JMC student Ryn Drummond (left) interviews Lester Holt last Thursday in Media Crossroads. | Photo by Maya Smith. 

The JMC School held William Allen White Day festivities last week. Lester Holt of "NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt" and "Dateline NBC" anchor joined the festivities and received the 2025 William Allen White Foundation National Citation.

Mr. Holt also stopped by Media Crossroads for an interview with a JMC student, Ryn Drummond. Over 260 JMC School students were honored during the scholarships and awards ceremony.

From left to right: Dean Ann M. Brill, Assistant Professor Melissa Greene-Blye and Mark Mears. | Photo by Evan Riggs

Assistant Professor Melissa Greene-Blye receives Bengtson Faculty Mentor Award: Greene-Blye is the faculty supervisor for “Good Morning Indian Country” and KUJH-TV.  The award is voted on by students and recognizes a faculty member who demonstrates Dr. Bengtson’s dedication to student mentorship by going above and beyond the classroom and lending a helping hand to inspire students to reach their full potential.

Three members of KU Athletics visited with JMC 430 in the last few weeks: Nicole Corcoran, deputy athletics director for sports administration and student-athlete well-being/senior woman administrator, spoke to the class about her time as press secretary for former Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius and how she transitioned into her various roles for KU Athletics. Andy Eisch, director of football communications, and Doug Self, associate communications director, spoke to the class about their roles as primary and secondary contacts for KU sports teams.  

Joel Cox, vice president of business development at CBSSports/247Sports and KU alum guest lectured at JMC 330 (Sports Media in the 21st Century) last Wednesday.

KU PRSSA recognizes PR Star: KU PRSSA honored JMC alum Sara Beane, owner of Beanes-Talk Media, as its first PR Star award recipient last week at the Clarkson Gallery. She helps organizations and individuals secure earned media opportunities.

The Kansas City Star's Assistant Managing Editor for Race and Equity, Mara Rose Williams, and  Doctoral Student/Lecturer Michelle Keller spoke in Associate Professor Teri Finneman's Diversity in Media (JMC 534) class last Wednesday. Williams shared information on the groundbreaking "The truth in Black & White" series in which the Kansas City Star apologized for the way in which it has historically covered marginalized communities. The apology and the work that followed it to rebuild trust and improve coverage of minority communities is the subject of Keller's dissertation which will be defended later this spring.

Michelle Keller (left) and Mara Rose Williams (right) are pictured during JMC 534 last week. Photo courtesy of Keller.

JMC student and Eudora Times sports editor Cuyler Dunn interviews Eudora high school football players last fall. | Photo courtesy of Associate Professor Teri Finneman. 

The Eudora Times won 25 awards in the Kansas Press Association contest. Sara Maloney, Ryn Drummond, Teri Finneman, Annalynn Phanthadeth and Cuyler Dunn all won first-place awards. The staff also received 2nd place for best magazine and best website and third place for best online promotion.

Become a JMC School Ambassador: The JMC School recruitment team is hiring new student ambassadors for Fall 2025. Student Ambassadors support JMC School outreach efforts, events and give tours to prospective families. If you want to share your love for the JMC School with future students, apply today. Students of any year are encouraged to apply. Applications close Wednesday, April 16.

Plan Ahead: Resource Center Equipment in High Demand: As finals approach, demand for camera equipment and laptops at the Resource Center is increasing. Students are encouraged to plan ahead, as availability may be limited and due dates may shift based on check-in and check-out activity.

It’s important to return any checked-out equipment by the due date to ensure access for others. If you’re unable to return items on time, contact the Resource Center as soon as possible at rcstaff@ku.edu. 

Apply for KAB scholarships: The deadline is May 1 for students to apply for the Kansas Association of Broadcasters and the Kansas Association of Broadcasters Foundation scholarships. The KAB scholarship committee will screen applications to determine who will receive a personal interview and will invite up to 10 applicants for an in-person interview in Topeka in late May. Apply now. 

Stephen Wolgast poses for a photo. | Photo courtesy of Stephen Wolgast.

Stephen Wolgast, Knight chair for audience and community engagement in news, led a session in journalists’ defenses against government harassment at the International Journalism Festival in Perugia, Italy, on Friday. Attendees from Europe, the U.S., and South Africa discussed methods to protect their notes, their sources and themselves from intimidation from official sources. The topic arose from his research into the police raid on the Marion County Record.

Associate Professor Teri Finneman and co-author Tyler Nagel of the University of Groningen had their project, "Perceptions of rural work among Generation Z: Understanding resistance to small-town employment," accepted for the Future of Journalism 2025 conference. KU journalism student Bella Waters has worked as Finneman's research assistant on the project. Finneman and Waters will present their research about Gen Z and Rural Journalism at the Kansas Press Association convention this summer.

Professor of the Practice Lisa McLendon presented a session, “AI and journalism: Uses and abuses” at the 2025 Kansas Collegiate Media conference in Wichita on April 13. Director of Strategy for the University Daily Kansan Nick Jungman led a panel discussion at the same conference on challenges facing student journalists, with student editors from the University of Kansas, Kansas State University, Wichita State University and Emporia State University in attendance. KU students in attendence included Courtney Lane, Lane Rozin, Emily Harter, Bella Waters, Marissa Buffon, Elliot Akerstrom and Julia Hanson. 

Lecturer Eric Thomas earned a tie for first place in the Column Writing in the Kansas Press Association annual contest for his work as a freelance writing in the Kansas Reflector. Thomas writes a weekly column that appears each Friday on the website of the nonprofit news outlet.

Associate Professor Teri Finneman was a panelist at the C3KC Conference/Junior League of Kansas City. The “Local Media: Informed Communities” panel also included the Washington Post, KCUR and University of Missouri.

The Future of Journalism conference accepted proposal by Professor of the Practice Stephen Wolgast and Professor Nick Mathews of the University of Missouri for a presentation at the University of Cardiff in September. Their abstract, “‘I feel pretty vulnerable’: ‘Shared Press Distress’ and the police raids of a rural newspaper,” is based on the secondary trauma felt by Kansas journalists after the raid on the Marion County Record in 2023.

Career and Outreach Coordinator Steve Rottinghaus recently judged the business ethics category at the Kansas Future Business Leaders of America annual leadership conference in Topeka.

Director of Professional Graduate Studies Matt Tidwell was a co-presenter with Jenny Mehmedovic of KU's School of Public Affairs and Administration. Their presentation, "Tackling Tough Conversations -- Tools for In-Person and Online Interactions" was delivered to the Mid-America Regional Council's Regional Association of Public Information Officers on March 28.

Lecturer Eric Thomas was quoted in an article, “Should Student Journalists Censor Protesters’ Names?” by Inside Higher Ed. Thomas was quoted in the piece after writing an editorial in the Kansas Reflector, “Recent news discourages college students from taking intellectual risks. They didn’t need the nudge.”

Belonging @ KU Series: On Tuesday, April 22 from 1:30-2:30 p.m., Dr. Rachel Schwaller will lead an interactive conversation, during which attendees will learn how religion and spirituality contribute to our cultures, identities, and communities. Register for the Zoom webinar. 

Postdoctoral Rapport: Rapport focuses on building intentional networks of care and belonging for members of the KU community. Join other post-docs at KU on Wednesday, April 23 from 4-6 p.m. in the Hawks Nest on the first floor of the Kansas Union. The event allows participants to connect with one another and meet other post-docs on campus. More information. 

Professor of the Practice Patricia Gaston is participating in an upcoming Wellness in our Democracy series, “Discernment in Moments of Abrupt Shifts,” on Thursday, April 17 from 5:30-7 p.m. Register for the event here. 

The Technology Committee has assembled a list of certifications and badges for students interested in demonstrating communication-related skills to potential employers. This information is available on a canvas course titled “JMC Certification Options” for instructors to import into their courses. If you would like to be added to the canvas course, please email halawrenz@ku.edu. If you have a certification or badges you would like us to add to our list, please email gberendzen@ku.edu.

Stop by the JBar if you need help on your end of semester projects. JBar associates are available daily to help with video, audio, design and portfolio needs. Off campus, ask a question at our Virtual JBar or visit our online tutorials.

Internship and student jobs

Job opportunities

Ryan Atchison is a producer at KCTV5 in Kansas City.

Sophia Templin is Managing Director for FGS Global.  

Calendar

William Allen White School of Journalism & Mass Communications
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