Thanks to the Iowa Pro Chapter for tweeting about this job at Simpson College in Indianola IA

Simpson College seeks a non-tenure-track student-media specialist of high technical skill and enthusiasm to teach and advise in the Department of Communication and Media Studies. The specialist will lead the convergence of the college’s student media to take advantage of multimedia developments in the industry, providing students with journalistic, marketing and technical instruction; advise the college’s student newspaper, yearbook and radio station; teach a reduced load of courses in the Communication & Media Studies or broader college curriculum; administer the department’s internship program; and serve as an academic adviser to students, beginning in the second year of the specialist’s appointment.

The successful candidate will possess at least a bachelor’s degree and significant experience in journalism, marketing communication or related field; knowledge of print- and Web-design software; and high standards of leadership, ethics, quality and fiscal responsibility.

Review of candidates will begin Feb. 15, 2010, and will continue until the position is filled. Please submit a letter of application, vita, and names of three references to Dr. Brian Steffen, Chair of Communication & Media Studies, 24 McNeill Hall, Simpson College, 701 North C Street, Indianola IA 50125.

Simpson College is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Posting Date: 1/27/10

One night at the Doubletree Hotel in Omaha $109

Registration for Pro Members $70*

Registration for Student Members $50*

Registration for Pro Non-Members $90*

Registration for Student Non-Members $70*

Your career = priceless

So, why not invest in yourself?  Click here for information and registration details.  And, consider joining SPJ to save on the conference AND make a further investment in your career and future.  See you in Omaha!

Feel free to email me at edgellh@missouri.edu with any questions you have.

*Before midnight March 9

Have you heard about Claire O’Brien, a reporter at the Dodge City Daily Globe in Kansas?  Ms. O’Brien finds herself fighting Kansas prosecutors over her decision not to reveal information from a confidential source.  She spoke to me at length about her case via telephone this morning.  Going forward, I plan to keep members posted.  In the meantime I wanted to let you all know SPJ is keeping tabs on the case. For one thing, our Legal Defense Fund Committee chair David Cuillier is already in touch with Ms. O’Brien and the attorney for the Daily Globe and publisher Gatehouse Media about a letter in support of her cause.

Ms. O’Brien was supposed to testify at what Kansas calls an “inquisition” today, but there has been a postponement.  She told me she did what reporters do in the course of their duties; she gave her word to a source linked to a murder case.  Now she’s willing to go to jail to protect that source and live up to her ethical commitments.  Still, she’s only human and seems to have given her obligations and actions plenty of thought.  Here are two quotes she gave the Associated Press:

“If I truly felt I had information about the murder of a human being on which part of a case could turn, it would be very sobering,” O’Brien said. “I would have to think long and hard and I am not sure I would withhold that, but the fact is I am absolutely sure in my mind the prosecutor is bullying me.”

And:

“I think the reporter’s only currency is her word  and I really did give it,” O’Brien said. “Every time I try to work myself through giving the information, I just can’t imagine myself being able to compromise my professional reputation to that extent. … Who would trust me again?”

Ms. O’Brien has been working for the paper for about nine months.  She moved to Kansas from Illinois after layoffs at her Gatehouse paper there.  Originally from Boston, Ms. O’Brien has twelve years of reporting experience under her belt.  She is understandably unnerved by her situation; the Kansas Supreme Court is going to look at her case.  She wonders what her decisions will mean for her career down the line.  While she’s willing to go to jail, she’s hoping it doesn’t come to that.

This is a complex case with very broad implications.  I hope to interview the Gatehouse Media attorney William Hurst for his take.  Again, I will keep you all posted on this.

The opportunity to network with fellow journalists, students, and journalism educators is just a road trip away! I took the liberty of checking drive times to Omaha from various cities in our region…

Metro Kansas City = Three hours or less via I-29

Des Moines = Two hours or less via I-80

Iowa City = Four hours or less via I-80

Ames = About two hours via I-35 and I-80

Wichita = About five hours via I-35/I-335, plus I-70, and I-29

Topeka = Four hours or less via US-75 & I-29

Springfield, MO = Seven hours or less via MO-13 and I-29

Columbia, MO = Less than five hours via I-70 and I-29

St. Louis = Less than 7 hours via I-70 and I-29

You can register for the conference at  http://www.spj.org/regionalconf-7.asp

And remember, the deadline for students to enter their work in the Mark of Excellence Awards is Jan. 27… Winners and finalists will be recognized at the conference.http://www.spj.org/a-moe.asp

Remember: Attending this conference is an investment in yourself! Email me with your questions: edgellh@missouri.edu

Best Wishes,
Holly Edgell
SPJ Region 7 Director (IA, KS, MO, NE)
Assistant Professor, The Missouri School of Journalism
Executive Producer, KOMU-TV (NBC)
Columbia, MO


Registration is now open for the Society of Professional Journalists Region 7 Conference, April 9 & 10 in Omaha! It’s easy to register: http://www.spj.org/regionalconf-7.asp

Our sessions promise to help professionals reboot their careers in this tough economic climate and period of change in our industry.  Students will hear from recent grads about the job market, learn what to expect when they “get out there,” and recognize their peers’ outstanding work through the Mark of Excellence Awards.

I visited Omaha in November and I can attest that it’s going to be a great city for the gathering with lots to do if you’d like to bring your family along.  (See “The Heartland Beat” with just a sampling of activities http://blogs.spjnetwork.org/region7/?p=101)

Please feel free to contact me with any questions you have, and please tell your colleagues and any students you know about the conference!

The Missouri School of Journalism seeks a journalist with extensive newsroom experience and a talent for teaching at the university level. The ideal candidate will have at least five years of television newsroom experience. Some newsroom management experience is preferred. Duties include a minimum of 30 hours per week in the KOMU-TV (NBC-affiliate) newsroom supervising the work of student reporters, anchors, newscast producers and videographers. Duties also include classroom teaching and service to the journalism school and the university.

Screening of applicants will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Hiring is expected to be completed in the spring of 2010 with a start date as soon as possible. Applications must include an academic CV or professional resume, video of recent television stories or television newscasts produced by the candidate, the names of three references in the field of television journalism, and a cover letter explaining the candidate’s interest in teaching and in students. This cover letter must also include an analysis of the television news profession’s transition from solely broadcast to broadcast and digital/internet news platforms.

Applications may be sent electronically (preferred) to hardte@missouri.edu, or by mail to Elizabeth Hardt, Staff Assistant to the Dean, Missouri School of Journalism, 120 Neff Hall, Columbia, MO 65211. If sending the application electronically, please send as a Word or PDF attachment with candidate’s last name as title.

The University of Missouri is committed to cultural diversity and it is expected that successful candidate will share this commitment. MU is an Equal Employment Opportunity/ADA institution and encourages applications from women and minority candidates.