Director's Note

       As you will read in this edition of Update, our program experienced success on a number of fronts this semester — excellent guest speakers, active alumni, national recognition for our Knight News Challenge grant and a positive recommendation for ACEJMC Accreditation.
       In the recommendation for Accreditation, one of the key strengths noted was the quality of our faculty and the wonderful experiences they provide students. A few examples from the journalism sequence this past semester included:
       Bonnie Bressers, former Seaton Chair and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter, whose students in Public Affairs Reporting meet with public officials such as city finance directors, commissioners, mayors and political candidates. Her students benefit from field trips to their offices because they are instilled with the importance of meeting sources in person.
       Fred Brock, Seaton Chair in Journalism and former New York Times reporter, whose students learn to write solid news and features stories, many of which are published in the Kansas State Collegian or the Manhattan Mercury.
       For example, Sheila Ellis published an excellent profile on the front page of the Mercury in November.
       Ron Johnson, editor of The Best of Newspaper Design 28, published by the Society for News Design, whose advanced-editing students assist with production. The 28th edition has a record 384 pages, the largest news-design book ever published. The book goes to newsrooms around the world.
       Bambi Landholm, former television news producer, whose Sports Broadcasting class worked to broadcast the University Intramural Volleyball Championship Dec. 9. Students created promotions for local radio and Collegian staff members did color and play-by-play, ran cameras, and created graphics for the broadcast that aired on KST8.
       Stacy Neumann, former embedded reporter in Iraq, and myself, whose students in our new Convergence Reporting class, produced stories on food safety and Ft. Riley for student media including the Collegian, the Collegian Online and Manhattan Matters (our TV news program). Some of these stories were also published in the Manhattan Mercury.
       Faculty members are our key resource. The accreditation reviewers were impressed with these and all our faculty members' hard work. It is through your generosity that we are able to support faculty activities and deliver superior journalism and mass communication education. I look forward to meeting with you in the months ahead to talk about the future of our program and opportunities for success.