AWARD: Journalist of the Year

From a campus press release:

Miguel Morales, managing editor for The Campus Ledger, was named College Journalist of the Year by the Kansas Associated Collegiate Press at its convention in Wichita April 10-11.

The paper also won 19 individual awards.

Morales has worked as reporter, writing coach and editor-in-chief for The Ledger.

“I always knew one person could make a difference. It’s encouraging to know that sometimes that one person gets recognition,” Morales said.

In addition to Journalist of the Year for two-year schools in Kansas, for which he won a plaque and $250, Morales also won five individual awards.

Writers from The Ledger swept the feature category as the paper won first, second and third place. The Ledger received a bronze medal in the overall category. Other individual winners include:

• First place – Miguel Morales, editorial writing; Shanxi Upsdell, feature writing; Aaron Whitebread, sports column writing
• Second Place – Miguel Morales, feature writing and headline writing Kevin Mimms, editorial writing
• Third Place – Miguel Morales, feature writing; Joshua Seiden, sports column writing; Dane Talley, news writing
• Honorable Mention – Miguel Morales, editorial writing;Lisa Ash, single ad design; Robert Heishman, news photography; Kevin Mimms, sports feature writing; Shanxi Upsdell, column writing; Aaron Whitebread, sports column writing

TIME OUT: Helping Word People

My adviser often reminds us when planning a story that the picture people need to talk to the word people.

Newsroom leaders must challenge the word people to think visually. Widen the story-planning stage from editor and reporter to include designers, photographers, copy desk, and web.

Ron Reason’s article, “Ten tips for visual thinking for writers and editors”provides simple advice on how we can incorporate visual thinking into our everyday newsroom conversations and meetings.

It's true, picture people and word people can coexist in newsrooms.

Another resource, “Thinking visually -- tips for writers from a designer, an artist and two photographers,” shows word people the value of visualizing the story, gathering information for graphic reporting and communicating with picture people.

Perhaps staff members don’t submit photo requests to the photo editor because they don’t know what the story is. In helping the word people visualize the story, we help them defining it. This allow them convey the story in terms picture people understand because unlike word people, picture people already think visually.

When it comes to layout and design staff members can find great examples in the trade papers we receive from other colleges. Staff members can also explore the website for the Society for News Design. This professional journalism organization, offers tips, a listserve, award-winning designs, and an Ask a Designer email submission form. SND also offers student memberships.

Looking at trade papers, we notice a common mistakes shared by the collegiate press. The biggest being that campus papers choose between style and substance. Sadly, this mistake follows the newsroom all year.

A combined approach to narrative storytelling and visual thinking will lead us away from that trap and we'll draw readers and critics into our print and online editions.

TIME OUT: Newbie Editors

This time I want to focus on our newest editors, the former staff members who proved themselves and moved on up or turned to the dark side (whichever you prefer).

By now in your move from friend to boss, you know your relationships with the staff, your department, and the newsroom have changed. As resources and power shifts to accommodate your new position, a few may not be ready (or willing) to yield power, share resources or roll out the red carpet just yet.

Reflections on Leadership - an excellent source on newsroom management

Place editing handouts in staff mailboxes to help newbie editors (and old-timers) refine their editing style. These may also help those we edit understand the process, let them know what to expect, and provide them with self-editing techniques to use before their copy hits their editor's desk.

The Cav Blog: Get REAL

My posing from The Cav Blog...

Fans of reality TV know politics play a huge part shows like "Survivor," "The Apprentice," and to a lesser degree in shows like "The Real World" and "American Idol."

However this year producers weary of creating instant celebrities that overshadow their shows, i. e. Darva Conger ("Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire"); Evan Marriott ("Joe Millionaire"); and Omarosa ("The Apprentice" season 1), began shifting focus.

• Spain's version of "Big Brother" has housemates memorizing the 325-page Eupoean Union Constitution and explaining it to an elderly Polish woman.
• Showtime brought us average citizens competing for the chance to run for president in "American Candidate."
• An Israeli TV station is producing "The Ambassador,"where contestants will vie for the opportunity to travel the world salvaging Israel's ravaged image.
• Iraq's al Sharqiya television airs "Labor and Materials." Former Baathists rebuild war damaged housing and supply new furniture donated by viewers as part of their zakat or one-fifth of the income Muslims give to charity.

However those craving real political machinations and integrity; triumphs and tears; ceremony and informality; have one network with three branches devoted to satisfying us.

• C-SPAN covers the House of Representatives
• C-SPAN2 covers the Senate
• C-SPAN3, a digital cable network, covers national events and extended history programming.

You won't see Senators Barbara Boxer and Hillary Clinton swap families or remodel each other's family room. But you will see that soldier confronting Rumsfeld about scavenging for armor, the 9/11 Commission, and Jon Stewart waxing poetically about fake news.

The Cav Blog: Ink, Sweat and Tears

My posing from The Cav Blog...

With the pursuit of the Baldrige Award and the banners hanging around campus touting the college's Kansas Award for Excellence, the staff of The Campus Ledger has a few banners of our own to hang.

The College Media Advisers awarded The Ledger's adviser, Anne Christiansen-Bullers Honor Roll Adviser of the year. They also named Greg Harrell, associate professor, Journalism, a lifetime member.At the same conference, The Ledger also won second place in Best in Show from the Associated Collegiate Press.

Add this to last year's first place Best in show and our first place awards from the Kansas Associated Press, the campus community might just be reading tomorrow's Pulitzer Prize winners ...