2009 BYU COMMS Magazine by Byu Cfac

COMMS Alumni & Friends Magazine

The Brigham Young Department of Communications Celebrating Seventy-Five Years of Excellence

HAIR’S LETTER

BYU’s Department of Communications is celebrating its 75th year. As I think about that milestone, I realize that eight years—the length of my own history with the department—is a relatively small amount of time. I am one of the few in this department who did not have previous experience with BYU before joining the faculty. This has allowed me to appreciate the unique culture and purpose of this university and of the communications program. However, I also sometimes feel pangs of jealously when I hear some of my faculty colleagues talk about working at the Daily Universe together “way back when.” Ultimately, I have come to recognize a truth that applies to us all—that no matter when or how long our time in this department, each of us shares an opportunity to contribute to and benefit from its strength. This magazine honors our past, celebrates our present and anticipates our future. As you turn its pages, we hope you realize, as we do, how important you are to what we do. In the end, it is the people we know who really connect us back to BYU—professors, staff and classmates linked by the past, create our bridge to the future. Our staff, students and programs have achieved remarkable success in both the professional and academic fields. The department continues to focus on helping students understand how to find and critically analyze information and present it in a way that most effectively reaches their audiences. The new media channels available today have provided both opportunities and challenges, and the department is learning how to incorporate those tools within our curriculum and student labs. In the midst of these changes, however, the basic principles of professionalism, strong writing and research skills and ethics remain the same because they are our foundation. Going forward, we’ll stay true to our past while looking to the future. Our past reminds us of how much we owe our present accomplishments to the service of those who came before us. Looking to the future will help us map out the challenging landscape ahead, encourage innovation and perpetuate our commitment to excellence. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as chair of the department during these exciting times. I’m also grateful to you, our friends and alumni, for the vital role you have played and will continue to play. This year we are renewing our efforts to reach out and establish an ongoing dialogue with all who have been a part of BYU’s Department of Communications. We hope you will accept our invitation to help make the next 75 years even more remarkable. Appreciatively,

Dr. Brad Rawlins

Department of Communications 801-422-2997 http://comms.byu.edu comms_secretary@byu.edu Department Chair . . . . Brad Rawlins Associate Chairs Undergraduate Studies . . . Ed Carter Graduate Studies . . . . . . Kevin Stoker

Administrative Assistant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lesley Price Director of Internships . . Connie Cluff Business Manager . . . Layne Peterson Outreach . . . . . . . . . Jacey Reynolds

Emphasis Leaders Kevin Kelly . . . . . . . . . Advertising Dale Cressman . . . . . . . . Broadcast Steve Thomsen . . . . . Comms Studies Quint Randle . . . . . . . . . . . . Print Kenneth Plowman . . Public Relations

ONTENTS

School News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Annual Alumni and Friends Magazine Editor-in-Chief Michael J. Wilson

Layout & Design Scott Bowen Cover Design Nathan Wigglesworth Senior Editors Camilla Hodge Courtney Waters Jeff DuBois Rachel Call Copy Editors Jacey Reynolds Laurie J. Wilson Lynda H. Wilson Susan B. Walton

Contributing Writers Ann Packard Allison Barker Carol Garcia Emily Bennion Jenn Kissell Karly Staples Kourtney Welte Lindsay Crandall Michael J. Wilson Nat Harward Rachel Call Ryan Bytheway Tiffany Sollis Todd Holbrook

Department History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Brimhall building . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Roots of the Department . . . . . . . . . . 14

Ad Lab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Bradley Public relations . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Daily Universe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Eye-Tracking Lab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Broadcast Lab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Byu Communications: A Timeline . . . . .22

Notes From the Field . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Broadcast Alumni Honored . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Alumni Updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Alumni Highlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Welcoming New Faculty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Faculty Highlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Editor’s Note The administration’s decision to produce the 2008-2009 edition of the BYU Department of Communications Alumni and Friends magazine on-site, in the newly reorganized Bradley Public Relations Agency, proved to be both a challenge and a pleasure for everyone involved. Our studentrun firm was stretched to new limits and the skill sets learned and developed have given each member of our team a wealth of experiences that are invaluable to young professionals looking to enter today’s competitive workforce. We hope you enjoy this contribution to both the university’s and the department’s rich history as we celebrate and look back on 75 years of excellence.

Sincerely,

Michael J. Wilson Editor-in-Chief

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chool News Beckham Lecture

edia may incorporated the theme “Truth Restored.” play an One of the campaigns was designed by unprecedented BYU advertising faculty and students. role in missionary Ultimately, two of the four campaigns work for The were approved by the Quorum of the Church of Jesus Twelve Apostles. Christ of LatterWith campaigns selected, dozens of day Saints, television and radio commercials were according to created. Print ads appeared in national the 2008 Prof. Kevin Kelly Raymond E. and Ida Lee Beckham Lecture in Communications, delivered by Kevin Kelly, associate professor of communications. Kelly discussed the direction of media and missionary work in his lecture, Truth Restored: The development and progress of the Church’s ground-breaking media test and how it could change the way we do missionary work. Under the direction of Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Kelly chaired a committee of LDS communications professionals. The committee examined whether media messages could create teaching opportunities for missionaries and inspire members An example of the Church’s new ads used in Prof. Kelly’s lecture (Photo courtesy The Church of Jesus of the Church to get more involved Christ of Latter-day Saints). with missionary work. Kelly highlighted some of the research, ideas and results from the magazines such as Time, Newsweek committee’s efforts. Committee members and Sports Illustrated. The advertising created four initial campaigns that campaign also included banner ads for the

Internet, billboards and new pass-along cards for members and missionaries, all of which conveyed the message: The truth about life’s greatest questions is now restored. The messages were designed to promote gospel discussions between members and investigators, and to give people a clearer view of the Church’s beliefs and core values. Test markets received intense rollout of the materials from May through December 2007. The eightmonth test revealed that many people have deep, unanswered questions about their purpose in life and their relationship with God. The campaign encouraged individuals with questions to seek answers at Mormon.org, the Church’s Web site for investigators. The site was revised to answer those questions and included testimonies of converts and a chatting feature that allowed those interested to receive an immediate response. “It was a marvelous experience for me to be involved in this effort and to see the Church move in this direction,” Kelly said. “It was a joy to be able to apply the advertising skills I’ve developed over 30 years to a Church project like this.” The Raymond E. and Ida Lee Beckham Lecture in Communications was created in 1995 by Raymond E. Beckham, in honor of his late wife.

Raymond E. Beckham Raymond E. Beckham easily falls under the definition of pioneer: one who leads for others to follow. Beckham taught advertising and public relations at BYU for 21 years, during which time he established the New York Internship Program for communications students. His influence shaped not only the communications program but also the university. He played football as a halfback for BYU, and later became a founding member of the Cougar Club; however, nowhere has his influence been more strongly felt than through his service in the Department of Communications.

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Students work for “More Good”

ommunications students at BYU have taken to heart the counsel of Elder M. Russell Ballard urging Church members to spread gospel messages through new media. “The emergence of new media is facilitating a worldwide conversation on almost every subject, including religion, and nearly everyone can participate,” Elder Ballard said. “This modern equivalent of

“Text, video, blogs and other online venues are accessible to those seeking truth from Tooele to Tokyo.” the printing press is not reserved only for the elite.” (Ensign, July 2008, p. 58) The Ad Lab and Bradley Public Relations recently did their part by offering their services to the More Good Foundation (www.moregoodfoundation. org). The foundation, a nonprofit organization, shows Latter-day Saints how to share their beliefs online. David Neeleman, founder and former CEO of JetBlue Airways, and James Engebretsen, assistant dean of the BYU Marriott School, created the foundation (which is not affiliated with the Church) in 2005. Its goal is to increase positive and accurate information about the Church on the Internet and to provide Web applications to assist and support members in sharing their life experiences online. In its three years of operation, the foundation has created approximately 125 Web sites that invite friends of other faiths to hear the gospel from ordinary members of the Church. These sites include

Mormonbeliefs.org, Christ.org, LDS.net, Mormonwoman.org, Mormonchurch.com and many others, with translations into nearly a dozen languages. “Returned missionaries, as well as individual members of the Church, often feel there is less to do here in Utah Valley to share the message of the Restoration,” said Karen Merkley, director of marketing and public relations for the foundation. “Now the world really is at their fingertips and their voices can be published almost instantly in text, video, blogs and other online venues that are accessible to those seeking truth from Tooele to Tokyo. Our potential outreach is exponentially increased.” Under the direction of Kevin Kelly and Jeff Sheets, the Ad Lab organized teams of students to develop a marketing brand, identify Internet super-users who may contribute to the sites and create potential ads and e-cards for use on the foundation’s sites. Mark Callister and Brad Rawlins, along with Jeff DuBois of Bradley Public Relations, also got their students involved. They developed and sent out an online survey to a sample of LDS respondents. They examined the attitudes, knowledge and behaviors regarding Internet usage of the 700 respondents. More specifically, the students measured the users’ level of comfort in sharing their religious beliefs online with friends. They analyzed the results and presented their findings to the foundation. Jonathan Johnson, president of the More Good Foundation, was excited to see the results the Ad Lab and public relations classes and agency produced. “The amount of research and quality of the results they provided actually exceeded my expectations and will influence our

venues and the paths we pursue,” Johnson said. “We’re thrilled that this kind of interdepartmental effort was initiated for such a significant nonprofit cause.” Students who participated in the project felt fortunate to have the opportunity to gain not only work experience but also to be a part of something that could help spread the gospel globally. “I feel the More Good Foundation account exemplifies something that sets our program apart from all other advertising programs,” said Kevin Wunder, a student who acted as the foundation’s advertising account executive throughout the project. “The Ad Lab is an amazing thing for students because we are able to work with big brands like Nike, yet our professors always jump at the chance for us to work with an organization like More Good. They always want us to remember that our advertising abilities are not only meant to make us a living, but also to better the lives of those around us and move the kingdom forward.” How to Participate in the Online Discussion 1. Participate at LDS.net. 2. Share your beliefs on Facebook. 3. Post a video on a video-sharing Web site. 4. Support Mormon videos on YouTube. 5. Post mission and wedding photos on Flickr. 6. Answer a question at Yahoo! Answers. 7. Blog what you’ve learned and how you know. 8. Comment on other blogs. 9. Edit Wikipedia.org or MormonWiki.com. 10. Donate to or volunteer with the More Good Foundation www.moregoodfoundation.org

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chool News

Daily Universe Brings Home Gold

he Daily Universe brought home the gold from a national newspaper competition. In addition to earning the top spot—first place in overall excellence—the Daily Universe placed in 13 other categories and earned three honorable mentions. There were more than 2,000 entries in the 2008 Better Newspapers and Better Newspaper Advertising contest, hosted by the National Newspaper Association. A total of 592 of those awards were won by just 134 of the competing newspapers. The Daily Universe competed with other small-to medium-sized newspapers, not just other college publications.

The Daily Universe won first place for best single color ad idea (Ad by Elizabeth Egan).

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“We do very well, and have done for the last couple of years,” said Kaylene Armstrong, former editorial director, who submitted last year’s entries. “It just goes to show that we really can stand up against the big kids.” And stand up they did. The Daily Universe earned top rankings in Best Editorial, Best Sales Promotion Section and Best Single Ad Idea in both the black and white and color categories. “It’s the second year that we’ve swept advertising,” said Warren Bingham, the advertising, design and layout manager at the Daily Universe. “My reaction was, ‘yeah, alright!’” It took work and creativity to sweep the top three places in advertising. The ad campaign that won first place for Best Sales Promotion in a daily newspaper was put together by students Anthony Fonseca and Alyssa Watson, and was called the Twelve Days of Christmas. It lasted nearly two weeks and involved hundreds of eager students vying for prizes like a Nintendo Wii or a plasma TV. “Basically, we were just seeing if we could tick off Santa,” Bingham said. “Instead of writing letters to Santa, why not just enter the DU contest and win much cooler stuff?” Experiences like these at the Daily Universe are what give students as much, if not more, experience as working for a local paper. “One of our former managing editors applied for an internship near her hometown,” Armstrong said. “At

This is a portion of the 12 Days of Christmas promotion that won first place (Ad by Anthony Fonseca & Alyssa Watson).

first they turned her down, saying, ‘You’re way over-qualified.’ They were surprised hat she had such solid experience at her college newspaper.” Bingham is just as confident about the advertising students he works with at the paper. “There are some wonderfully talented students here,” he said. “Plus we have more fun.” The Daily Universe also received honorable mentions in Best Newspaper Web site, Best Multiple Advertiser Section and Best Newspaper Promotion.

Ad Team Wins International Contest

hree BYU advertising students won an international marketing competition in 2008 that pitted them against other college students from around the globe. This is the second year BYU students

created an entire marketing campaign and international competition. packaging for the new product. “The atmosphere in the club we met in “It’s the most rewarding process for me was perfect for what we were doing,” as a teacher to see students start to make Miller said. an amazing plan,” said Jeff Sheets, manager For their time and creativity, Team of the BYU Advanced Advertising Lab. MBM won €10,000 (about $15,000) toward “To know they had a a trip of their choice. Though rules state venue. To know I had that the three students must take the trip a hand in together, the team convinced L’Oreal to the process.” allow them to split their winnings “We wanted to three ways. do color-changing “Monica did a month-long backpacking bottles and stuff like trip through Europe,” Miller said. “Blake’s that,” Miller said. still deciding and I’m going to use mine for “[But] the Vichy my honeymoon, probably to go brand was very to Thailand.” clinical. We had to Sheets said he enjoyed his role as a change it and make it mentor to Team MBM, and loves working cool and clinical.” with advertising students. Combining “Working hands-on with the students is Team MBM pitching their ideas and slides (Photo courtesy L’Oreal). imagination and why I work here at BYU,” he said. “That’s have entered the L’Oreal Brandstorm intellect, Team MBM created Shade—a why we built the Ad Lab.” competition—and the second time they’ve trendy product line reached the international finals after of sunscreen lotions, having won the national competition. foams and wipes in Matt Miller, Blake Hadley and Monica bottles shaped like McGhie (Team MBM) stormed past the sunglasses. Team competition to create a winning campaign MBM used humorous for Vichy Capital Soleil, a sunscreen and and age-appropriate skincare product. They targeted teens and taglines such as “Avoid young adults ages 13 to 25. the UV hangover,” and “What [L’Oreal executives] liked about “Have safe sun” on their us was that our campaign was creative but advertisements. The doable,” said Matt Miller. “You have to find bottles of Shade products that balance between being innovative and came in snap-shut cases, Monica McGhie, Blake Hadley, Matt Miller and adviser Jeff Sheets in maintaining the reality of the brand.” completing the Paris (Photo courtesy L’Oreal). Hundreds of universities from five sunglasses theme. continents entered the competition. The After winning the national qualifier in students entered in teams of three, and New York, Team MBM flew to Paris for the

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chool News

PRSSA: Increasing National Involvement

he Rulon L. Bradley Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America has gained national recognition and dramatically increased student involvement on both the national and local level this past year. This year, BYU’s chapter of PRSSA has two students on the national committee: Tyler Page and Cindy Badger. Page was

run firms, such as BYU’s own Bradley Public Relations. As the editor-in-chief for FORUM, Badger is responsible for supervising all aspects of the publication from layout and design to the budget for each issue. She works with a dedicated team of BYU students to create a professional publication. One of Badger’s main initiatives has been to create an online version of FORUM. Hosting the newspaper gives students a chance to be nationally published— a unique experience that will allow many PRSSA students to build their portfolios and their resumes. Seven BYU Back row (L to R): Kevin Earl, Jake Davis, Carrie Van Dusen, Mike Wilson. students attended Front row: Tyler Page, Rachel Call, Susan Walton (PRSSA chapter adviser), Cindy Badger, Laura Peers in Detroit (Photo by Kevin Earl). the PRSSA national elected vice president of professional conference in Detroit this year, adding to development at national assembly last the chapter’s national involvement and March by delegates from chapters across recognition. BYU’s national committee the country. BYU was also selected to host members, some chapter executive board FORUM, PRSSA’s national newspaper and members and a few other students Badger was appointed as this year’s editorattended the week-long conference in-chief. where they heard from prestigious public Page is responsible for helping all PRSSA chapters maintain relationships with their local PRSA chapters and with professional advisers. Page also manages the PRSSA blog and supervises student-

relations professionals, gained career advice and learned how to develop BYU’s chapter. The conference was an incredible experience for students to network with professionals, PRSA members and major employers. The connections made between students from BYU and students from other chapters were equally valuable. Executive board members met with their counterparts from chapters across the nation and shared ideas, insights and personal experiences. At national conference, BYU’s chapter was presented with the Dr. F. H. Teahan award for outstanding chapter newsletter. The chapter’s newsletter was singled out for its quality, design and content. The chapter newsletter is published monthly and is managed and produced entirely by PRSSA members. In March, PRSSA will send a potential national committee member and a delegate to the national assembly in New Orleans. The delegate will vote on the candidates for next year’s national committee. BYU’s candidate will have the opportunity to run for a position and represent the university and the Department of Communications as he or she works closely with PRSSA and other committee members to support local chapters. A BYU student on the national

PRSSA

Tomorrow’s Experiences Today

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BYUPRSSA

Carrie Van Dusen (left) networking with UNC-Charlotte student Lucky Austin (Photo by Kevin Earl).

committee is an honor for the public relations program and keeps the chapter involved on a national level. National involvement is also a driving force that keeps BYU chapter members dedicated to PRSSA and the public relations field. The chapter also continues to compete in various national competitions. Five PRSSA students are entered in the 2009 Bateman Case Study Competition. In this national, annual event students compete for the prestigious award by creating and executing a detailed public relations campaign for an actual client. The team is working closely with faculty members, dedicating much of their time and creativity to creating a campaign for the

Consumer Bankers Association’s College Bound Aid program. Locally, PRSSA strives to connect students. Student-to-student connections are fostered at PRSSA activities and as students participate on committees that facilitate PRSSA and community projects. The Interlock Program is designed to match students with professionals who have experience in areas of public relations that interest students. Students and mentors are lined up and encouraged to meet on a monthly basis to discuss issues and careers in public relations. By aligning students and professionals based on interests and experience, the Interlock Program more precisely caters to students’ needs. Students can ask their mentors questions and get advice from, and network with, professionals who have careers similar to what they are seeking. The Interlock program was recognized nationally at PRSSA’s national conference in 2007 when four BYU students gave a chapter development presentation on the program. By having students on the PRSSA national committee, hosting FORUM, participating in national competitions and maintaining a strong mentorship program, the Rulon L. Bradley Chapter of PRSSA continues local and national activity to

produce outstanding future public relations professionals. As the chapter maintains its decades-long tradition of involvement, it will make many more great strides in continuing to be nationally recognized as a chapter and public relations program and in providing the best experience possible for the public relations professionals of tomorrow.

The Renaissance Center is home to General Motors’ international headquarters in Detroit and housed the 2008 national PRSA and PRSSA conferences in October (Photo by Kevin Earl).

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chool News

What We Learned and What We Gained: A Retrospective on CEPR This article was written by Dr. Laurie J. Wilson, Ph.D., for the Public Relations Society of America and is reprinted with its permission.

In 1989, PRSA Dr. Laurie J. Wilson established its Certification in Education for Public Relations (CEPR) program and, in 1990, BYU became the first public relations program in the nation to receive this prestigious certification. In October 2008, the public relations program was reviewed for CEPR for the third time and again received highest honors.

eing a public relations education program certified by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) gives our program status. However, status is probably the least of the benefits emanating from the CEPR process. Because we have recently gone through the process of being certified for the third time, the effort—and it is effort—is fresh in our minds. We believe the public relations program at BYU provides quality education; our graduates are among the best in the nation. It would be easy to become complacent and, well, lazy. The introspection required by CEPR is probably the greatest realized

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benefit. Having chaired the undergraduate education committee for the Commission on Public Relations Education and having personally directed the latest revision of PRSA’s CEPR standards, I am fully committed to them as a guide for excellent public relations education. Nevertheless, thorough examination and documentation of our compliance with those standards was extremely valuable and led to changes and improvements of our own design even before the site visitors appeared on campus. Their ideas and suggestions stimulated even more enhancements. That self-examination and reflection earned respect for us among our administrators as well. Any discipline willing to examine itself against recognized standards, and to invite the external review of recognized experts, is automatically accorded respect among administrators. The diligence of the site visitors in interviewing members of our administration while examining the university’s policies and procedures enhanced the credibility and prestige of the review process and subsequent CEPR credential. The exit interviews with key administrators reinforced the excellence of our program and its value and the contribution of our faculty to the university’s overall mission. This recognition will translate to improved consideration for technology and other resources critical to our staying current in public relations education. Finally, the endorsement of our educational program by recognized

educators and professionals external to our university means the degree our graduates possess is respected and valued throughout the profession and in the business world. We were not just reviewed by a professional and an educator on campus; the entire membership of PRSA’s Educational Affairs Committee reviewed the report and voted unanimously that we were a program worthy of certification by the world’s leading society of public relations professionals. While CEPR is a credential awarded to the public relations program at BYU, it is also a credential carried by the university which sponsors the program, by the Department of Communications at BYU which houses the program, by the public relations faculty as professionals who design and maintain the quality of education and by graduates who meet the stringent requirements of a certified program. Clearly, CEPR is a win, win, win, win situation. And now we go into the next six years, determined to do the things which will make the process a little easier next time! But there is no question that there will be a next time. See you in six years! As a tenured professor in the Department of Communications, Dr. Wilson has filled multiple positions for the department, the university and both the Public Relations Society of America and the Public Relations Student Society of America. In 2001, she was recognized as PRSA’s Outstanding Educator.

Internships: Would you like cream and Sugar?

ometimes the scenario associated with interns includes getting coffee and making photocopies—only one of which most BYU students have ever done. Fortunately, internships can be much more than espresso runs and doublesided printing. Because the Department of Communications requires all students to participate in an approved, forcredit internship before graduating, most seniors in the program work with faculty and professional advisers to procure positions at some of the world’s premier agencies, firms, government or nonprofit organizations. “Internships are actually a win-win-win situation for the student, the employer and the department,” said Connie Cluff, director of internship and career services. “They give the student an opportunity to work in a corporate, agency or not-forprofit environment; the employer a chance to ‘test-drive’ potential new employees; the department an opportunity to showcase the talent of its students and build a larger, stronger base of potential employers.” Many students have found their internships to be not only a stepping stone to graduation, but also an opportunity to gain work experience and put them one step ahead of other young professionals. Michael Wilson, a senior in the public relations program, interned this summer with the Scottish National Party’s Press and Research Office at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, Scotland. While there, he had an opportunity to generate country-wide media market analyses, evaluate opposing parties’ voting trends

and build information and strategy packets for parliamentary debates. “Working in international politics has always been a goal and ambition of mine,” Wilson said. “It renewed my faith in politicians and gave me fantastic experiences that I know few other students will have as I prepare to graduate and enter the workplace.” Kevin Wunder, a senior in the advertising program, interned at Lowe and Partners Worldwide in New York as a communications strategist. As an intern,

“Internships are actually a winwin-win situation for the student, the employer and the department.” he worked closely with one of the agency’s global executives and assisted in laying the groundwork for a new international advertising effort. “Working in New York under such an impressive tutelage taught me a great deal about how the industry works and how to apply what I have learned in the classroom,” Wunder said. “The experience was priceless.” Experiences like these are invaluable for students studying communications at BYU. While photocopies and the occasional coffee run may creep into a student’s internship experience, those tasks

are overshadowed by the value of learning new skill sets and hands-on application of classroom knowledge. These experiences are made possible by the generosity of distinguished donors and alumni, as well as the hard work and dedication of the department’s faculty and staff. The Fackerell, Quade and Rich Long Dow Chemical scholarships are examples of the generous resources available to students to fund their internship experiences in the New York and Chicago programs. While the department has benefited from some very generous donations, there is still a significant need for additional support. Those interested in working with the department to provide students with new internship opportunities or donate to its scholarship fund should contact the department office at 801-422-2997.

Chicago is one of the program’s internship locations (Photo by Michael Wilson).

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chool News Alumni Outreach Efforts

hange is the constant in the Department of Communications. Now settled into the Brimhall building, the department has renewed its commitment to its alumni. As part of its effort to reconnect with alumni, faculty and students are now working to publish a blog, a quarterly newsletter, an annual magazine, a LinkedIn group and an online alumni survey. “Our main goal is to get a better idea of where our alumni are and what they are doing in terms of their personal and professional lives,” said Jacey Reynolds, outreach coordinator for the department. “The end result of our efforts will help our alumni feel connected to us and to one another through the blog, networking and our various publications.” The department’s blog (www.byucomms.org) aims to provide a social and professional hub for students, prospective students and alumni, according to Patrick Hernandez, a student serving as director of creative services for the blog. “It will be a place for students and professionals to discuss current trends in communication fields and get better insight into

“Our main goal is to get a better idea of where our alumni are and what they are doing in terms of their personal and professional lives.” the department and its programs,” Hernandez said. The blog is maintained and produced by students, giving them an opportunity to get experience in new media and public relations. It allows students to use and understand nontraditional media. “We hope the blog will become one of a few avenues that alumni can use to connect with one another,” Reynolds said. “Our goal is to make it as interactive and user-friendly as possible.” A digital newsletter is scheduled to be published quarterly. The newsletter will feature new faculty, recent achievements of students—both past and present—and other relevant events. LinkedIn, a professional networking site, is now being used to connect alumni. Students and alumni can join the BYU

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Connect with the Department 1. Department blog: byucomms.org 2. Department newsletter: newsletter.byucomms.org 3. Department homepage: comms.byu.edu 4. LinkedIn group: byucommsgroup.com 5. Facebook: BYU Communications 6. Flickr: flickr.com/groups/byucomms 7. Twitter: twitter.com/byucomms communications group by going to www.byucommsgroup.com. “This will hopefully provide many more opportunities to participate in programs such as mentoring and internships,” Reynolds said. “Many of our alumni have expressed a strong desire to give back to the department and students in those ways. We want to provide such opportunities to all who are interested.” The magazine is also a great way for alumni to catch up on changes and developments in the department like new facilities in the Brimhall building and the award-winning programs housed there. The department wants to use its new outreach initiatives to encourage alumni to be more involved and instill a sense of pride in them when they think of their alma mater. In the end, the department hopes to create an enduring network of students and alumni that will connect the generations and progress BYU’s image and mission. “The department sees the need to improve outreach efforts,” said Jeff DuBois, manager of Bradley Public Relations. “We want to re-engage alumni because we realize our success as a program moving forward will, in part, be dependent on keeping in touch with them.”

Hearst Journalism Awards

YU’s broadcasting program ranked fifth overall in this year’s Intercollegiate Hearst Journalism Awards—the equivalent of a Pulitzer Prize for journalism students. Twenty-seven universities entered the broadcast category of the competition, which included both television and radio. “As a BYU broadcasting alum with 25 years of television news experience, I can say with confidence that the current program is outstanding,” said Ruth Todd, an instructor at BYU who has worked as a journalist in markets across the country including Utah, Arizona and Washington, D.C. “I am now teaching here and am consistently impressed with the intellect, ability and dedication of my broadcast students. This BYU program prepares

them well to enter the competitive world of broadcasting and excel professionally while making a difference for good at the same time.” BYU has consistently placed in the top

“The success of the broadcast program depends on the integrity and desires of the students.” five of this competition, and was ranked first two years ago. The BYU broadcasting faculty is confident their facilities and programs are some of the best in the nation. “We have three broadcast faculty

Broadcast students prepare for the “Daily News” (Photo by Rachel Call).

and two professionals working with our broadcast students,” said Dale Cressman, a member of the broadcast faculty. “For the resources available, we over-performed.” Jason Sparks, who has since graduated from the program, took sixth in the radio division. Although Sparks was the only student from BYU who ranked in the top 10, the other three students who entered the competition represented the program well, including Caitlin Hansen and Mallory Minster, who submitted entries in the television category. “The success of the broadcast program depends on the integrity and desires of the students,” Cressman said. “We get high quality students who are in it for the right reasons. The program only enhances them.”

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History 75 Years in the Making, Infinite Possibilities for the Future

Brimhall Building: Coming Full Circle

f the walls of the Brimhall building could talk, they would tell stories of auto mechanics, blacksmithing, art displays and, more recently, newscasts and press releases. Because, before it became home to the Department of Communications, the building housed many other departments. Constructed in 1918 with only the Karl G. Maeser building farther to the southwest, the one-story structure sat on “Temple Hill.” This land was part of a 17acre plot bought by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which most people anticipated would be the site for a future temple. However, BYU bought the land from the Church and began building what is now the BYU campus. In its early years, the building was used by the Student Army Training Corps during World War I. It later housed the Department of Mechanical Arts, where blacksmithing and woodworking classes were taught. At one point, the building even served as the garage for the university president’s car. In 1933, classrooms in the building held some of the first journalism courses taught by Harrison R. Merrill. M. Dallas Burnett, who served as chair of the department from 1962−63 and again in 1975−79, remembers taking classes as a student there in 1948, when English courses were held in the boiler room. “It wasn’t a real classroom, but they just packed chairs in there and that’s where we held class,” Burnett said. In 1935, two stories were added to the building, and it was named after George H. Brimhall, who served as president of BYU from 1904−21. In 1984, it was again renovated adding 4,700 square feet to the building. At this time, interior design,

graphics, illustration, industrial design and the photography programs of the Department of Visual Arts claimed the Brimhall building. For several years, administrators in the Department of Communications pushed for the construction of a communications building. Classes and lab facilities were scattered throughout the Wilkinson Student Center and the Harris Fine Arts Center. Space and quality facilities were in short supply as the program expanded. In fact, accreditation reports cited a lack of adequate facilities for the department. The time had come for the growing department to congregate under one roof. Two separate business models were created and various chairs worked to raise

money for the construction of a new building. When plans were rejected by the university’s administration, the department began searching for other options.

In a 2003 faculty meeting, Dean K. Newell Dayley brought news of a “window of opportunity” for the department. With his suggestion of trading facilities with the Department of Visual Arts, then chair of the Department of Communications, Michael K. Perkins got to work on making the transition happen. Within a semester, plans for the switch and renovation of the building were underway. Finally, in January 2005, the Department of Communications settled into the Brimhall building. The newly remodeled building now provides plenty of faculty offices, conjoined newsrooms and plenty of gathering and studying space for students.

Dedication of the then newly expanded George H. Brimhall building in 1935. (Photo courtesy L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library)

Roots of the BYU Department of Communications The Department of Communications was not created overnight; it has taken years of development, input from

transitioned the advertising classes into the Department of Communications.

various departments and incorporation of new technology to make it what it is today. The 2008-2009 academic school year marked the 75th anniversary of the Department of Communications. What started as a division of the English Department in 1933 has blossomed into a first-class program that is ripe with opportunity for future communications professionals.

Advertising Roots of advertising can be traced back to 1912 when

s strategies (Photo by Advertising students discus Mark A. Philbrick/BYU).

the Department of Business Education offered its first advertising course. Prior to that, the Business Department in 1877 began teaching courses such as bookkeeping, penmanship and commercial arithmetic. Many students took those classes to assist them in nonbusiness endeavors such as farming, plastering and teaching. In 1912, Earl J. Glade taught the first advertising course, called â&#x20AC;&#x153;History of Advertising.â&#x20AC;? The catalog description of the course read: Recent industrial and trade changes affecting advertising and selling. The psychology of advertising; how to influence men; the power of suggestion and when to use each. Classes of advertisers and their aims. The essentials of selling; securing attention, getting interest, creating desire and inspiring resolve. The law of sale; the advertising agency; types; mediums; color schemes; trademarks;

Journalism The earliest seeds of journalism at BYU were sown in the English Department in 1916. J. Marinus Nelson, an English teacher who taught journalism courses, wrote for the Provo newspaper, The Inquirer. He taught editorial writing and ethics of journalism classes. The Journalism Department emerged in 1933 as a division of the English Department, requiring students to take 30 credits of journalism classes and 30 credits of English to obtain a degree. In 1938, journalism became a department of its own.

copyrights; advertising techniques, etc. Practice work interspersed.

The advertising curriculum also grew from courses in the Department of Commerce, the Department of Arts and Trades and the Department of Marketing. In 1958, advertising classes were phased out of the Department of Marketing as BYU followed a national trend and consolidated business-related departments, forming the Department of Business Administration. The shift

Journalism student works on the Daily Universe (Photo by Mark A. Philbr ick/BYU).

Broadcast Journalism The Department of Communications also claims part of its heritage from the Speech and Dramatic Arts Department. Public speaking and debate courses that were instigated in 1919 formed a base for what would become the broadcast emphasis. T. Earl Pardoe and LaVar Bateman, both of whom would later become department chairs, had involvement in the department at this stage of development. Then, after World War II, the university began to offer updated courses using new technology. These courses more directly related to broadcast by including instruction in radio and television. Pardoe and Alonzo Morley worked closely to develop the radio studio, which was part of the speech and hearing laboratory. The radio studio aired dramas from their facility on University Avenue. Owen Rich, who returned to work for the department after receiving television training in Hollywood, emphasized leadership as the prime objective of the broadcast program. He strongly urged students to use their talents responsibly and to influence the media for good.

activities at the university. Before this division was created, the university relied on the natural course of newspapers to pick up news. This meant papers would receive information from local correspondents, often copying stories from each other. The Extension Division sent news directly to the media rather than relying on newspapers to cover it on their own. During this time, public relations was a crossreferenced upper division course in the Department of Business Administration. Other cross-referenced courses with which public relations was categorized included business report writing, principles of risk bearing, labor problems, industrial psychology, business psychology and personnel psychology. It wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t until the fall of 1972 that public relations officially became a part of the Department of Communications with Rulon L. Bradley as its champion.

Communications Studies Communications studies has the smallest enrollment of all the emphases in BYUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Department of Communications, but it has one of the longest histories. The major is a descendant of the Speech Communications major, which was offered before BYU taught mass media. As mass media took precedence, faculty began to re-evaluate the importance of the speech communications emphasis, which focused primarily on interpersonal communications, small group discussions, biofeedback and listening skills. In the late 1980s, the communications studies emphasis emerged. Over time, the emphasis transitioned from focusing on interpersonal communications to focusing on research and scholarly topics. Communications studies as it stands today

Broadcast students establish a budget (Photo by Mark A. Philbrick/BYU).

is an academic and theoretical approach to communication. Students in this emphasis learn how to craft research questions, write literary reviews and analyze the effects of

Public Relations

the media on society. Students who pursue this path are

In 1921, President Franklin S. Harris established

scholarly pursuits.

the Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Extension Division to publicize ongoing

generally preparing for graduate school and other

Photos courtesy L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library

The Ad Lab W

hile the history of the BYU Ad Lab may be short, its list of accomplishments certainly is not. Still in its infancy, the lab has grown from a small gathering of students in a closet-sized room to a full-fledged advertising agency with a list of national clients. “When I arrived at BYU in 1999, I had the idea of starting an ad-agency-like lab for advertising students that rivaled a teaching university medical school: Learn in the classroom, practice in the operating room,” remembers Doug McKinlay, associate professor. “Of course, there is always an attending physician leading the procedure in the OR. Likewise, there should always be a monitoring hand in the Ad Lab.” Resources for such a program were not available at the time, but McKinlay refused to put his vision to rest. He felt that an environment closely resembling professional advertising would greatly enhance the academic experience for students in the department. McKinlay met Jeff Sheets, a then parttime instructor, in 2003. The two shared a vision, a love for students and a desire to build a great advertising program for the department. After months of hard work and recruiting a few clients, the Advanced Advertising Lab slowly came together. Sheets became the lab’s manager and has served as the inside face and the outside voice of the Ad Lab ever since. In short, the Ad Lab is a studentmanaged, professionally-mentored ad agency. It serves as the central hub of the department’s advertising program, giving students experience in account management and planning, brand development, media strategy, creative development, art direction and copywriting. The lab is integrated into advertising

curriculum so that each student in the program has some connection to ongoing projects. Each year, approximately 15 students run the day-to-day operations of the client projects in senior management/ creative roles, and another 40 students participate above and beyond their classroom assignments. The lab’s first clients were local, start-up businesses and campus departments. Today, the lab’s client list includes

g with students in Jeff Sheets workin

Fortune 500 companies, world-renowned nonprofit organizations and pro-social causes. The lab, partnered with the Bradley Public Relations Agency, now fills 1,600 square feet with the latest technology students need to produce quality projects that can compete with professional agencies thanks to a generous donation from the Howard and Christi Bulloch Family.

Net).

by News the Ad Lab (Photo

Rulon L. Bradley

Father of BYU Public Relations and Advertising Rulon L. Bradley's influence on Brigham Young University's advertising and public relations programs and students is legendary. Before coming to BYU, Bradley worked as news director for two media stations: KSL of Utah and KIDO in Idaho. He also served as assistant director of public relations at the University of Utah. Bradley joined BYU’s faculty in the 1960s. His classes quickly became popular with students, whom he often mentored into professional careers. Additionally, Bradley was an accredited member of PRSA. He was appointed national faculty adviser of PRSSA in 1970. His personal magnetism made him a valued mentor and brought national attention to BYU’s Department of Communications. To this day, BYU graduates who have become top public relations professionals credit Bradley for his influence during their college years. Although he is best known for public relations, he is responsible for starting both programs at Brigham Young University. The PRSSA chapter and the student-run Bradley Public Relations Agency carry his name in honor of his contributions.

Bradley Public Relations

stablished in 1969, the BYU chapter of PRSSA became the 17th student association in the nation. By 1986, the Bradley Public Relations Agency was officially formed to bridge the gap between the classroom and hands-on experience. In its 22-year existence, the Bradley agency has maintained a consistent workload of a dozen or more clients with upwards of 80 students participating at any given time. It has been recognized as the best PRSSA chapter firm in the nation six times during that span. As the student-run Jeff DuBois (front left) with Bra dley students and representati ves from the American Red Cro organization grew, students (Photo by Camilla Hodge) ss. in the firm had less and less strategic communications campaigns for mentoring by professional advisers and actual clients. insufficient tie to courses. In 2007, the classroom environment, with account Jeff DuBois, the newly named manager department restructured the agency, hired executives from the Bradley agency of the lab, hopes to bring more structure a full-time lab manager and integrated the acting as client liaisons for the class. to the agency and will be a mentor for firm into the public relations curriculum. These students serve as unofficial TAs students as they work to meet campaign The goal of the new lab is to provide for professors and are on hand to help objectives for various client projects. The students with an opportunity to apply students as they progress through agency will be taking on fewer but more public relations principles to create the course. substantial projects. Client projects are introduced “We provide the resources of a in the public relations research and university and fresh talent at a fraction of measurement course (COMMS 318) the cost,” DuBois said. “It’s a true win-win which collects data with qualitative and for organizations that want to augment quantitative research methods. Students their communications efforts, especially from the strategic public relations given that our PR students have always campaigns course (COMMS 485), the excelled at knowledge-driven, and not capstone of the program, also work on assumption-driven, public the campaigns. relations initiatives.” Where the class ends, the Bradley Current clients include American agency picks up and executes campaign Red Cross, the Utah Humanities Council, strategies and tactics. Because account Human Resources Association of Central executives have been involved from the Utah, Utah Department of Transportation beginning, the agency is able to seamlessly and Millenniata. transition from the classroom to the lab, Whenever appropriate, the lab avoiding painful learning curves. introduces client work directly into the Rulon Bradley, father of BYU PR and advertising (Photo courtesy R. Ralph Bradley).

n the early days of BYU’s campus newspaper, the student body oversaw all aspects of production. The managing editor was selected by the students and students occupied all editorial and staff positions. Participation was voluntary, drawing in students from all majors and emphases. During the 1950s, the newspaper started receiving criticism for its amateurish style. Stories featured social activities rather than news. Readers frowned upon the alliterative headlines popular in the newsroom such as, “Bunker’s Babes Battle Big, Bad Basketballers,” and “Waddie Windis Whip Worries Waiting Watts.” In 1966, members of the Journalism Department began efforts to convert the paper to a laboratory structure. The change was initiated under President Ernest L. Wilkinson, and was finalized under the administration of President Dallin H. Oaks in 1970.

Students and faculty involved with the Daily Universe during those formative years credit President Oaks with helping the paper develop the reputation it deserved. He saw the value of a free press and the need for a meaningful lab experience to foster the skills students need to become successful journalists. As the paper matured, more of the content focused on national and international news. Daily circulation in 1956 was around 7,000, and in less than 20 years, circulation skyrocketed to 20,000. It has been estimated that by 1975, 72 percent of the student body read the paper daily, and 99 percent read it at least once a week. Many of the current faculty and staff members have fond memories of working at the Daily Universe during their undergraduate days. Assistant Professor Quint Randle remembers great mentoring

experiences during his time as a student at the paper. “Some of my most vivid memories revolve around Jack Nelson, who I have called my ‘magazine mentor’ over the years,” Randle said. “What I remember most fondly was his ‘CharltonHestonesque’ voice and mannerisms when teaching the mechanics of good writing. His delivery both demanded respect and projected authority.” Kaylene Armstrong, former editorial director of the Daily Universe, remembers the pre-computer days. “I graduated in 1976 and that was the end of the old typewriter era,” Armstrong said. “Before computers, we had a true horseshoe for the copy desk, with the copy editor sitting in the slot and assigning the stories in hard copy form for editing. All the hard copy stories were sent to the BYU press and then retyped there by typesetters. As an editor, I took my turns going to the press building late at night to do ‘press checks’ of the pages before the paper was ‘put to bed.’” Daryl Gibson, NewsNet managing director of systems and productions, joined the Daily Universe in 1976 as a student, and has been with the paper ever since. “Sometimes alumni come back to visit—look around at ‘their newspaper,”’ Gibson said. “It doesn’t matter how long they’ve been gone— it’s still their newspaper, every bit as much as it belongs to me or anyone else.” The Daily Universe now receives world, national and regional news through the AP wires. Nevertheless, the paper remains committed to informing students, reflecting student opinion and serving as a lab for the Department of Communications.

Eye Tracking Lab A

dvanced eye tracking technology, not typically available to undergraduate students, is used by the communications studies emphasis at BYU and students are winning awards for their research. “Very few communications programs have eye tracking labs,” said Steve Thomsen, a communications studies professor who helped found the lab. “I’m only aware of two or three. Eye tracking is more common in psychology, engineering and neuroscience, so it’s unique to have it here in our department.” Thomsen was inspired by this research to lay the foundation for the Department of Communications’ eye tracking lab. Looking for a way to empirically measure whether the small, almost unnoticeable warning labels on alcohol advertisements were effective or not, Thomsen came across similar research on tobacco warning labels that employed eye tracking technology. Essentially, the technology uses the reflections of the pupil and the cornea to track the movement of the eye in real time. People who participate in eye tracking studies wear a visor with a monocle that rests over the left eye. An infrared television camera inside the visor picks

up the reflections of the pupil and the cornea and calibrates the eye’s movement according to a nine-point grid. Once the eye has been callibrated, the camera and computer are able to extrapolate where the subject is looking as the eye moves. Students and faculty have worked together to use eye tracking technology to research tobacco and alcohol advertisements as well as body image. “We want the lab to provide a mentored research experience for any student who wants to be involved in the work, ” Thomsen said. Working with faculty has greatly furthered student research. One student conducted a study for her undergraduate honors thesis. Another student presented research at the Western States Communications Association and won

an award in the student research division. The eye tracking lab creates singular opportunities for communications studies students. “Students who take advantage of the program have an opportunity to have experiences they normally wouldn’t get until they were graduate students,” Thomsen said.

nteers in the eye tracking lab. Dr. Steve Thomsen works with volu U) (Photo by Mark A. Philbrick/BY

Communications Studies The communications studies emphasis was created to give students the opportunity to do research under the mentorship of full-time faculty. Since its creation in the late 1980s, the communications studies undergraduate degree has helped students who intend to pursue a graduate degree prepare for specialization in more specific elements of communications research. Photo by Mark A. Philbrick/BYU

BYU Daily News Maintaining a full-service newsroom that produces a newscast five days a week isn’t easy—and maintaining one that places top in the nation is even more challenging. After some ups and downs, the BYU Department of Communications is on the air again with an award-winning, nationally recognized program that produces qualified, experienced journalists, who are ready to take on professional newsrooms. The BYU “Daily News” got its start in the 1970s when professors Norman Tarbox and Owen Rich created the broadcasting lab concept after years of using facilities at Channel 2 in Salt Lake City. KSL reporter Tom Griffiths filled the position of news director at KBYU. Under his direction, students produced, reported and anchored radio newscasts on KBYU-FM, and a television newscast on KBYU-TV called “Newsroom 11.” In the early 1980s, “Weeknight,” a live, evening news magazine broadcast debuted, which featured more advanced student reporters. The show earned various awards and even had enough viewers to appear in the ratings book. Notable specials on the program included “Weeknight from the State Fair” and “Utah’s Black and Gold.” In 1984, the department hired Bill Silcock as the news director, where he remained until 1992. He retooled “Weeknight” and named it “Utah News Tonight.” Under Silcock’s direction, the broadcast lab produced documentary specials such as “Space Senator: One Way Jake,” “Fortress of Faith” and “Helpmates.” He also beefed up special broadcasts such as election coverage. In fact, “Weeknight” was highlighted by the Deseret News in 1984 for having the best election coverage in the Salt Lake area.

Many talented students graduated from the broadcast emphasis and went on to become well-respected journalists. Articles appeared in newspapers in Boston, Chapel Hill, Dallas, Denver, Phoenix, Portland and Salt Lake City regarding the number of successful BYU broadcast journalists. Some even referred to the university as an “anchor factory.” In 1996, Laurie J. Wilson, then the department chair, with the help of Bill Porter, John Gholdston and the rest of the faculty, merged the Daily Universe with the broadcast lab and an online news service. The three news outlets were called “NewsNet,” and earned the department wide acclaim and prestigious awards for being on the cutting edge of media trends. NewsNet even began netcasting general conference worldwide and continued to do so until the Church came online with that capacity. While the Daily Universe and the online service brought in revenue through advertising sales, broadcasting

contributed nothing financially because it aired on a public station. By 2002, 30-minute newscasts were replaced with pre-taped 10-minute segments that aired between “Little House on the Prairie” and “NewsHour.” Eventually, the newscasts stopped airing on KBYU because of a lack of funding. In 2003, Department Chair Ed Adams supported the broadcast faculty in rebuilding the program and moved the newsroom into the newly remodeled Brimhall building. Curriculum for print and broadcast were again separated, Erin Goff took the position as news director and Dale Green came on as producer. The new program placed at the top of the Hearst competition the first year. Due to the efforts of professors Dale Cressman and Bob Walz, the 30-minute daily broadcasts returned to KBYU in September 2007 under the name “BYU Daily News” and the newscasts now reach viewers in Utah, parts of Idaho, Wyoming and Montana.

Three students participate in an early radio workshop.

Students work on KBYU video editing

and production.

the al TV production unit at Owen Rich in experiment 2. 195 a, rni lifo University of Southern Ca

Owen Rich: Father of BYU Broadcasting Owen Rich dedicated his entire career to the development and teaching of radio and television broadcasting. His interest in broadcast began in 1930 when he heard voices streaming from a radio for the first time at his grandmother’s home. He came to BYU as a student in 1940 and paid for the $32 tuition by going door-to-door offering to repair radios. He soon applied for a position in the Dramatic Arts Department with T. Earl Pardoe and took a position as studio technician for BYU’s new radio studios. When a request for radio technicians came from Hill Field after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Rich saw an opportunity to offer his services. After three years with the Coast Guard, he received a letter from Pardoe asking him to return to BYU Photos courtesy L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library

and start a radio station. Rich returned and immediately began working on the out-of-date studio, building controls and transmitters for the new station. Named KBYU, the new station played music, entertainment and devotionals. Students were primarily responsible for managing the station and they generated revenue by selling commercial air time. Television broadcasting began to emerge in 1950. President Ernest Wilkinson had a great interest in television and asked Rich to further his education in Los Angeles so he could bring knowledge of this new technology back to the students. After completing a master’s degree in television production at the University of Southern California, Rich returned to BYU to teach television production classes in the Department of Communications. Because no television facilities were available on campus, students were transported to the KSL studios in Salt Lake to learn about the creation of television programs. A few years later, Rich was given approval to convert the abandoned motion picture studio into a television production unit. They purchased the necessary equipment and BYU had its own operating television studio in 1958.

BYU Communications: First journalism courses taught by English professor Nels L. Nelson.

T. Earl Pardoe introduces radio-speech concepts to his classes.

1917

1897-1921

White and Blue student publication printed at BYU.

The Y News replaced the White and Blue.

1912

First advertising course taught at BYU College of Business.

The Daily Universe becomes a laboratory for newswriting and editing classes.

1918

1969

TV facilities built for studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; training.

1959

1962

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) authorizes assignment of channel 11 to BYU.

1963

Ray Beckham directs New York City internship program with 40 students participating from advertising, broadcasting, journalism and public relations.

1960

1963

BYU chapter of the Public Relations Student Society becomes the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 17th chapter.

Department offers a record 13 different majors.

Owen Rich acquires KBYU-FM license for BYU.

The Department of Journalism is transferred to the new Department of Fine Arts and Communications.

1973

1978

1931

First radio broadcast made with a two-tube transmitter built by the BYU Physics Department.

The first floor of what would later become the Brimhall building was completed. As the Mechanical Arts building, it provided facilities for vocational training: auto mechanics, blacksmithing and woodwork.

1982

1932

1921

Broadcast sequence moves into new facilities in Harris Fine Arts Center.

Department announces three majors: broadcast communications, advertising/ public relations and journalism.

Department of Communications reconfigures with five major programs.

1986

Public relations program first in nation to receive PRSA CEPR certification.

1984

BYU Department of Communications receives accreditation by Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC).

1990

1988

Communications studies emphasis added.

Department Advisory Board established and fundraising initiated for endowments, scholarships and research.

A Timeline Oliver R. Smith returns to BYU and is named chair of the Journalism Department News Bureau. The News Bureau is called “public relations” for the first time.

Journalism Department is given full status as a department, headquartered in the Brimhall building.

1936

1946

1939

The first laboratory facilities for broadcasting program 1942 built in College Hall. Emphasis in radio 1933 broadcasting introduced Journalism Department formed as a in Speech Department. division of the English Department. Classes included newswriting, editing, history of journalism and magazine writing.

Radio and television emphases offered in the Department of Journalism.

1948

1946

Owen Rich returns from the military. With help from Francis Boyer he gets KBYU radio on the air as a low frequency station.

Edwin Butterworth awarded first master’s degree from the Department of Journalism.

1954

1956

Instruction in TV broadcasting begins when Owen Rich teaches class in TV production.

1953

1956

Brigham Young Universe changes to the Daily Universe. 1955 The Brigham Young Universe begins daily publication under leadership of Editor-inChief Steve Hale and Managing Editor Ralph Barney. Staff totaled 45 workers and circulation was approx. 7,500. Raymond E. and Ida Lee Beckham annual lecture series established to encourage and reward significant research efforts by Department of Communications faculty.

1994

Student newspaper is changed from Y News to Brigham Young Universe.

1949

Owen Rich hired as first full-time radio instructor at BYU

1950

North Building (located where the Harold B. Library now stands) becomes home of the Journalism Department; enrollment is 27. Department of Business Administration offers class in public relations.

1952

1953

Journalism Department moves to basement of Herald R. Clark bookstore.

Bradley Public Relations Agency re-opens.

Ad Lab introduced into curriculum.

2003

Advertising, broadcast journalism, print journalism, communication studies and public relations become designated emphases.

“BYU Daily News” begins airing again on KBYU.

2007

2001

1996

BYU merges its print, broadcast and online newsrooms to help students become multi-media journalists. Photos courtesy L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library

2008

2005

Department of Communications moves from the Harris Fine Arts Center to the renovated Brimhall building.

otes from the Field

“I couldn’t help but wonder why on earth someone who helped America break away from Britain would use English symbols as a way to decorate each and every edition of the newspaper,” Linford said. After utilizing all the available resources at the Harold B. Lee Library on campus, Linford used an Ashton Grant awarded to her by the department to continue her research in Boston. There she found original documents such as letters, diaries and account books at the American Antiquarian Society and the Massachusetts Historical Society. She also found vital information in city maps Autumn Linford in Boston (Photo courtesy Autumn Linford). from the time period, which revealed where each print shop was located her on an academic journey through 18th century newspapers, diaries of printers and as well as where British and American troops set up camp. colonial-era city maps. Linford’s subsequent paper won “The newspapers of the revolution were second place in the History Division incredibly influential in swaying public of the Association for Education in opinion among the Americans,” Linford said. “Some historians have even suggested Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC), beating out several Ph.D. that without the newspapers of that time candidate entries. She presented the paper period, we never would have declared at the organization’s August conference independence from Great Britain.” in Chicago. Linford’s research focused on the engravings used by printers to decorate LDS Church newspapers’ mastheads. While past international public research had classified printers as either affairs “Patriots” or “Tories,” Linford found that fter serving a full-time mission in the symbols used to decorate newspaper the Utah Salt Lake Temple Square mastheads often contradicted the groups’ Mission, Rita Somfai returned to her described beliefs. British symbols were native Hungary where she was called as frequently used on what researchers the LDS Church’s national public affairs labeled patriot papers.

Revolutionary Writing

uring the American Revolution, the pen, or rather the press, was as mighty as the sword, and revolutionists used it to further their democratic cause. Autumn Lorimer Linford’s fascination with the revolutionary press has taken

2008-2009

director for the entire country. The responsibilities of her calling inspired Somfai to consider graduate school in public relations. “[The calling] was a great surprise and often a challenge,” she said. “I had no training or experience, so I just decided to be creative and willing. I hit some walls that I wasn’t able to climb because of my lack of expertise and experience in the field. I knew it was time for me to get out of my comfort zone and return to school and educate myself further.” After completing her first year of grad school, Somfai set off to New York City to intern with the LDS New York Office of Public and International Affairs. That office focuses on building relationships with United Nations Ambassadors and Consulate Generals in the New York area. It also aims to nurture and establish media relations and assist the public affairs committees in New York City. One of Somfai’s most memorable experiences during her internship happened while assisting with the BYU Chamber Orchestra’s performance at Carnegie Hall. Leaders from all over the world were in attendance, including His Excellency Mr. Gabor Brodi, Permanent Representative of Hungary to the United Nations, whom Somfai was able to meet. “I felt like the world shrank for a moment as I was able to speak in my native language with this kind man who, in addition, had an excellent sense of humor,” Somfai said. Although Somfai had never before considered a profession in the field of public relations, her eyes have been opened to how she can aid church efforts by using the skills she is obtaining.

“Working for a genuine cause like the mission of the Church caught my attention,” she said. “I thought if I can learn to further the cause of the Church and the Lord’s work besides the regular proselyting efforts, I might be able to contribute to his kingdom in areas where the Church’s publicity has only taken baby steps.”

Indian Free Press

hen the opportunity to spend the summer in India presented itself, Megan Stoker snatched it up without a second thought. Stoker saw this as a oncein-a-lifetime opportunity to delve into research that could only be conducted in the faraway country. Her efforts focused on the Indian Right

to Information Act which passed in 2005. The act is similar to American sunshine laws, or the laws that make government records publicly accessible. Obtaining useful information was not easy, but a meeting with the chief information commissioner of India opened doors. Stoker also obtained a week-long pass to the Indian equivalent of the U.S. Library of Congress, the Nehru Place Library. Stoker presented her findings at a conference in Sweden over the summer, but hopes her research will reach a more important audience. “I really hope someone working with the act will read the paper and maybe it can help them fix the weaknesses in the act,” Stoker said. “The act is really great in theory, but the government has provided

no infrastructure and very little funding so it can’t accomplish what it set out to do.”

Megan Stoker in India (Photo courtesy Megan Stoker).

ROADCAST ALUMNI HONORED

wo former BYU broadcast journalism students received American Women in Radio and Television (AWRT) Gracie Awards® for their original documentaries. Lindsey Blumell Jurdana’s (‘07) film “An Off-Court Story: The Life of Kresimir Cosic” won outstanding portrait/ biography and outstanding documentary: mid-length format. The piece, produced by Jurdana while attending BYU, tells the story of the Croatian basketball player and his life off the court. Specifically, it highlights Cosic’s contributions to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints. The film features stories from Cosic’s family members, President Thomas S. Monson, Utah Senator Orrin Hatch, church scholars Ann and Truman Madsen and Utah Jazz player Gordan Giricek. Having been baptized a member of

the Church while attending BYU, Cosic returned to Croatia and spread the gospel as the first member of the Church in communist Croatia. He also translated the Book of Mormon into Croatian. Jurdana had a personal tie to the film: she served an LDS mission in Croatia. “I feel that the life of Cosic is a great thing to learn about,” Jurdana said. “Even if my ability to tell the story could never

Lindsey Blumell Jurdana, Erin Goff (former editorial director of NewsNet) and Kimber Holt Crandall (Photo by Emily Bennion).

give him the justice he deserves.” The award for outstanding documentary went to Kimber Holt Crandall (‘05) for her piece “Mwana Wako Ni Mwana Wagnga—Your Child is My Child,” a film on how HIV/AIDS is affecting the children of Zambia. More than 650,000 children in Zambia have been orphaned due to HIV/ AIDS. Crandall and co-producer Josh Greenbaum went to Zambia in order to tell the stories of individuals who are trying to make a difference in the lives of these children. American Women in Radio and Television has been recognizing programs created for and about women for more than 30 years. The awards are given to encourage realistic portrayal of women in entertainment, commercials, news, features and other programming.

2008-2009

lumni Updates

n his mission in Scotland, President David O. McKay walked past a home in Stirling with the inscription above the door, “What e’er thou art, act well thy part.” The young McKay was so touched that he used the saying as his life’s motto to always do his very best wherever he may be (the same charge he continually gave members of the Church in various locations from many different pulpits). Today, President McKay’s advice echoes BYU’s divine charge to “Enter to Learn, Go Forth to Serve.” The world truly is our campus and, as we send our graduates out into the world, we know they are representing themselves, BYU and the Lord as they “do their part” and work diligently to advance their futures and His kingdom. The following are a few of our alumni who are working to represent themselves and the department with great success.

Jamie Judd (’90) California

Jamie Judd first stepped into the tunnel of the Harris Fine Arts Center 20 years ago as KBYU’s technical director. Since then, she hasn’t looked back after earning a bachelor’s degree in communications in 1990. Judd has worked as a freelance director and editor and director of California State Assembly Television. Now she works as art director/director of KVIE-PBS in Sacramento, and feels blessed to still be doing what she loves.

Micaela Choo (’05) Utah

After returning from a two-and-ahalf-week medical-dental humanitarian mission in Vietnam, Micaela Choo officially opened the doors to her TV production business. Her first project: produce 26 half-hour episodes of a travel adventure series. Her business isn’t limited to TV production; she also tackles Web site design, commercial videos and brochures. Choo earned her bachelor’s degree in broadcast communications in 1995 and her master’s of mass communications from the department in 2005. Post graduation, Choo worked as a television news reporter and producer in Canada and Milwaukee.

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Photo by Mark A. Philbrick/BYU

Ron Bellus (’77) Arizona

It’s been more than three decades since Ron Bellus earned his communications degree from Brigham Young University. Now he spends his days as General Manager of Arizona Capitol Television (ACTV), the Arizona Legislature’s statewide cable version of C-Span. Bellus supervises the production of the coverage of legislative floor and committee meetings and all original programming, including roundtable discussions, Arizona historical pieces and press conferences. Before taking his current position, Bellus served as press secretary to Arizona Governor Evan Mecham. He also serves as a hearing officer in the Maricopa County Justice Courts. Bellus resides in Gilbert, Arizona, with his wife, Gina, and their seven children.

Santiago Lucero (’05) California

Santiago Lucero came home a decorated broadcast reporter from the 37th Annual Northern California Area Emmy Awards held in San Francisco in May, 2008. His work for KUVS Univision 19 caught enough attention to help him snag five Emmys including specialty assignment reporter, making him the most-honored journalist at the event. He is currently a member of NATAS and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. Lucero earned a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism. He resides in Sacramento, California, with his wife, Bessy, and son.

Nanci Wudel (’69)

Stacie Duce (’95)

Adam DenisoN (’07)

Thanks to earning her degree in journalism studies in 1969, Nanci Wudel has always had more freelance work opportunities than she could handle. Her work experience as a freelance journalist spans print to broadcast, public relations to video production and film directing to theater. Wudel has appeared in national commercials, and is the spokesperson on a nationally airing infomercial. Wudel has also found a creative way to use the interviewing skills she honed at BYU: she judges state pageants for the Miss America organization. She and her husband live in Mesa, Arizona. They have four children and 12 grandchildren.

Stacie Duce wrote a weekly column in the Ravalli Republic, a weekday newspaper that covers mostly local news in Hamilton, Montana. Her five children still provide plenty of subject matter for the free lance columns she now writes. Duce shares their tales of adventure, offers nuggets of parental wisdom and tries to inspire women to be strong, capable mothers and wives. She also works part-time writing feature stories, copy editing and designing. Her work has been recognized by the Montana Newspaper Association and has won several awards. She earned her bachelor’s degree in public relations in 1995.

Adam Denison is an assistant manager in Chevrolet Communications at General Motors’ global headquarters in Detroit. Adam is responsible for all public relations activities related to the Corvette, Chevy Impala, Chevy HHR and the all-new 2010 Chevy Camaro. His efforts have resulted in local, national and international media coverage. Adam lives with his wife and 14-monthold daughter in a suburb of Detroit. In his spare time, Adam enjoys golf, going to the gym, fishing, good movies and reading about history. Adam earned a B.A. in public relations from BYU in 2007. He plans to pursue an MBA later this year.

Arizona

Montana

Michigan

Photo by Steve Walters/BYU

2008-2009

lumni Highlight Kelsey Nixon: Tailoring Education to Your Passion put something together.” But it wasn’t until Nixon was studying at the California School of Culinary Arts, Le Cordon Bleu Program Hollywood, in Los Angeles, that she auditioned in person (the fourth and final time) and made it through preliminaries and onto the show. Her journalism expertise gave her a strong leg up during the auditions. Nixon credits much of her success to her professors at BYU whose support and encouragement was unwavering even though she wasn’t pursuing a career in news reporting. “I was able to cater the program to my specific interests,” Nixon said. According to Nixon, one professor told her to take advantage

“Relationships are vital to success whether they be a high school student helping on a project or a professional you meet in the industry.”

Kelsey Nixon ‘06 (Photo courtesy Kelsey Nixon)

YU broadcast journalism graduate Kelsey Nixon reached for the moon and landed among “The Next Food Network Star.” The Ogden, Utah native participated in the 2008 “The Next Food Network Star” reality show and finished fourth, but viewers voted her “Fan Favorite” with 37 percent of the vote. Nixon first attempted to land a spot on the Food Network’s program while she was still a broadcast journalism student at BYU. “I first heard about it on the Food Network,” Nixon remembered of her first audition. “I was a freshman or sophomore at the time and thought that it would be fun, so I actually pulled a few students from the broadcast program and

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of her time in school saying, “Everyone wants to help students, there is no better time to get tape.” While studying at BYU, Nixon found many opportunities to be on camera. She hosted and produced her own college cooking show, “Kelsey’s Kitchen,” for iProvo Cable Network. The show focused on fast, easy and affordable recipes for college students. Nixon hosted 100 episodes featuring her original, approachable recipes. The show gave Nixon a creative outlet and became an opportunity for other students to gain experience as well. It provided internships and hands-on experience for both BYU students and film students at Provo High School. Nixon feels relationships are vital to success whether they be a high school student helping on a project or a professional you meet in the industry. “It’s so important to keep in contact with people,” she said. “I am currently working on Webisodes with the Food Network, and it all comes from the contacts I have made over the last couple of years.” While attending a career day at BYU, long before her Food

Network debut, Nixon met Krista Parkinson, a contact Nixon described as “invaluable.” “Krista was a BYU alum who had gone on to L.A. and had been an agent for many years,” Nixon recalled. “She saw some talent in me, took me on as a client, was my manager and put me in contact with ICM.” International Creative Management (ICM), specializes in syndication. “I was under Krista’s wing, and we explored other agencies,” Nixon said. “But we felt really good about ICM. They believe in me and pitch me and get me work.” Nixon’s husband, Robby Egan, graduating April 2009 from BYU’s advertising program, is also a strong advocate for his wife’s aspirations. “She loves to be in front of the camera, but she is genuinely kind and cares about everyone, too,” Egan said.

He also praises his wife for creating meals that are both flavorful and healthy. “She takes a few ingredients and somehow knows what to do with it,” he said. When asked her secret, Nixon said, “I think that if you can, using local and fresh ingredients will bring more to your recipes. As long as you try to utilize what is in your community, you’ll find you can put together something super fast and it makes a huge difference.” Nixon uses every available resource in her cooking and her life is no different. She’s used many resources to get where she is now and will continue that habit in the future because life isn’t a matter of luck. “You work every day toward opportunities,” Nixon said. “This industry is so volatile; one phone call can lead to so much excitement and hope, and the next day the deal could be off.” The most important thing is to be confident, Nixon suggests. “Believe in yourself, to go out and find opportunities to make it happen, tailor it to your passions.” Nixon’s passions, together with those of her husband, are leading them to New York after his graduation. When asked where she would like to see herself in 10 years Nixon said, “I hope to have grown my family and hopefully accomplished some career goals and have my own show. More than anything, family comes first and I hope to be a great mother.” Photos by Kylie Nixon

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elcoming new faculty Jared Johnson

ared Johnson teaches sections of television news producing, media and their audiences, international media systems and the introductory communications course. He is also researching the demand for local TV programming in Latin America. Early results of his work show that local programming enhances people’s sense of local identity and that they prefer local programs to foreign shows. Johnson graduated from Weber State in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast communication and political science. He went on to earn a master’s degree from Ohio University in 1997 and is completing his dissertation for a Ph.D. in public communication from Georgia State University. Johnson looks forward to building on the department’s history of involving alumni in speaking and working with students. Alumni who work in the communications field can become invaluable resources for students. “Nothing can replace that experience in the eyes of the students,” he said. Outside the classroom, Johnson enjoys playing and coaching sports. When he was a child, his parents were hall advisers of a BYU girls’ dorm, and he’s bled Cougar Blue ever since. His own 12-year-old son is an avid Cougar fan. Johnson is a native of Sandy, Utah, and he and his wife, Elisa, are the parents of one son and three daughters.

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Clark Callahan

oining BYU’s Department of Communications faculty has provided Clark Callahan with many resources previously unavailable to him at the University of South Dakota, where he spent four years with a faculty of four. Now, as director of the International Media Studies program, Callahan hopes to use the department’s resources to make the program more interactive among students and alumni, and to encourage alumni with international experience to contact him and get involved. Callahan earned a bachelor’s degree from BYU. He went on to Canyon, Texas, to earn a master’s degree at West Texas State—now West Texas A&M—and then to Norman, Oklahoma, to earn a Ph.D. from the University of Oklahoma. Callahan grew up in a small LDS community in the marshy regions of east Texas. He’s developed an easy-going approach to life and speaks of his travels through the Boundary Waters regions of northern Minnesota and picking bluegrass tunes on his guitar. Callahan and his wife, Rebecca, are the parents of three boys and one girl. The move to Utah brings them closer to extended family. While Callahan is still a big fan of the Sooners, he is proud to again be called a Cougar.

John Davies

ohn Davies teaches classes on communications research and media processes and effects. He also researches why people use media and what effects media has on them. Specifically, he focuses on how people develop an affinity for characters in media. So far, he says he has found that “merely being exposed to a character increases liking.” As a professor, his goal is to prepare his students for bigger and better things. He looks forward to seeing his students succeed and become the next generation scholars. Davies earned an M.A. and a Ph.D. in mass communication from BYU and the University of Alabama, respectively. He completed his undergraduate studies in sociology and psychology while attending the University of Alberta in his hometown of Edmonton, Alberta. After serving a full-time LDS mission to Japan, Davies returned to Japan to teach English, an experience that became an important stepping stone in his academic career. Davies and his wife, Christine, are the parents of three boys and two girls. They’ve been a Crimson Tide family for several years, Davies admits, but look forward to supporting the BYU Cougars.

dministration

Ed Adams

d Adams stepped down as chair of the Department of Communications to accept his new role as associate dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communications in April, 2008. “It’s been a little strange not being in the classroom this semester,” Adams said of the transition into his new role. He is eager to get settled and teach again. Adams has taught at BYU since 1999; he even continued to teach while serving as chair during some of the department’s busiest years. During his service, more than half of current faculty and 12 of the current 14 staff members were hired, the department moved into the newly-renovated Brimhall building, student news programs returned to KBYU, the highlyregarded Ad Lab was created and Bradley Public Relations was revamped and given new leadership. “The department has made meteoric strides in the last five years,” Adams said. “We made good faculty hires. We made good strategic decisions. We had faculty that showed initiative and students that were willing to engage in these changes.” With the department’s house in order, Adams is looking toward the future. “It’s now time to re-engage alumni in more mentoring activities, reunions and networking,” he said. And it’s happening: a new volunteer alumni group for the College of Fine Arts and Communications met for the first time this semester. Adams completed graduate coursework at Ohio University after managing a magazine publishing company for several years. He calls his graduate studies some of the greatest educational experiences of his life. Adams and his wife have been married for 27 years and are the parents of three sons and two daughters. He enjoys spending time with his family and supporting his wife, who he says is an exceptional volunteer in a variety of community organizations.

Department Contact Information Baker, Sherry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . sherry_baker@byu.edu Bingham, Warren . . . . . . . . . . . . warren_bingham@byu.edu Callahan, Clark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . clark_callahan@byu.edu Callister, Mark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . mark_callister@byu.edu Campbell, Joel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . joel_campbell@byu.edu Carter, Ed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ed_carter@byu.edu Cluff, Connie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . connie_cluff@byu.edu Cressman, Dale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . cressman@byu.edu Cutri, Chris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . chris_cutri@byu.edu Davies, John . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . john_davies@byu.edu DuBois, Jeff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jeff_dubois@byu.edu Durrant, Shayne . . . . . . . . . . . . . . shayne_durrant@byu.edu Evans, Rich . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . rich_evans@byu.edu Gibson, Daryl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . daryl_gibson@byu.edu Green, Dale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . dale_green@byu.edu Hernandez, Ellen . . . . . . . . . . . . ellen@bluediamond.byu.edu Hughes, John . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . john_hughes@byu.edu Johnson, Jared . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jared.johnson@byu.edu Kelly, Kevin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . kevin_kelly@byu.edu McKinlay, Douglas . . . . . . . . . . . dougas_mckinlay@byu.edu Peterson, Layne . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . layne_peterson@byu.edu Plowman, Kenneth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ken_plowman@byu.edu Price, Lesley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . lesley_turner@byu.edu Randle, Quint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . quint_randle@byu.edu Rawlins, Brad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . brawlins@byu.edu Reynolds, Jacey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jacey@byu.edu Robinson, Tom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . tom_robinson@byu.edu Sheets, Jeff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jeff_sheets@byu.edu Smith, K. Nicole . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . nicole_smith@byu.edu Stoker, Kevin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . kevin_stoker@byu.edu Thomsen, Steve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . steven_thomsen@byu.edu Wakefield, Robert . . . . . . . . . . . . robert_wakefield@byu.edu Walton, Susan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . susan_walton@byu.edu Walz, Robert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . robert_walz@byu.edu Wilson, Laurie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . laurie_wilson@byu.edu Worsham, Anne . . . . . . . . . annegolden_worsham@byu.edu

2008-2009

aculty highlight

Dr. Kenneth Plowman: Strategic communications At Home and in the field

fter completing a year tour with the Army Reserve, professor and Army Public Affairs Officer, Kenneth Plowman is returning to BYU to rejoin the public relations faculty. Plowman split his tour of duty between Kuwait and Iraq. While in Kuwait, Plowman served in a variety of positions including plans officer. Each morning he briefed military command as well as local, international and U.S. media. In Iraq, Plowman served as the Government of Iraq media liaison head. As such, he trained Iraqi spokespeople to more effectively communicate with

“The big push in the military, all the branches, is strategic communications,” Plowman said. “It’s really a fancy name for the communications planning that we teach in 336 and carry out in 485.” As part of the strategic communications push, Plowman worked to expand the training and reach of the Iraqi spokespeople, and build the country’s independent media. “The country now has newspapers and radio stations,” Plowman reported. “We’ve almost been too successful because now, when we do news conferences, they ask all sorts of tough questions because we trained them to do that—and that’s good.” Plowman will continue to brief other units heading overseas to Iraq in proper media etiquette, which entails teaching in one month what BYU students learn in Communications 101, 235 and 336. The lessons Plowman has learned

will serve him as well as the students he teaches. His field experience has been invaluable. Currently, Plowman plans to publish an academic paper which will focus on the use of strategic communications in the military— specifically its use in the Middle East.

“Now, when we do news conferences, they ask all sorts of tough questions because we trained them to do that— and that’s good.” a variety of audiences including the government. Plowman finished the last three months of his tour working as a chief public affairs officer for detainee operations.

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Task Force 134’s headquarters where Plowman worked as chief of public affairs for the unit. The building was formally Uday and Qusay’ Hussein’s bathhouse (Photos courtesy Task Force 134 Detainee Operations, Baghdad, Iraq).

Faculty Scholarship Summary Sherry Baker Published a book chapter in the Handbook of Media Ethics entitled “The Ethics of Advocacy: Moral Reasoning in the Practice of Public Relations.” She also published an article, “The Model of the Principled Advocate and the Pathological Partisan,” in the Journal of Mass Media Ethics. Mark Callister Published three journal articles: “Body Image of Older Adults in Magazine Advertisements,” in the Journal of Magazine and New Media Research, with Tom Robinson; “Portrayal of Body Weight in Children’s Television Sitcoms,” in Body Image, with Tom Robinson and Tahlea Jankoski; and “Stereotyping, Violence, and Sexuality: A Content Analysis of Official Video Game Sites,” in the Web Journal of Mass Communication Research. He also presented a paper, “Swearing in the cinema: An analysis of profanity in teen-oriented movies, 1980-2006,” at the meeting of the Western States Communication Association, with Dale Cressman, Tom Robinson and Chris Near, and three papers at the annual conference of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication: “Surviving Survivor: An analysis of antisocial behavior and its context in a popular reality television show,” with Chris Wilson and Tom Robinson; “Substance abuse in teen-centered film: 1980-2007,” with Tom Robinson, Talita Stasevskas, and Chris Near; and “A content analysis of affection in television families in children’s programming during the 20062007 season,” with Tom Robinson, Chris Near and Tony Nisse. Joel Campbell Published several articles regarding balanced and fair coverage of the LDS Church, including “The Good, The Bad, The Ugly: Finding Balance in Reporting About Mormons,” in Editor & Publisher and “Better reporting during the ‘Mormon moment,’” in Quill. He also published nine articles in Pressing Issues, the publication of the Utah Press Association, 49 articles in The Deseret News’ new section, Mormon Times, and co-authored an article with Susan Walton, “Pre-Publication Review: What PR Practitioners Need to Know,” for PRSA Tactics. He also presented “Exposing Bad Politicians through Public Records,” to the Society of Professional Journalists & National Journalism Conference and “The Perfect Storm? LDS Media Events and the Foreign Press,” to the 19th Annual Conference of the International Society Meet the Mormons. Ed Carter Published four journal articles: “Broadcast Profanity and the ‘Right to Be Let Alone,’” Hastings Communication and Entertainment Law Journal, with Trevor Hall and James Phillips; “Justices Treat Newspapers Differently in Oral Argument,” Newspaper Research Journal, with James Phillips; “Reclaiming Copyright From Privacy: Public Interest in the Use of Unpublished Materials,” Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly; and “The Mormon Education of a Gentile Justice: George Sutherland and Brigham Young Academy,” Journal of Supreme Court History, with James Phillips. He also presented research at the annual conferences of

the Broadcast Education Association, International Communication Association, and Great Plains Political Science Association. Dale Cressman Published the invited article “New research: From Newspaper Row to Times Square — the contested identity of an imagined journalistic community,” in Clio Among the Media, and an entry on the John F. Kennedy Assassination in the Encyclopedia of American Journalism. He also presented his research at three conferences: “ABC, Agnew and Richard Nixon’s war on network television news,” at the annual conference the International Communications Association, with Lane Williams; “The New York Times Zipper,” at the spring meeting of the American Journalism Historians Association and the History Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication; “Swearing in the cinema: An analysis of profanity in teen-oriented movies, 1980-2006,” at the meeting of the Western States Communication Association, with Mark Callister, Tom Robinson, and Chris Near. Chris Cutri Directed a new series of The Truth Anti-Smoking commercials for the Utah Department of Health. John Davies Published a journal article, “The Bridge Course Design: Formative Assessment and Student-Centered Learning in Cross-Course Classrooms,” in the International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, and presented a paper, “The Role of Mere Exposure and Contextual Narrative Cues on Affective Dispositions Toward Mediated Characters,” at the annual conference of the International Communication Association. Ken Plowman Published two journal articles: “Stakeholder Theory: Antidote to a Drug Company’s Market Health? A Case Study of Synthroid,” in the Journal of Communication Management; and “Hot Waste in Utah: Conflict in the Public Arena,” in the Journal of Public Relations Research. Quint Randle Published two journal articles: “Participation in Internet Fantasy Sports Leagues and Mass Media Use,” in the Journal of Website Promotion, with Rob Nyland; and “Transition Tune-Up: How to Get Smoother Transitions From Feature Writing Students,” in The Community College Journalist. He also presented his paper on the Transition Tune-Up at the Annual Convention of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. Brad Rawlins Published two journal articles: “Public Relations Interns and Ethical Issues at Work: Perceptions of Student Interns from Three Universities,” in PRism, with Chuck Lubbers and Pamela Bourland-Davis; and “Measuring the Relationship Between Organizational Transparency and Employee Trust,” in the Public Relations Journal. He also presented two papers: “Measuring the Transparency of Environmental Sustainability Reporting Through Web sites of Fortune 50 Corporations,” at the International Public Relations Research Conference; and “The DoubleEdged Sword: LDS Church Leaders’ Messages on Media, 1900-1948,” at the Annual Convention of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, with James Phillips.

Tom Robinson Published four journal articles: “Body Image of Older Adults in Magazine Advertisements,” in the Journal of Magazine and New Media Research, with Mark Callister; “Portrayal of Body Weight in Children’s Television Sitcoms,” in Body Image, with Mark Callister and Tahlea Jankoski; “Winning the Olympic Marketing Game: Recall of Brand Names and Logos on Clothing, Equipment, and Venues at the 2006 Olympics” in The International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship, with Lois Bauman; and “Perceptions of Negative Stereotypes of Older People in Magazine Advertisements: Comparing the Perceptions of Older Adults and College Students,” in Ageing & Society, with Robert Gustafson and Mark Popovich. He also presented a paper, “Swearing in the cinema: An analysis of profanity in teenoriented movies, 1980-2006,” at the meeting of the Western States Communication Association, with Dale Cressman, Mark Callister, and Chris Near, and three papers at the annual conference of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication: “Surviving Survivor: An analysis of antisocial behavior and its context in a popular reality television show,” with Chris Wilson and Mark Callister; “Substance abuse in teen-centered film: 1980-2007,” with Mark Callister, Talita Stasevskas and Chris Near; and “A content analysis of affection in television families in children’s programming during the 2006-2007 season,” with Mark Callister, Chris Near and Tony Nisse. Kevin Stoker Presented two papers: “Covenants and communication: How a multinational company improved communication and ethics by instituting value-based leadership covenants” at the International Public Research Conference (also published in conference proceedings); and “Weekly Sabbath School: The Farm Press as a Pulpit for Uncle Henry Wallace’s Progressive Moral Reform and Instruction,” at the annual conference of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, with James Arrington. Robert Wakefield Published a journal article, “World Theory of International Public Relations, the Internet, and Activism: A Personal Reflection,” in the Journal of Public Relations Research. Susan Walton Published an article in PRSA Strategist, “Raising the White Sail: Communicating with Employees in Times of Crisis,” and five articles in PRSA Tactics: “PR Portfolios: Putting Your Best Work Forward,” “Leaving the Tools in the Head Shed—Protecting Confidentiality and Intellectual Property in Public Relations,” “Research—The Foundation of Good Strategic Planning,” “Social Anxiety?: Sincerity and Courtesy Are Key to Networking Well” and “PrePublication Review: What PR Practitioners Need to Know,” with Joel Campbell. Laurie Wilson Published the fifth edition of Strategic Communications Planning for Effective Public Relations and Marketing and the third edition of A Matrix to Public Relations and Marketing, both with Joseph Ogden.

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Department of Communications

Brigham Young University

360 BRMB

Provo, Utah 84602

Photo by Michael Wilson

“May we treasure the divine gift of communication, and may we use it wisely to build and to assist others on this marvelous journey through mortality.” Elder L. Lionel Kendrick

“Christlike Communications,” October 1988 General Conference

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2008-2009

Brigham Young University