| Note from the Director | We have a batch of fantastic stories for you in this edition of the Iowa Journalist. In my note, I want to highlight two of the themes that come out of these stories.
The first is that our alumni are rarely in occupations any longer that pay them simply to write. Take, for instance, Rebecca Morin, who is a reporter for USA Today. Her first position was as a web producer for Politico, and web-based news production is still an important part of what she does. Or Kelly Q. Anderson, who as Director of Promotions for the Off-Campus Writer’s Workshop of course does a great deal of writing; but she also does extensive community engagement. Or Taylor Mathis, who is a Digital and Social Media reporter for BetKarma.com.
My point is not that writing is unimportant. In fact, it remains the foundational skill for all communication professions. Rather, my point is that writing is no longer sufficient. Employers are looking for people who can produce stories across multiple media (e.g., text, audio, video) and multiple platforms (think Facebook, Snapchat, and TikTok) and do so in a way that engages a community of interest.
That’s a tall order! But it is one the School has begun to pivot toward. For decades, the SJMC has called itself the “Writing School,” and we will continue to emphasize the craft of writing. However, we now refer to ourselves as the “Multi-Media Storytelling School.” This change stems directly from what we are learning from our alumni: if we are to prepare our students for the 21st century, they must be adept at telling stories across multiple media and platforms.
You can see the result in courses like Professor Melissa Tully’s Audio Production class. Professor Tully teaches her students to tell stories across text and audio in a podcasting mode. More and more, our courses have a similar profile: they build on a foundation of writing but teach students how to tell stories across multiple modalities.
The second theme has to do with community engagement. For a very long time, many of our faculty have partnered with local organizations to provide their students with “real world” experiences in their courses. Professor Rachel Young, who recently became the School’s Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies, is working with faculty to make these partnerships more purposive. Specifically, she is working with faculty and community leaders and organizations in Coralville—the town next door to Iowa City—to introduce more “place-based” engagement into our curriculum. The idea is to develop a sustained partnership with Coralville community organizations and leaders, one that increases the impact of our work and leads to positive civic change.
Associate Professor Frank Durham’s Fall 2021 course, Strategic Communication Writing, is one of the pilot classes in this initiative. Professor Durham and his students have worked with leaders of the non-profit Houses into Homes to create a public relations plan for the organization. In the future, we imagine more of our courses becoming involved in this work. They may produce news and information, conduct oral histories, create strategic plans and much else—all geared toward making a sustained positive difference for the community. Along the way, students will learn valuable skills in community engagement.
Multi-media storytelling and more intentional and broad-based community engagement—two ways that the SJMC is helping its students navigate the 21st-century job market.
I hope you enjoy the stories in this edition of the newsletter. If you’d like to learn more, don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly.
Sincerely,
David Ryfe, Director
School of Journalism and Mass Communication
| | | | Latino Alumni Rebecca Morin Wants People to Feel Heard Rebecca Morin (B.A. 2016) was featured at SJMC as an alumnus in the field during Latino Heritage Month in October 2021. She has worked as a breaking news reporter for Politico and is currently a White House reporter for USA Today. Like many alumni, Morin spent the majority of her time at the University with the Daily Iowan. Morin started as a news reporter and eventually worked her way up to the metro editor. In 2014, the Daily Iowan politics team was established and Morin became a politics reporter.
“Now I’m a White House reporter and it feels kind of surreal every day,” Morin said. “Whatever President Biden is doing, we’re the ones covering that. If he gives a speech, we cover it. If something crazy happens, we drop everything and cover it.”
Originally from the Rio Grande Valley, Morin explained that growing up, she thought her work would take her away from her hometown. Now, she finds herself covering stories happening in her hometown often. Morin also credits her experiences growing up in the Rio Grande Valley for the way she reports. “It’s helped me think differently about the way I talk with and make connections with people,” Morin said. “I don’t think I would be at all who I am today without my experiences.”
In an increasingly tense political climate, Morin said she sometimes finds it difficult to find ways for people to understand the truth. “Being a journalist, it’s becoming increasingly obvious that people don’t trust you,” Morin said. “But when people feel like they’re not being heard, I want to listen.”
To read some of Rebecca’s work, visit our website. | | | Advancing the Understanding of Journalism's Role in Democracy Brett Johnson (M.A. 2011), is a professor at the Missouri School of Journalism. Johnson was recognized for his efforts to advance the understanding of the role of journalism in democracy. By crossing disciplinary and methodological boundaries to study the nexus of law and ethics, and to advance the understanding of the First Amendment, Johnson has achieved tremendous success through his research, teaching and service to the School of Journalism, university and community.
Johnson was also named 2021-2022 Presidential Engagement Fellow. The systemwide program recognizes outstanding faculty who excel at communicating their research to the public and charges them with representing the UM System at several outreach events throughout the state each year.
Pointing to his upbringing in Iowa City, he credited early exposure to diverse people and cultures with sparking his desire to travel and inform.
“I grew up going to school alongside people of all different races and religions, and that definitely shaped my worldview,” Johnson said. “When I can demystify legal jargon and show that concepts like free speech are not so black and white, and when I can show that these subjects can be entertaining and interesting to learn about, I feel that I’m helping to expand peoples’ perspectives and encouraging them to engage in society, regardless of their background.” | | | | Jordyn Reiland (B.A. 2015) (pictured) lives in Chicago but works remotely as the editor of skillednursingnews.com, doing healthcare-based reporting and writing on a digital platform. Skilled Nursing News is part of Aging Media Network. They have four publications that specifically deal with nursing homes and healthcare, all online. Reiland shifted to this role because she was seeking a leadership opportunity in the journalism world. In September 2021, Reiland’s company held their first in-person event since the pandemic began. “We had a day-long RETHINK conference in Chicago with networking opportunities to connect over skilled nursing and what’s been going on in the industry. I spent about 40 minutes on stage moderating the panel. It was a great experience,” she said.
Taylor Mathis (B.A. 2015) In 2021, Mathis was hired by Awesomemo.com, a sports betting company, as a Digital and Social Media Reporter. Mathis also works with different companies regarding player props and betting on different games. “The space of sports betting is really growing fast right now. I am really enjoying this new twist!” Mathis said.
Lucy Rohden (B.A. 2020) is a resident football expert and entertainer for Wave Sports + Entertainment. She has built an audience around her comedy-infused gridiron analysis to engage daily native fans on certain platforms via TikTok. Learn more. | | | Kelly Q. Anderson (B.A. 2003) (pictured) was named Director of Promotions for the famed Off-Campus Writers' Workshop, the oldest, continuously running writing workshop in the country. Her short story was recently anthologized in 'Turning Points' (Windy City Press, 2021) the 75th Anniversary Anthology of OCWW, and she was recently short-listed for the Five South Literary Short Fiction Prize. Anderson is a Chicago-based writer and former newspaper columnist specializing in creative nonfiction, poetry, and flash. She founded the LGBTQ+ Initiative at Winnetka Congregational Church, and works with local government, businesses, and places of faith to implement inclusive programming and events. She is a member of the ACLU, Humans Rights Campaign, and a volunteer with Glencoe DEI, Moms Demand Action (Winnetka), and BeSMART.
Kimberly Chexnayder (B.A. 0000) was listed by Forbes in their 30 under 30 in the sports category. Chexnayder serves as a host or guest on a number of NFL Network shows and for tentpole events such as the NFL draft and the Super Bowl. She is also a host for two NFL shows on Twitch. Chexnayder, who joined the NFL as on-air talent in 2019, was among the youngest ever to sign a national television contract with the league.
| | | | Current Students Sammy Sommerfeld and Jack McFarland (pictured) met just before their sophomore year at the University of Iowa when they decided to start a radio show for KRUI. This sparked a relationship that has lasted the past two years and the creation of the podcast “The City: Off-Campus.” Sammy and Jack have interviewed several high-profile guests including ESPN Anchor Kevin Negandhi, ESPN NBA Insider Bobby Marks, and Broncos Tight End Jeff Huermann. Learn more about their endeavors on our website.
Associate Professor Melissa Tully's Audio Production class produced and released a daily news show by working in groups, during the week of November 15-19, 2021. The project required students to work on their episodes with timeliness and deadlines in mind, just like the real world. Each 15-20 minute episode offers a “news roundup,” including news segments, interviews, and headlines. Students in the class took on different roles in their groups to create each episode.
Listen to the episodes on our website.
Finding Your Starting Point Career Exploration Webinars continued through Fall semester, 2021. As a professional school, helping students explore careers is a valuable part of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication’s undergraduate mission. The series began in fall of 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the success and number of students that participated, SJMC continued the series. During these webinars, students met alumni and visiting professionals who have forged careers in various industries with their Journalism and Mass Communication degrees. In discussions with these alumni, students had a chance to learn about what it is like to work in these industries. Each event was an hour-long and featured four alumni. Watch them here.
| | | The Iowa High School Press Association’s Fall Conference (pictured) returned to an in-person format to celebrate the 100th anniversary October 21, 2021 at the Iowa Memorial Union. The conference drew nearly 600 high school students from Council Bluffs to Davenport. IHSPA was founded in 1921 and hosted by SJMC since the early 1950’s. Iowa Public Radio host Charity Nebbe was the keynote speaker in a dialog with three high school journalists. The day included 35 breakout sessions, tours of the Daily Iowan, KRUI, presentations by regional media professionals, high school media advisers and awards for news and yearbooks. The day-long conference was orchestrated by SJMC’s Paul Jensen, who serves as executive director, and SJMC senior Maddie Huntley.
The Daily Iowan took home multiple awards at the Associated Collegiate Press Awards in October 2021. The DI won its first Online Pacemaker award and placed fifth for Website and eighth for Newspaper in the ACP Fall Media Convention Best in Show category. Several current Journalism students won awards.
| | | | Professor Frank Durham's Strategic Communication Writing class (pictured) got students out of the classroom and involved in a real-world community project. On October 2, 2021, students in the course took a field trip to a local non-profit organization in Coralville. Houses Into Homes (H2H) looks to provide household furnishings to families and individuals in the Iowa City Community School District. Throughout the semester, students in the course worked closely with co-founders Lucy Barker and Salina McCarty to create a public relations plan for the organization. The class is a part of a new service project that connects University of Iowa School of Journalism courses with different non-profit organizations in Coralville. This partnership is meant to encourage ethical service-learning within the Journalism school, as well as provide students with real-world opportunities to showcase their writing and skills.
SJMC Peer Mentors hosted a movie night for students at the Filmscene in Iowa City of "The French Dispatch," A fun, journalism-themed movie directed by Wes Anderson. Students could RSVP and attend free on November 18th, 2021. | | | Alison B. Jensen is an alumna who provided her time to our Professional in Residence program and virtually visited classrooms to explain to students how she took the skills she learned from our classrooms to her career. Jensen is an Attorney Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) in Denver, Colorado. Following her graduation from the University of Iowa in 2005, Jensen went on to attend the University of Colorado School of Law. In July 2017, Jensen opened her own law office in the Greater Denver Area.
In October, the Speed Networking Event hosted twenty students and twenty professionals. This was the first in-person speed networking event in over a year. Everyone was excited to do it in person and have face-to-face interaction between the students and professionals. Many students left the event on a positive note and felt great about their experience. The professionals offered a wide variety of perspectives on jobs within the journalism and communications fields, allowing students to get an even deeper understanding of what path they may want to follow post-graduation. | | | | Associate Professor Melissa Tully (pictured, middle left) is co-principal investigator of a research team that published a report regarding media literacy in the U.S. The report titled “Equity and Impact in Media Literacy Practice: Mapping the Field in the United States,” consists of findings from a year-long research effort. The research team also published “Field Guide for Equitable Media Literacy Practice,” based on the findings in the report. Tully presented the report on October 28th, 2021 as part of Media Literacy Week in the U.S. along with the research team, including SJMC Graduate Student Patrick Johnson (pictured, bottom left).
The research addressed three core questions: How is impact defined in media literacy research? What are the main practices and processes that lead to impactful media literacy practices? What are the challenges and opportunities for incorporating equity into impactful media literacy practices? Tully looks forward to sharing the field guide with educators and practitioners and is excited to receive feedback to develop the project further. Read the full press release from the National Association for Media Literacy and Education here. View a recording of the webinar presentation here.
SJMC is working to develop a long-term relationship with community and civic organizations in Coralville. Associate Professor Rachel Young is helping to develop and manage this project overall. Students in the Fall 2021 Environmental Communication class, taught by Associate Professor Kajsa Dalrymple, kicked off this amazing partnership by working with Coralville City Councillor, Hai Huynh, to understand public knowledge of and experience with water quality in the community. Students were grouped into six teams to cover community resources, interviews, infographics and mapping, narrative writers, surveys and questionnaires and web design. On December 9th, 2021 the students presented their work to Ms. Huynh. Community-engaged learning allows our students to apply what they’re learning outside the classroom. Long-term relationships like this mean there can be more sustained impact for community organizations, rather than projects that end when the semester ends. Students can also become more involved with the community and learn more from community leaders if they do several projects in Coralville over their time in the major.
| | | Lecturer Kevin Ripka's Advanced Topics in Designing/Producing class is an interactive class that focuses on 360 photos and videos, virtual reality, augmented reality, reality capture (creating virtual assets from the real world), interactivity, and linear and non-linear storytelling. Since being back in the classroom, students were able to utilize some of this technology and get the full experience of learning how to use virtual reality. One of the bigger goals of the class was for students to create their own scene and have it run on a virtual reality headset. The class is compelling because it expands on the traditional journalism skills, while adding the skills of modern visual storytelling.
Associate Professor Rachel Young released two collaborative publications in August 2021. The first article, “Young Adults’ Folk Theories of How Social Media Harms Its Users,” is a study that analyzes young adults’ understanding of harmful content for online media to find folk theories. Young collaborated with SJMC M.A. student graduate and current University of Missouri Professor Brett Johnson as well as Dr. Volha Kananovich, an Assistant Professor at Appalachian State University and a Ph.D. graduate of SJMC. In the second publication released, Young worked with Roma Subramanian, an Assistant Professor at the University of Nebraska Omaha, SJMC Ph.D. graduate Li Chen, and current SJMC Ph.D. candidate, Ge Zhu. Their article “Cautionary Tales: Social Representation of Risk in U.S. Newspaper Coverage of Cyberbullying Exemplars,” investigates the actual stories of victims to see how they reflect the risk associated with aggression in an online medium. For this research, Young worked with former or current students. Young views this as very positive and is a telling sign of how SJMC pushes students to collaborate on research projects. | | | |
