Jim Small speaks with a group of JMC students. Photo courtesy of Associate Dean for Student Success Scott Reinardy.

Jim Small, Senior Vice President, International at Major League Baseball; President, World Baseball Classic, spoke to the JMC 330 Sports in the 21st Century class last week. Small is now preparing for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, which drew 455 million viewers and had an economic impact of more than $336 million during the 2023 tournament.

Now that you’re settling into the semester, it’s time to highlight a few university resources that support students in a variety of ways.

Wingspan: Center for Learning and Writing Support is home to tutoring, peer academic coaching and a library of academic success guides. Free, in-person and virtual tutoring is available for over 60 KU courses. Individual, group and drop-in formats are offered based on the class and demand. Find the full list of supported classes at here. Peer coaches are another great option for helping students develop successful strategies and achieve academic goals. Learn more about their services here.

The Student Access Center’s (SAC) mission is to “assist students with disabilities by facilitating accommodations that remove barriers to their academic success.” Students must register with the SAC and submit documentation to get started. Visit their office in Strong Hall room 22 or go online to learn about the accommodation process.

Have you thought about studying abroad in Spring 2025 or beyond? The Study Abroad Fair is happening on Sept. 18 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Ascher Plaza in front of the Kansas Union. The fair is a great way to learn about study abroad opportunities and meet with program coordinators. Also on Sept. 18, Jayhawk Finances is hosting another Budgeting 101 workshop from 3-4 p.m. in the Pine Room of the Kansas Union.

Check out the JSchoolTech September newsletter. It features updates on student staffing, information on AI for video, tech tools explanations and examples and more. Read the full newsletter. 

The CSIS Journalism Bootcamp is open to undergraduate students at the University of Kansas who are either (1) seeking a degree from the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications, or (2) an active member of the Dole Institute of Politics Student Advisory Board. Apply now. 

Students interested in applying for this opportunity should submit a completed application by 5 p.m. on Friday, October 25, 2024. Please be aware that the Applicant Recommendation, which is completed by a KU faculty or staff member, is due at the same time. A total of ten applicants will be selected to participate in this opportunity.

KU Ad Club will be meeting in the Clarkson gallery this Wednesday, Sept. 18 at 6 p.m. Join us to hear from Kevin Fullerton, 2019 Advertising Professional of the Year. Fullerton is an award-winning designer and the creative director of Springboard Creative in Mission, Kansas. Having mentored well-respected creatives in the industry, Fullerton will talk about how to successfully make the first steps of your career. Free pizza and drinks will be provided.

Brian Hanni speaks to the KU Sports Media Club. Photo courtesy of Steve Rottinghaus.

JMC School alum and Voice of the Jayhawk Brian Hanni spoke at the first KU Sports Media Club meeting of the semester last week about his broadcasting career. Hanni is in his seventh season as the Voice of the Jayhawks.

Lecturer Gerri Berendzen and Associate Professor Alyssa Appelman used the KU Center for Teaching Excellence Design Institute to transform JMC 302 (Information Exploration). The key change involved breaking down complex research assignments into smaller, more manageable parts. This scaffolding approach allowed students to focus on specific skills each week, leading to improved understanding and performance. Read more. 

Assistant Professor Steve Bien-Aimé is one is one of six speakers in the University of Kansas series on Taylor Swift. The speaker series offers a preview of the many Swift-focused and Swift-adjacent courses offered at KU, and each speaker will offer insights on their field of expertise using Swift as a lens. Bien-Aimé’s session, "Watching from the Stands: Addressing Media Stereotypes Within the Taylor Swift-Sports Ecosystem," will be on Sept. 18 from 4:30-5:30 p.m. in Stauffer-Flint Hall, room 100. All are welcome to attend events in the series.

The Dole Institute of Politics is hosting a discussion group series, “Congress in the 21st Century” at 4 p.m. on Sept. 18. The event is free and open to the public.

Professor of the Practice Stephen Wolgast is the guest in the podcast “When Experts Attack,” discussing the legal and ethical ramifications of the police raid on the Marion County Record and the state’s criminal prosecution of the police chief. The interview, presented by Kansas Public Radio, is based on Wolgast’s research into Kansas journalists’ reactions to the raids, which he conducted with Dr. Nick Mathews of the University of Missouri.

Assistant Professor Yunwen Wang is a co-author of a research paper, “The value of social media analysis for adverse events detection and pharmacovigilance: Scoping Review,” which was published on Sept. 6, in the journal JMIR Public Health and Surveillance. 

Associate Professor Alyssa Appelman’s co-authored manuscript “Innate Qualities or Learned Skills? Copy Editors Disagree About the Need for Training,” has been accepted for publication in Journalism & Mass Communication Educator. It has been published online ahead of the print publication.

Associate Professor Teri Finneman was interviewed by Newsday for reaction to the Harris-Trump presidential debate. Read the story here. 

Ph.D. candidate Macy Burkett was interviewed by VoyageKC Magazine’s Daily Inspiration series. Read the full profile on Burkett.

JMC alum Devan Burris, digital producer at CNBC, was a recent guest on the Cheers to Careers podcast. 

Career Fair set for Oct. 17: Close to 30 organizations are expected to attend the Journalism and Mass Communications Career Fair, connecting with students exploring internship and job opportunities on Thursday, Oct. 17. The event, scheduled for 10 a.m.-3 p.m., is open to all majors and concentrations. In addition to learning more about career options, students will have access to a professional photographer who will take portraits from 11 a.m.-2 p.m., and a breakout room for resume reviews.

Join us for our Getting Ready for the Career Fair event on Wednesday, Oct. 2, from 5-7:30 p.m. in the Clarkson Gallery. Hear from JMC alums, have your resume reviewed and enjoy appetizers and mocktails. More information to come soon.

Internship and student jobs

Job opportunities

Dow Jones News Fund’s internship application now open: College sophomores, juniors, seniors and graduate students can apply for paid summer internships in audience engagement, data journalism, digital media, business reporting and multiplatform editing. Read more here. 

Work for KU Athletics: Jayhawk Sports Properties, a division of the Kansas Athletic Department that focuses on Kansas Athletics’ corporate sponsorships, has an open internship opportunity for the upcoming Kansas men’s basketball season. The paid gameday intern position would assist with work in hospitality areas. Email shane.glatz@JayhawkSportsProperties.com to apply.

Minnesota Star Tribune internship and early career fair: The newspaper is hosting an internship and early career job fair, with virtual and in-person options. This is a chance to learn about opportunities in the newsroom while receiving one-on-one career advice from staff journalists. The deadline to apply is Friday, Sept. 20. Apply here. 

Sally Buzbee was named a Visiting Nieman Fellow at Harvard University. Buzbee will examine and discuss coverage of the elections in the United States in November. Read more about her role and her journalism career. 

Calendar

William Allen White School of Journalism & Mass Communications
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