This Week @ McCormick Journalism: Military and Media Convene, TrueStar Shines

It's been a big week  for the Journalism Program. We announced a series of approvals of grants for more than $3.8 million over two years in the Journalism Program's new grantmaking categories of Content, Audience and Rights. Here's a recap of this week's conferences and news articles about our grantees.
 
Journalism Program Events

• More than 20 members of the military and media gathered at Cantigny this week for a conference on the "Current State of Military-Media Relations: Where Do We Go From Here?" Sessions included panels on Information Practices in Irregular Warfare and the Impact on Military Media Relations and Military Media Relations in an era of declining media power, resources and audiences. Much of the debate centered on the use of new media tools and technologies in the coverage of warfare. Since 1992, the Foundation has hosted a series of conferences (this was the 10th) at Cantigny that bring together journalists focused on national security with military top brass to discuss best practices and challenges. These off-the-record conferences on timely topics are a well-regarded contribution to coverage of national security. Stay tuned for the conference report, or view the 2006 conference report. Conference attendees can keep in touch with participants through our Ning site.
  
• Specialized Reporting Institute: The Energy Solutions Conference hosted by Ohio State University concluded this week. Conference presentations and resources will be posted soon on the event's Ning site.
  

Grantees in the News

• TrueStar Magazine was featured in the Chicago Tribune this week. Former Executive Stars Guiding Teens: True Star Magazine's success leads to True Star Radio, offering more opportunities for students. 
  
• TrueStar was also featured on WCIU First Business. View the video clip.
• The University of Georgia Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication was mentioned in an AP article, "Journalism Finding Recruits, If Not Profits," which cited the most recent 2008 Annual Survey on Journalism and Mass Communications. "Only six in 10 graduates from journalism and mass communication schools during the 2007-08 academic year had full-time employment within six to eight months of leaving school, the lowest since the annual survey began 23 years ago. At the same time, those programs granted more degrees than ever, about 55,000."
• The University of Georgia survey was also cited this week in a Chronicle of Higher Education article, "Stop the Presses! Revamped Journalism Courses Attract Hordes of Students: Even as job prospects dim, a focus on new media and entrepreneurship produces record enrollments." 
• Street-Level Youth Media held its annual 2009 benefit at the Red Canary. Anthony Ponce, NBC Chicago reporter, Wendy Turner, managing director of Vocalo, and Ray Noland, graphic artist, were presented with the Power-Up Awards, which recognizes media and digital arts professional serving as positive role models for youth.
  

Other news/opportunities

• Youth Media:YO! Youth Outlook and WireTap magazine is hosting its Eighth Youth Media Blog-a-Thon: Yes We Care! Young People Weigh in on the Health Care Debate. Details on how to participate. 
• Clarion-Ledger reporter Jerry Mitchell wins prestigious MacArthur Fellowship. One of two dozen new MacArthur fellows, Mitchell plans to use the $500,000 grant to work on unsolved civil rights-era crimes and complete a book. Larry K. Whitaker, president and publisher of The Clarion-Ledger, was quoted in the paper, "I speak for the entire Clarion-Ledger family when I say that Jerry's latest honor solidifies his position as one of the nation's top journalists. This is an incredible accomplishment that is a result of Jerry's dogged reporting and his refusal to give up on cases others considered unsolvable. We couldn't be prouder of this outstanding achievement."

Please e-mail us if you have news or announcements to share about your projects. We look forward to hearing from you.