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More Journalism News

Shorenstein Center program experts discuss truth on the Internet

Prof. William Kirtz gave an overview of the Shorenstein Center's 25th Anniversary program in his Oct. 17 article on Poynter.org. Top news professionals and technology specialists aired their views on journalism values in the age of the Internet. Among the speakers were television news personality and Shorenstein founder Marvin Kalb and MIT Media Lab Director, Joichi Ito. The center's program took place Oct. 13 to the 15. Read the article.>>

Marriage scheme for illegals exposed

When Brattleboro, Vermont Town Clerk, Annett Cappy, began to notice many couples seeking marriage licenses "...showed no signs of affection," she began to get suspicious. Her suspicions led to the arrest of Maria-Helena Knoller, a "matchmaker" who paired illegal immigrants seeking to become U.S. citizens with Americans who agreed to marry them for a fee. The article, "A marriage of a dream and a scheme," appeared on page one of the Boston Globe on September 18. The story also appeared in other news outlets. This piece was written by Stephen Kurkjian and Callum Borchers of the Initiative for Investigative Reporting at Northeastern's School of Journalism. Rachel Zarrell and Gal Tziperman Lotan, also of the Initiative, contributed to the story. Read the story.>> Read more about the Initiative for Investigative Reporting.>>

Former Globe editorial writer and editor to teach public policy course

How does the press influence public policy? This is just one question graduate students will explore in this semester's "Public Policy and the Press." The class will be taught by Robert L. Turner, former Boston Globe editorial writer and editorial page editor. Mr. Turner is currently the co-director of the UMass Boston's Commonwealth Compact, John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy Studies. The class is open to School of Journalism graduate students, as well as graduate students from other disciplines. Read Mr. Turner's bio.>>

Prof. Leff "interns" in the newsroom

Prof. Laurel Leff has turned the tables on the old adage, "Those who can't do, teach." Her version, "Those who teach, can do!" Prof. Leff started an Internship at the New Haven Independent in July. She says she went back to the newsroom to experience Web reporting. She admitted that returning to the newsroom is "hard work." She did four stories in one week. Prof. Leff answers a few questions about her experience. Read the Q & A.>>

'Crowdsourcing' Author Joins School of Journalism Faculty

Jeff Howe, a Nieman Fellow this past year at Harvard, will teach multimedia journalism courses full time beginning in the fall of 2011 following some further postgraduate study. At Northeastern, Prof. Howe will be an assistant professor on the tenure track with a research interest in multimedia. Visit Prof. Howe's Web page.>>

Prof. Alan Schroeder reviews presidential debates

The presidential debates have officially begun and Prof. Alan Schroeder, an internationally recognized authority on presidential debates, is highly sought after by news organizations world-wide for his analysis and comments on debate results. Prof. Schroeder is the author of two acclaimed books on presidential debates. Read his comments on past and present presidential debates.>>

 

The Sox win, the city loses

The Red Sox paid $186,000 a year to lease two streets abutting Fenway Park. The team made an estimated $45 million in the deal. The Nov. 7, page one story, "Sox win big deal to use streets," was reported by Colman M. Herman, Callum Borchers, and Stephen Kurkjian of the Initiative for Investigative reporting. Yawkey Way is closed off during games for concessions. On Lansdowne Street air rights were used to add "...269 expensive seats and 10 standing-room spots atop the Green Monster." According to the article it is estimated that the city would have received millions from the Red Sox over the first nine years of the 11-year lease. Read the story.>>

Prof. Kennedy reviews "Bad News"

Prof. Dan Kennedy's review of Bad News:How America's Business Press Missed the Story of the Century, posted in Columbia Magazine's Summer issue, begins with the questions "Could journalism have done more to prevent the Great Recession rather than just explain it after the fact? Could the press have stopped the plague of mortgage-backed securities, collateralized debt obligations, and no-income, no-asset loans?" Edited by Anya Schiffrin, the essays present both sides of this controversy. Read the review.>>

Faith, Politics & the Press Cited

A book of essays on covering religion in the post-9/11 world, edited by Stephen Burgard, director of the School of Journalism, received favorable notice in the summer Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly. Read the entire story.>>

 

Prof. Fountain remembers columnist George Frazier

In an op-ed article in the June 12 Boston Sunday Globe, Prof. Charles Fountain pays tribute to the former Globe and Herald columnist George Frazier on what would have been his 100th birthday. In "George Frazier's duende,” Fountain writes, "Immortality in a business as ephemeral as daily journalism is nigh-on impossible, but every city has a newspaper guy who will be forever identified with that city. H.L. Mencken in Baltimore, Jimmy Breslin in New York, Mike Royko in Chicago, Herb Caen in San Francisco. Frazier, born in Southie 100 years ago last week, is that guy for Boston." Read the column.>>

New Grant For Study of Muslim Societies

The School of Journalism, in partnership with Middle East Studies, has received a $65,000 grant from the Social Science Research Council. The grant will expand opportunities for journalism and policy-oriented students in political science, international affairs, and other disciplines in global experiential education. Read the rest of the story.>>

Investigative Reporting for Cambridge, Dorchester

The recent expansion of the Initiative for Investigative Reporting has produced important stories for The Cambridge Day and the Dorchester Reporter. The Cambridge Day recently reported that City Manager Robert W. Healy Jr.’s favorable compensation deal will get even better… “thanks to lavish but largely unnoticed provisions in successive contracts he negotiated with the City Council that will boost the city’s total cost of his retirement by at least $1 million — to at least $5 million. Among the most expensive benefits: lifetime nursing home care insurance, not just for Healy, but also for his wife, Jacquelyn. And a pension of more than a quarter-million dollars a year — the state’s largest.” Read the entire story.>> Read the complete story and read more student reporting.>>

Prof. Kennedy discusses news coverage of the debt ceiling debate

Did the news media adequately explain the debt ceiling debate to the American public?  Prof. Dan Kennedy was interviewed by news@Northeastern on how well journalists covered the story and on the challenges they faced when reporting this story and other "politically charged" stories.  Read the Q & A, "3Qs: Getting the story on the debt ceiling.">>

Prof. Schroeder answers questions about celebrities in public office.

Do celebrities make effective public policy makers?  Prof. Alan Schroeder answers questions on this topic in news@northeastern.  Prof. Schroeder is author of Celebrity-in-Chief:  How Show Business Took Over the White House." Read the Q&A, "3Qs: From Tinseltown to Public Office.>>

Investigative Reporting for Cambridge, Dorchester

The recent expansion of the Initiative for Investigative Reporting has produced important stories for The Cambridge Day and the Dorchester Reporter. The Cambridge Day recently reported that City Manager Robert W. Healy Jr.’s favorable compensation deal will get even better… “thanks to lavish but largely unnoticed provisions in successive contracts he negotiated with the City Council that will boost the city’s total cost of his retirement by at least $1 million — to at least $5 million. Among the most expensive benefits: lifetime nursing home care insurance, not just for Healy, but also for his wife, Jacquelyn. And a pension of more than a quarter-million dollars a year — the state’s largest.” Read the entire story.>> Read the complete story and read more student reporting.>>

Students Begin Reporting For Globe's 'Your Town'

A video report by graduate student Callum Borchers about the Roxbury Preparatory Charter School was featured recently on the Boston Globe's "Your Town/Roxbury" web site. Borchers' story was produced for Prof. Dan Kennedy's Reinventing the News Class, and was the first to be done for the site in the coming months by students in the School of Journalism. Students will have an opportunity to report on Boston's neighborhoods for New England's largest daily newspaper. Watch Borchers' story on Roxbury Prep.>>

A second story was published in "Your Town/Back Bay" by Jill Bongiorni, a student in Lisa Chedekel's Journalism 2 class. The article, posted Nov. 12, reports on a Back Bay group of residents called Graffiti NABBers who police and remove graffiti, assist police and the courts in fighting incidences of graffiti in their neighborhood. Read the story.>>

This spring, the school will offer a course dedicated to "Your Town," taught by the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Lisa Chedekel.

Student reports on community colleges and guns

It took police three days to arrest a MassBay student for carrying a semiautomatic 9 mm handgun to campus.  In, "Open-access policy has risk: guns on campus," graduate student Callum Borchers writes, "...when Darryl Max Dookhran, a reputed gang member with a history of violent behavior, applied to Massachusetts Bay Community College, he didn’t have to report any of his transgressions. Three weeks after Dookhran enrolled, he was apprehended carrying a loaded semiautomatic machine gun around campus, nine days after a student first reported seeing him with a weapon."  Borchers wrote this story as part of the Investigative Reporting Seminar led by Prof. Walter Robinson. Read the story.>>

Students Begin Reporting For Globe's 'Your Town'

A video report by graduate student Callum Borchers about the Roxbury Preparatory Charter School was featured recently on the Boston Globe's "Your Town/Roxbury" web site. Borchers' story was produced for Prof. Dan Kennedy's Reinventing the News Class, and was the first to be done for the site in the coming months by students in the School of Journalism. Students will have an opportunity to report on Boston's neighborhoods for New England's largest daily newspaper.  Watch Borchers' story on Roxbury Prep.>>

A second story was published in "Your Town/Back Bay" by Jill Bongiorni, a student in Lisa Chedekel's Journalism 2 class. The article, posted Nov. 12, reports on a Back Bay group of residents called Graffiti NABBers who police and remove graffiti, assist police and the courts in fighting incidences of graffiti in their neighborhood. Read the story.>>

This spring, the school will offer a course dedicated to "Your Town," taught by the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Lisa Chedekel.

'Crowdsourcing' Author Joins School of Journalism Faculty

Jeff Howe, a Nieman Fellow this past year at Harvard, will teach multimedia journalism courses full time beginning in the fall of 2011 following some further postgraduate study. At Northeastern, Prof. Howe will be an assistant professor on the tenure track with a research interest in multimedia. Visit Prof. Howe's Web page.>>In the interim year, he will do some multimedia teaching for the School of Journalism. He is a contributing editor at Wired magazine, where he has covered the media and entertainment industry, among other subjects. He previously was a senior editor at Inside.com and a writer at the Village Voice. In 2008, he published the book, "Crowdsourcing: How the Power of Crowds is Driving the Future of Business," and writes the blog Crowdsourcing.com. In his 15 years as a journalist, Prof. Howe has traveled around the world working on stories ranging from the impending water crisis in Central Asia to the implications of gene patenting. He has written for U.S. News & World Report, The Washington Post and Mother Jones. He lives in Cambridge with his wife and two children.

The story of a Website for college women

Carlene Hempel, a lecturer, had the lead article in the Boston Globe's "G" section on March 22.  Her article, "Savvy, young and wired," told the story of three Harvard women, Windsor Hanger, Stephanie Kaplan and Annie Wang, who created "Her Campus," a popular Website for college women.  "What they first launched in 2009 as Her Campus magazine, an online publication aimed at Harvard women, is now affiliated with more than 20 other college campuses..."  According to the article the site features "college-specific topics aimed at women, including fashion and health advice, stories about love and love lost, and tips on how to get good jobs and internships while maintaining a thriving social life."    Read the story.>>

Visit Northeastern's "Her Campus Site.>>

Two jobs for one public employee

How can one man work two full-time jobs at the same time and rake in an average salary of $200,000 a year?  Rachel Kossman, a student in Prof. Walter Robinson's Investigative Reporting seminar, looked at public  records to reveal that Lt. Richard G. Corvino worked with the Massachusetts Port Authority Fire Department from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. At 3 p.m., the same day, he worked as a paramedic for Boston's Emergency Medical Services Department. An article written by Ms. Kossman and Prof. Robinson entitled "One Man, Two Jobs and a Question," appeared on the front-page of the Boston Sunday Globe on May 1. The report said the two jobs resulted in Corvino working long hours with few hours rest, endangering public safety.  Both agencies said they were investigating the situation.  Read the story.>>

Prof. Schroeder on the presidential candidates

In his most recent contribution to the New York Times online opinion pages, Prof. Alan Schroeder muses on the possibility of Donald Trump running as a Republican presidential contender.  In the April 20, "Room for Debate" column, Prof. Schroeder asks the question, "Is governmental experience a prerequisite for presidential candidates, or do media visibility and celebrity status confer the necessary credentials to occupy the highest office in the land?" Read the story.>>

In an earlier opinion article for the "Room for Debate," column Prof. Schroeder tells news organizations not to hire presidential candidates so that they will avoid the appearance of "preferential treatment" when covering their campaigns.  He writes, "The revolving door between politics and media has spun ever faster in recent years, particularly at the Fox News Channel, where nearly half the field of potential 2012 Republican presidential candidates either is or was on the payroll." The commentary was published on March 2.  Read the story.>>

Prof. Schroeder also had a column posted in the Huffington Post on April 2. "Why Republicans should not Sponsor Republican Debates" is a reaction to news reports that the Republican National Committee is proposing to sponsor its own series of presidential primary debates among the GOP contenders.  Read the column.>>

SOJ ON VIDEO

Cronkite and History of U.S. Media

Professors Charles Fountain and Dan Kennedy discuss the legacy of Walter Cronkite and his impact on the history of journalism. Watch the video.>>

BOOKS

Prof. Fountain's acclaimed book on Spring Training

Under the March Sun, The Story of Spring Training, recounts the history, growth and business of Spring Training. Get more information.>>

Prof. Kennedy comments on the NYT's pay plan

In a Nieman Journalism Lab article titled, "'Please stop calling it a wall'", Prof. Dan Kennedy is quoted as saying, "The New York Times is taking a smart and nuanced approach. Times executives have struck an interesting balance between charging heavy users for access while remaining part of the free online conversation that’s become such an important part of the media ecosystem. I have no idea whether a limit of 20 free articles a month is too little, too much or just right, but I assume they’ll adjust in response to what the market tells them."  The March 17 article by Lois Beckett includes comments from other journalism experts, including Steven Brill, Steve Buttry, David Cohn, Anil Dash, Jason Fry, Martin Langeveld, Megan McCarthy, Geneva Overholser, Jonathan Stray, and Amy Webb. Read the article and share your comments.>>

Prof. Burgard Interviewed on Islamopedia Online

Stephen Burgard, director of the School of Journalism, was interviewed by Islamopedia online, for “Islam and the Media: Covering Islam in the U.S.” The interview is part of a series sponsored by Harvard University’s Islam and the West program. He appears with Jocelyne Cesari, an associate at Harvard’s Center for Middle Eastern Studies. The interview was conducted Dec. 2 by Omar Sacirbey, a reporter with the Religion News Service, and produced on the NU campus.  Prof. Burgard discusses some of the questions about covering Islam that are addressed in his recent book for journalists, journalism students and policy makers entitled, “Faith, Politics and Press In Our Perilous Times,” (Kendall Hunt, 2010) The interview recently was posted as part of the online site’s continuing conversations between scholars and journalists. Watch the interview.>>

 

Prof. Daniloff To Write on Chechen Conflict

Prof. Nicholas Daniloff and a colleague have been awarded a grant from the Smith Richardson Foundation, Inc., through Johns Hopkins University, to co-author a book on the War in Chechnya.  According to the Foundation's 2009 Annual Report the book will be "based on the confidential communications between Ilyas Akhmadov and the former Chechen president, Aslan Maskhadov."  Mr. Akhmadov, who will be the co-author with Prof. Daniloff, was a foreign minister of the Chechen government.  He won political asylum in the United States in 2002.  Prof. Daniloff, who teaches Journalism Ethics and Issues and Global Reporting, served as a foreign correspondent for United Press International and U.S. News & World Report in London, Paris, Moscow and Washington D.C.   The co-writers will publish audio letter transcripts that will be "accompanied by editorial material to provide historical context."

POST SCRIPT: Prof. Daniloff was interviewed about WikiLeaks's pubication of confidential U.S. information. Read the interview on NU's Website.>> 

Students investigate firefighter work shifts 

Students working with Prof. Walter V. Robinson have found that the city of Boston turns a blind eye on costly shift-swapping among firefighters. This practice has led some to avoid years of work. The article, "Trading the call of duty for a call of convenience," appeared in the Boston Globe on Sunday, Jan. 30. The student reporters found that more than "70 firefighters owe comrades between three months and a year of workdays."  The article was written by Callum Borchers, Gal Triperman Lotan and Prof. Robinson, with contributions from Stefanie Geisler and Cecilia Akuffo.  Globe Staff Writer John M. Guilfoil also contributed. The report was done for the Investigative Reporting Seminar taught by Prof. Robinson.  Read the story.>>

Investigative Reporting Project Expands

The School of Journalism’s investigative reporting project continues to develop and expand. Some recent work included a report on a Massachusetts state auditor candidate who claimed two property tax exemptions. The article appeared Oct. 7 in the Boston Globe, and was reported by Stefanie Geisler, Gal Tziperman Lotan, Cecilia Akuffo, and Callum Borchers for the seminar in investigative reporting. Their work was overseen by Prof. Walter V. Robinson, the investigative reporting project's director, and former editor of the Globe Spotlight Team. Read the story.>>
 
The investigative reporting program allows leading undergraduate and graduate students to work on projects for publication. Northeastern’s undergraduate admissions office welcomes applicants from leading high school students who want to study journalism. The School of Journalism also invites current college seniors, working journalists or post-graduates interested in learning investigative reporting to apply to the master’s program.  Read about the accomplishments of the program.>>

New Investigative Reporting Initiative Launched:

Recently the program has expanded to serve community news organizations. The school’s new Initiative for Investigative Reporting currently serves both the Dorchester Reporter and The Cambridge Day. The Dorchester Reporter recently published its first article. The Aug. 25 article, "Despite millions in funding by city, little is happening at Strand Theatre" was reported and written by Stephen Kurkjian, senior investigative fellow and Pat Tarantino, a student reporter for the initiative. Kurkjian and Tarantino reported that despite $8 million in renovations, the Strand Theatre is largely unused.  Read the story.>>

The initiative is made possible by grants from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation. It expands the work already being done by Prof. Robinson with his students at the School of Journalism. He has guided students in his own investigative reporting seminar to the publication of many news stories in the Globe. Robinson and Kurkjian worked together previously on the Globe’s Spotlight Team.  Read the university’s announcement of the initiative.>>

To apply to the graduate or undergraduate program select the "Apply Online" link above.

 

Prof. Schroeder discusses political debates with NU alumni

Prof. Alan Schroeder addressed Northeastern alumni as part of the NU@Noon program held at the Burlington campus, Nov. 17. In his multimedia lecture, "Politics Today Series III: Comparing media coverage of campaigns and elections in the United States and United Kingdom," Prof. Schroeder spoke about similarities and differences in how news media cover political campaigns and elections in the U.S. and the U.K. Both countries have held major elections this year. In May the U.K. elected a new parliament and a new prime minister, and the U.S. just held mid-term elections at the beginning of November. A major development in the U.K. this year was the introduction of televised debates among the prime ministerial candidates. Prof. Schroeder is the author of two books on presidential debates.

Journalists Visit Campus

Students at the School of Journalism hear regularly from leaders in their field. Two events during the week of Oct. 18 were typical of what’s happening on our campus to supplement course instruction.

NU Libraries’ Meet the Author Series on Oct. 20 presented "Boiling Mad: Inside Tea Party America," with author Kate Zernike, an award-winning reporter for The New York Times. In her book, Ms. Zernike examines the Tea Party: who they are, where they came from, what they stand for, and what they mean for the future of American politics. The standing-room-only event gave students a chance to hear the latest on the 2010 campaign.

 

On Oct. 21, WGBH-TV's Callie Crossley discussed the coverage of minorities in the media with an assembly of freshmen journalism students. She talked about the recent shooting by Mount Pleasant, N.Y. police of a Pace University football player from Easton, MA. and the federal corruption trial of Boston City Councilor Chuck Turner. Ms. Crossley was on campus for the week as a Humanities Center Artist and Practitioner in Residence. Her visit also was sponsored by the School of Journalism.

Faith, Politics & the Press in the News

Stephen Burgard, director, School of Journalism, and editor of a new book of essays on covering religion in the post-9/11 world, appeared recently with Alan Wolfe, director of the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life of Boston College, on "Radio Times," WHYY-FY, the NPR affiliate in Philadelphia. The discussion centered on the plan of a Florida minister to burn copies of the Quran, and how the media covered the story. The Website SoCal Minds recently noted the contributions of Prof. Burgard and a former LA Times book editor and editorial board colleague Jack Miles, now a professor at UC Irvine. "For all the yelling, screaming and sick public attention paid to a Florida pastor who proposed to burn Korans or to the incessant bickering over a plan to build an Islamic community center near New York's 'Ground Zero' site, well, does it all provide cause to wonder about the media's capacity to cover religion and matters religious? The folks in Irvine, with some key contributions from some terrific one-time Los Angeles Times scribes like Jack Miles and Stephen Burgard, have their timely take on this topic..."          

Listen to the radio interview.>> Read the SoCal Minds item.>>

At MIT Forum, Prof. Kennedy Explores Online News

Prof. Dan Kennedy and the New York Times media columnist David Carr were the featured speakers at "The Online Migration of Newspapers," a forum held by the MIT Communications Forum on Oct. 7. The conversation explored the migration of newspapers to the internet and what that means for journalism. In a new world of “citizens' media” and the blogosphere, newspapers are adapting to a changed landscape as their print readership has declined. The panelists discussed these developments with Forum Director David Thorburn.

Among the topics were: the best and the worst examples of news on the net, online-only news sites, hyperlocal news and collaborative journalism, business models for online newspapers, and the impact of social media on journalism. As part of his course work, Prof. Kennedy teaches the transformation of news on the web to undergraduates and graduates in the Northeastern School of Journalism.

Prof. Kennedy was also quoted in the New York Times, Oct. 4, by the media reporter Brian Stelter.  The article was about Barry Nolan's wrongful-termination suit against Comcast.  Nolan was terminated from Comcast in 2008 after he protested an award that was to be given to Bill O'Reilly. Read the Story.>>

Northeastern Journalism at the Head of the Charles

A team of Northeastern University journalism students covered the famed Head of the Charles Regatta, providing social media coverage for a number of different websites. Students posted news and feature stories, pictures and video essays to the Head of the Charles Blog, and to Head of the Charles pages on Facebook, and YouTube. Links to all their stories, as well as race results and breaking news were posted on Twitter throughout the Regatta weekend, October 23-24. The students worked under the editorial direction of Prof. Charles Fountain, who is the Co-Chair of the Regatta’s Media Support Committee.Professor  Fountain teaches a course in sports reporting to undergraduates at the School of Journalism.  

“This is a chance for our students to go behind the ropes at one of America’s great sporting spectacles,” said Fountain. “They worked alongside journalists from all over the world. And the multiple formats should gave them some tremendous storytelling opportunities.  It was a lot of work, but it was a lot of fun too.”

One of the rowers the students followed was journalism’s own Prof. Nick Daniloff who finished 13 of 27 in the 70 + group.  

The students who covered the event were undergraduates Anthony Gulizia, Taylor Cotter and Carolyn Ross, and graduate students Callum Borchers, Dan McCready, Sarrah Benoit and Patrick Adcock. Follow their work at: FaceBook >> Blogspot.com >> YouTube, and >> Twitter. >>

Creative Industries minor offers journalism students more instruction in interactive media

The digital age of journalism is here. Undergraduates majoring in journalism can select a minor designed to offer them interactive media skills and theory for the changing landscape of journalism in the digital age. The Creative Industries minor has a track or "suite" of courses designed specifically for students in the School of Journalism. Students choosing the minor will take Online Journalism and Reinventing the News offered by the School of Journalism. Most students will select Creative Industries minor requirements - IM1110 Interactive Media and Society, IM2100 and IM2200; the Digital Narrative Sequence, and IM2300 Managing Media Development. View course descriptions for Creative Industries Minor.>> For more information contact Prof. Terrence Masson at 617.373.7645 or send an email to t.masson@neu.edu.

Students Report on Racial Disparity At City Firehouses

Students in Prof. Walter Robinson’s investigative reporting seminar have published an article in The Boston Globe Aug. 1 detailing racial disparity between black and white firefighters in city firehouses. Thirty-seven years after a federal court order to increase minority hiring, reporting based on city records found, “…many of Boston’s individual units have become increasingly segregated by race, as both white and minority firefighters choose to work alongside their own as part of a seniority system that gives veterans great leeway to decide where they serve. Almost half of Boston’s firehouses are now either more than 85 percent white or more than 50 percent nonwhite…” Danielle Ossher and Courtney Brooks had bylines along with Prof. Robinson; Bret Silverberg, Chelsea Reil, Lauren McShane, Peter Martin, Rachel Kossman, and Sarrah Benoit also contributed to the story.  Read the story.>>

Excellence in Sports Journalism Awards

The School of Journalism was co-sponsor of the Excellence in Sports Journalism Awards, given at Sport in Society's 25th True Heroes of Sport Awards Gala at Matthews Arena on April 15. Prof. Chuck Fountain served on the selection committee that recognized a seven-part series written by Bob Hohler of the Boston Globe. Hohler’s nine months of meticulous reporting led to one of the richest and most powerful works of journalism ever submitted. The articles outlined in great detail the problems with high school sports in Boston’s public schools. Stephen Burgard, director of the School of Journalism, presented the award.

Prof. Schroeder comments in London on political debates
Prof. Alan Schroeder has been a frequent commentator for London news media as the UK has inaugurated its first-ever televised debates among prime ministerial candidates. He had an op-ed article in the London Financial Times, April 12, headlined “How politicians can jazz up live debates.”  He said, "British party leaders who do battle in this week’s live televised debate, and the two to follow, will navigate a format that carries exceptional risk and reward: the town hall, in which voters ask unpredictable questions in unpredictable ways. This is a unique rhetorical exercise, quite distinct from other forms of political theatre. In town hall debates empathy is king and attitude speaks volumes."  Read the story.>> (You will need to register.)

He was interviewed for a BBC documentary called “How to Win the TV Debate,” which aired April 12.  Prof. Schroeder was also on Sky News in a live interview with Adam Boulton, a noted British political journalist who is one of this year's debate moderators. 

Students recognized by SPJ for reporting excellence

The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) has recognized two articles written by School of Journalism students as part of its Region 1 Mark of Excellence Awards for 2009. Marino Eccher received a first-place award in the General News Reporting Category for "Lynch's wife tied to agencies he won grants for," which appeared in the Boston Globe on Nov. 10. He will advance to the SPJ's national round of competition. National winners will be announced in May.  Kelly Glista and Pamela King received a second-place award in the In-Depth Reporting Category for "Officials lag in reporting information on donors," which appeared in the Globe on Dec. 30.  Aaron Lester, Michele Richinick and Marino Eccher contributed to that article.  The articles were written for Prof. Walter Robinson's investigative reporting seminar.  Read the April 12 Announcement.>>  To read these stories and other stories from Prof. Robinson's class visit the Investigative Reporting Webpage.>>

Professor's Reporting Makes Decade 10-Best List

The 2002 Boston Globe Spotlight Team series, "Abuse in the Catholic Church," was selected among the decade's top 10 works of journalism in the United States by New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism institute. Prof. Walter Robinson was editor of the Pulitzer-Prize-winning project while at the Globe before joining the School of Journalism faculty at Northeastern in 2007. The winners, announced April 5, were selected by the school's faculty and a panel of distinguished judges.  Read the announcement.>>  Read the School's Website featuring all winners.>> Read the Globe stories.>>

In an interview March 24 with the investigative reporting website propublica.org, Prof. Robinson has some interesting observations on the national and global dimensions of the continuing clergy abuse scandal in the Roman Catholic Church. He was editor of the Boston Globe Spotlight Team that won a Pulitzer on this topic in 2003. Read the interview.>>

Prof. Kirtz covers Goldsmith Prize program for PoynterOnline.

In a program on March 24 at Harvard University, top journalists discussed how their news tips became "groundbreaking" stories and earned them a spot as finalists for the Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting. In a story for PoynterOnline, March 25, Prof. Bill Kirtz details how each journalist used their sources to create the story.  Racquel Rutledge, reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel won the $25,000 prize for her "yearlong project exposing fraud and criminality in Wisconsin's child-care program."  Read the story.>>

Prof. Fountain on spring training sell-outs

If the Red Sox sell out their final games this season, they can boast seven consecutive sold out spring training seasons, according to a March 26 article in The News-Press of Ft. Myers, Florida. Prof. Chuck Fountain, author of "Under the March Sun: The Story of Spring Training," was interviewed by The News-Press reporter Glenn Miller on the Sox's sell-out history in "Boston Red Sox sell out 99 Grapefruit league games."  Prof. Fountain said, "What the Red Sox are doing is outside of the spring training experience."  Read the article.>>

Prof. Kennedy quoted in NYT story about online news
As traditional newspapers have closed or reduced staff, online news is filling a gap, especially in Connecticut. Prof. Dan Kennedy is quoted an a New York Times article, Feb. 17 , “It Won’t Line a Bird Cage, but It’s Still News," by Peter Applebome. Prof. Kennedy said, “…Connecticut is a particularly vibrant example of how entrepreneurial online journalists are filling a lot of the holes left by the decline of newspapers.”  Read the story.>>

Attention Seniors: Opportunities for you in masters program

Journalism seniors can add a masters degree by remaining an additional year with a program tailored for their needs. The concentration in journalism and public policy will broaden the resume, making additional career options available. It has built-in flexibility to allow students to do specialized work that builds on their undergraduate work without repeating it. For more information and requirements contact Prof. Belle Adler at 617.373.3221 or by email at b.adler@neu.edu.

Prof. Schroeder posts on Sarah Palin's political career
In an essay for the Huffington Post, Feb. 11, Prof. Alan Schroeder comments on Sarah Palin's recent Tea Party address in Nashville.  In "Sarah Palin's Tea Party Speech: Beneath Her Wrath A Troubling Contradiction Lurks," Prof. Schroeder explains why he thinks Sarah Palin is "unlikely" to become president.  Read the story.>>

Roll up your sleeves and start reporting!  

Journalism students at Northeastern have been reporting as early as their first journalism class, Journalism 1.   Under the direction of the School of Journalism's lab director, Lincoln (Link) McKie, students report and write news and feature stories for the Boston-area publications the Dorchester Reporter and the Fenway News.  Although not all stories are published, the experience of reporting and writing a story for publication is a valuable learning experience, says Mr. McKie.  Last semester six out of 14 stories were published and the remainder awaits publication.  Stories run online, in print or both.  Mr. McKie says, “Students are welcome to get story assignments whether or not they’re in a class.  The key to success in the news business is to write, write, write,” he says. Read the rest of the story in Student Work.>>

Students explore campaign contributions and state treasurer's decisions
Students in Prof. Walter Robinson’s Investigative Reporting class reviewed the aggressive fund-raising practices of state Treasurer Timothy P. Cahill and discovered that he had received campaign contributions from companies that have or want business from the treasurer's office and the five agencies he oversees, including the pension board. The front-page story in the Boston Globe was written by graduate student Aaron Lester, undergraduate Michele Richinick and Prof. Robinson.  Graduate students Marino Eccher, Kelly Glista and undergraduate Pamela King contributed to the reporting. Read the story.>>

New minor offers journalism students more instruction in interactive media
Undergraduates majoring in journalism now have a new minor designed to offer them interactive media skills and theory for the changing landscape of journalism in the digital age. The new Creative Industries minor has a track or "suite" of courses designed specifically for students in the School of Journalism. Students choosing the minor will take Online Journalism and Reinventing the News offered by the School of Journalism.  Most students will select Creative Industries minor requirements - IM1110 Interactive Media and Society, IM2100 and IM2200; the Digital Narrative Sequence, and IM2300 Managing Media Development.   View course descriptions for Creative Industries Minor.>> For more information contact Prof. Terrence Masson at 617.373.7645 or send an email to t.masson@neu.edu.

Prof. Robinson's investigative reporting class featured in Chronicle of Higher Ed

Prof. Walter V. Robinson's investigative reporting course was discussed in an article on university-based reporting in the Nov. 15 edition of The Chronicle of Higher Education.  Prof. Robinson developed the course following 34 years at the Boston Globe where he was editor of the Globe’s Spotlight Team. Under his direction, leading students research and write articles that have been published in the Globe, many for page one. He says, “There’s gotta be trust.  The newspaper has to have confidence that a journalism faculty has the experience and oversight capacity to make certain that students get it right,” he said.  Read the article.>>

The investigative reporting project's most recent article was written by graduate student Kelly Gista and undergraduate Pamela King on Dec. 30 for The Boston Globe. The page-one story, "Officials lag in reporting information on donors," exposed the failure of Massachusetts candidates for statewide offices to disclose major campaign donors, a violation of the state's campaign finance law. Graduate students Aaron Lester and Marino Eccher, and undergrad Michele Richinick contributed.  Read the story.>>

Schroeder comments on State of the Union addresses
Prof. Alan Schroeder is one of several commentators blogging on the significance of State of the Union addresses in a Jan. 26 New York Times online feature called, "Room For Debate: A Running Commentary On The News."  In the article, Prof. Schroeder said the address is "...a big-ticket media extravaganza that holds only minimal relevance to executive-legislative relations." Read the article.>>

New comments policy on Prof. Kennedy's "Media Nation" blog

Prof. Dan Kennedy now requires posters who comment on his blog, "Media Nation," to use their first and last names. Prof. Kennedy was interviewed by WBZ-TV's Jon Keller on Feb. 9 about this new policy.  He said he might get fewer comments but expects the quality to comments to rise.  Read the "Media Nation" story and his new comments policy.>>

Prof. Burgard quoted on journalism education changes

Stephen Burgard, director, was quoted in several recent articles on how economic and digital changes within American journalism are affecting journalism education. He was among the leaders of journalism programs around the country quoted on expanding interest in teaching positions as newsroom jobs shrink. The article, “Industry’s Loss is J-Schools’ Gain,” appeared in the Nov. 24 edition of Editor and Publisher, a leading journal covering the newspaper industry. Prof. Burgard said that many journalists who traditionally would spend entire careers in newsrooms now are looking to make career changes while they still are “in full stride.”  Read the article.>>

He also was quoted on a Nov. 12 CommonWealth Unbound article about how journalism programs are tailoring their offerings to new circumstances.  “Everything is taking place against the backdrop of dramatic change in the economic model, and the way journalism is done and delivered,” he said. “We’re adapting on a number of fronts to modernize and keep pace with change.” Read the article.>>

Prof. Ross shares his experience teaching in China
In the fall of last year, Prof. James Ross traveled to China to teach at Nanjing University as a Fulbright lecturer.  He wrote about his experiences in "Learning About China's Changes While Teaching Journalism: A U.S. journalism professor returns to china - after two decades - and discovers from his students all that has changed and what remains the same," in the Fall edition of Neiman Reports.  He taught two graduate journalism courses.  Read the story.>>

Journalism alum shares job hunting strategies
Amie Smith, owner of Wordsmith, Inc., and School of Journalism alumna, spoke about the job search to PR students in Gladys McKie's Critical Thinking About Public Relations Strategies class, November 30.  She told students to be persistent.  Students looking for a job should schedule informational interviews with companies they want to work for, whether or not the company has an opening.  She also said job seekers need to make follow-up phone calls, and network.  Ms. Smith stressed the importance of good writing and gaining a knowledge of graphic design.  WordSmith is a marketing and communications agency.  Visit her Website.>>

Prof. Dan Kennedy quoted on Murdoch's threat to block Google access

Will News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch move to block the Google search engine from gaining access to the content of his newspapers?  A Nov. 14 Google News article by Chris Lefkow explores Murdoch's proposal and its effect on other newspapers.  In the article, Prof. Dan Kennedy suggests that Murdoch might be "two or three steps ahead with something that none of the rest of us have figured out yet." Or, he said, "...he really doesn't understand this medium and he's making a disastrous mistake and doesn't realize it yet."  Read the story. >>

Prof. Schroeder's op-ed column on mayor/senate debates in Globe
Prof. Alan Schroeder had an op-ed column the Boston Globe, October 29, headlined "No Debate: Liven up these forums."  The piece discusses the recent series of mayoral and senatorial debates in Massachusetts, and how creative formats might make for more interesting events.  He says, "Dull debates do no favors to anyone - not to the politicians who take part, the voters who watch, or the media who cover the story."  Read the column.>>

Globe firefighter disability story credits investigative reporting seminar 
Reporting done in Prof. Walter Robinson's investigative reporting seminar has led prosecutors to file federal charges against two former Boston firefighters as part of a probe of pension abuses and a Fire Department clerk who allegedly lied under oath. The Globe's reporting began with two stories in January of 2008. Read this story.>>  Read more articles about this issue.>>

Undergrad Michele Richinick turns assignment into a Boston Globe article

Digging through public records for a class assignment, Michele Richinick, an undergraduate journalism major and student in Prof. Walter Robinson's investigative reporting seminar, found tax information on Christy Mihos, a Republican gubernatorial candidate. Her discovery about Mihos's tax woes led to her Boston Globe article, "Mihos falls short on tax lien explanation," published on September 29.  Read the story.>>

Graduate student writes page-one story for Boston Globe
Marino Eccher, a graduate student, wrote a front-page article in the Boston Globe on Nov. 10 about US Rep. Stephen F. Lynch's role in engineering federal grants for a community health center where his wife, Margaret, works and to a substance abuse center where she is a board member.  The story is headlined, "Lynch's wife tied to agencies he won grants for." The report was prepared in the investigative reporting seminar under the direction of Prof. Walter Robinson. Read the story.>>

N.Y. Times Co. and the Boston Globe

Two professors from the School of Journalism were quoted in the separate Boston Globe and N.Y. Times accounts on Oct. 15 about the N.Y. Times Co.'s decision to retain ownership of the Globe. In making the announcement it had rejected two bids, the Times Co. cited its improved financial standing. In the Boston Globe article, Stephen Burgard, director of the school, said the Times Co. apparently found the bids too low to accept, and discussed the paper's positioning in the new media environment.

In the New York Times article, Prof. Dan Kennedy said he believed the Times’ decision to retain ownership might be better for employees and executives of the Globe, who would face uncertainty under a new owner.  He said the New York Times Co. needs to rebuild "credibility with the employees and the community."

Read the Globe story.>>

Read the Times story.>>

Former Globe Reporter Anthony Flint talked about his new book, "Wrestling  with Moses."

Former Boston Globe reporter Anthony Flint talked about about his new book, "Wrestling with Moses: How Jane Jacobs Took On New York's Master Builder and Transformed the American City," on October 22. Flint's interest in urban development started when he covered Boston's City Hall. His book details activist Jane Jacobs' successful flight to save Greenwich Village from over-development. His talk was co-sponsored by the School of Journalism and the School of Architecture.

Alex Jones on "Losing the News"

If quality news reporting is essential to the success of democracy, are we at risk today in the tumultuous new media environment? Alex Jones, director of Harvard's Shorenstein Center, explored this question with students from two classes on Thursday, Oct. 15. Jones is author of a new book, "Losing the News: The Future of the News That Feeds Democracy." He talked about the importance of maintaining the kind of journalism that seeks to find the truth whatever it may be, and that holds public officials accountable.

Prof. Schroeder writes essay for NYT online on Obama's media appearances

Prof. Alan Schroeder has contributed an essay to the "Room for Debate" forum in the September 24 online edition of the New York Times.  The topic is President Obama's recent spate of media appearances, and Schroeder's essay is entitled "No Choice but Ubiquity." Prof. Schroeder has written extensively about the intersection of politics and entertainment, including the 2004 book "Celebrity-in-Chief: How Show Business Took Over the White House." Read the article.>>

Prof. Kennedy participates in lecture on newspapers and public accountability

Prof. Dan Kennedy joined Martin Baron, editor of the Boston Globe, as discussants for Prof. Paul Starr's lecture "Public Accountability After the Age of Newspapers," on October 1.  Prof. Starr is the Stuart Professor of Communications and Public Affairs, Princeton University.  The event was held at Suffolk Law School, Boston.

Prof. Burgard interviewed by NECN on AP's use of photo of dying Marine

Prof. Steve Burgard was interviewed on NECN, September 4, in a segment titled "Photo of Dying Marine Ignites Firestorm of Controversy."  The story dealt with the Associated Press's controversial decision recently to circulate a graphic photo of a N.E. Marine's final moments after being wounded in a grenade attack, and the decision of some newspapers to publish it. Read the text of the interview.>>

Professors Leff and Kennedy represent  the School of Journalism at AEJMC Convention.

Two journalism professors were panelists at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) convention held in Boston August 4 through August 8.  Prof. Laurel Leff moderated a panel on the "Press and the Law" on Wednesday, August 5.  Prof. Dan Kennedy was a panelist on "Social Networking, Social Media:  Facilitating the Pro-Am Approach to Journalism and Building Social Communities," held Tuesday, August 4. To learn more about AEJMC visit the organization's Website.>>

Prof. Schroeder on Pres. Obama's many TV appearances

President Obama's frequent media appearances netted Prof. Alan Schroeder several media appearances of his own.  Prof.Schroeder was quoted in a September 17, New York Times piece titled "Obama the Omnipresent," by Mark Leibovich. In the article, Leibovich asks media experts and President Obama's press staff about Obama's frequent media appearances - five on major networks this past Sunday and on David Letterman's program on Monday, September 20. Read the article.>>  On September 18 he was a guest panelists on PBS's Charlie Rose Show where he discussed President Obama's media strategy. 

On September 20 Prof. Schroeder was quoted in a New York Times story by TV writer Bill Carter about President Obama's appearance on the "David Letterman Show." Read the article.>>

Hostile Groups at Town Hall Meetings

Prof. Alan Schroeder was interviewed on National Public Radio's "All Things Considered" on Aug. 4 for a story entitled “Lawmakers Face Hostile Groups at Town Halls,” regarding organized protests at congressional town hall meetings

The Art of Column Writing in the Digital Age

Today's columnists must adapt just as their news reporter colleagues to changing technology, but be prepared to work more independently of host news organizations. Suzette Martinez Standring, author of "The Art of Column Writing", spoke to Prof. Stephen Burgard's graduate Ethics and Issues class on July 14. Ms. Standring also says readers of on-line columns expect instant updates to previously published work. Now more than ever, fresh, reported columns that offer real news and insightful storytelling will distinguish quality on-line work from the random thoughts of many ordinary bloggers. She is a nationally syndicated columnist with GateHouse News Service for her bi-monthly "Spiritual Life" columns for The Patriot Ledger.

Journalism students blog on Egyptian dissident while studying abroad

Students traveling in the Mideast have been blogging about their experiences, and one report written by Kate Augusto, Danielle Capalbo and Nick Mendez already has produced an exclusive. The political dissident Ayman Nour used an interview with the students to say he would voluntarily return to prison to finish a prison term to protest his treatment after release. The student account got the attention of boston.com's "Worldly Boston" blog. The students left Boston for a five-week trip to three countries in the Middle East - Egypt, Syria and Qatar. Carlene Hempel, a lecturer in the School of Journalism, and Denis Sullivan, professor and director of the Middle East Center for Peace, Culture and Development, led the group from Northeastern. There are 20 undergraduates and six graduate students.  Students will blog about their experiences. The group will return on June 5.  Learn what students are experiencing by visiting their Webpages and their personal blogs. >>

Prof. Schroeder examines Palin-Letterman controversy

Prof. Alan Schroeder writes in Politico on June 16 about the flap between David Letterman and former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin. The article is entitled, "David Letterman issues second mea culpa in Palin spat." In writing about the apologies for a joke about Palin's daughter, he concludes, "For someone in David Letterman’s position this constitutes an unusual concession, one that ought to conclude the contretemps." Prof. Schroeder is the author of a book on celebrities in the White House, and places the controversy in context. "Pop cultural history abounds with instances of pols butting heads with popular show business figures." Read the article. >>

Globe-Guild tentative agreement

On June 24, the Boston Globe reported on a tentative agreement between the Globe's owner, The New York Times, and the Guild, the newspaper's largest union. Stephen Burgard, director of the School of Journalism, was quoted as saying that the pact was good at least for the short term, but that the newspaper's financial situation remained a big challenge. He said, "...it still doesn't remove the onus of coming up with an economic model that makes the paper viable." The tentative agreement awaits a vote from Guild members.  Read the article. >>

Journalism alum puts skills to work, globally

Jessica Hartogs, a 2004 graduate from the School of Journalism, wrote a first-person account about the more than 2,000 illegal migrants in Calis, France, for CNN International's website. The migrants, many fleeing the Talaban in Afghanistan live in plastic tents in the woods. Some are destined for Britain to earn money to send home, according to the article. Ms. Hartogs visited a camp where about 400 men are living in tents in deplorable conditions. Ms. Hartogs is a CNN Producer based in London. Read this interesting story.>>

Prof. Leff named Stotsky Professor

Professor Laurel Leff was selected as the Stotsky Professor of Jewish Historical and Culture Studies, a three-year appointment that begins July 1. As a Stotsky professor, Prof. Leff will present her research findings to the university annually. Prof. Leff is the author of an acclaimed book about the New York Times's coverage of the Holocaust, Buried by the Times. According to NU’s Website about the professorship, "The Stotsky Professor in Jewish Historical and Cultural Studies was established at Northeastern University in 1991 as a result of a generous gift from Dr. Bernard A. Stotsky."

Burgard Addresses Religion, Politics and Obama

Prof. Stephen Burgard gave this year's religion and politics address for the Center for the Study of Democracy at UC Irvine. The talk, "Religion, Politics and Press in the Age of Obama," was given at a conference of California graduate students in political science on May 9. Burgard, director of the school of journalism, said the Obama administration constitutes a new direction in a tradition of civil religion going back to the time of Abraham Lincoln. This incorporates a new multi-religious landscape, and also acknowledges agnostics and non-believers.

Journalism students combine study with travel in Middle East
On May 2, 26 Journalism and Middle East Studies students left Boston for a five-week trip to three countries in the Middle East - Egypt, Syria and Qatar. Carlene Hempel, a lecturer in the School of Journalism, and Denis Sullivan, professor and director of the Middle East Center for Peace, Culture and Development, led the group from Northeastern. There are 20 undergraduates and six graduate students. Students will blog about their experiences. The group will return on June 5. Learn what students are experiencing by visiting their Webpages and their personal blogs. >>     

Students Honored at Awards Night

Graduating seniors and graduate students were honored at the department's annual awards night at the Alumni Center on April 23. David Jackson, a 2009 Nieman fellow from the Chicago Tribune, urged the students to remember the twin "c's" of compassion and curiosity as central to good story telling as they go forward into a changing journalistic environment. Stephen Burgard, director of the school, praised students for their achievements in the classroom and on co-op, and outlined some of the departments evolving offerings in interactive media.

Prof. Schroeder explores Spanish presidential debates

Prof. Alan Schroeder is one of the authors of a newly released Spanish-language book called "El Debate de los Debates 2008," which examines the 2008 presidential debates of Spain and the U.S. from a variety of perspectives.  In connection with the book's publication by the Academia de Television, Schroeder traveled to Spain at the end of April for a series of panel discussions around the country, including events at the Palace of the Senate in Madrid, the Colegio de Periodistas in Barcelona, and the Universidad de Valencia in Valencia.  He also did interviews with more than a dozen Spanish newspapers, radio stations, and TV networks.  Schroeder is an internationally recognized expert on televised political debates.
     Visit the Academia de Television to view photos.>>

Accepted Students Hear Student, Faculty Perspectives

Northeastern's versatile experiential education program was the centerpiece of a recent open house for accepted journalism students. Co-op Coordinator Kelli Murphy outlined the many co-op job opportunities that allow students to get real media experience with a wide range of employers before looking for jobs. Student Casey Ramsdell talked enthusiastically about her co-op experiences and recent work on a student investigation that was published in the Boston Globe.

Prof. Robinson encourages collaboration between journalism schools and the press

Students in Walter Robinson's investigative reporting classes have produced 12 page one stories for the Boston Globe since he joined the faculty in 2007. The most recent article appeared on April 2, as a follow-up to an earlier one on Feb. 16. It found that little had changed since students reported on parking violations by officers at Boston Police headquarters.  The former editor of the Globe's Spotlight Team writes about the potential for collaboration between journalism schools and news organizations in the Spring 2009 Nieman Reports. At a time when news organizations have had to cut back on resources allocated to investigations, leading students can learn and provide a public service at the same time.

Read the Nieman article.>>

Read the Boston Globe article.>>

Prof. Matson's students shape new journalism models for the future

Prof. Liz Matson's online journalism students are creating their own blogs, audio slide/video shows, and filmed interviews. One student, Mark DiSalvo, has a blog on music that has become an outlet for musicians and labels to reach new audiences. Other students are working with him. Some, like Mark, are trying to develop their own business models, to sustain new sites with advertising. Prof. Matson recently told the faculty, "I think it is exciting to see students engaged and creating their own future paths." She used this work as part of her presentation on the future of news at a recent "Conversation Cafe" sponsored by the nonprofit organization Boston Cares.

Array of Experts Visit Prof. Daniloff's Global Reporting Seminar

Prof. Nicholas Daniloff, a former U.S. News & World Report correspondent in Moscow, hosted a distinguished group of foreign affairs experts in his graduate seminar this spring. Among the visitors were: Prof. Mark Kramer of Harvard on today's Russia; Masha Gessen, Harvard researcher and expert on internet in Russia; Prof. Brian Williams and Jim Chiavelli of Northeastern on the U.S. in Afghanistan; David Greenway, former Boston Globe editorial page editor and long-time foreign correspondent, on the Middle East; Prof. Merle Goldman of B.U. on China; Robert Rotberg of Harvard on Africa; Jae Hyun Choi, Nieman fellow, on North/South Korea; Prof. Alan West-Duran of Northeastern on Cuba; Jim Smith, former foreign editor of the Boston Globe, and Florence Gallez, eight years in Moscow for CNN.

Praise for Prof. Fountain's baseball book in Boston Globe

Prof. Charles Fountain's book, "Under the March Sun, The Story of Spring Training" was favorably reviewed by Katherine Powers in the Sunday Boston Globe on April 5. Read other reviews and his blog on his Website. >>

Read the Sunday Globe review. >>

Journalism program attracted star athlete

Brad Thiessen, the goalie of Northeastern's nationally ranked hockey team, chose Northeastern in part because of the strength of its journalism offerings. In an interview March 27 with the Ithaca Journal, Thiessen said he had considered several schools, including Cornell, but concluded, "Northeastern was the total package, with a team that I would get a chance to play [on] right away. They were rebuilding...and I could study journalism, which is what I wanted to major in." 

Prof. Schroeder lectures in Washington on 2008 presidential debates

Prof. Alan Schroeder spoke at George Washington University on March 17 as part of the International Seminar on Elections and Political Campaigns at the Graduate School of Political Management.  His topic was the 2008 American presidential debates.  Prof. Schroeder lectured in Spanish to a group of politicians, political consultants, and government officials from throughout Latin America.

Q&A on spring training with Prof. Fountain

Prof. Charles Fountain was interviewed about his new book, "Under the March Sun - The Story of Spring Training," in news@Northeastern on March 24. Read the interview.>>  For more information about his book visit his Website.>>

Bill Kirtz reports for Poynter.org on Boston-area journalism events

Prof. Bill Kirtz has two recent Poynter.org articles, one on the Nieman Narrative Conference and the other an interview with winners of Harvard's Goldsmith Awards. In the two articles, distinguished reporters talk about the keys to various kinds of good reporting and writing. The Goldsmith honorees spoke at a session on March 18 titled, "The Present and Future of Investigative Reporting." At the Nieman Narrative Conference, writers shared tips for good storytelling. Prof. Kirtz's articles can be read at poynter.org.>>

Former graduate student honored at Journalists Memorial

Karen Fischer, who received her master’s degree in journalism in 2000, will be honored at the annual rededication of the Journalists Memorial, located at the Newseum in Washington on March 30. Ms. Fischer was killed while reporting in Afghanistan in 2006. The memorial honors nearly 2,000 reporters, photographers and broadcasters who have died covering the news. The program also will recognize the 62 journalists who lost their lives in 2008. Prof. Laurel Leff, one of Ms. Fischer’s professors, will attend the event.

Prof. Leff, at Univ. of Utah, speaks on New York Times & Holocaust

During the week of March 1, Prof. Laurel Leff was a visitor at the University of Utah. Prof. Leff discussed her book, "Buried by the Times," with four communications classes. While in Utah, she also spoke at the Salt Lake City Public Library’s "Memory and the Media" forum. The program was simulcast on KCPW, the local NPR station. Hear the podcast.>>

Journalism Faculty Interviewed by NECN

Professors Dan Kennedy and Stephen D. Burgard, director of the school, were interviewed for a NECN report March 10 on newspapers' financial problems. Professor Kennedy questioned the low valuation of the Boston Globe given by the financial analyst Douglas McIntyre for some dailies in his blog "24/7 Wall Street." Prof. Burgard explained that the economic difficulties of the industry during the Internet era began earlier during a period of corporate ownership. Prof. Kennedy spoke on the future of news media at a forum on March 6 sponsored by the Harvard Institute for Learning in Retirement.

Student News Director Cites Journalism Program

A new weekly hour-long program on WRBB, Northeastern's student radio station, has students reporting on the Northeastern community. Marshall Brennan, news director, told the Huntington News that this was in part attributable to the strength of the journalism program, which should inspire students to write and air their own news. "[I thought] we have all this firepower and great talent here, so why are we quoting CNN [?]," he told the newspaper.

Student Reporters Investigate Parking Violations at Boston Police Headquarters

Students in Prof. Walter Robinson's Investigative Reporting class uncovered evidence that Boston Police Department employees routinely park without penalty in restricted parking zones around headquarters. The story, with bylines for graduate students Colby Cremins and Emily K. Williams, appeared on the front page of the Boston Globe on Feb. 16. Graduate student Jennifer Skala, and undergraduate students Anne Baker, Danielle Capalbo, Emma Johnson, and Casey Ramsdell, contributed to the reporting along with Maria Cramer, a Globe staff reporter. Prof. Robinson is a former editor of the Globe Spotlight Team.

Read the article.>>

Honors for Prof. Schroeder's Book On Debates

Alan Schroeder's "Presidential Debates: 50 Years of High-Risk TV" has been named one of the ten outstanding political books of 2008 by a Madrid-based organization of academics, political professionals and media specialists. President Obama's "Audacity of Hope," Malcolm Gladwell's "Outliers," and George Lakoff's "The Political Mind" were some other titles on the list for the Asociacion de Comunicacion Politica (ACOP). Prof. Schroeder recently spoke in Madrid about presidential debates in the United States and Spain.

Prof. Charles Fountain's Book on Baseball Spring Training is Out

Prof. Charles Fountain's Under the March Sun: the Story of Spring Training is now available in bookstores, just in time for the start of baseball's annual ritual. The book discusses the history and growth of spring training, and provides insights into the personalities of the game's legendary players and sportswriters. To read more about Under the March Sun or to order a copy visit Prof. Fountain's Web site at http://underthemarchsun.com/.  

Read Prof. Fountain's interview with a Florida newspaper about future spring training locations.  His blog for the Boston Globe on Vero Beach without the Dodgers is at boston.com.

What Reporters Must Know

Journalism classes are helpful, but reporters also must know the Bible, American and English literature and Shakespeare to succeed, says David Shribman, executive editor of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. His point: the better-stocked your mind, the more you can put events into perspective as a reporter or columnist. Mr. Shribman, a Pulitzer Prize winner, spoke to journalism students on Feb. 18 after delivering a lecture on the presidency for the political science department.

Author Speaks on Censorship in Putin's Russia

Masha Gessen, a Russian-American journalist, spoke on "The New Censorship" in Putin's Russia on Feb. 10 in Prof. Nicholas Daniloff's undergraduate ethics class. Ms. Gessen is the author of Blood Matters and Ester and Ruzya: How My Grandmothers Survived Hitlers War and Stalin's Peace.

Journalism Professors Share Their Expertise with News Professionals at NEPA Convention and Trade Show

Editors and reporters from around the region gathered recently at the New England Press Association's Annual Convention and Trade Show at the Park Plaza Hotel in Boston. Several members of the faculty conducted workshops in their areas of expertise. Prof. Dan Kennedy presented "News Reporting – Blogging and the Media," Prof. Liz Matson presented "Writing for the Web," and Walter Robinson led a workshop on Investigative Reporting. Link McKie oversaw convention coverage for the NEPA Bulletin.

Scholarship Winners Announced

The New England Press Educational Foundation awarded scholarships to three undergraduate journalism students. They are juniors, Kate Augusto and Jeff Miranda, and senior Daniel Peleschuk. The scholarships were awarded during the New England Press Association’s Hall of Fame reception, February 6.

Will "Truth" Still Be a Libel Defense?

In his Feb. 17 weekly column in The Guardian, Prof. Dan Kennedy warns that an opinion by a three-judge federal appeals panel on Feb. 13 is an "assault on the long-established American legal principle that truth is an absolute defense against a libel suit." The ruling, written by Judge Juan Torruella, uses an obscure 1902 Massachusetts law to raise the possibility that truth may no longer by an absolute defense in a libel suit in Massachusetts. Read the article.>>

Sean Kelly, Channel 5 Reporter, Talks to Journalism 3 Class

Sean Kelly, a reporter for WCVB-TV, Channel 5 in Boston, spoke to students on Feb. 5 about ethical decisions that come up while doing investigative stories for TV. He also talked about the skills needed to report effectively as technology constantly changes. Mr. Kelly was a guest speaker in the Journalism 3 course taught by Mary Cardaras, a part-time instructor.

Prof. Walter Robinson Quoted in Patriot Ledger on Proposed Bill to Bar Access to Census Data

Census data listing names and addresses of residents is public information that shouldn't be restricted, says Walter Robinson, director of the New England First Amendment Center at Northeastern. The Patriot Ledger reported on Jan. 14 that proposed state legislation would limit access in the interest of protecting against identity theft. Prof. Robinson, a former editor of the Boston Globe Spotlight Team, was quoted as saying, This legislation is an example of a disturbing trend in Massachusetts and other states, in which public officials sometimes believe that the citizens who hold them accountable have no right to look through the window on government..."

For more information on the bill visit the First Amendment Center Web site.

Jack Driscoll Publishes "How-To" Book on Citizen Journalism

Jack Driscoll was a leading newspaperman for many years, celebrated for his production and managerial skills in the top editing positions at the Boston Globe. In recent times, this Northeastern alumnus has been thinking about the future as editor-in-residence at the MIT Media Laboratory. Now he has written a book entitled, "Couch Potatoes Sprout: The Rise of Online Community Journalism." He says the book "...is written for youth and adult novices, not professionals. My hope is to demystify the process for those who might want to join or start a group." For more information, visit www.xlibris.com.

Pulitzer Prize-Winning Boston Globe Reporter Creates Investigative Journalism Courses at Northeastern University

Distinguished Professor Walter Robinson introduced two innovative investigative reporting courses to Northeastern’s School of Journalism. Selected based on faculty recommendations and student work, the small groups of students work together to uncover their stories and divvy up the reporting and research as Robinson acts as their editor. He helps to guide them throughout the practice of “prospecting” a story and spends several classes discussing the process of interviewing. In the Spring and Fall semesters' of '07, the students produced six page one investigative stories that ran in The Boston Globe.

The First Amendment Center is now online

The New England First Amendment Center, a joint undertaking of the New England First Amendment Coalition and Northeastern's School of Journalism, will focus on issues involving news media and citizen access to public records and meetings. The Center's website will provide information about public access and First Amendment issues throughout New England and around the nation.

New Graduate Concentration

The School of Journalism in partnership with the new School of Social Science, Urban Affairs and Public Policy is offering a new concentration in journalism and public policy. Other concentrations in the journalism graduate program are professional and research. The graduate journalism program is currently accepting applications for all three concentrations.

Newsmakers from the School of Journalism

See a list of recent newsmakers in the School of Journalism, listed on the College of Arts & Sciences website.