Back in 1990 I was a staff writer for the State News, the daily paper at Michigan State University where I earned by bachelor’s degree.  One of my co-workers was Dante Chinni, who now works for the Christian Science Monitor. Through the wonders of Facebook (!) we were able to reconnect.  Dante is working on a great project called Patchwork Nation, which launched during the presidential campaign.  Here is an excerpt describing the project:

“We’ve identified 11 places across the US that represent distinct types of voter communities. They are Monied ’Burbs, Minority Central, Evangelical Epicenters, Tractor Country, Campus and Careers, Immigration Nation, Industrial Metropolis, Boom Towns, Service Worker Centers, Emptying Nests, and Military Bastions. For example, Sioux Center, Iowa, typifies Tractor Country.

As the 2008 campaign progresses, the Monitor will write about what issues matter in each of these communities, how the issues affect residents’ votes, and how the candidates tailor their messages to a particular audience.”

Patchwork Nation selected Nixa, Missouri as an example of an “Evangelical Epicenter.”

Now that the election is over, Patchwork Nation continues to provide insights about the country, its concerns and values.  Right now, it’s the economy.  Blogger John Schmalzbauer and others continue to post dispatches from Nixa.  It’s pretty fascinating stuff — not only the Nixa blogs, but those from around the other 11 representatives cities.  The site also provides a wealth of detail about each community.

Enjoy!  And keep up the great work, Dante…

Today the University of Missouri (Columbia) provost announced that the Columbia Missourian, a daily newspaper produced by Mizzou students, staff and faculty, will go from 7 days to 5. According to the provost, the paper was running a pretty serious deficit. Going to 5 days a week will save about $350,000 a year.

Read more on the J-School’s web site.

The Missourian’s competitor published an article about this too.  Click here.

I heard from Callie Clark Miller at the Southeast Missourian that there’s interest in starting a Pro chapter among journalists in Cape Girardeau and environs. This is exciting news! If you are interested in getting in on the ground floor, please contact Callie: cmiller@semissourian.com

I know it can seem like a stretch to cough up the membership fee to join, but I always remind myself that being a member of the leading professional organization for journalists is an investment in myself.   Click here for more reasons to join!

Membership means a network of outstanding journalists is standing by to provide advice and share their expertise. This is especially valuable right about now as we hear about layoffs in newsrooms, media corporations losing money, and technology changing the face of the profession. I’ve also heard from several dormant campus chapters around the region about recharging their chapters. This is vital for students who are facing challenging times in our industry. Anyone out there who has questions about joining, drop me a line!