet came the 4.33 billion people surfing it. Researchers at the Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication, in partnership with the News Media Alliance and the Star Tribune, examined consumer behavior when subscribing to news and video-streaming services online and released the study results in a recent report: “Connecting the dots, digital descriptions: Media subscribers’ motivations and preferences.” “This study is important because it begins to address two important questions for media companies— how much are consumers willing to pay and how many subscriptions are they willing to have at once,” said Associate Professor Matthew Weber, the lead researcher of the study. According to the study, online news can be a little tricky when it comes to subscriptions. For instance, just because someone pays for news online does not mean they are subscribed. After the 2016 presidential election, the number of people who regularly consume news online increased, but the number of subscriptions are currently on a slow 4

MURPHY REPORTER ❙ Winter 2020

boil, with just 6 percent of consumers —versus the 16 percent who pay for news online—paying for a digital subscription. The researchers discovered that people already paying for one of the many online entertainment subscriptions like Netflix, Amazon Prime or Spotify—three services that are flourishing in the subscription department—are more willing to add another to their monthly bill. So, what do online news organizations have to watch out for? Subscription fatigue. While there is some debate as to whether subscription fatigue should be a concern, it is understandable consumers would be turned off by seeing a host of charges each month. The worry comes from consumers' basic instinct to seek out or prioritize that which is entertaining versus informative—especially because need-to-know news can be found without a subscription. Only 12 percent of respondents from the study said they would choose a news subscription over a video streaming service if they were only allowed one. What must be determined by news organizations is how much

consumers are willing to pay. Readers of the Star Tribune said they would be willing to pay $70 a month for a subscription, compared to a general subscription of news where people would only pay up to $53 a month. This willingness to spend for the Star Tribune readers is a slightly inflated value, however, since researchers found that the average person is only spending $58 a month on subscriptions. The study concluded that news organizations may strongly benefit from joining forces with other subscriptions as a bundle (for example, the Star Tribune has partnered with The Washington Post), rather than trying to pull in an audience with their content alone. This tactic can not only get smaller news organizations recognized, but will also attenuate subscription fatigue. In January 2020, “Connecting the Dots” won Association Trends’ Best Book/Manual/Catalog of the Year Award. To read the study, visit hsjmc. umn.edu/news-events/latest-news The Hubbard School researchers who contributed to this report include: Associate Professor Matthew Weber and graduate students Jonathan Anderson, Eu Gene Lee, Renee Mitson, Allison Steinke, Sarah Kay Wiley, and Hao Xu.

CHARLES FOR UNSPLASH

CONSUMERS SPENDING MORE ON ONLINE SUBSCRIPTIONS

EVENTS

RECOGNIZING A MENTOR TO MANY The Ralph D. Casey Award was presented to Lloyd Case. BY AMANDA FRETHEIM GATES IN OCTOBER, DIRECTOR ELISIA COHEN

attended the Inland Press Association’s annual meeting to present the Ralph D. Casey Award. Casey was the first director of the Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication. He was a risk-taker and a pioneer in the newspaper industry. He believed that leaders in media have an important responsibility to give their best to the community. The Ralph D. Casey Award is the Inland Press Association’s highest honor. It’s also the highest honor given by the Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication. This award goes to a publisher, editor or senior newspaper staff member who has a distinguished record of leadership and service in the newspaper industry. Cohen presented the 2019 Casey Award to Lloyd Case. For nearly 40 years, Case held an important role within Forum Communications—from his first job at Forum as a controller to CFO, VP, COO and president and CEO. When Case started at Forum in 1982, the company only owned two newspapers. Today it houses more than 50 brands across North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin, including daily and community newspapers, TV and radio stations and commercial printing operations. Much of that growth can be attributed to the relationships and connections Case built over the years. Forum Communications is a family owned and operated business that is well respected around the country, much to the credit of the Forum’s owners, the Marcil family, and Case. Bill Marcil Sr. has said he is proud of the relationship he

has had with Case for the last 40 allowed newsrooms to be greater years. He calls Case an outstanding than their individual parts, resulting member of the Fargo-Moorhead in award-winning journalism and a community and says that Case has more stable business.” represented the Case’s industry with great leadership distinction. was focused Connections inward at Forum Lloyd Case knew that and relationships as well. He those who were closest are crucial when you flipped burgers manage more than at employee to the readers or the 1,500 employees lunches. He target market were the across several listened to states. It would be employee ones who could offer easier to make decifeedback. And up effective ideas and sions and demand he created change from behind opportunities for solutions. a desk, but that’s employees to not how Case grow as leaders operates. themselves. During his tenure, Case made a At Forum he started a program habit of visiting every one of Forum’s called “Forum Forward” that offers news operations. He would listen cross-training and mentoring to the feedback from those with opportunities to Forum employees, their boots on the ground. He knew cultivating the company’s next that those who were closest to the generation of leaders. Case said that readers or the target market were through this program, employees the ones who could offer up effective gain confidence to do more than one ideas and solutions. particular job within the company. It Growing a company from two also showcases important leadership newspapers to more than 50 brands qualities embodied by the mentors is quite an achievement—and themselves. holding on to that growth during For his commitment to commua recession is distinctive. It’s been nity newspapers and his reputation said that Case didn’t look at the with his employees, Case was an recession as a challenge—but as honorable recipient of the 2019 an opportunity. Case believes that Casey Award. owning newspapers starts with public trust, and that losing commuNote: At the annual meeting, the nity newspapers is a tragedy. Inland Press Association and the Matt McMillan, CEO of Press Southern Newspaper Publishers Publications in Minnesota, touts Association merged to become one Case’s leadership in strengthening association, America’s Newspapers. many local newspapers. “Lloyd helped build a few newsrooms into dozens of Midwest newspapers,” McMillan said. “This clustering HUBBARD SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION

GOOD COMES FROMGOOD Chris Ison

AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH SEMESTER, the students

in Chris Ison’s news reporting class take out a piece of paper and start a list of “Rules for Good Reporting.” Rule No. 1: In journalism there’s no such thing as writer’s block because, Rule No. 2: Good writing comes from good reporting. The class adds to this list over the course of the semester and it usually ends up being 20 items long. Many students claim to hold on to these rules as they venture out in the world after graduation. Jenna Ross (B.A. ’14) is currently the arts and culture reporter at the Star Tribune, and Ison was her instructor for two classes during her time at the Hubbard School. “He taught us how to ask tough questions, how to write a BY AMANDA FRETHEIM tight lede, how to source a tricky GATES story,” she said, referencing the “Rules.” “‘One-source stories suck,’ he’d tell us. ‘Two-source stories do, too.’ When I’m writing, I hear his voice in my head. Then I pick up the phone to make another call.” To this day, that particular “rule” is memorialized on the bulletin board at the Minnesota Daily office. Ison has been teaching in the Hubbard School since the early 1990s. He taught Public Affairs Reporting as an adjunct instructor until 2004, when he took a leave of absence from the Star Tribune to work in Murphy Hall full time. “I assumed I’d do it for a year and go back,” he said. Instead, Ison stayed for 16 years, taking on roles like speaker and trainer on journalism ethics, the Director of

steps back,

but his lessons

live on.

“Ethics and accuracy and fairness are still important, even if you’re tweeting. We can be too quick to lose track of that.”

MURPHY REPORTER ❙ Winter 2020

PATRICK O'LEARY

WRITING REPORTING

HUBBARD SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION

Undergraduate Studies, advisor to the Society of Professional Journalists student group, and the driving force behind the Star Tribune practicum course. Last fall he decided to retire from full-time teaching as of May 2020.

THE STUDENT

Ison grew up in Crandon, Wis., and started his college career at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. He transferred to the Twin Cities campus because he knew it was one of the best journalism schools in the country. He took his time finishing—“I got my four-year degree and it was the best eight years of my life.”—because it was cheaper to take fewer classes while he worked different jobs to help pay the bills. He spent most of his time in the basement of Murphy Hall working at the Minnesota Daily, putting out a paper five days a week. “We always say the Daily was the best job we ever had. The Daily is where we learned to be journalists. We learned together and made mistakes together,” he said. “It was a messy, loud, intense, fun place where we made lifelong friendships.” Ison credits the Daily’s location in Murphy Hall as an added benefit. He and his fellow student journalists could bounce ideas off the faculty at any time. For example, Jean Ward was on the board of publications that oversaw the Daily; Ison credits her fierce support of the news staff and her wise counsel during difficult times when he was editor. “I could also walk across the hall and ask Don Gillmor whether we were about to libel someone with our story,” he said. “Arnold Ismach would walk into the newsroom and say, “Ison, I just read your story. What’s the difference between the car being destroyed and totally destroyed?” How many of these nuggets of wisdom ended up on today’s “Rules for Good Reporting?” Probably a lot.

THE JOURNALIST

After graduating in 1983, Ison headed back to Duluth to cover law enforcement, the courts and City Hall in Superior, Wis., for the Duluth News Tribune. A year later he got the gig covering Duluth City Hall and state politics, driving to St. Paul to cover the Legislature. After three years, it was time to move to a bigger paper. He thought he would end up in Milwaukee, but then the Star Tribune made a competitive move and opened up a new St. Paul bureau, hiring seven new reporters. The paper hired Ison to cover St. Paul City Hall. It was here where Ison reported on the biggest story of his career. Ison and his colleague Lou Kilzer spent a year reporting on and then, in October 1989, publishing a series of stories on arson and links between the St. Paul Fire 8

MURPHY REPORTER ❙ Winter 2020

Department and profits from arsons and suspicious fires. This series won the two reporters the 1990 Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting. Much of his reporting over the years has taken home various national and state awards, including awards from Investigative Reporters and Editors, the National Press Club and the Associated Press.

THE TEACHER

“I learn a lot from the students. It seems like most of the students I teach are smarter than I ever was.”

If you walk by one of Ison’s classrooms on any given day, you’ll hear laughter. His dry wit, sarcasm and self-deprecating humor hit all the right notes with the budding journalists he teaches. It’s his enjoyment and respect for the students that made him start teaching in the first place, and it’s what’s kept him in Murphy Hall for so long. “I learn a lot from the students,” he said. “It seems most of the students I teach are smarter than I ever was. I try to treat them like colleagues. I want them to treat me like they would treat me in the newsroom where people get respect based on their work, not by their title.” His success with the students, his exceptional credentials and his character are what made hiring him full-time back in 2004 such an easy faculty decision, said former director Al Tims. Ison played a central role in the redesign of the undergraduate curriculum and strengthening the program’s relationship to the professional journalism community. “Beyond that, he served as an indispensable bridge between the school and the Minnesota Daily, served on the board of directors for the National Scholastic Press Association, and excelled as an adviser and mentor to aspiring journalists,” said Tims. “The bottom line is that Chris authentically cared about students and they knew it. He is among the finest educators and faculty colleagues I’ve ever known.” The 2000s has been an interesting and challenging time to teach journalism—from the birth of social media and the growth of online publishing and a 24-hour news cycle to the closure of newsrooms across the country that brought on displacements and layoffs, and the fight for the Fourth Estate against an antagonizing administration. The industry is completely different than when Ison worked in Duluth in the early ’80s. He recognizes that he might’ve had it a little easier than students and new journalists do today. “You have to be well-rounded—take photos, shoot video, understand SEO, be a savvy social media user,” he said. “But, ethics and accuracy and fairness are still important, even if you’re tweeting. We can be too quick to lose track of that. Walk into any newsroom, and most

of the stuff that we care about is based on good reporters getting people to talk to them, digging up records, unearthing difficult truths, and writing it in a way that people pay attention. The platform doesn’t matter if you don’t have anything to say.” Staying current, while also staying positive about the industry, is something all journalism instructors have to embrace. Ison manages to drive home the fundamentals, while keeping things fun for his students. “I learned in the newsroom that reporting is really hard work and it’s important work. So, you better have some fun while you’re doing it,” he said. “Our students here are working their tails off and if they can’t have fun, they’re not going to keep doing it. And we need them. Journalists are really important to democracy. I think my students know I really believe that.”

Above: One of Ison’s “Rules for Good Reporting” hangs on the wall of the Minnesota Daily. Right: Ison was the editor of the Minnesota Daily, a job he calls messy, loud, intense and fun.

Andy Donohue (B.A. ’00), who works as managing editor at Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting, was a student in Ison’s public affairs reporting class in the late 1990s, as well as on staff at the Daily. “Chris Ison was always brutally honest about the ups and downs of being an investigative reporter. One day you’re on the top of the world. The next in the depths of despair,” said Donohue. “Even with that sometimes frightening transparency, he somehow made the job sound like the greatest thing you could ever make your life’s work. He’s inspired a whole generation to go out and ride those highs and lows, all with one goal in mind: trying to uncover the secrets that powerful people want hidden.” Of course, teaching at a university is a multifaceted, busy position. You not only have to support the students, you have to support the curriculum and the faculty as a whole. Ison credits the Hubbard School and its faculty for understanding that the diversity of experiences each member brings is crucial for student success. “I’ve felt really lucky,” he said. “I’ve always been treated as an equal amongst all my colleagues.” Jane Kirtley, professor and director of the Silha Center for the Study of Media Ethics and Law, has worked with Ison for two decades. Together they wrote the book, Media Ethics Today: Issues, Analysis, Solutions. Kirtley likens Ison to Lou Grant, the fictitious news director played by Ed Asner in the Mary Tyler Moore Show. “He’s hard-working, meticulous, absolutely committed to preserving a free press, devoted to training our students to uphold the highest journalistic and ethical standards, doesn’t suffer fools gladly but has a heart of gold,” Kirtley said. “No one can or will replace Chris.” You’ll still find Ison’s heart of gold in the halls of Murphy next year (he’ll be an adjunct), just not sitting in the second-floor office he’s occupied for so long. You might also find him fly fishing in a Wisconsin stream, at the golf course, or slalom waterskiing at the lake. After four decades in journalism, he deserves to kick back a little and, perhaps, develop a new set of rules—those for a good retirement.

HUBBARD SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION

DOING

MURPHY REPORTER ❙ Winter 2020

WHAT’S BEST FOR

STUDENTS Kathy Hansen retires after four decades of putting students first.

WHEN KATHY HANSEN WAS A GIRL, SHE WANTED TO BE AN ASTRONAUT. It was the height of the

PATRICK O'LEARY

space program, and astronauts were exploring from the Earth to the moon on a regular basis. But you can’t be what you can’t see; there were no female astronauts making those trips. As a first-generation college student in her Wisconsin family, the only profession Hansen saw females perform in her small circle was as a librarian. After getting a B.A. in English at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, BY AMANDA FRETHEIM GATES Hansen went on to get her master’s in both English and library science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Even with her NASA dreams in the rearview mirror, Hansen’s desire to explore and innovate never wavered. For 40 years she pushed educational and technological boundaries to the great benefit of the Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication, as well as journalism and communications students and professionals across the country. Over the years, Hansen was recognized by her peers, her superiors and the industry again and again. She earned the John Tate Advising Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Advising, the Pioneer Award for Outstanding Contributions to High School Journalism Programs and Publications, the Special Libraries Association David Rhydwen Award for Outstanding

HUBBARD SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION

Contributions to News Librarianship, and the Society of Professional Journalists President’s Award. People don’t use the word ‘legacy’ lightly, but after Hansen announced her retirement as of December 2019, her students and colleagues used ‘legacy’ without hesitation to describe her contributions to the School.

FORESEEING THE FUTURE

While completing her master’s degrees, Hansen took a job as a librarian in the medical library at Madison, working the undesirable 2 p.m. to midnight shift. Not only did she dislike walking home in the middle of the night, but “it was terrifying that the information the med students were asking me to find were matters of life or death,” she said. She found a less-intense position running the journalism library instead, where she did all the ordering and cataloging and became the head librarian in a short time. Across the border at the University of Minnesota’s journalism school, Professor Jean Ward recognized that future journalists and communications professionals would need to learn how to gather information in sophisticated ways. In 1980, Ward encouraged the School to hire an expert in library and information science who could help develop a new course that focused on information gathering and journalism. Hansen got the job. Ward and Hansen worked together creating a course, Jour 3004: Information for Mass Communication. What they soon discovered was there was nothing like it in the country. “We needed a book, so we wrote a book,” said Hansen, about Search Strategies in Mass Communication. “I did not foresee that [the course and the book] would serve as a model for a new curricular area in journalism schools around the United States.” Together the two broke ground experimenting with and creating computer-assisted exercises on search strategy for the students in the class. Over the years the exercises evolved for every type of computer—mainframes, floppy disk, the beginning of the web, then the web. “It all started because we couldn’t send 150 students to the library at one time,” Hansen said. “We created the simulations out of necessity. But the students loved it.” For the next four decades, and for thousands of students, Hansen updated the course to stay ahead of the times. In the era of Google, she had to challenge her students to gather and verify information in many different ways. Information for Mass Communication is notorious for being tough, but students come out the other side with a deeper appreciation for the craft. “One of the things that’s really struck me over the years, no matter what generation we’re talking about, is if 12

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you treat students with respect and assume they want to learn, most of them do. I’m up there doing my best, and I’m going to assume you are too,” Hansen said.

ADVISING & MENTORING

Hansen firmly believed that every action she took, and every decision the School made, should be with the students’ best interest in mind. And that starts at day one. A student can’t become a Hubbard School major without taking Jour 1001: Media in a Changing World, a course that has her fingerprints all over it. It was Hansen who insisted that because the course was a recruitment tool for the School, it should be taught by full-time faculty. The course is also students’ first peek at the career possibilities for majors, a video project spearheaded by Hansen as well. Hansen also reconfigured how honors students were serviced by the School, offering them a direct pipeline into the program during their freshman year, and more than doubling the students in the honors program. During stints as both the director of the Minnesota Journalism Center and Director of Undergraduate Studies, she increased the opportunities for students to connect with industry professionals. “It’s really the work she does with and for students that will be her lasting legacy,” said Nora Paul, retired Hubbard School assistant professor and Hansen’s co-author on several publications, including the updated digital text for Jour 3004. “For all her excellence as a researcher and the influence she had in the industry regarding information quality and access in the production of news, she is a teacher. The programs and curriculum at the Hubbard School reflect her care and attention to the needs of students interested in preparing for a career in journalism or mass communication.”

Hansen as director of the Minnesota Journalism Center.

Hansen firmly believed that every action she took, and every decision the School made, should be with the students’ best interest in mind.

While Hansen’s work has primarily been with undergraduates, many graduate students credit her for their success as well. Several current faculty members, like Regina McCombs, Ruth DeFoster, and Betsy Anderson, had Hansen as a mentor and an advisor when they tackled advanced degrees while working professionally or raising families at the same time. Debra Kelley, a former adjunct instructor and Ph.D. graduate, had Hansen as her dissertation advisor. Kelley said she owes Hansen for her successful completion of her doctorate. “She shepherded me through the proposal phase to completion of my dissertation and oral defense. She helped me pick up the pieces and re-shape the direction of my doctorate research and she kept me on track and always gave me the feedback I needed to keep moving forward,” Kelley said. “The legacy Professor Hansen will leave on our department when she retires is immense,” Kelley continued. “The thousands of students who have been touched by her hard work in the department and those who were lucky to have her as their teacher are better practitioners and more confident people because of her.”

LEADING THE WAY

In 1997, Hansen became the director of the Minnesota Journalism Center (MJC). Her goal was to reintroduce the School to the professional community. She worked to partner with journalism training organizations such as Poynter, the Associated Press, the National Television Academy and

Hansen with her colleague and co-author Nora Paul.

more, to offer training opportunities to professionals, both locally and nationally. “There was a desperate need for training in the professional community,” Hansen said. “I always thought of that as my duty as a teacher, and I saw them as another group of students.” Hansen was instrumental in creating a one-of-a-kind partnership with the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis to offer the Supply, Demand and Deadlines workshop on economic literacy that brought in participants from media organizations from around the country. It was during her time as director that the U.S. State Department asked the MJC to host the inaugural class of Edward R. Murrow Journalism Fellows from around the world. The MJC’s model was then used by other schools around the country. The Murrow program continued to partner with the MJC for many years. Hansen also led the MJC to connect with and support high school and college students and advisors by partnering with the Associated Collegiate Press Association and the National Scholastic Press Association. “My 14-year stint directing the Minnesota Journalism Center was one of the highlights of my career at the Hubbard School,” Hansen said. “I deeply value the connections I made with members of the professional journalism communities nationally and locally.” In 2010, Hansen agreed to become Director of Undergraduate Studies, a position she held through the 2015 academic year. This role gave Hansen the chance to bring her knack for reinvention to the undergraduate curriculum as a whole. “I said I would only take on the position if they let me blow things up,” she said. “We brought in everyone —professionals, adjuncts and faculty—and after months of work, we came up with a different curriculum.” Hansen’s institutional knowledge and community connections are irreplaceable. And her dedication to student success will remain aspirational to faculty members for years to come. “I don’t think there is anyone in my time here that has given more to this school than Kathy. I can say that as her former student, current colleague and her mentee,” said Chris Ison, who has known Hansen for 40 years. “Her fingerprints are on so much of how Murphy Hall was built over the last 40 years. The curriculum we have now have evolved from decades of her work. She has been my go-to person when I’ve had questions as the Director of Undergraduate Studies, and she always had an answer that was much easier than I could imagine. It would be hard to find someone who cares about this place as much as she does.” HUBBARD SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION

SILHA

34TH ANNUAL SILHA LECTURE The keynote tackled public and media access to court proceedings and records.

DURING THE 34TH ANNUAL SILHA LECTURE, held on Oct.

28, 2019, attorney Kelli L. Sager contended that the press has “a critical role to play in the judicial system. [W]e’re in an era now where technology has made it possible for the public to have more and more information about what’s going on in our courts. Yet there’s a growing concern that things have been going in the opposite direction.” During her lecture, titled “In Defense of Public Trials: Access To Court Proceedings in the Internet Age,” Sager, a partner at Davis Wright Tremaine LLC in Los Angeles, Calif., discussed the importance of the public and the press having access to court proceedings and records, as well as her experiences in representing the media in the access issues that arose during the O.J. Simpson criminal trial 25 years ago. Sager, who represents media and entertainment companies, as well as journalists, broadcasters, filmmakers, newspapers, web publishers and authors, discussed 14

MURPHY REPORTER ❙ Winter 2020

her role in the Simpson trial, which stemmed from the murders of Simpson’s ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman. After Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Lance Ito, who presided over the case, placed restrictions on television and still cameras in the courtroom, Sager argued for allowing the televising of all court proceedings. According to a Nov. 4, 1994 Variety article, Sager contended that the “[r]emoval of the camera will only punish, if anyone is being punished, the public, and they have done nothing to deserve it.” Ito summarily allowed cameras in the courtroom. Sager explained that the Simpson trial provides a “good backdrop” for discussing access to courtrooms because it raised questions related to access to records, proceedings and being “inside the courtroom.” She said, “[A] double-murder case was actually one of the most important First Amendment cases of that era. It led to a discussion about pretty much every aspect of

PHOTOS BY BILL KELLEY

BY SCOTT MEMMEL

SILHA

the public’s and press’ right of access to court records, to court proceedings, to visually see what was going on in the courtroom. And it will be remembered, I think, as much for those issues as it will be for the criminal issues.” Sager turned to the history of access to courtrooms, explaining that the English tradition since before the Norman conquest more than 1,000 years ago was to have open courtrooms, a tradition that carried over into the colonies where the “courts were public.” Sager explained that the framers of the U.S. Constitution enshrined this value into the Sixth Amendment, which provides for defendants to have “a speedy and public trial,” often referred to as a defendant’s right to a “fair trial.” Sager quoted Press Enterprise I, in which Chief Justice Warren E. Burger wrote, “The value of openness lies in the fact that people not actually attending trials can have confidence that standards of fairness are being observed; the sure knowledge that anyone is free to attend gives assurance that established procedures are being followed and that deviations will become known.” Chief Justice Burger added, “Openness thus enhances both the basic fairness of the criminal trial and the appearance of fairness so essential to public confidence in the system.” Sager also emphasized the importance of public trials in the current political climate. “When you look around at what’s going on in courts today, in a political environment that is sharply divided, to say the least, the courts are where people are going to look for fairness and impartiality; it’s where important decisions are being made that will affect all of us,” she said. “And if the public doesn’t trust the process or believe in the integrity of the result, then what the courts are doing is going to be meaningless. And if you don’t know what’s going on behind closed doors, if the courts are not doing this openly, then you’re not going to trust the process or the decisions that come out of it.” Sager argued that closing courtrooms would, rather than stopping the media from covering a trial, “reduce the availability of accurate information about what’s going on. So all they do is cause the media to turn to perhaps less accurate sources of information or people who are leaking things to the press.” Finally, Sager addressed the ongoing debate around allowing cameras in courtrooms. She explained that states have largely adopted their own rules, especially

following Chandler v. Florida, 449 U.S. 560 (1981), in which the Supreme Court held that there was no inherent problem with cameras in courtrooms. The Court also found that states could allow such access so long as proper procedures were in place, according to Sager. She also described how different federal courts have adopted or refused to adopt policies allowing cameras in courtrooms. Sager contended that although the courts have not ruled that there is a First Amendment right to have cameras in courtrooms, to the best of her knowledge, no case had ever been overturned on appeal due to cameras being in the courtroom. She further argued that such access is especially important after the Simpson trial led states to limit the use of cameras in courtrooms. Sager concluded, “In all of these issues, when you’re talking about letting people observe what actually happens, then the only way to do that accurately and completely is if you have a camera in the courtroom that’s showing people what actually happens.” During a Q&A session moderated by Silha Center Director and Silha Professor of Media Ethics and Law Jane Kirtley, Sager added, “If people see what’s going on, I think the respect for what the courts do and the outcomes is going to be so much more than it is when you just hear about a result.. . . I think the more information about what the courts are doing, the better.”

Above: Kelli Sager speaks to the crowd. Opposite page: Hennepin County Judge Kathryn Quaintance asks a question.

A link to a video of the lecture is available on the Silha Center website at silha.umn.edu. Silha Center activities, including the annual lecture, are made possible by a generous endowment from the late Otto and Helen Silha. HUBBARD SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION

EVENTS

LEADING THROUGH RESEARCH

Last fall, three faculty members gathered experts from around the world for research.

A group of journalism historians gathered on Sept. 6–7, 2019, at Murphy Hall to share research exploring the impact of the press during the rise of Jim Crow rule in the South at the turn of the 20th century. Participants in the symposium, led by Assistant Professor Sid Bedingfield, presented evidence documenting the active role of white editors and publishers in restoring white supremacy and building the discriminatory and exploitive political economies that emerged after the collapse of Reconstruction in the South. They also highlighted dissenting voices who used African American newspapers to resist these new regimes. “This research engages in a growing effort among historians to reconsider the role of journalism and mass media during times of political, cultural and economic change,” said Bedingfield. “Historians have relied on mass media as sources of information about political change, but this research treats journalists and publishers as significant political actors who helped create that change.” Beginning with C. Vann Woodward’s Origins of the New South in 1951, historians have noted how southern editors used their news pages to mythologize the rise of a modern and industrializing “New South” after Reconstruction. What has not received attention, however, is the political role

JOURNALISM & JIM CROW: A JOURNALISM HISTORY SYMPOSIUM

Participants in the symposium presented evidence documenting the active role of white editors and publishers in restoring white supremacy and building the discriminatory and exploitive political economies that emerged after the collapse of Reconstruction in the South.

MURPHY REPORTER ❙ Winter 2020

EVENTS

white journalists played in establishing the Jim Crow regimes that would dominate southern life deep into the 20th century. Working closely with political and business allies, southern editors such as Henry W. Grady in Georgia, Josephus Daniels in North Carolina, and Francis W. Dawson in South Carolina used their newspapers to unite white publics in support of disfranchisement, segregation, economic exploitation and punitive penal systems. Many of these white journalists served as political leaders themselves, as members of municipal, state and federal government and as delegates to the constitutional conventions that codified the Jim Crow political system. Black journalists and leaders in and beyond the South challenged and resisted these figures, events and ideologies. Ida B. Wells-Barnett, T. Thomas Fortune, Mary Church Terrell, W. E. B. Du Bois, Alexander Manly, Frederick Douglass, and many others investigated and agitated against the role white newspaper publishers and editors played in constituting white supremacy across the South. The symposium considered how this largely separate and networked black public sphere worked to challenge these Jim Crow political and economic regimes as they were being constructed and afterward. The symposium brought leading experts in the field to Minnesota to share original research that will appear in “Journalism & Jim Crow: The Making of White Supremacy in the New South,” a book now under contract with the University of Illinois Press. One peer-review of the book project called it “a substantial—and highly original—contribution to scholarship on the origins and development of Jim Crow and the rich historiography of the New South.”

Sid Bedingfield

HUBBARD SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION

EVENTS

The 2019 WTG Knowledge Networks and the Public Policymaking Process Workshop took place on Sept. 27-28, 2019, at the University of Minnesota. The intensive research workshop, led by Associate Professor Matthew Weber, brought together a group of leading experts and practitioners from the fields of communication, education, anthropology, psychology, health and information to critically assess the current state of social network analysis theory and methods regarding knowledge brokerage and identify critical conceptual and methodological gaps, and to collaborate on producing a fully developed conception and robust methodology for studying knowledge brokerage as related to improving policy and practice. The workshop invited nearly 25 scholars from around the country to

WTG KNOWLEDGE NETWORKS AND THE PUBLIC POLICYMAKING PROCESS WORKSHOP

Matthew Weber

The workshop invited 25 scholars from the fields of communication, education, anthropology, psychology, health and information to share their research and ideas.

share their research and ideas. The specific objectives of the workshop were to discuss and formulate clear operational definitions or typologies of knowledge brokerage in the context of evidence-based policymaking; compare, assess and delineate social network approaches to knowledge brokerage in order to explain and predict use of evidence by individual practitioners, groups of practitioners, and organizations; devise strategies for implementing social network analysis to collect, map and disseminate tools, interventions and organizational protocols that can be used to better understand brokering of research evidence; and propose key research design and measurement considerations using social network analysis to guide rigorous, theory-informed evaluations of knowledge brokerage.

MURPHY REPORTER â?&#x2122; Winter 2020

EVENTS

The Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication hosted the Computational Advertising Research Thought Leadership Forum (TLF) on Oct. 18-20, 2019, at the University of Minnesota. The first of its kind in the advertising field, this event was developed and organized by Dr. Jisu Huh, professor and Raymond O. Mithun Chair in Advertising, in order to examine important and timely issues in data-driven advertising and to advance the emerging field of computational advertising research. With the goal of setting new research agenda, innovating methodological approaches, examining ethical and legal issues, and expanding the application of the computational research approach to advertising practice and scholarship, this TLF brought together prominent senior scholars, industry thought leaders, and active junior scholars across the advertising, communication, marketing, computer science, law and information and decision science fields. Twenty-five carefully selected scholars from across the U.S. and Europe engaged in an intensive two-day paper hackathon examining the broad landscape of computational advertising and surrounding macro issues, ad content-related issues, ad-delivery and media issues, and advertising effects and outcome assessment issues. Five thought-leading research papers developed from this TLF will be published in the Journal of Advertising Special Section â&#x20AC;&#x153;Advances in Computational Advertising,â&#x20AC;? co-edited by Huh (University of Minnesota) and Ed Malthouse (Northwestern University).

COMPUTATIONAL ADVERTISING RESEARCH THOUGHT LEADERSHIP FORUM (TLF)

The event was developed and organized in order to examine important and timely issues in datadriven advertising and to advance the emerging field of computational advertising research.

Jisu Huh

HUBBARD SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION

ALUMS

THE POWER OF MENTORING

With the Alumni Mentor Program nearing its 40th year, catch up with one of the program’s most successful pairings. INTERVIEW BY RIHAM FESHIR (B.A. ’08) WHEN THE HUBBARD SCHOOL OF

Journalism and Mass Communication alum Mukhtar Ibrahim saw his first byline next to MPR News’ Laura Yuen’s, he couldn’t believe it. But it was exactly what he had hoped for when he signed up to participate in the mentorship program back in 2009. Not only did Yuen inspire Ibrahim, but she gave him a chance to report alongside her on some of the most important stories in the community. Read on to learn about how this duo’s mentorship experience evolved and blossomed into a decade-long working relationship.

WHY DID YOU ASK TO BE PAIRED WITH LAURA YUEN WHEN YOU APPLIED FOR THE MENTOR PROGRAM AS A JOURNALISM STUDENT? MUKHTAR IBRAHIM (B.A. ’11): When I declared journalism as a major in my junior year in 2009, I had no idea where to begin. I just had a fascination with news and current events. At the time I was pre-med and was closely following the al-Shabaab cases. Laura Yuen was one of the reporters covering those cases and the Muslim community. Laura’s coverage was stunning. Her radio stories had a distinctive style. The people she interviewed in her stories sounded like me. I could hear the voices of people praying in the mosque. Mothers speaking in Somali, young people in perfect English. I was amazed by her work. It wasn’t your typical coverage where you interview someone and then come back to the newsroom and write a story. Laura went beyond that. She established deep trust and connections in the Somali 20

MURPHY REPORTER ❙ Winter 2020

community, sometimes meeting her sources at their homes and coffee shops in the evening. And that’s why her coverage was different, and the reason I asked to be paired with Laura when I filled out my mentorship application. It was one of the best decisions I have made.

WHAT WAS THE MOST REWARDING PART OF YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A MENTOR TO MUKHTAR? LAURA YUEN: It’s hard to name just

one thing. Seeing Mukhtar grow from a cub reporter to an accomplished journalist and finally to the founding executive director of his own publication [Sahan Journal] has been hugely rewarding. I know he would have succeeded without me because he always had the passion and the vision. But I’ve been along for the ride at just about every turn of his career, and it’s been exhilarating even to bear witness to his growth.

WHAT WAS THE MOST VALUABLE PART OF THE EXPERIENCE THAT HELPED YOU ADVANCE YOUR CAREER GOALS? IBRAHIM: Although I was her mentee, Laura never treated me as such. I think she always viewed me as a reporter who can do the work. She believed in me when I had doubts whether I made the right decision by switching from pre-med to journalism. I remember one evening I notified Laura about a shooting in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. It was a chilly evening, but Laura decided to come anyway. She told me to ask some questions to witnesses. When she wrote the story, she gave me a byline. I could not believe it. I think that was my first byline, and I still remember the euphoria I felt when I

Mukhtar Ibrahim and Laura Yuen

ALUMS

If you're interested in becoming a mentor, please visit z.umn. saw my name next to Laura’s on the website of MPR News. From then on, Laura has been an amazing mentor, colleague and friend. I don’t think I would be where I am today without her encouragement, mentorship and support.

WHAT MAKES A MENTOR-MENTEE EXPERIENCE A SUCCESS? YUEN: Lots of coffee? When Mukhtar

and I met about a decade ago, it was indeed at a coffee shop. I could tell from that first afternoon that he was going places. He read a lot of news. He also was curious. Because he was familiar with my reporting, he asked me questions like, “How did you break this story? How did you get your sources to talk?” It seemed what he needed then was just a professional journalist to pull back the curtains on what we do every day. So we met periodically over coffee, Somali tea and Ethiopian food over the course of that first year. I was happy to do that because Mukhtar was a quick learner and I knew if given a chance, he would go far as a journalist. So, what made it work? I’d say Mukhtar didn’t let me forget about him, he made the most of our time together, and he let me know what he needed.

WHAT WAS IT LIKE GOING FROM MENTOR-MENTEE TO A COLLEAGUE IN THE SAME NEWSROOM, WORKING TOGETHER ON THE SAME PROJECTS? IBRAHIM: When I joined MPR News as a staff reporter, I finally got the chance to work with Laura. We teamed up to work on the ISIS-related cases, one of my most challenging assignments to date. It was a huge and complex case dealing with several young East African men who were convicted of

YOU ARE NOW FOUNDER, attempting to edu/hsjmcalumni. EDITOR AND EXECUTIVE join ISIS. We DIRECTOR OF SAHAN worked on this JOURNAL. CAN YOU TELL US case from beginABOUT ITS MISSION? WHY YOU CREning to end for almost two years, ATED IT, AND WHERE YOU SEE IT GOING wading through court documents, IN THE FUTURE? combing through social media posts, IBRAHIM: As one of the first journalists of knocking on doors of strangers, Somali background in Minnesota to work listening to several weeks of long in traditional newsrooms, I have seen testimonies and legal arguments firsthand how news outlets underserve during the trial. That was my first time Minnesota’s immigrant and refugee comcovering a trial. It was exhausting. munities. As a reporter, I felt an immense But I had Laura, one of the best in responsibility to help colleagues find conthe industry, going through this with tacts in immigrant communities, translate me. We did a stellar job, breaking interviews and pass on story ideas to exclusive news stories. Working with editors and reporters in the hopes of an experienced journalist on this boosting coverage of immigrants outside complex case challenged me and the news cycle. made me a better reporter. After the Lack of diversity and cultural comtrial ended, I told myself, “Hey, if I can petency, however, remains a challenge do this, I can do anything!” for mainstream newsrooms. That’s why I decided to launch a news webWHAT WAS IT LIKE WORKING WITH site that covers immigrant and refugee MUKHTAR ON THE ISIS REPORTING communities in Minnesota. We serve AND TRIAL? an audience that’s rapidly growing and YUEN: I thought I had a good also undercovered by traditional media pulse on the Somali community in outlets. Minnesota because of my previous reporting, but Mukhtar had deeper HOW DOES IT FEEL SEEING YOUR connections and knowledge. He FORMER MENTEE BECOME A SUChelped me think about things in CESSFUL JOURNALIST, IN CHARGE ways I wouldn’t have otherwise. OF A NEW AND INNOVATIVE ONLINE He also opened a lot of doors for NEWS PUBLICATION DEDICATED TO us, literally. I remember we went COVERING IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES door-knocking and tried to perIN MINNESOTA? suade family members of the young YUEN: It’s wild! One thing I never ISIS recruits to share with us what anticipated is how far Mukhtar would they knew. One tried to slam the re-imagine the possibilities of journalism. door on us, but he instinctively— I’ve worked in mainstream media for and gently—put up his hand to the about 20 years, doing what I can within door, pleading with her to help us the system to expand the narratives of shed light on this heartbreaking people of color, immigrants and other story. I will never forget the pride I underrepresented voices. But he is felt that day. Mukhtar is guided by creating a new model entirely. Sahan the conviction that transparency is means “pioneer.” That’s a fitting name what’s best for our community, our for his journal, and an apt description for society. People talk to him because Mukhtar, too. they sense his earnestness HUBBARD SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION

ALUMS

WHY WE GIVE: JIM AND JEN SCHWEIGERT

These two alums found education, athletics, Greek life, professional experience, and, eventually, love. Now they found another way to give back. INTERVIEW BY KATIE DOHMAN (B.A. ’03) IN THE FALL OF 1998, JIM AND JEN SCHWEIGERT were Jim

Schweigert and Jen Farrer—and they have a Gopher meetcute for the ages. Both enrolled that fall at the University, and through shared classes at the Hubbard School and Greek life—culminating in Jim co-chairing Spring Jam and Jen serving as the Greek Chair in 2002—they became a couple. They have continued to take their lessons from the Hubbard School into their professional lives—currently Jim is the President of GroAlliance and Jen owns a Snap Fitness—and in 2006 became “the Schweigerts” when they married. They’ve always rallied for the Gophers and generously given to the University, but have found a “focused way to give back,” with the Jim and Jen Schweigert Endowed Scholarship. The Schweigerts have established this scholarship to help support the next generation of Hubbard School students who achieve success in the classroom while also maintaining strong University involvement and working to pay their way through school. Schweigert Scholars will be undergraduate students enrolled in the College of Liberal Arts and able to demonstrate academic merit and financial need.

YOU BOTH HAVE A LONG HISTORY OF LOVING THE U. WHAT HOOKED YOU? JIM: I grew up an hour from Madison. Living in a small

town, I wanted a different life experience—knowing the world is certainly bigger, to have that big-city atmosphere. I fell in love with the U, a world-class city right on the front door of this incredible, beautiful campus. It was a phenomenal experience to have the nature of the campus paired with Minneapolis. I wanted to get as many life experiences as I could and take full advantage of all the opportunities school gave me. I did an internship in London and served on Hall Council for Territorial Hall and was a counselor for New Student Weekend. JEN: I grew up in St. Paul and went to Harding. I never thought I’d go to the U of M because it was close, but I got a really good financial aid package and an awesome scholarship from Harding and the U, and I thought, ‘Gosh, it would be silly to turn all of that down.’ It was nice I was close

MURPHY REPORTER ❙ Winter 2020

to home, but I immersed myself into the full college scene, getting involved and joining a sorority to build a network of friends and feel like I belonged in a big-campus atmosphere. I liked that the J-School was small and selective. I really loved the school, and the people I worked with and the opportunities. Even in high school, I felt it was important to have a well-rounded education, so I volunteered, as an admissions ambassador for the U, a peer advocate for the Aurora Center and Panhellenic president in 2001-2002.

WHEN DID THE IDEA FOR DONATING THIS MONEY COME ABOUT AND HOW? JEN: One of my good friends from high school who also went

to the U is a Carlson grad. I was talking to him a few years back, and he had set up a scholarship through Carlson. I had never thought of that before and I thought, how cool is that? Usually this comes up when you are retirement or estate planning, and so much is planning for when you are not here. I thought, wow, how cool would it be where we could start something now and see it and actualize it and it continues to grow while we’re living so we get the benefit of helping someone right now and potentially get to meet them? So it’s generous, but selfish, because we can see the benefits. We had been giving to the U quite a bit, through athletics, because they’re good about calling. And I thought, let’s be more directed in our giving and set something up so it has a purpose. We wanted to give right away, because we were in a position to do that. We both went to the J-school, so it is a nice little niche to support. It made perfect sense.

WHAT DID YOU HAVE IN MIND WHEN YOU CONCEIVED OF THE IDEA TO INCLUDE COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION AS A REQUIREMENT TO RECEIVE THE SCHOLARSHIP? JEN: It’s easy to stick in your bubble—just academics or

sports—but if you aren’t exposed to different opportunities, you’re missing out. JIM: We also really felt that there are a lot of scholarships that are all-merit, all-activity, or all-academic based, so people go after those specific scholarships, but it inadvertently becomes a one-note experience or not as well

If you're interested in supporting the Hubbard School, visit z.umn.edu/ hsjmcgive.

SCHOLARSHIP rounded. Just like in athletics, you want to have exercises that build all muscle groups—it’s the same way for the college experience. You’ll miss something and ultimately you don’t develop completely as a person. We really want to incentivize that. Cross-cultural experience is becoming more important all the time. Exposure to all diversity is good—perspectives, ideologies, how people see the world. Interacting with a diverse group of people makes you a better person and more understanding.

YOU WERE BOTH ACTIVE ACROSS LOTS OF U OPPORTUNITIES: GREEK LIFE, ATHLETICS, AND MORE. WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO FOCUS ON JOURNALISM STUDENTS? JIM: Our entire lives started there—not

only our professional lives. We were trained in verbal and written communication skills. You never lose that, and you can always take them with you. They’re phenomenal skills to have, no matter what career you go into later on. The nature of the J-school allowed our relationship to develop, working closely together in classes and tight-knit groups, pursuing the same dreams and aspirations. JEN: We hope that by doing this we can give someone else—or many people down the road—that same kind of little boost or encouragement along the way and take these life skills with them forever.

WHAT WOULD YOU TELL OTHER POTENTIAL DONORS ABOUT WHY YOU SHOULD GIVE NOW? JIM: We want to make sure someone’s

life is changed in a really positive way and that brought us to this. We’re hoping it fosters good conversations with other people: Start now because people need it now. If you can give it now, look at how much better off students are set up and the next generation of people are set up. We want to inspire other people in our age range, so they think, yeah, instead of waiting, why don’t I start something now, even if it’s small?

FACULTY NEWS Colin Agur

COLIN AGUR was awarded a Grant-

in-Aid of Research, Artistry and Scholarship for his project, “Facing the flood: Examining the resilience of mobile phone users facing natural threats in Mumbai.” Agur has also been named co-chair of the upcoming conference Technology and the Animal Spirit: a two-day exploration of smartphones and society, at Boston University in 2020.

BETSY ANDERSON, HYEJOON RIM

and Hubbard School alum Rebecca Swenson published “What happens when brands tell the truth? Exploring the effects of transparency signaling on corporate reputation for agribusiness” in the Journal of Applied Communication Research. Anderson and Swenson and Hubbard School Ph.D. alum Nathan Swenson presented the publication at the Public Relations Conference in San Diego in October 2019.

VALERIE BELAIR-GAGNON published

a thematic issue with a colleague titled “Peripheral actors in journalism: Agents of change in journalism culture and practice” in Media and Communication, which explored the role of professionals not trained in journalism and contributing to news and journalism. She also published an article examining how norms about audience analytics and metrics are developed in journalism with New Media & Society.

MATT CARLSON’s edited book

“Measurable Journalism: Digital Platforms, News Metrics and the Quantified Audience” was published by Routledge. This book is a reprint of a special journal issue that he edited for Digital Journalism, and includes a chapter by fellow Hubbard School faculty member Valerie

Belair-Gagnon. Matt also presented work at the Future of Journalism Conference in Cardiff, Wales, and at Oslo Metropolitan University.

ELISIA COHEN received the Dale

E. Brashers Distinguished Mentor Award from the Health Communication Division of the National Communication Association.

Betsy Anderson

RUTH DEFOSTER wrote a piece for

the Star Tribune this summer called “Finding purpose in America: Be decent. Be earnest. Don’t lose your capacity for shock and sorrow.”

Valerie Belair-Gagnon

GIOVANNA DELL’ORTO continued to

work on her Talle research about journalism, migration and integration. She also taught a graduate seminar on media and migration in the Americas and Europe, bringing in four media professionals remotely: Melissa Eddy, New York Times correspondent in Berlin, Germany; Perla Trevizo, former border/migration correspondent for the Arizona Daily Star (now with the Houston Chronicle); Andrea Patiño Contreras, documentary videographer with Univision, and Fatma Osman and Direb Agbaba, filmmakers with the Brussels, Belgium-based initiative for refugees Cinemaximiliaan.

Matt Carlson

Elisia Cohen

GAYLE GOLDEN presented on

“Covering Hidden Campus Communities” at the National College Media Convention in Washington, D.C., in November and spoke about similar issues related to community journalism at the Minnesota Newspaper Association meeting in January. She also serves as a member of the University Senate Disabilities Issues Committee.

Ruth DeFoster

Giovanna Dell’Orto

HUBBARD SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION

SCHOLARSHIP

FACULTY NEWS Jisu Huh

JISU HUH has been named the new

associate editor of the International Journal of Advertising and began her new role as of January 2020. She has been serving as the associate editor of the Journal of Advertising for the past six years. She also published her research on “Relationship between exposure to direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising (DTCA) and patients’ belief accessibility and medication adherence” in Health Communication.

MARK JENSON’s strategic com-

munication class presented its final project to its client, Red Wing Shoes. Red Wing Shoes had both a B2C and B2B challenge to reach the younger workforce. Each of the four student teams made dynamic 25-minute presentations of their fully integrated marketing communications plans to the clients. Red Wing Shoes invited two of the teams to come down to Red Wing and present to the marketing department in mid-January.

SHERRI JEAN KATZ was the keynote

speaker at an event, Vaping: a high school epidemic, held Oct. 3, 2019, at the Dakota County Service Area in West St. Paul. She also shared her research on teens and vaping with Congresswoman Angie Craig on Oct. 10, 2019. Her paper “High school youth and e-cigarettes: The influence of modified risk statements and flavors on e-cigarette packaging” was accepted for publication by the American Journal of Health Behavior.

JANE KIRTLEY was a speaker at the

University of Chicago Law School Legal Forum, “What’s the Harm: The Future of the First Amendment” on Oct. 25, 2019. Her presentation “The 24

MURPHY REPORTER ❙ Winter 2020

Mark Jenson

past, present and future of libel law in a time of ‘fake news’ and ‘enemies of the American people’” was part of a panel, “Regulating False Speech and the Press.” In September 2019, at the Excellence in Journalism Conference in San Antonio, SCOTT LIBIN presented CBS 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley with the Paul White Award on behalf of the Radio Television Digital News Association. The White Award is RTDNA’s highest honor. At the same convention, Libin concluded his term as chairman of RTDNA and its foundation, RTDNF.

SUSAN LORUSSO accepted the

position of Assistant Director for Curriculum and Instruction for the Hubbard School, providing support for the School’s large undergraduate programs and the significant internal work associated with schedule coordination, curriculum development, program leadership, planning and evaluation.

REBEKAH NAGLER is a co-investigator on a four-year $792,000 grant funded by the American Cancer Society. The project, led by cancer epidemiologist Dr. Rachel Vogel (Medical School), tests whether an easy-to-use wearable technology intervention will increase sun protection behaviors among melanoma survivors.

AMY O’CONNOR is doing in-depth

exploration of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on the Iron Range. The goal of the multi-year project is to understand how communities, workers and mining companies build and maintain mutually beneficial relationships. The research will focus on the symbolic

Sherri Jean Katz

Jane Kirtley

as well as actual meanings of CSR, how CSR is enacted in the everyday interactions, and the shared values, practices, behaviors, beliefs and language surrounding CSR over time in the context of northern Minnesota taconite mining.

Scott Libin

Susan LoRusso

AMELIA REIGSTAD presented at

the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Heritage Region Conference in Detroit, the IABC Pacific Plains/ Southern Region Conference in Kansas City, and as a keynote at a Minnesota Interactive Marketing Association (MIMA) event in the Twin Cities on her research on gender differences in communication styles and their influence on workplace communication and the practice of public relations. With co-authors at Ball State University, HYEJOON RIM published a paper titled, “Polarized public opinion responding to corporate social advocacy: Social network analysis of boycotters and advocators,” in Public Relations Review. The study examined a network structure emerged around boycotting and advocating for Starbucks when the company responded to President Trump’s immigration ban executive order in 2017. She also published “The role of public skepticism and distrust in the process of CSR communication” in the International Journal of Business Communication.

Rebekah Nagler

Amy O’Connor

Hyejoon Rim

Claire Segijn

CLAIRE SEGIJN received a Grant-

in-Aid of Research, Artistry, and Scholarship from the Office of the Vice Provost for her project “When realizing that Big Brother is watching you: Whether and how synced advertising literacy affects critical attitudes.”

Christopher Terry

SCHOLARSHIP

Benjamin Toff

Matthew Weber

Marco Yzer

CHRISTOPHER TERRY published

“Localism as a solution to market failure: Helping the FCC comply with the Telecommunications Act” in the Federal Communications Law Journal. He also published an editorial for the Benton Foundation, “3,500 days of the National Broadband Plan.”

BENJAMIN TOFF spent several weeks

in Iowa in July and August interviewing people about their news habits as part of an ongoing project investigating news avoidance, which was funded by a University of Minnesota Grant-in-Aid of Research, Artistry, and Scholarship from the Office of the Vice President for Research.

MATTHEW WEBER published a

report, “Connecting the Dots: Digital Subscriptions” in collaboration with doctoral and masters students Jonathan Anderson, Eugene Lee, Renee Mitson, Allison Steinke, Sarah Kay Wiley and Hao Xu. The report was published by the News Media Alliance and highlights research conducted with the Star Tribune (see page 4 for more information). He also released a study based on a data partnership with Facebook, which analyzed the state of local news on the social media platform and was covered in more than 350 newspapers. In Fall 2019 STEVE WEHRENBERG opened the 15th year of the Professional Master's in Strategic Communication program with Cohort 15. The program also reformed its capstone process and updated its curriculum.

MARCO YZER and former Ph.D. advisee Xuan Zhu, now a researcher at Mayo clinic, are researching how

The Hubbard School fielded its first-ever team for the Asian American Journalists Association’s Minnesota chapter Trivia Bowl, which raises money for scholarships. Team Gopher Broke placed solidly in the middle of the pack and was made up of (left to right) REBECCA RASSIER, SCOTT LIBIN, SARA QUINN, REGINA MCCOMBS AND GAYLE GOLDEN.

perceptions of social distance can explain when and how affirming oneself on values one prides oneself on makes people more open to accept health messages. Without such affirmation, people tend to reject health messages, because health messages induce the uncomfortable feeling that one’s health is in jeopardy or that one has made unwise health decisions. The project was accepted by Time-sharing Experiments for the Social Sciences (TESS), which is a highly competitive and peer-reviewed program that

seeks to encourage innovative experimentation research in the social sciences. The team’s award allows them to collect data for free with the prestigious Amerispeak, which is a nationally representative panel operated by NORC (non-partisan and objective research organization at the University of Chicago). TESS is funded by the National Science Foundation.

HUBBARD SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION

SCHOLARSHIP

TWELVE DISTINGUISHED FELLOWS JOIN THE FACULTY

The new class of fellows support inclusion, equity and diversity in our courses. The Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication welcomes the 2019-2020 class of distinguished adjunct fellows. All fellows are professionals working in the areas of journalism and strategic communication, and engage with students across a range of courses throughout the semester—offering expertise in areas such as ethics and radio production to beat reporting and advertising strategy. “Last year, our first group of adjunct fellows were a huge addition to our teaching staff, all offering a welcome perspective to each class with which they spent time. We couldn’t be more pleased to welcome another class of fellows for this fall,” said Director Elisia Cohen. “While we have always welcomed industry professionals as guest speakers and attendees of our events, we feel fortunate that these professionals are eager to engage with students several days throughout the semester, not only enhancing undergraduate learning opportunities in a particular course, but offering career guidance as well.” The 2019-2020 fellows, and the courses in which they’ll participate, are listed to the right. 26

MURPHY REPORTER ❙ Winter 2020

CHRISTIANE CORDERO, MORNING REPORTER, WCCO. Before WCCO,

Christiane spent five years at WVIT in Connecticut. Christiane spent a year or so dabbling with consumer stories before diving in full time, as part of the station’s first consumer advocacy team called NBC Connecticut Responds. In two years, Responds recovered more than $250,000 for viewers. Christiane works with Jour 3451: TV, Radio and Digital News Reporting, which is the introductory broadcast and digital writing and reporting course.

NITIN DUA, STRATEGIST, FALLON.

Before coming to Fallon, Nitin worked in financial software as an accounting analyst; he left to break into advertising. Since then, he’s worked at a brand consultancy where he worked on brands such as Scotch Tape, 3M Safety and General Mills, and at a start-up customer intelligence platform specifically for retailers, where he was a content strategist and copywriter. Nitin works with Jour 3253: Account Planning, which studies the role of account planning in integrated strategic communication development.

RIHAM FESHIR, REPORTER, MPR NEWS. Since joining MPR News

in 2015, Riham has dug deep into various issues important to readers and listeners of all communities across the state, including

mental health, racial inequity and police shootings. Riham works with Jour 4175: Brovald-Sim Community Journalism Practicum, which explores, through practical, hands-on experience, a journalist's role in covering diverse communities.

ELIZABETH FLORES, PHOTOJOURNALIST, STAR TRIBUNE. Liz graduated from

the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire with a degree in Spanish and a journalism minor. She worked as a photojournalist for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel for eight years before joining the Minneapolis Star Tribune, where she has worked for 14 years. Liz worked with Jour 4302: Photojournalism, which offers students the chance to practice and learn about visual storytelling, digital processing and ethical issues.

LUIS GARRIDO, SVP OF CONNECTIONS STRATEGY, MCCANN MINNEAPOLIS. For

more than 20 years in advertising at firms such as MullenLowe, Target Corporation and now at McCann, Luis has merged anthropological thinking with a deep knowledge of the technology-driven communications reality to help teams create more meaningful connections between brands and consumers. Luis worked with Jour 3004: Information for Mass Communication in the fall and Jour 4274W: Advertising in Society in the spring.

SCHOLARSHIP

MAHMOOD KHAN, SVP OF DIGITAL MEDIA & ANALYTICS, RISDALL. Mah-

mood brings a wealth of knowledge and omni-channel solutions spanning digital media, search, analytics and traditional media to his clients. He loves to train, mentor and set high standards of excellence for his teams and provide world-class solutions to clients. Mahmood works with Jour 3275: Digital Strategy in Strategic Communication, which is a skills course that focuses on integrating a variety of social networking platforms with conventional strategic communication activities.

TROY LONGIE, CREATIVE DIRECTOR FOR LONGIE LLC. Troy is an ad industry vet-

eran with 20-plus years of experience. As both creative director and writer, he’s helped build such iconic brands as Apple, Subaru, The North Face, Volvo, Sesame Street, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and the Minnesota Twins, to name a few. Troy works with Jour 3241W: Advertising Strategy and Creative Development, which is focused on giving strategic communication students the tools to understand how the creative process works to help solve business problems.

FRED MELO, REPORTER, ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS. Fred is a staff writer and

St. Paul City Hall bureau chief of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, where he has worked since 2005 covering and editing breaking news, courts, crime, local government, zoning, neighborhood, transportation and housing. Fred works

with Jour 3121: Intermediate News Reporting, which is a skills-based course designed to teach journalism students how to report and write the types of stories that are central to the basic beats in most newsrooms.

MARSHA PITTS-PHILLIPS, PRESIDENT & FOUNDER, MRPP & ASSOCIATES.

Marsha has deep public relations and journalism experience. She’s led PR at a large nonprofit, worked as a radio and television journalist, worked as an associate professor of communications, produced documentaries, and worked in corporate television. Marsha works with Jour 3279W: Professional Writing for Strategic Communication, which teaches writing skills for agency work as well as corporate and nonprofit strategic communications.

ANJULA RAZDAN, DEPUTY DIGITAL EDITOR, EXPERIENCE LIFE MAGAZINE.

Anjula is digital deputy editor with Experience Life magazine, where she also served as senior editor for health and nutrition from 2006 to 2014 before leaving for stints as vice president for content with Be Well by Dr. Frank Lipman and as senior news producer for PresentNation. She has also worked as a senior editor for the Utne Reader and as a staff writer for Southwest Journal. Anjula worked with Jour 3173W: Magazine & Feature

Writing, which focuses on writing feature articles for consumer/trade publications.

MARIA REEVE, FORMER ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR, STAR TRIBUNE.

Maria managed the local news content of more than 60 reporters and editors covering Minneapolis, St. Paul and surrounding communities. She joined the newspaper as a features team leader in 2011 and worked her way through the metro leadership ranks to her current role. She recently took a job at the Houston Chronicle. Maria worked with Jour 3771: Media Ethics, which examines the ethical and unethical ways that communicators respond to challenges.

LAURA YUEN, EDITOR FOR NEW AUDIENCES, MPR NEWS. Laura leads

a team of reporters focused on race, class and communities. She’s passionate about stories that expand the narrative of what it means to be a person of color or indigenous person in Minnesota. As a reporter, Laura investigated racial inequities ranging from high school graduation rates to traffic stops. Laura worked with Jour 3451: TV, Radio & Digital News Reporting, which offers students a chance to learn newswriting, reporting, video photography and on-air delivery.

HUBBARD SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION

SCHOLARSHIP

RIGHTING THE WRONG: NAVIGATING MISINFORMATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA Meet the Hubbard School’s newest associate professor, Emily Vraga “THE MEDIA SHAPES our

PHUONG TRAN

perceptions of the world, our behavior, our understanding, our knowledge,” said Emily Vraga, the School’s newest faculty member. Vraga received her Ph.D. from the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and taught at George Washington University and George Mason University before coming to the Hubbard School as the first associate professor under the Don and Carole Larson Professorship in Health Communication. Her recent research examines the impact that misinformation on social media has on interactions online and the best ways to navigate situations in which misinformation causes conflict or misperception.

INVESTIGATING INTERACTIONS

“What I really got passionate about quite quickly was social media and how it was changing the way we had conversations about the world, especially in politics,” she said. She was inspired to dive deeper into the effects of misinformation. “My question started becoming not just about disagreements, but about what happens when there’s misinformation on social media. How is that affecting society?” Recently, Vraga has been interested in the spread of misinformation about health issues online, such as vaccinations. “I’m especially passionate about health issues as well, because I think they have the political component; any big health issue is inherently political,” she said. Her concern with the prevalence of false information about health issues 28

MURPHY REPORTER ❙ Winter 2020

❙

on social media and its effects on the public’s understanding drove her to research methods of correcting this misinformation online. Vraga took to social media to conduct her experiments, relying on people observing fabricated, but realistic, social media feeds to gather information on how people respond to misinformation about health. “I made simulated social media feeds that are meant to look like the social media feeds you and I consume,” she said. “And within them, I embed[ed] misinformation, and I embed[ed] different types of correction strategies to see which are most effective.” Vraga showed participants a fabricated post that contained misinformation, followed by a second post that either confirmed or corrected the misinformation; she then analyzed the effect of the second post on how the reader understood the content of the first fabricated post. She tested different correction techniques, which included using expert organizations on Twitter and the “related stories” function on Facebook to deliver corrective information. The results showed that when users saw corrective information at the same time as the misinformation, misperceptions were reduced. Her research has shown that addressing misinformation on social media head-on and with factual evidence is effective in stopping its spread. “I’ve done eight studies of correction of misinformation on social media, and we found across all eight of them that it does work,” she said. “So, it is actually an effective strategy. When you see misinformation existing on social media, if there is an immediate correction that is offering facts or offering the logical flaws, that [correction] can work in shaping the attitudes of the people seeing that interaction.”

BY LAUREN BORCHART THE VALUE OF MEDIA LITERACY

Since her research focuses so heavily on the spread of false information, Vraga is a fervent advocate for media literacy, which she carries into the classroom. Vraga teaches Jour 1001: Media in a Changing World, as well as a graduate class in content analysis. In her classes, she emphasizes the value of being a thoughtful consumer of media. “I give [students] the space to think more deeply and critically about the media and the way it influences society,” she said. “It’s very hard to be a person in this world and not be impacted by media. It surrounds us; it is an integral part of our daily life. So shouldn’t we spend a little bit of time thinking critically about how media is created?” Vraga’s response to the challenge she poses is more hands-on media literacy lessons that have real-life examples. “We need more targeted news literacy campaigns that put those messages in front of people at the time they’re consuming this information,” she said. Although Vraga is critical of social media, especially when it comes to the dissemination of false facts, she still believes that it can be a positive force in society when used correctly. “I tend to be an optimist. I tend to think it has more good than bad, especially if all of us work to ensure that that’s the case,” she said. She hopes that her research will encourage society to become more conscious consumers of social media and to be responsible when coming across falsities. “You can do it, I can do it. We can all work together to correct misinformation.” Lauren Borchart is an undergraduate student within CLAgency.

LEARNING

GRADUATE STUDENT NEWS

JONATHAN ANDERSON, EU GENE LEE, and RENEE MITSON received the Dan

Wackman First-Year Graduate Student Research Award for their research paper titled “Gender expectations, enjoyment, and willingness to recommend television among males.” The Dan Wackman First-Year Graduate Student Research Award was established with generous gifts from professor emeritus Dan Wackman and others to honor a first-year graduate student or small group of graduate students who produce the best research paper for a completed first-year graduate project in Mass Communication.

SANDRA BOONE was accepted to join

the Literary & Rhetorical Studies minor in the Center for Writing at the University of Minnesota. This will complement her Strategic Communication master’s in preparation for her final capstone research on diversity and equity issues for communications, with an emphasis on responsibility for white strategic communication professionals to consider how implicit bias impact their communication planning.

CASEY CARMODY joined the Minne-

sota Data Practices Office, where he will provide informal advice to members of the public and government who have questions about Minnesota

Clara Juarez Miro

data practices. He will also complete dissertation research related to Minnesota’s information policy laws.

CLARA JUAREZ MIRO published her

book “Identity Discourses about Spain and Catalonia in News Media: Understanding Modern Secessionism,” which is based on her master’s thesis.

RENEE MITSON presented her

work at NCA’s Organizational Communication Future of Work Pre-Conference in Baltimore, Maryland. She also presented at the Organizational Communication Mini Conference in September at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

SCOTT MEMMEL’s paper titled “Blurring the lines: Impersonation of the press by law enforcement” won the Top Student Paper Award for the Communication and Law Division at National Communication Association (NCA) in Baltimore Nov. 14-17, 2019.

WEIJIA SHI had her first-author

paper “Predictors of women’s awareness of the benefits and harms of mammography screening and associations with confusion, ambivalence, and information seeking” published in Health Communication.

Eu Gene Lee

Jonathan Anderson

SCOTT MEMMEL and WEIJIA SHI are the recipients of this year’s Ralph D. Casey Dissertation Research Award, the highest honor given by the faculty for graduate student achievement, and provides recognition for the best Ph.D. dissertation project of the year and a monetary reward. Memmel’s dissertation project, entitled “Pressing the police and policing the press: The history and law of the relationship between the news media and law enforcement in the United States,” examines the history and law of the press-police relationship in the U.S. Shi’s project, entitled “The roles of perceived conflict and self-relevance in processing contradictory health information,” examines the effects of exposure to contradictory health information and the mechanism of contradictory health information processing. SARAH KAY WILEY’s paper “Algorithms, machine learning, and speech: The future of the First Amendment in a digital world” won the top student paper award for the Law & Policy Division at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) conference in August. She was also granted the Michael Anderson fellowship to present her paper “Navigating the modern marketplace of ideas: Policy approaches to limit the impact of disinformation” at the International Studies Association annual convention in Honolulu, Hawaii in March 2020.

Renee Mitson HUBBARD SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION

LEARNING

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT NEWS

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: GENEVIEVE BENSON

J.D. DUGGAN received third place

❙ AS TOLD TO COURTENAY PARKER

in the Multimedia News Story Package category at the Associated Collegiate Press Fall National College Media Convention on Nov. 2, 2019, in Washington, D.C., for his Minnesota Daily piece, “Understanding a changing landscape: the transgender student experience at UMN.”

Hamy Huynh

HAMY HUYNH was selected by the

American Advertising Federation (AAF) as one of 50 students from around the country to be named to the Most Promising Multicultural Student Class of 2020. Huynh was invited to spend a week in New York City in February, meeting with professionals and prospective employers during AAF’s Most Promising Program.

PHUONG TRAN was named a Forbes Under 30 Scholar. The scholarship program gave a diverse group of students from schools across the country free admission to the annual Forbes Under 30 Summit, which was hosted Oct. 1-4, 2019, in Boston.

YOKO VUE received the Sue W.

Hancock Scholarly Excellence in Equity and Diversity (SEED) of 30

MURPHY REPORTER ❙ Winter 2020

Change award presented at the University of Minnesota’s annual Equity & Diversity breakfast in November 2019.

This strategic communication major marries her work and activities to her education.

JACK WARRICK received first place

in the Sports Game Story category at the Associated Collegiate Press Fall National College Media Convention on Nov. 2, 2019, in Washington, D.C., for his Minnesota Daily piece, “The axe is back.” Several students were nominated for the Hearst Journalism Awards: JACK RODGERS was nominated in both the Multimedia: Narrative Visual Storytelling and Photojournalism categories. He took 10th and 20th place, respectively. ANDY KOSIER was also nominated in the Photojournalism category. LIV MARTIN and AUDREY KENNEDY were nominated in the Feature Writing category. SAMANTHA BORING was nominated in the Broadcast: TV Features category. CLEO KREJCI and MICHELLE GRIFFIN were nominated in the Enterprise Reporting category.

THE MINNESOTA DAILY was one

of 46 collegiate newspapers to be named as finalists for the Associated Collegiate Press’ 2019 Pacemaker Awards. The Daily went on to win the Online Pacemaker Award for four-year schools at the Associated Collegiate Press Fall National College Media Convention on Nov. 2, 2019, in Washington, D.C.

I WAS DRIVEN TO APPLY TO THE HUBBARD SCHOOL because

of the emphasis on real-world experience in tandem with classroom learning. I have always been interested in communications and design, and the Hubbard School seemed like the perfect fit due to the size and community-oriented environment, renowned faculty, and course offerings. My favorite experience has been my extracurricular involvement, as well as the connections I’ve made through the school. The National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC) team has taught me valuable advertising and marketing skills, and also introduced me to a determined and talented group of individuals. The endless and abundant support in the School, above all else, keeps me going and determined to succeed in my future aspirations. I am currently pursuing an Interdisciplinary Design minor with an emphasis in User-Interface Experience and Graphic Design. I am a marketing and social media intern for Orientation & Transition Experiences, a communications intern for the School of Kinesiology, and director of marketing strategy at the Minnesota Daily. All of my positions have provided me with different skills and areas of interest within communications. Specifically, my social media and design experience has prompted me to learn more about web design to enhance my digital communication skill set. My dream job is one that is constantly evolving with roles, responsibilities and projects. I like to be kept on my toes and constantly learning new skills and techniques, therefore post-graduation, I look forward to combining my strategy and consulting skills with my passion for design and accessibility. I hope to work for an organization that strives to positively impact the environment, wellness and equity initiatives.”

LEARNING

MEET A STUDENT: YOKO VUE

Yoko stays involved in many student organizations.

❙ INTERVIEW BY COURTENAY PARKER

to think about ethics when writing. Learning about this is so important in the work of a journalist.

Yoko Vue is a junior in the Hubbard School studying journalism. The St. Paul native is also a Sue W. Hancock Scholarly Excellence in Equity and Diversity (SEED) of Change Awardee. This award, presented to Yoko in November 2019, recognizes her commitment to issues of equity and diversity through outstanding academic achievement and activism.

Q What minors, internships, or activities are you pursuing outside of your Journalism major? A I was on the board for the Hmong Minnesota Student Association as the co-advocacy chair and an intern for Find Your Power (a non-profit organization). Currently, I work for the Asian Pacific American Resource Center and I am one of the advocacy head coordinators for the Mid-West Asian American Student Union Spring Conference. As for minors, I hope to declare the Social Justice and Interdisciplinary Design minor. Most of my involvement has surrounded issues that I care for and could be an area that I focus on when writing but also a potential career path to go into.

Q What is your major and what made you decide to pursue it? A I’ve always enjoyed writing in

different forms growing up and wasn’t exposed to journalism until high school with a summer program called ThreeSixty Journalism at the University of St. Thomas. From then on I saw how reporters utilized writing to tell stories of those in the community. I believe that there is so much we don’t know and it is through learning about other people’s experiences and truths that we become open-minded and hold each other accountable. I knew that going into journalism here at the Hubbard School would help with improving the necessary skills and gaining experiences to enter the career field.

Q What has been your favorite part of your experience at the Hubbard School? A I’ve enjoyed the opportunities

that the School has. Being able to

learn about opportunities within the U of M and outside of it has helped with searching for internships, getting my work published, and thinking about what to do after graduating.

“I believe that

Q What journalism class or professor has had the biggest impact on you? A There have been two courses

learning about

that have made an impact on me: Jour 3004: Information for Mass Communication and Jour 3771: Mass Media Ethics. Jour 3004 allowed me to learn about the process before writing a story from creating a pitch to thinking about the audience as well as working on the skills needed to write a story. Jour 3771 taught me

there is so much we don’t know and it is through other people’s experiences and truths that we become open-minded and hold each other accountable.”

Q What is your dream job? A I would want to write for

Refinery29, a digital media and entertainment company. A story that I really enjoyed from them is on Malala Yousafzai, "What Happens When The World’s Most Famous Teen Activist Grows Up?"

Q What advice do you have for future Hubbard School students? A You have talent and you belong. Don’t let others make you question your value.

Q What do you wish you had known about your career path before now? A I wish I knew that it was going to

be a journey of finding who I am, too. I think that it has made me really think about what I want in life and what my purpose is.

HUBBARD SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION

ALUMNI

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: ALEX ROBINSON

Writing about big game from a small town, Robinson takes the top job at Outdoor Life magazine.

❙

BY COURTENAY PARKER

ALEX ROBINSON (B.A. ’10) GREW UP

in Wisconsin to a hunting and fishing family. As a child, Robinson would spend much of his time outside with his father, Mike Robinson. This is where his interest in the great outdoors began. Alex’s father was a subscriber to a magazine called Outdoor Life, which Robinson would spend his free time reading, absorbing all the information he could about hunting and fishing. Growing up, Robinson was shy, but discovered that through his writing he was able to communicate thoughtfully and effectively to the world. He worked for his high school newspaper, which stoked his desire to write. “Being able to write something well and get positive attention for it, that kind of clicked and I was like, oh, there’s more to this than just school and classes. There’s a level of communication going on here that I really like,” he said. He decided to pursue journalism at the University of Minnesota, with a minor in fisheries and wildlife. He even nabbed a job at The Minnesota Daily his freshman year, and was thrown right into the fray on his first day. “I was an intern on the projects desk,” Robinson said. “And one of the more senior reporters was working on an obituary, but he had to leave to go to class. He gave me all of his notes and he told me to sit at his phone in case any of the contacts called back and to interview them. I just sat there terrified for the hour that he was gone.” While at the Daily, he covered the St. Paul and environment beat, and in 2009, Robinson’s senior year, he was promoted to managing editor. Along with his position at the Daily, Robinson also interned for the Star Tribune.

MURPHY REPORTER ❙ Winter 2020

After graduation, Robinson was hired as an online editor for Outdoor Life, the very publication he read as a kid. While an exciting opportunity, it also meant he had to pack his things and move to New York City. “I had grown up in the suburbs of Wisconsin and was going to college in the Twin Cities, so New York seemed like a giant, intimidating place to me. Living there and working there, and surviving day to day was a challenge.” Outdoor Life was founded in 1898 in Denver, Colo. During its more than 120 years, the magazine has reported on the lifestyles of America’s hunters and fishers, offered tips and tools for conquering wildlife and provided information on conservation and habitat. Iconic figures have contributed to the magazine over the years, such as Ernest Hemingway in 1935, Theodore Roosevelt from 1901-1904, as well as Clark Gable, Babe Ruth, and Amelia Earhart. For more than a century, the magazine has remained consistent in its offerings to its audience. Outdoor Life has, however, seen a shift in its publication schedule. What used to come out every month now finds

its way to the doorsteps of outdoor enthusiasts just four times a year, with online content filling in between issues. Robinson continued to move up the ranks at the magazine. He also moved back to Minnesota. After five years of living and working in New York, he relocated to Mahtomedi where he works remotely. The distance from the main office hasn’t affected his ability to produce the content his readers desire and impress his colleagues at the magazine. In fact, in July 2019, at just 31 years old, Robinson was promoted to editor-in-chief. “I’m way closer to a lot of the hunting and fishing opportunities that I really enjoy, so in some ways I think living in Minnesota makes me a more effective editor,” he said. And Robinson visits the New York office five times a year to catch up with co-workers. Robinson said The Minnesota Daily, Star Tribune, and the Hubbard School all made him into the writer and editor that he is today. He advises students to get out and network with the professionals in these organizations and elsewhere, and put themselves in situations that will hone their skills. “The person who you turn copy into who you’re nervous about, that’s the person you should be writing stories for because they are going to force you to get better,” he said.

“I’m way closer to a lot of the hunting and fishing opportunities that I really enjoy, so in some ways I think living in Minnesota makes me a more effective editor.”

ALUMNI

ALUMNI NEWS

SCOTT ANDERSON (B.A. ’06) is

currently president of the Virginia Society of Health-System Pharmacists, and was honored as the 2018 Pharmacist of the Year.

REED ANFINSON (B.A. ’77), publisher

and owner of the Swift County Monitor-News in Benson, Minn., the Grant County Herald in Elbow Lake, Minn., The Stevens County Times, in Morris, Minn., and partner in Quinco Press, Inc., a central printing plant that prints 36 publications, was presented with the James O. Amos Award on Oct. 5, 2019, during the National Newspaper Association’s 133rd Annual Convention and Trade Show in Milwaukee, Wis.

CHELSY BALDAUF (M.A. ’19)

accepted a new position at 3M in Integrated Marketing Communication in the Industrial Tapes and Adhesive Division.

GRACE BIRNSTENGEL (B.A. ‘16) was

promoted to editor at Next Avenue, a daily digital publication out of Twin Cities PBS (TPT).

BEN BROMLEY (B.A. ’95) has been

named marketing and tourism coordinator for the Baraboo, Wis., Area Chamber of Commerce. He previously spent 22 years at the Baraboo News Republic.

ELLEN BURKHARDT (B.A. ’10) joined Key Media as a features editor.

KELLY BUSCHE (B.A. ’19) joined the

Duluth News Tribune as a business and health industry reporter.

RILYN EISCHENS (B.A. ’18) joined

Family Mystery” was published in March 2019 by Arcadia Publishing and The History Press. Johnson has been a staff writer at Finance & Commerce newspaper since 1998.

the newly created State Newsroom outlet dedicated to Capitol coverage in Minnesota.

JOHN ERICKSON (B.A. ’79) of the

Dayton Daily News was inducted into the Ohio Associated Press Media Editors Hall of Fame for exceptional distinction and honor in the field of journalism. Both NATASHA FREIMARK (B.A. ’95) and JORG PIERACH (B.A. ’89) received the 2019 University of Minnesota Alumni Association Service Award.

NICOLE GARRISON (B.A. ’02) was

named a Top 100 Women in Finance by Finance & Commerce.

ELIZABETH GIORGI (B.A. ’07) and MUKHTAR IBRAHIM (B.A. ‘11) were

named to Twin Cities Business magazine’s Top 100 Emerging People to Know in 2020 list.

SARA GOO (B.A. ’98) became executive editor at Axios. Prior to that she was with NPR and the Washington Post.

JAKE GROVUM (B.A. ’09) joined The

New York Times as a social editor. Previously he worked as the United States head of audience engagement at The Financial Times.

MAGGIE HEIER (B.A. ’04) was

promoted to the director of Career Services in the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota.

BRIAN JOHNSON (B.A. ’89) is the author of a newly published true crime book. “Murder in Chisago County: The Unsolved Johnson

MARY LAHAMMER (B.A. ’95) and the team at Almanac received a Midwest Emmy for Political Program.

AUSTEN MACALUS (B.A. ’19) joined the Kitsap Sun, a daily newspaper published in Bremerton, Wash., as a health care and social services reporter.

PREETI MATHUR (M.A. ’86) wrote

a book “From Seven Rivers to Ten Thousand Lakes: Minnesota’s Indian American Community,” that was published in October 2019 by the Minnesota Historical Society’s Press. Mathur is a technical writing and instructional design consultant.

KATIE MITTELSTADT (B.A. ’12, M.A.

’19) started her own marketing and communications consultancy, Stadt Communications.

HYEDI NELSON (B.A. ’08, M.A. ’10)

joined the Minnesota Health Strategy and Communications Network (MHSCN) board of directors.

KATE NELSON (B.A. ’07), editor-

in-chief of Artful Living, received a 2019 Folio: Rising Star Award. The prestigious accolade was presented to just 29 individuals considered to be the nation’s best and brightest up-and-comers who are making their mark on the media industry. She was honored alongside the rest of the Rising Star class at the annual Folio: Show in New York City on Oct. 31, 2019.

ERIK NEWLAND (B.A. ’17) joined the

St. Cloud Times in October 2019, covering the suburbs of Sartell and Sauk Rapids. Prior to that he was a fact-checker at Tiger Oak Media. HUBBARD SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION

ALUMNI

WE APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT MICHELE NORRIS (B.A. ’85) joined the Washington Post as a contributor and consultant to the opinions page.

MIGUEL OCTAVIO (B.A. ’19) joined ABC6 News in Rochester, Minn., as a reporter in 2019. In January 2020 he became a weekend anchor.

BAO ONG (B.A. ’04) recently became the food and drink editor

of Time Out New York magazine. He edits and writes reviews, features and digital content for the bi-weekly publication, which covers New York City’s restaurant scene. Prior to Time Out, he was an editor at Bon Appétit and published a weekly online column for The New York Times covering culinary events.

ROBERT SHELDON (B.A. ’70) has been elected chairman of the

25-member Citizens Advisory Panel of the San Antonio Water System (SAWS). The group evaluates planning, policies and operations of new and existing water resources for the utility’s governing board. SAWS serves more than 1.8 million people and is one of the largest municipal water utilities in Texas. Sheldon also owns Sheldon Public Relations, a public relations consultancy specializing in high-tech and industrial communications.

BRANT SKOGRAND (B.A. ’94), KATE MAKOWSKI (B.A. ’16) and ALIKI VROHIDIS (B.A. ’16) co-authored “Promoting Your

This past year we have seen more layoffs in newsrooms as readers turn to free news content on platforms like Facebook and Google. Local news is struggling to survive with less people willing to pay for subscriptions (source: Washington Post, Sept. 20, 2019). Combine that with the need to counter efforts that erode trust in media, and in business, and it becomes clear that we need alumni support more than ever. To that end, there are a variety of ways you can help. The Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication Alumni Society, in support of the school’s mission to prepare students for careers in the wide variety

Business: How to Harness the Power of Media Relations and Influencer Marketing,” a book designed to guide organizations on how to obtain and leverage media coverage and influencer mentions.

of specializations within journalism and strategic commu-

SCOTT SPOOLMAN (M.A. ’83) won the Gold in the Forward Indies

grant awards to outstanding alumni at our Spring Show-

nication, sponsors networking events throughout the year designed to connect you to students. Our mentor program this past year matched 75 students with mentors. We’ll

national book competition, regional books category, for his book “Wisconsin State Parks: Extraordinary Stories of Geology and Natural History,” which was also the best seller on the Wisconsin Historical Society Press 2018 list. His other recent book is “Wisconsin Rocks! A Guide to Geologic Sites in the Badger State,” published by Mountain Press Publishing Company in 2018.

case. You can join our volunteer pool to help out with less

JACOB STEINBERG (B.A. ’19) started as a radio news reporter for

support this new class of storytellers, therefore embracing

Arizona Public Media. He’ll be covering the economy, development and transportation in Tucson and southeast Arizona.

ALEX WEST STEINMAN (B.A. ’11) was named to Inc.’s Female Founders 100 list.

HEATHER VOORHEES (M.A. ’15) received her Ph.D. in Com-

munication Studies from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. In September 2019, she started a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Texas-Austin in its Center for Health Communication. 34

MURPHY REPORTER ❙ Winter 2020

of a time commitment. Find more about those opportunities here: z.umn.edu/hsjmcalumni Of course, alumni gifts are another way you can help prepare these students who face an entirely new set of challenges as they graduate. We encourage you to the school’s mission to help them to be leaders in their professional fields and to be thoughtful, productive citizens in their communities. To give, visit z.umn.edu/hsjmcfund Jenni Pinkley President, Alumni Society Board

We want to hear from you! Share your news, including your graduation year, by emailing murphrep@umn.edu.

THANK YOU TO HUBBARD SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM & MASS COMMUNICATION DONORS With gratitude, we would like to acknowledge the generosity of the many donors to HSJMC. The President’s Club includes donors who have contributed more than $100,000 to the school over a lifetime, and the Heritage Society includes those individuals and organizations that have pledged a future gift to the school. We are grateful to all our lifetime and 2019 donors, all listed on the following pages. The strength of our school and evolving programs depends on your ongoing support.

2019 PRESIDENT’S CLUB MEMBERS ($100,000+)

LIFETIME DONORS

Charles B. Sweningsen*

$50,000-$99,999

Kristen S. Wenker

$10 MILLION+

3M Company & 3M Foundation

Hubbard Broadcasting, Inc., and the Hubbard Broadcasting Foundation

$1 MILLION+ Elizabeth B.* and John* Cowles Sr. Otto A.* & Helen F.* Silha

The Century Council, Inc. Charles K. Porter Jennifer A. & James L. Schweigert Porter Creative Services, Inc. Mark* & Muriel L.* Wexler

Don R.* & Carole J. Larson

$25,000-$49,999

$500,000-$999,999

Richard A.* & Barbara B. Chapman*

Herbert Berridge Elliston Memorial Fund

Cowles Media Co

Raymond O.* & Doris B.* Mithun

Eastern Enterprises Inc

Star Tribune and Star Tribune Foundation

Ann & Thomas L Friedman Charitable Fund

Raymond J Tarleton*

Bette M. Hammel

$100,000-$499,999

Hazel F. Dicken-Garcia*

John T.* & Hazel H. Helgeson* Allan A. & Lois J. Hietala*

Michael H. Anderson

Michael E. Hill & Barbara Bink

Paul S. Brainerd

Deborah L. Hopp & Christopher T. Dahl

CBS Corp/CBS Foundation, Inc. China Times Cultural Foundation David C. & Vicki B. Cox David D. Floren Duluth News Tribune Freedom Forum Joel R. & Laurie M. Kramer Elena Mickelson

$10,000-$24,999

Jorg A. & Angela M. Pierach Harold J. Roitenberg

Asian American Journalists Association of Minnesota

S C Johnson Giving, Inc.

Linda K. Berg Lily T.* & Walter H. Brovald* Robert W. & Virginia D. Carlson Donna Carr*

Albert R. Tims & Kathleen A. Hansen

Comcast Corp

Tunheim Partners, Inc.

Elizabeth J. & Michael Cooper

Daniel B. & Kathryn Wackman

Gus L.* & Shirley G. Cooper*

Jean W. Ward*

DDB Needham Worldwide, Inc.

Dare L.* & William F. White*

Fast Horse, Inc.

John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Bruce R. Gefvert

Milton P. Woodard*

Harvey & Gail D. Goldberg

* denotes deceased

Willard A.* & Doris A. * Greenleaf

Interpublic Group

R. Smith & Patricia W. Schuneman

Midwest Communications Inc

St Paul Pioneer Press

Janell M. Pepper

Sandra M. & C R. Morris Star Tribune Media Co LLC Strother Communications Group

Victor N. Stein*

Lynn M. Casey & Michael J. Thornton

Mary J.* & Graham B.* Hovey

Scott D. Meyer

Solutran, Inc. James M. Sternberg & Marsha E. Sternberg-May*

Steven P. Krikava & Linda A. Singer

Jane D.* & Bernard H. Ridder*

Sigma Delta Chi Foundation

John Carr

Mark Heistad*

D.J. Leary & Linda L. Wilson

Michael L. & Betty A. Soffin Selwoc, Inc.

Ann M. Brill

John S. & James L. Knight Foundation

Mark R. Kriss

Photo Marketing Association International

American Broadcasting Co, Inc.

William F.* & Patricia M. * Greer

Ferne M. Noreen*

Westinghouse Foundation-CBS Fund*

The New York Times Co. Foundation

Wendy F. Horn

Lester A.* & Lorraine K. Malkerson*

WCCO AM/TV-WLTE FM

William Randolph Hearst Foundation

Adath Jeshurun Congregation Judith K. Conrad & James E. Stai

National Broadcasting Company, Inc.

Jerome Foundation Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation Sam H. Kaufman* Beverly A. Kees* William H.* & Madoline D. * Kelty KTCA/KTC I-Public TV Land O’Lakes Foundation Howard P. & Roberta J. Liszt John & Mary R Markle Foundation Mary N. Mullaney*

HUBBARD SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION

HERITAGE SOCIETY MEMBERS

FUTURE GIFTS OF ANY AMOUNT Brian E. Anderson* Keith H. Anderson* Helen V. Beggs* Gertrude L. Berndt* Kenneth G. Brown* Stan W. Carlson* James D. & Kathryn A. Catalano Clayton Kaufman Family Philanthropic Fund Phyllis B. Conrad* Ellen R. Costello* Hazel F. Dicken-Garcia* Michael A. Donner* Elizabeth D. Edmonds* Norma C. & John R. Finnegan* Neil D.* & Jeanne K. Freeman* Sheila M. Gothmann Herman F. Haeberle* Joan L. Halgren Gladys L.* & Robert W. Hefty* Patricia J. Heikenen* Susan S. & Clayton Kaufman* Jacqueline S.* & Joseph C. Kinderwater* Steven P. Krikava Carol E. Ladwig*

Stephen F. & Bonnie T. Litton* Serge E. Logan* Brad Madson Sandra K. Nelson Kelley Nichols Carol L. Pine Daniel S. & Katherine M. Revsbeck* Nancy Roberts Falsum V. Russell* Colleen M. Sauber Vincent B. Shea* Elizabeth P. & B W. Shippee* Diane R. Siegel-Lund Norma B.* & James A. Smutz* Raymond J. & Elvira A. Tarleton* Dr. Herbert A. Terry and Diane E. Wille Mabel L.* & Willard L. Thompson* Louis A. Tschudy Joy D. Viola William D. Wells John W. Wheeler Chuck Whitney and Ellen Wartella Thomas C. & Elizabeth A. Yuzer

JOIN THE DIRECTOR’S CIR CLE At the Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication, we transform students’ lives. Your support allows us to train the next generation of journalists, strategic communicators, media innovators and entrepreneurs

BY GIVING TO THE SCHOOL, YOU HELP STUDENTS BY:

2019 DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE Thank you to these supporters who made a gift between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2019.

PARTNER LEVEL

BENEFACTOR LEVEL

ACBL Charity Fdn Corp

Joshua D. Anderson

Jane Y. & Philip Burk

Julie J. Bartsch

Lynn M. Casey & Michael J. Thornton

Elisia L. Cohen

James D. & Kathryn A. Catalano

CP Charitable Fund-BNY Mellon Char Gift Fund

Burton D. & Audrey K. Cohen

Richard A. Forschler & Kari Breen

Elizabeth J. & Michael Cooper

Brian R. Gabrial

Orlis R. & Louise Fossum

Carolyn J. Ganz

Lisa M. & Thomas F. Fouquette

Thomas Johnson

Bruce R. Gefvert

Heidi M. Keel

Gefvert Gratitude Fund-Morgan Stanley Global

John S. & Theresa R. McKeon

Miriam R. Hernandez Michael E. Hill & Barbara Bink Deborah L. Hopp & Christopher T. Dahl Deborah M. Hudson & Rick S. Pallansch

Melva D. Moline Anne M. Obst Sheldon I. Silberman & Melissa R. Cohen Silberman Thomas Suddes Mary H. & Donald A. Tehven

George E. Hutson

Christian J. & Peggy Trejbal

KSTP - AM LLC

Xcel Energy Fdn

Carole J. Larson

Thomas C. & Elizabeth A. Yuzer

Diane R. Lund & Michael Muzikant Myrna Meadows David L. & Linda J. Mona Northwestern Mutual Fdn Ferne M. Noreen* Nancy L. Roberts David B. Royle Rusty & Burton Cohen Char FundSchwab Char

PATRON LEVEL Linda Adler-Kassner & Scott G. Kassner John R. & Kathleen M. Bergquist Paula M. & Steven A. Bilitz Burton H. & Marie A. Boersma George L. & Linda G. Bounds Mary Beth & John S. Bremer

♦ Helping students participate in national competitions through student group activities

Jennifer A. & James L. Schweigert

James M. Brice

Michael L. & Betty A. Soffin

Paul S. & Jane E. Brissett

♦ Offsetting the costs of producing high-quality journalism and strategic communication training

Solutran Inc

Donald F. Brod

Joseph M. & Karen L. Sullivan

Carleton W. & Jean A. Brookins

♦ Embracing high-quality events, research and learning opportunities

Raymond J. Tarleton*

Joann Brus

♦ Supporting emergency scholarships for students in need

Louis A. & Colleen M. Tschudy

CAF America

♦ Building a targeted fund, like the library, a scholarship or other opportunities

Tunheim Partners Inc

Mark K. Coborn

Kasisomayajula Viswanath

Frances F. Compton

Kristen S. Wenker

Joan L. Conners

John W. Wheeler

Thomas J. Corness

William Randolph Hearst Fdn

Marcia G. & Richard Cornfeld

Recognition is based on total gifts, pledges and matching gifts contributed to the School in a single fiscal year (July 1-June 30). Couples are recognized for the combined total of their household contributions. For more information about our levels of giving, please visit hsjmc.umn.edu/hsjmcgive

MURPHY REPORTER ❙ Winter 2020

Lindsey Dahl

Susan B. Dardarian

Cierra L. Sather-Jennings

Eileen M. Everett

Jane H. Ryan

Deloitte Fdn

Jon F. Scheid

Elizabeth Fedor

Terrence S. Sauer

Lynn M. & Robert E. Drechsel

Eric L. Schiffman & Karen M. Kloser

Rachel M. Fellows

Talia M. Saville

Steven N. Dzubay

Karen E. Schultz & David Larson

Claire M. Fenimore

Debra R. & David R. Schuh

Cindy J. & Mark A. Eisendrath

Inez M. & Lyall A. Schwarzkopf

William F. Finnegan

Claire Segijn

Thomas E. & Sonja A. Eveslage

Securian Fdn

Michael C. & Paula L. Flom

Kaitlyn J. Sewell

Harvey Z. & Evelyn Flom*

Robert E. Sheldon

Mindy R. Flom

Sarah E. Shibrowski

Joan W. Frey

Connie M. Smith

Nancy Silverman

Katherine Friesz Watt & Jason Watt

Mary V. Smith

Amanda B. & Jon D. Fretheim Gates

Stephanie C. Goetz

Rachel S. Soule

Helen R. Friedlieb

Lorine S. Sinner

Robert J. & Nancy C. Goodman

Paul M. Sponholz

Steven L. & Barbara A. Goodspeed

Mark D. Strobel

Darlene A. Gorrill

WeiQun Su

Anne L. & Jon A. Greer

Gerald R. & Helen L. Taft

Nancy & Judson A. Grenier

Alexander G. & Marni J. Tselos

Edward L. & Rachel Gubman

Jim & Deborah J. Van Valkenburgh

James B. Gustafson

Mark D. Vancleave

Nora D. Hall

Joy D. & Alfred Viola

Michael T. & Michelle Hemmesch

Robert B. & Emily H. Warden

Katherine & Patrick J. Hennessy

Jon Weber & Jean Laing-Weber

Mark & Mary H. Lorio

Wells Fargo Fdn

Mukhtar M. Ibrahim

Donna M. Weispfenning & Robert K. Groger

Christopher J. & Nancy C. Ison

Jodi L. Williamschen & Michael C. Dickens

Megan K. Juffer

Elizabeth Welch

Abigail Kaine

Winnebago Industries

Annette D. Kaufman

YourCause LLC

Mary Ann Knox

Cheryl & Thomas W. Zosel

Lara R. Kolberg

Mark A. & Jodi Jenson Dennis A. Johnson Janice I. & Russell V. Johnson Harlan R. Johnson Rolf M. & Marcia L. Kemen Jane E. Kirtley & Stephen J. Cribari Marit Lee L. Kucera Philip M. & Frances D. Lewenstein Lisa Niforopulos Fund Gerald F. & Janet Madison Eric J. Meester John E. Meusey Philip C. Meyer Daniel R. Mohs Marielle Mons Steven A. & Valerie S. Morawetz Randall L. Murray Kimberly R. Newcombe Nelson Mary E. Niforopulos & Warner W. Bruntjen Lacey Nygard Joan Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Fallon Joan E. Ostrin Sarah M. Parsons & Dirk G. DeYoung Jack W. Peters & Bettina M. Luskey Jennifer J. Pinkley & Lynn Brun Steven Pope & Amanda S. Grimm John D. Prall Michael R. & Jennifer L. Radke Conrad A. & Teresa Razidlo Gail Rosenblum & Patrick P. Twiss

FRIEND LEVEL William A. Allard & Ana M. Baraybar Judith J. Allen Andrews McMeel Universal Barbara D. Axness Mary A. Batsch Dennis M. Behr Mary L. Berg Brittany Biewen Natalie Bigley & Andrew J. Janocko Tyler A. & Kristin M. Biwan Timothy & Susan Blotz Steven C. Brandt & Lynda M. McDonnell Jennifer Brumm Zita M. Coburn Michael J. & Patrice H. Colich Kimberly Crawford Marjorie E. Daniels Matthew DeLong Mark E. & Jodi M. Derks Andrew J. DiMeglio Jennifer Dittmer Michael C. Durkin Brian B. Elkington Garrett Engelhardt Georgeann Engstrand

Elizabeth A. Fuller Susan J. Fuller Marilyn S. & Thomas C. Gahm Laura A. Gallenberger Andrew L. Garon Susan E. Hagen Inna K. Hays Jennifer J. Hempel Michael G. Hendrickson Kelsey K. Henry

Michael J. Kosik Dale J. Krishef Bradley D. & Patricia L. Larson Karee E. & Bradley H. Lehrman Sharon L. Lehrman Scott Libin Katelin J. Loberg Diane R. & Jeffrey H. Lovich Milena M. Mase Constance M. Mase Duane R. Mattson Sharon A. & Craig R. McNamara Allen D. Merry Joan M. Meyer Bruce R. Miller Todd H. Mixer Rebekah H. Nagler Emma Marie W. Nelson Amy S. Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor Michael W. & Sally A. Olander Susan S. Pastin Barbara J. & Mark Pearson David A. Pedersen Doug & Jane M. Pennington John P. Richards Robert J. & Terry Roos Molly M. Rosin Barbara J. Ross

Abby J. Simons Mary J. Smetanka Timothy F. Sturrock Natalie C. Taylor Sally A. Thompson & Jay R. Molter Bryce M. Thompson-Tukes Gregory C. Turosak Linda J. Vanderwerf Kaitlyn E. Walsh Paul J. Walsh

Note: We made every effort to ensure that this list is accurate and reflects contributions recorded between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2019.

HOW TO GIVE If you have comments, questions, corrections or would like to make your own gift, please contact Peter Rogza at the University of Minnesota College of Liberal Arts Office of Institutional Advancement at 612-624-2848 or rozga001@umn.edu

REPORTER MURPHY

Hubbard School of Journalism & Mass Communication College of Liberal Arts University of Minnesota 111 Murphy Hall 206 Church St. SE Minneapolis, MN 55455

facebook.com/umnhsjmc twitter.com/umn_hsjmc instagram.com/umnhsjmc youtube.com/umnhsjmc U of MN Hubbard School of Journalism & Mass Communication Alumni

SAVE THE DATE: Spring Events MARCH 19

IABC Convergence Summit

MARCH 31

Communicating Health in a Climate-Changed World

APRIL 3

How the Mass Media Cover Health, Science and the Environment

APRIL 3â&#x20AC;&#x201C;5

Northern Exposure Photojournalism Conference

APRIL 16

Communicating Science to Reduce Health Disparities

APRIL 22

Spring Showcase

For more information on these events, visit hsjmc.umn.edu/news-events/events

Murphy Reporter Winter 2020

Articles inside

GOOD WRITING GOOD COMES FROM GOOD REPORTING