Joe Vasquez (middle) poses as Santa Claus with students on the set of Good Morning Indian Country last week. 

JMC student Joe Vasquez paid a visit to Stauffer-Flint Hall to hand out gifts dressed as Santa Claus last week. Throughout the week, students enjoyed treats and activities such as coloring, making friendship bracelets and relaxing in the meditation room during the last week of classes.

The application for 2025-26 JMC scholarships is open! Current JMC undergrads can apply by going to https://ku.academicworks.com/. Click the red “Sign In” button at the top of the page, then log in with your KU online ID and password.

You may be asked to complete a general questionnaire before moving to the School of Journalism and Mass Communications Undergraduate Scholarship Application. Please be sure to complete the correct application, as there are two versions in the system right now. Please do not complete the application for incoming students.

The application deadline is January 24, 2025.

Study Abroad in Rome: Applications are now open for Creativity & Culture: Rome (JMC 500) for Summer 2025. The deadline to apply is Feb. 16. Contact Brooke Stock with KU Study Abroad & Global or Professor of the Practice Janet Rose with questions or to apply. 

New KU Study Abroad Program in Erfurt, Germany: Spend your summer living in a charming city in central Germany while earning 6 credits in Journalism. The Summer Program in Communication Erfurt (SPICE) program offers students the chance to take courses in English at one of Germany’s top-ranked media and communication studies departments.

Applications are due Feb. 15. Visit the program website for more information and to apply. Contact program director Professor Ashley Muddiman or Jenna Hunter-Skidmore in KU Study Abroad with questions.

The program includes two courses (6 credits) taught by U.S. faculty on the campus of the University of Erfurt and a 4-day excursion to Berlin. The courses run from June 17 to Aug. 11, 2025 and include Global and International Public Relations (JMC 409) and one of the following: Communication Ethics (JMC 608) or Media and Politics (JMC 409).

Enter Journalism contest: The Gary Corcoran Student Prize for Excellence in Reporting on Disability recognizes the best work by college journalists on topics related to disabilities. First prize wins $2,500, second place wins $1,500 and third place wins $1,000. Entrants must have been enrolled as a student at the time of publication or broadcast, and the work must have appeared in a university-affiliated publication or program. 

Journalists working in digital, print, audio and broadcast media are eligible to enter. Entries must have been published or aired between July 1, 2023, and Dec. 31, 2024. The deadline to enter is Jan. 10, 2025. There is no entry fee, and reporters may self-nominate.

The entry form for the contest may be found here.

The University Daily Kansan has an online storefront and two new items are available: A commemorative issue marking Bill Self’s record as KU’s winningest coach ($5 each), and heavy black sweatshirts featuring the Kansan’s new stripe logo ($35 each). Access the UDK store here.

Apply for the Kappa Tau Alpha Scholarship: The deadline to apply is Feb. 1. Send a letter of reference and a 500-word essay to kappataualpha@missouri.edu. The essay should discuss how the Kappa Tau Alpha scholarship will benefit you, including relevant aspects of financial need or status as a first-generation college student. Include details about your career goals in journalism and mass communication and explain how they fit with KTA’s focus on Knowledge, Truth and Accuracy. More details are available here. 

JMC Students complete capstone: View more photos here, here and here. 

A new study by Assistant Professor Judy Watts shows parents support diversity in media content their children consume. Two-thirds of respondents recalled TV, video games or books with portrayals of diverse characters and those of races different than their own. Read more.

Assistant Professor Sarah Cavanah recently joined the editorial board of Journalism & Mass Communication Educator. JMCE is oldest and highest circulation scholarly journal in the world addressing education in mass communication and media fields. It is published quarterly by the Association for Education in Journalism in Mass Communication (AEJMC).

Ph.D. candidate Azhar Iqbal published an article, “Global news media coverage of artificial intelligence (AI): A comparative analysis of frames, sentiments, and trends across 12 countries.” Access the article here.

Steve Rottinghaus, career and outreach coordinator, presented “Maintaining Motivation in Career Services,” at the annual Kansas Association of Colleges and Employers conference at Johnson County Community College on Dec. 5.  He was selected as the 2025 KACE president-elect and will coordinate the annual conference next December in Lawrence.

The Office of the Governor is seeking part-time interns for the spring semester to join the Constituent Services team as part of the Kelly-Toland Administration. Interns will assist with managing casework inquiries, supporting proclamation and public signing ceremonies, working with agency partners, engaging with constituents on policy issues, and tracking constituent feedback.

The role offers the opportunity to learn about state government operations while gaining hands-on experience in communications and public service. Interns will work between 15-25 hours per week at the Statehouse in Topeka with a pay rate of $15.03 per hour. Applicants should email their resume, a writing sample and the completed application letter to dawn.knudtson@ks.gov. The job posting is available here. 

Internship and student jobs

Job opportunities

Portfolio drop in times:
Tuesday, Dec. 17 1-5 p.m.

Students, the Virtual JBar https://rockcha.lk/VirtualJBar is open if you are off campus and need help after hours. If we are not 'in', leave a message and we will get back to you. 

Make sure you are following @jschooltech for helpful tips and tricks! 

JMC School alum and former JMC 104 instructor Madeleine Mikinski, now a Ph.D. student in English literature at the University of York, recently had her article “‘The Daily Interchange of News’: Networks of Information in Austen’s Adult Work” published in Persuasions, the peer-reviewed journal of the Jane Austen Society of North America.

Alumni Job Updates

The Monday Memo will return after the winter break. Happy Holidays from the JMC School! 

William Allen White School of Journalism & Mass Communications
journalism.ku.edu

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