The project was the result of a new multimedia reporting class started last fall designed to challenge students to evaluate new methods of news delivery and engagement using multi media platforms.  Students told the story of the folks behind the scenes and the logistics of moving the Gator football team on an away game.

The University of Nebraska won the multimedia project with their entry “Ethopians.” Western Kentucky University won the Intercollegiate Multimedia Competition with the highest accumulated student points.

Henry won in the “Feature Photography, Four-Year College/University” category with his project “Fenced In: Superfund Refugees.”  The project was a class assignment  for John Kaplan’s capstone photojournalism JOU4605 class and is published in The Fine Print.

Steven won in the “Radio News Reporting” category for his story on the “Execution of Manuel Valle.”  Steven’s entry also won AP and RTDNA awards and was part of Steven’s Hearst entry.

Both winning entries can be found at: 2011 Mark of Excellence National Winners.

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

Updated Friday, April 27.

Monday, April 30: Alison Alexander, Ph.D., Senior Associate Dean, Grady College of Journalism & Mass Communications, University of Georgia

Tuesday, May 1: Chris Roush, Senior Associate Dean and Walter E. Hussman Sr. Distinguished Scholar in Business Journalism, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Wednesday, May 2: Thomas Jacobsen, Ph.D., Interim Dean and Founding Director, Center for Public Interest Journalism, School of Communications and Theater, Temple University

Friday, May 4: Stuart Brotman, J.D., President, Stuart N. Brotman Communications

Wednesday, May 9: Diane McFarlin, Publisher, Sarasota Herald Tribune

Congratulations to the team members (Caroline Lewis, Roberta Roberts, Jonny Shiver, Jerry Bruno, and Jared Misner), their faculty adviser (Professor Deanna Pelfrey, APR, PRSA Fellow), and their professional adviser (Mickey Nall, APR, PRSA Fellow).

PRSSA received 70 entries for this year’s competition. Of these submissions, 15 entries received honorable mention and three were chosen as finalists to present their campaigns in person to United Way and General Mills representatives at the General Mills headquarters in Minneapolis in May.

The competition’s goals this year were to increase awareness among children, teenagers and their parents of the serious short and long-term consequences of obesity, inform them of the steps they can take to adopt a healthier lifestyle and provide incentives to take action now.

The client-of-record for the competition is United Way Worldwide and the sponsor is General Mills. Teams were asked to identify and partner with their local United Way and also potentially partner with one or more local organizations with similar missions and goals to create a local cause-related public relations campaign. The campaign should aim to reverse the rising trend of childhood obesity in a sustainable way by advocating for healthy lifestyles through education, outreach and other tactics.

In addition, the UF team won a Judges and Image Award from the Florida Public Relations Association local chapter last week.

Winners and finalists include:

TELEVISION SMALL MARKET

• Continuing Coverage: WUFT TV, Occupy Gainesville, Darby Underwood and Trent Kelly (finalist)
• Hard News Feature: WUFT TV, Suwannee Springs Ricardo Navarro (first place)

RADIO II

• Web site: WUFT FM, WUFT website (first place)
• Continuing Coverage: WUFT FM, NASA: Past, Present and Future, Tom Krynski, Corey Bachman and Katiana Krawchenko (first place)
• Sports Feature: WUFT FM, Gator National Champs Honored in Rival Stadium, Marc Whiteman (finalist)
• Sports Feature: WUFT FM, Football and Small Towns, Jordan Matich (first place)
• Use of Sound for Radio: WUFT FM, The Long and Hot March to the Swamp, Steven Gallo (finalist)
• Use of Sound for Radio: WUFT FM, September 11th: We Will Never Forget, Alyssa Averette (first-place)
• Light Feature: WUFT FM, Florida Songbird,  Elisabeth Williamson and Donna Green-Townsend (finalist)
• Light Feature: WUFT FM, Another Pavarotti In The Making, Steven Gallo (first place)
• Hard News Feature: WUFT FM, The Execution of Manuel Valle, Steven Gallo (first place)
• Public Affairs: WUFT FM, History & Plight of Florida Waterways, Donna Green-Townsend (finalist)
• Mobile Journalist: WUFT FM, Trent Kelly (first place)
• Individual Achievement: WUFT-FM, Steven Gallo (first place)
• Overall: WUFT-FM (first place)

A new photo gallery from Thursday’s construction tour is now available in the Newsroom construction section. Check it out →

Thursday, April 19, 2012

8 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.  Stuart Brotman, J.D., President, Stuart N. Brotman Communications

9:45 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.  Esther Thorson, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research, and Director of Research for the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute, School of Journalism, University of Missouri

12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.  Diane McFarlin, publisher, Sarasota Herald Tribune

Friday, April 20, 2012

8 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.  Thomas Jacobsen, Ph.D., Interim Dean and Founding Director, Center for Public Interest Journalism, School of Communications and Theater, Temple University

11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.  Alison Alexander, Ph.D., Senior Associate Dean, Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Georgia

1:45 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.  Sree Sreenivasan, Dean of Student Affairs, School of Journalism, Columbia University

5:15 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.  Chris Roush, Senior Associate Dean and Walter E. Hussman Sr. Distinguished Scholar in Business Journalism, School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

“Big D and Bubba,” a syndicated show heard in markets across the nation, took to the airwaves yesterday at 6 a.m.; it will be heard weekdays from 6 – 10 a.m. The show, which is heavily focused on music, is designed to add live, local elements, which increases opportunities in production, and local news, weather and traffic cut-ins for the station’s students and staff. The show airs on the top rated country stations in New Orleans, Tuscaloosa, Key West and Tallahassee.

“Big Stew” moves to the 7 p.m. – midnight time slot. His call-in, request show gives the station its first live, local show in that time slot and increases opportunities for the station to reach its core 18-34 audience during evenings.  These changes will allow the station to continue building on the success it has enjoyed since becoming a country station in late 2010. In the latest listener survey taken last fall, The Gator was the top-rated country station in Gainesville and surpassed Rock 104 in nearly every daypart in the metro market for those critical core demographic groups.

In addition to adding opportunities for the College’s students in programming, marketing, sales and promotions, these moves also provide the station the opportunity to enhance its ratings growth and increase options for local sales through more live, local programming.

The Country 1037, The Gator programming line up is as follows:

• 6 a.m.-10 a.m.: Big D and Bubba
• 10 a.m.-3 p.m.: Polly Petersen
• 3 p.m.-7 p.m.: JJ Thomas
• 7 p.m.- midnight: Big Stew (Live Request Show)
• Midnight-6 a.m.: After MidNite with Blair Garner

For questions, contact Randy Wright at rwright@jou.ufl.edu or Jerry Butler at jbutler@jou.ufl.edu.

We are profoundly saddened by the death of our student, Michael Edmonds.  If you have a student you are concerned about how they are dealing with this event, encourage them to contact the Counseling and Wellness Center (392-1575).  Their services are confidential and free to all UF students.

The family of Michael Edmonds will determine the date and time of services, and we will pass along the information as soon as we receive it.  Students close to Michael have requested an on-campus memorial service, which will be held a couple of days after the home service, depending on the availability of the family and Michael’s closest friends.  If you wish to help in the planning for the service, please contact the Dean of Students Jen Day Shaw at jends@dso.ufl.edu.