2012 BYU COMMS Magazine by Byu Cfac

COMMS

BYU DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATIONS

AND V

Forces for Good Alumni who are making a difference BRIDGING THE GAP Labs bridge gap between classroom and career

EMBRACING DIGITAL DIALOGUE BYUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Department of Communications teaches students to embrace changing media

ALUMNI OUTREACH How you can go forth and serve

FROM THE CHAIRS

In a national survey of department chairs, they were asked what they hoped to accomplish during their tenure in the position. The number one response was “keep the department moving forward.” I can definitely identify with that sentiment, and four years later I think our department has advanced in many areas. Working with an amazing team of associate chairs, faculty, staff and students, the department has continued to be recognized for its scholarship and to win many national awards in advertising, journalism and public relations. We have reached out to our alumni and now have a program for them to mentor our students. We have made major revisions to our journalism curriculum and have reorganized our student labs to better train students for the future of our disciplines. Many of these changes

are described in this edition of the department magazine. I am very grateful for the generous donations of alumni and the hard work of our faculty and staff that helped us weather through a challenging economic period, a hiring freeze and declining revenue for our student media. The department is in a better place because of your efforts. The theme of this year’s magazine is “Go Forth and Serve.” During spring convocation Dr. Ray Beckham, one of our distinguished emeritus faculty members, addressed students before receiving the Franklin S. Harris Award for a lifetime of exceptional service and professional achievement. He told them the secret to a lifetime of joy is losing yourself in the service of others. He is one of the best examples of the advice he shared. I can attest that the greatest joy I experienced as department chair was when I felt I was working in the best interests of my colleagues. Whether it was helping the department with reaccreditation, doing my part to help the majority of our faculty get through continuing faculty status (tenure), finding new scholarships or supporting student travel, I was always happiest when the results of my work brightened the life of another.

COMMS PUBLISHER Matt Bennett

EDITORS Kate Nash Jeanette Bennett

ART DIRECTORS David B. Blackhurst Leah Wasson Aldous

PHOTOGRAPHY David B. Blackhurst Leah Wasson Aldous

CONTRIBUTORS Madison Welch Jacey Walker Carpenter

OFFICE MANAGER Whitney Behling

CIRCULATION MANAGER Kate Nash

DEPARTMENT CHAIR

2 | COMMS Magazine

THE BEST OF TIMES 6 New York Times reporters inspire students.

Mark Callister

BUSINESS MANAGER Layne Peterson

SECRETARY

The newsroom adopts a digital first approach.

The Broadcast labs gains hands-on experience and awwards galore.

PRSSA POWER CHAPTER 12 BYU’s student chapter shines at national events.

LinkedIn.com helps alumni connect and collaborate.

Dale Cressman

BRIDGING THE GAP 8 THE UNIVERSE GO FORTH AND SERVE 18 EMBRACES DIGITAL Meet seven alumni Strategic labs give students real-world who are making DIALOGUE 14 experience. a difference.

AHEAD OF THE GAME 10

ASSOCIATE CHAIR FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES

GRADUATE STUDIES

Ed Adams became the new chair of the BYU Department of Communications on May 1, 2012. He previously served as department chair from 2003 to 2008, and served as association dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communications from 2008 to 2011.

Our newest news.

LINKING UP ON LINKED IN 13

ASSOCIATE CHAIR FOR STUDENT MEDIA

We are still garnering national awards and recognition. While I acknowledge these accomplishments, we are not simply content with where we have been or where we are today. We can be better. We have a great faculty and staff. We have excellent students. We are trying to leverage more alumni participation in student learning through mentoring. As of now we are the only accredited journalism and mass communication program in the Intermountain West (Utah and Idaho). We hope you enjoy this issue of the magazine as we look back over the past year. Just know that as we reflect on the past, we are anxiously propelling our students toward the future.

DEPARTMENT UPDATES 4

Ed Adams

Susan B. Walton

It is exciting to be back. It was great serving at the college level, but I have missed my association with alumni, faculty emeriti and friends of the department. We will miss Brad Rawlins and wish him the best in his new assignment at Arkansas State. He and his associates helped stabilize and solidify the foundation of the department. We all thank them for their selfless service. Our future is bright, and we are moving forward. Already this summer, we are converting the Daily Universe to a weekly newspaper (the Digital Universe), we are creating apps for tablets and looking at other multiplatform delivery processes. We are expanding the Ad Lab and Bradley Agency. We already hired a new person, Scott Rackham, as director over the two labs, and we are looking at expanding space for both environments.

CONTENT

ALUMNI REPORT

STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS 27 These student stand-outs are of the deserving kind.

FACULTY SCHOLARSHIP 28 Worthy works that have been polished and published.

Debby Jackson

ALUMNI OUTREACH Jacey Walker Carpenter BYU COMMS ALUMNI REPORT IS PUBLISHED IN ASSOCIATION WITH

A WORLDWIDE CAMPUS 30 Students gain cultural insights through international internships.

MENTOR UPDATE 32 424 W. 800 NORTH, SUITE 201 OREM, UT 84057 PHONE (801) 802-0200 www.bennettcommunications.net editor@uvmag.com

Alumni give back through the mentoring program.

ALUMNI OUTREACH 34 Six ways to serve the students you once were. COMMS Magazine | 3

FROM THE CHAIRS

COMMS PUBLISHER Matt Bennett

EDITORS Kate Nash Jeanette Bennett

ART DIRECTORS David B. Blackhurst Leah Wasson Aldous

PHOTOGRAPHY David B. Blackhurst Leah Wasson Aldous

CONTRIBUTORS Madison Welch Jacey Walker Carpenter

OFFICE MANAGER Whitney Behling

CIRCULATION MANAGER Kate Nash

DEPARTMENT CHAIR

2 | COMMS Magazine

THE BEST OF TIMES 6 New York Times reporters inspire students.

Mark Callister

BUSINESS MANAGER Layne Peterson

SECRETARY

The newsroom adopts a digital first approach.

The Broadcast labs gains hands-on experience and awwards galore.

PRSSA POWER CHAPTER 12 BYU’s student chapter shines at national events.

LinkedIn.com helps alumni connect and collaborate.

Dale Cressman

BRIDGING THE GAP 8 THE UNIVERSE GO FORTH AND SERVE 18 EMBRACES DIGITAL Meet seven alumni Strategic labs give students real-world who are making DIALOGUE 14 experience. a difference.

AHEAD OF THE GAME 10

ASSOCIATE CHAIR FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES

GRADUATE STUDIES

Our newest news.

LINKING UP ON LINKED IN 13

ASSOCIATE CHAIR FOR STUDENT MEDIA

DEPARTMENT UPDATES 4

Ed Adams

Susan B. Walton

CONTENT

ALUMNI REPORT

STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS 27 These student stand-outs are of the deserving kind.

FACULTY SCHOLARSHIP 28 Worthy works that have been polished and published.

Debby Jackson

ALUMNI OUTREACH Jacey Walker Carpenter BYU COMMS ALUMNI REPORT IS PUBLISHED IN ASSOCIATION WITH

A WORLDWIDE CAMPUS 30 Students gain cultural insights through international internships.

MENTOR UPDATE 32 424 W. 800 NORTH, SUITE 201 OREM, UT 84057 PHONE (801) 802-0200 www.bennettcommunications.net editor@uvmag.com

Alumni give back through the mentoring program.

ALUMNI OUTREACH 34 Six ways to serve the students you once were. COMMS Magazine | 3

Department Updates for the 2011-2012 School Year

MARK CALLISTER NAMED NEW GRADUATE STUDIES COORDINATOR

OUR NEWEST

NEWS

Mark Callister has been teaching advertising classes at BYU for seven years and was named the Graduate Studies coordinator in January 2012. He was also named the associate chair of the department. As coordinator he oversees the application process and the Graduation Committee, teaches graduate introduction classes, reviews graduate theses, budgets, makes scholarship decisions, tracks students’ graduation progress and acts as a resource for students with questions and concerns. Professor Callister is also continuing his work toward acquiring full professorship status.

JOHN DAVIES NAMED RESEARCH CENTER DIRECTOR

STEVE THOMSEN NAMED DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL MEDIA Steve Thomsen has been teaching at BYU since 1996 and achieved full professor status in 2005. He teaches classes including Research Methods, Media Effects, Media and Society, Qualitative Methods, and International Media and Religion. His responsibilities as director of International Media range from hosting international guests to overseeing study abroad programs to working with LDS Public Affairs to establish new international internships.

Winter Semester 2012

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Communications Studies 34

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Journalism 41

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1 1 0 2 N I D AWARDE

Advertising 214

Emphasis Breakdown

FAST FACTS s e e r g e 326 D

Chris Cutri has been named an associate professor and is now receiving continuing status. Cutri has a strong background in the film industry, specifically commercial production. He teaches upper level courses including TV Commercial Production, Intro to Creative Concepts, and Pop Culture and the Media. “I’m very grateful and honored that I have received continuing faculty status,” Cutri said. “I absolutely love my job and am so thankful I get to work at BYU.” Cutri has been working in the Department of Communications since 2003.

TOM ROBINSON ADVANCES TO FULL PROFESSOR STATUS

John Davies has been a faculty member of BYU’s Department of Communications for three years, and he teaches both undergraduate and graduate level courses. In January 2012 he was named the director of the research center, which provides support for both quantitative and qualitative research within the Department of Communications. As the lab director, Davies consults with students and assists them in preparing research products. “Research can be a long and laborious process, but it is very satisfying to finally produce results that can make people’s lives better, or scholarship that advances the field,” Davies said. “It’s gratifying to help someone along in that process.”

Public Relations 171

CHRISTOPHER CUTRI ADVANCES TO ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR STATUS, RECEIVING CONTINUING STATUS

Broadcast Journalism 64

Tom Robinson achieved full professor status in the summer of 2011. The advancement has provided Robinson new opportunities for leadership within the department and university in addition to his teaching and research duties. “It’s a goal I’ve had for many years, and the achievement has given me relief and satisfaction,” Robinson said. Robinson has been a faculty member at BYU since 2003 and has taught a multitude of advertising courses ranging from Communications 101 to Advertising Campaigns.

SHERRY BAKER ADVANCES TO FULL PROFESSOR STATUS Sherry Baker has been teaching at BYU since 1996. Over the years, she has taught 13 different courses ranging from introductory to graduate level courses. “The advancement to full professor is an endorsement of my work and an expression of trust, which I value,” Baker said. “It has been a wonderful opportunity and a great honor to work with the remarkable scholars and students here at BYU.” Baker has done extensive work in the emerging academic field of Mormon media studies and organized the 2010 Mormon Media Symposium as well as the upcoming 2012 symposium.

Number of full-time faculty

  23 Between 58-63 different courses are taught in the Department of Communications each semester.

584

Number of communications majors currently enrolled as of Winter 2012.

ime of part-t Number bers m e m y lt facu

COMMS Magazine | 5

Department Updates for the 2011-2012 School Year

MARK CALLISTER NAMED NEW GRADUATE STUDIES COORDINATOR

OUR NEWEST

NEWS

JOHN DAVIES NAMED RESEARCH CENTER DIRECTOR

Winter Semester 2012

]

Communications Studies 34

]

] 4 | COMMS Magazine

Journalism 41

]]

1 1 0 2 N I D AWARDE

Advertising 214

Emphasis Breakdown

FAST FACTS s e e r g e 326 D

TOM ROBINSON ADVANCES TO FULL PROFESSOR STATUS

Public Relations 171

CHRISTOPHER CUTRI ADVANCES TO ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR STATUS, RECEIVING CONTINUING STATUS

Broadcast Journalism 64

Number of full-time faculty

  23 Between 58-63 different courses are taught in the Department of Communications each semester.

584

Number of communications majors currently enrolled as of Winter 2012.

ime of part-t Number bers m e m y lt facu

COMMS Magazine | 5

BE OUR

THE BEST OF TIMES Every aspiring communications student needs someone to be inspired by. And the Department of Communication’s lineup of guest speakers provides an ample pool of candidates to choose from. The Brimhall is packed with pros — including New York Times journalists.

David Bornstein drew a crowd to the Brimhall building atrium.

“Communications students deal in a world of current affairs and ideas,” said journalism professor Joel Campbell. “There is no better news gathering operation in the world, expect probably the BBC, than the New York Times.” The Department of Communications subscribes to the paper and free copies are

Breakfast with the Times 6 | COMMS Magazine

available daily for students in the Brimhall building. “One of the benefits of subscribing to the paper is that the Times offers us speakers from time to time,” Campbell said. Recent New York Times guest speakers have included David Bornstein, creator and co-author of the column Fixes, Elisabeth Bumiller, a

Pentagon correspondent and Adam Liptak, who covers the Supreme Court. Each of these writers presented their own unique brand of journalism and an expertise in a different area.

SOLUTIONS JOURNALISM

David Bornstein shared his passion for solutions-focused journalism. He encouraged

When it comes to journalism, the New York Times is one of the most respected news organizations in the industry. And the BYU Communications Department makes it a point to expose students to the newspaper. Free copies of the paper are available to students in the Brimhall Building and several professors have made it required reading material in their courses. Professor Joel Campbell is an advocate of the Times and with help from BYU’s Society for Professional Journalist chapter, he started an event

student journalists to put a spotlight on the way society is solving problems rather than just the problems themselves. “Journalism is a feedback mechanism for society,” Bornstein said. “We need information from journalists to understand what’s going on, but also how those problems are being solved. You need

called ‘Breakfast With The Times’ for students. Students would meet with professors to discuss articles from the current issue of the paper. While the promise of free treats might have lured students to the event, the lively discussion provided them with food for thought. “It was a good way to link the curriculum to events reported in the Times,” Campbell says. “We had both faculty and reporters involved. It was also a good way for student journalists to ask questions about careers and needed skills.”

both pieces of the puzzle.” Bornstein also counseled students to specialize their body of work. “When you just take the stories that come up, you don’t build expertise,” Bornstein said. “You value goes up when you focus on one area.”

NEXT QUESTION? When Elisabeth Bumiller came to campus, she engaged in a question and answer session with students. This format allowed her to discuss a variety of topics with students ranging from her adventures as a reporter in Afghanistan to time management “It’s really important to prioritize; you won’t have time to do everything,” Bumiller said.

Bumiller has been writing for the New York Times since 1995 and reports on national and international political topics. She is also the author of “Condoleezza Rice: An American Life” and “May You Be the Mother of a Hundred Sons: A Journey among the Women of India.” Bumiller shared her thoughts on social media tools and the pressure to report on several through multiple channels. “Students were very impressed with her and we had a great discussion about how she got to where she is and where journalism is going,” Campbell said.

LEGAL EAGLE Adam Liptak, who covers the Supreme Court, was

brought to BYU Campus for a BYU Law Review symposium and was able to spend some time in the Department of Communications as well. Communications professor Ed Carter helped organize the event with several other BYU professors from the political science and law departments. “Adam was at the top of our ‘dream team’ list,” Carter said. “Once we had him, we were able to secure other bigname reporters.” BYU’s student chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists also hosted an event with Liptak where he shared the story about his journey from working for the New York Times legal department to having his own legal column in the paper. He encouraged students to get the best education they can and then be open to new opportunities and roles. In addition to being a personable and knowledgeable guest speaker, Liptak’s visit and the topics discussed were timely. “He is in the middle of all of these big events and it was interesting to hear about his approach to reporting on these events and follow his coverage afterward,” Carter said.

INSPIRATION STATION “If you are a New York and want the Times delivered to your doorstep every morning, it can cost almost $700 a year,” Campbell said. “We are giving it to our students for free and I hope all of our communications students realize what a benefit it is.” Professor Carter agrees that access to the New York Times and its writers is extremely valuable to students. “It’s good for them to see people who have been successful and realize that they are just like us,” Carter said. “It gives them the idea ‘I could do this.’”

GUEST Every semester, communications students are treated to a variety of impressive guest speakers. Whether it’s an advertising genius, a public relations guru, an award-winning anchor, a first-rate reporter or a communications scholar — they’ve got every specialty covered. Here are a few memorable visitors from 2011. DAVID NEWBOLD President of Richter 7 Advertising Agency

David Newbold is known for his innovative approach to advertising and has worked with major including American Express, Foot Locker, Major League Baseball, 7UP, Boy Scouts of America and many others. BRUCE REESE

President and CEO of Hubbard Radio

With Bruce Reese at the helm, Hubbard Radio operates 21 radio stations in five national markets. BLAKE STOWELL

Senior Manager of Analyst Relations for Adobe Systems, Inc.

Blake Stowell has more than 18 years of corporate communications experience with high-profile companies including WordPerfect, Novell, SCO, Omniture and Adobe. KIM BURNINGHAM Chairman of Utahns for Ethical Government

As a former state legislator and the former president of the Utah State Board of Education, Kim Burningham has a wealth of experience in both education and government.

COMMS Magazine | 7

BE OUR

David Bornstein drew a crowd to the Brimhall building atrium.

Breakfast with the Times 6 | COMMS Magazine

Pentagon correspondent and Adam Liptak, who covers the Supreme Court. Each of these writers presented their own unique brand of journalism and an expertise in a different area.

SOLUTIONS JOURNALISM

David Bornstein shared his passion for solutions-focused journalism. He encouraged

LEGAL EAGLE Adam Liptak, who covers the Supreme Court, was

President and CEO of Hubbard Radio

With Bruce Reese at the helm, Hubbard Radio operates 21 radio stations in five national markets. BLAKE STOWELL

Senior Manager of Analyst Relations for Adobe Systems, Inc.

As a former state legislator and the former president of the Utah State Board of Education, Kim Burningham has a wealth of experience in both education and government.

COMMS Magazine | 7

BRIDGING THE GAP Account managers in the Bradley Lab hone their skills with real campaigns and paying clients.

The Department of Communications faculty recognizes not all learning can done in the classroom — which is why they have developed strategic labs to give their budding communicators realworld career experiences while completing their studies.

The Communications Department’s two labs — the Ad Lab and the Bradley Lab — are run by students with assistance from faculty member advisers. The labs allow students to practice their craft for paying clients. “It takes the theory they are taught in classes and makes it real,” said Scott Rackham, director of strategic labs for the department. In addition to producing campaigns for clients, the labs assist students in bridging the gap between the classroom and the professional world. “It has given me the opportunity to exert my skills specifically in the field I will be working in,” said Joshua Pacheco, an account manager in the Ad Lab. “It’s given me a mock environment of what an agency life would be like.”

Awards & Accolades 8 | COMMS Magazine

PORTFOLIO BOOSTER

In 2012, involvement in the Bradley Lab became a prerequisite for the program’s required internship. “In reality, our senior level students get pretty busy with a bunch of things,” said Jeff DuBois, former Bradley Agency manager. “This is an effort to get more senior level students to be actively involved in the Bradley Agency — they’re the ones who benefit the most and the ones we need in the agency the most.” Seniors Mike Graul and Gabe Guerrero both started in the firm as account coordinators and worked up to leadership positions as account directors. The Bradley Lab helped build their portfolios and prepare them for internships. “I consider my Bradley

experience to be the most beneficial experience I’ve gotten at BYU,” Guerrero said. “I’ve had the opportunity to work with real clients who spend money and have that expectation for us to perform. Also, my portfolio went from nonexistent to extremely beefed up in just a couple of semesters.”

CREATIVE COLLABORATION

Throughout the past year, the Department of Communications has focused on creating collaboration between the two labs. A faculty position was created for the sole purpose of the helping the labs connect, and Scott Rackham was the man for the job. As a BYU grad in public relations and a veteran of the advertising industry, he had a solid foundation in both disciplines. With support from

Theory learned in classes and practical application developed in labs help students create successful campaigns. In 2011, the Ad Lab won 18 ADDYs and in 2012 they took home seven ADDYs. The Bradley Agency has been recognized six times as the best PRSSA chapter firm in the nation. It was also the first of more than 70 student-run firms nationwide to be officially recognized by PRSSA as a nationally affiliated student-run firm.

faculty members and students, Rackham has helped the labs pool their resources and work together in partnerships. “The labs can do better work together,” Rackham said. “And working together has taught the students that when you collaborate, you have more tools to solve problems.” In addition to providing clients with better solutions, the collaboration of the labs prepares students for real-world office and agency dynamics. Advertising professor Doug McKinlay said, “It’s important to collaborate because that’s how it’s done in the industry; the essential skill learned is how to understand and implement the views of another allied discipline.”

A CLASS ACT

In addition to more collaboration between the labs, the department’s senior-level capstone classes also took on the task of working together across disciplines. During the Winter semester of 2012, McKinlay’s advertising capstone class and Professor Robert Wakefield’s public relations capstone class teamed up to work on a campaign for Children’s Miracle Network. The organization, based in Salt Lake City, raises money for more than 200 children’s hospitals across the nation. Students from each emphasis were put in groups to create a campaign. “Clients don’t just want an advertising solution or a PR solution,” Rackham said. “They often want elements of both, and Children’s Miracle Network received a more complete recommendation.” McKinlay agrees that the new emphasis on labs working together services clients better.

Meet Scott Rackham

Client Connections The Bradley Agency recently worked on campaigns for Enough is Enough, a nonprofit organization that promotes Internet safety for children, and the Holly and Bronco Mendenhall Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports children and families with limited opportunities and significant life challenges. The Ad Lab’s roster of clients includes impressive national companies such as Raisinets and Bidonhealth.com. “They received a much more unified campaign, where we completed the integration aspects of two campaigns, as opposed to making that a burden on the client,” said McKinlay. Professor Wakefield’s class improved the company’s “Champion Booklet,” a collection of biographies of children helped by Children’s Miracle Network funds. “They did a great job re-imagining the booklet, focusing less on medical details of the child’s illness and instead focusing on the child’s personality,” said Rackham. The students also helped

the organization with ideas of how to more effectively position themselves as a charity of interest for those looking to donate. Advertising students conceptualized and designed various ads including a billboard.

REAL WORLD RITE OF PASSAGE

For BYU students studying communications, there is no better place to build a portfolio and learn how to creatively collaborate than the student labs. And after experiencing that real world rite of passage, graduates can take on their careers with competence and confidence.

BIG PICTURE THINKER Scott Rackham joined the department in November of 2011 as the director of Strategic Communications Labs. With an impressive resume that includes success in a variety of business, Rackham knows how to see the “big picture” and has helped the department’s labs — the Bradley Agency and the Ad Lab — become more collaborative. CAREER TRACK Prior to joining BYU, Rackham was the vice president of client partnerships at Hanson Dodge Creative. Rackham also spent five years in public broadcasting and nine years at a Milwaukeebased advertising agency, Meyer and Wallis. He also has experience in brand strategy, name development and positioning as a former consultant at Monigle Associates. PLAYING FAVORITES Rackham’s favorite jobs to date include working for NBC during the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games and the two summers he worked as a river guide on the Snake River. Somewhere in between all of that, Scott married his wife Laura and had eight kids. COMMS Magazine | 9

BRIDGING THE GAP Account managers in the Bradley Lab hone their skills with real campaigns and paying clients.

Awards & Accolades 8 | COMMS Magazine

PORTFOLIO BOOSTER

CREATIVE COLLABORATION

A CLASS ACT

Meet Scott Rackham

REAL WORLD RITE OF PASSAGE

The Broadcast Lab’s professional standards help students win awards and jobs.

AHEAD OF THE GAME

BROADCAST LAB AWARDS The first few months in the broadcast lab are tough — but graduating students say it helped them hit the ground running. ElevenNEWS, the television newscast produced in the Broadcast Lab for campus and community cable, requires dedicated faculty and hardworking students to produce news stories daily. With high-tech software, a professional news set and 20 student work stations, the

ElevenNEWS at Noon, the Broadcast Lab’s daily broadcast, earned top awards in 2011.

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Broadcast Lab means business. “We put the students in a professional setting with professional level equipment,” said Chad Curtis, broadcast news manager. “We require them to perform on a professional level. It’s nerve racking and stressful for the first

little bit, but if the students can rise quickly to that level of professional work, they are much better off.” For several students preparing to receive Gracie Awards, the professional focus of the lab paid off. Anna Hayes, a 2012 graduate, received a Gracie Award in the category of “Outstanding Hard News Feature.” “I spent two weeks on the story, and it overtook my life,” Hayes said. “It’s good to have someone else who’s outside the broadcast program say, ‘This is good on a national level.’”

Her story, “Fishing vs. Fashion,” details the problems caused for fishermen when the feathers they use to make bait became a popular fashion trend. “I didn’t really think I would win,” Hayes said. “I was just hopeful and I thought I’d put my story in.” The broadcast major traditionally offers courses for students who want to report news, but classes have recently been added on producing news and creating multi-platform journalism. “Our goal is to provide our students with the opportunity to get to the point where they can work on a professional level in broadcast,” Curtis said. “If they take advantage of the opportunities they’re given here, when they graduate they should be in very high demand in the industry.” Broadcast student Lindsay Kezos was one of the first students to graduate in the producing track. She said the producing track is a little less glamorous, but it was a better fit for her. “The producing track is more behind-the-scenes than the reporting track,” Kezos said. “I really enjoyed writing stories, organizing and putting together a show. It’s not what people think of when they think of the broadcast program.” During her final semester, Kezos did an internship with KUTV and was offered a freelance position at the end of her internship. She said she’s grateful for the resources she had at BYU. “Coming from the lab and going to my internship, I felt really prepared to meet those standards we have in the real world,” she said. “I felt I was ahead of the game.”

THE HEARST JOURNALISM AWARDS 2011

1st place Radio Reporting Natalie Tripp 1st place Television Reporting Garrett Tenney This was the first time a single university swept both broadcast competitions in a single year.

2012

5th place Radio Reporting Stephen Tanner 3rd place Television Hard News Reporting Lydia Defranchi

College Television Awards 2nd Place Documentary Mark Williams Seymour Bricker Family Humanitarian Award Mark Williams

National Broadcast Society Awards 1st place Best News Package Jessica Rasmussen

THE FOLLOWING WERE ALL NATIONAL FINALISTS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE CATEGORIES Video News Program ElevenNEWS at Noon Video Sports Program CoogTube

Audio News Package Stephen Tanner Audio Feature Package Stephen Tanner Video News Segment Anna Hayes Video News Segment Jenne Anderson Video Feature Segment Anna Hayes Video Feature Segment Jenne Anderson Video Sports Package Aimee Bench

Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence Competition NATIONAL LEVEL

1st place Television Sports Reporting Christine Assily

The Gracie Awards Student Division Outstanding Host - Sports Program Briana Carr Outstanding Hard News Feature Anna Hayes Outstanding Reporter/ Correspondent Jenne Anderson Outstanding Director – News Kika Latu

Festival of Media Arts Broadcast Education Association

2nd place Television Feature Reporting Jenne Anderson

Best of Festival - News Reporting Jenne Anderson

REGIONAL LEVEL (UTAH, COLORADO, WYOMING, NEW MEXICO)

2nd Place Long Form Documentary Mark Williams

1st place Radio In-Depth Reporting Brian Grimmett 1st Place Radio News Reporting Brian Grimmett 1st place Television Feature Reporting Jenne Anderson 2nd place Television Feature Reporting Anna Hayes 1st place Television News Reporting Anna Hayes

3rd Place Radio Feature Reporting Stephen Tanner 3rd Place Radio Hard News Reporting Brian Grimmett 3rd Place Television Feature Reporting Jenne Anderson Honorable Mention Television Feature Reporting Sara Tourigny Honorable Mention Television Feature Reporting Anna Hayes

COMMS Magazine | 11

The Broadcast Lab’s professional standards help students win awards and jobs.

AHEAD OF THE GAME

ElevenNEWS at Noon, the Broadcast Lab’s daily broadcast, earned top awards in 2011.

10 | COMMS Magazine

THE HEARST JOURNALISM AWARDS 2011

1st place Radio Reporting Natalie Tripp 1st place Television Reporting Garrett Tenney This was the first time a single university swept both broadcast competitions in a single year.

2012

5th place Radio Reporting Stephen Tanner 3rd place Television Hard News Reporting Lydia Defranchi

College Television Awards 2nd Place Documentary Mark Williams Seymour Bricker Family Humanitarian Award Mark Williams

National Broadcast Society Awards 1st place Best News Package Jessica Rasmussen

THE FOLLOWING WERE ALL NATIONAL FINALISTS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE CATEGORIES Video News Program ElevenNEWS at Noon Video Sports Program CoogTube

Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence Competition NATIONAL LEVEL

1st place Television Sports Reporting Christine Assily

Festival of Media Arts Broadcast Education Association

2nd place Television Feature Reporting Jenne Anderson

Best of Festival - News Reporting Jenne Anderson

REGIONAL LEVEL (UTAH, COLORADO, WYOMING, NEW MEXICO)

2nd Place Long Form Documentary Mark Williams

COMMS Magazine | 11

BYU’s PRSSA student chapter achieves success at regional and national levels with help from alumni.

to students and arranged student tours of public relations agencies in Salt Lake City and Utah County. Martin attended in the national PRSA conference and accepted the award for BYU. “It was quite exciting,” Martin said. “I didn’t expect that award because we had applied for a couple of others . . . It’s cool to stand up and represent BYU, a school we all love.” This award coincides with the purpose of PRSSA, which is “to cultivate a favorable and mutually advantageous relationship between students and professional public relations practitioners.” Along with this national achievement, BYU’s PRSSA recently hosted a regional conference for students from 43 other PRSSA chapters. Karissa Urry, the recently elected PRSSA national vice president of regional confer-

Photo courtesy of PRSSA and Andy Meng/Craig Huey Photography.

PRSSA POWER CHAPTER

BYU’s Public Relations Student Society of America chapter has been named one of the top five education programs in the nation for the third year in a row. The chapter also claimed the Dr. F.H. Teahan award for Outstanding PRSA/PRSSA Relationship. “PRSSA has tremendous value in terms of networking and educational opportunities,” said Jeff DuBois, former manager of the Bradley Public Relations Agency, the PRSSA chapter’s student-run firm. “Our executive board for our PRSSA chapter is heavily involved with the PRSA chapter.” According to Stephen Martin, the 2012 president of BYU PRSSA, the award was a result of the efforts of the president before him, Lauren Lytle. Lytle regularly attended PRSA board meetings, invited PRSA members to speak

INTERNSHIP INNER CIRCLE 12 | COMMS Magazine

ences, says the conference’s success came from having a well-established program and incredible resources, including talented alumni and faculty. “They are ready and willing to sacrifice their time to teach us and help us be as successful as they are,” Urry said. “Our regional conference was able to draw from some of the top professionals in the country who were either BYU alumni or connections of alumni and advisers.” In addition to several speakers, the conference featured a mock crisis hosted by Chris Thomas, the official publicist for the Elizabeth Smart Foundation. “We felt it would be a good kickoff event,” Urry said. “It was interactive and informative, which is very reflective of the PR program we have at BYU.”

Creating and cultivating relationships is essential to success — which is why students, faculty and alumni are connecting online with LinkedIn.

LINKING UP ON LINKED IN HOW CONNECTED ARE YOU? Expand your sphere by joining these LinkedIn groups.

BYU COMMUNICATIONS BYU ADVERTISING PRSSA leadership team and PR faculty advisors accepted the “Dr. F.H. Teahan award for Outstanding PRSA/ PRSSA Relationship” at the national PRSSA conference in 2011.

Stephen Martin, the graduating president of PRSSA, says his involvement with PRSSA helped him land an internship with General Motors, a company that only accepts three summer communi-

cations interns nationwide. “General Motors pulled candidates from strong programs with good PRSSA chapters,” Martin said. “They interviewed the candidates at the national conference.

Without PRSSA, I would have been on the outside and would have had to find that information by myself.”

BYU BROADCAST JOURNALISM BYU PRINT JOURNALISM BYU PUBLIC RELATIONS

With the proliferation of social media and networking websites, it’s hard to know what is worth paying attention to. LinkedIn is a credible networking site that the BYU Department of Communications is encouraging students, faculty and alumni to utilize. The site is specifically targeted toward working professionals and aims to provide users the ability to connect with those outside their immediate circle of contacts. “I use it differently than I do Facebook,” said Scott Rackham, director of Strategic Labs for the department. “For me, it is a digital rolodex.” Rackham has more than 400 LinkedIn contacts. These are people he has done business with or individuals he knows personally. According to Rackham, the benefit of linking up these colleagues and friends via LinkedIn is the opportunity to connect with their connections. If he needs to find a producer in Los Angeles he can ask his LinkedIn contacts from California to give him a referral. He can then view the work history of the

referral on the site. Other benefits of the site include using it as a market research tool by asking questions in a forum setting. Employers can also list job postings. Because connections are often individuals from the same line of work, the job posting reaches a more relevant audience. For alumni, joining groups sponsored by the department provides opportunities to reconnect with former classmates, colleagues and professors. The official BYU Communications Alumni Group has 1,402 (and counting) members. Roughly a quarter of those members define themselves as practitioners at the senior level. For communications students and recent graduates, the benefits of LinkedIn are abundant, especially in the job search. If a potential employer “googles” the student, seeing a professional LinkedIn profile as one of the first search results can favorably influence the employer. Patrick Hernandez joined LinkedIn as a student studying public relations, and he now uses the site as a professional. Hernandez works as

an assistant manager of program operations at General Motors in Michigan. “I like seeing who is in the groups and what they are up to,” Hernandez said. But it’s not just recent grads who are reaping the benefits of LinkedIn. Alumni re-entering the workforce are finding LinkedIn useful, too. Brandon Olson, a public relations supervisor for The UPS Store and a BYU communications alum, was able to help his dad (a fellow BYU communications alum) prepare for an interview using the site. They looked up the person who would be conducting the interview to find out more about him. They also viewed profiles of current employees at the company and discovered Brandon’s dad had a professional connection to a person who was currently working at the company. “LinkedIn is a great tool for re-establishing connections and getting your foot in the door,” Olson said. Whatever your needs are, LinkedIn has ways to help build relationships and success. Take the first step and get connected! COMMS Magazine | 13

BYU’s PRSSA student chapter achieves success at regional and national levels with help from alumni.

Photo courtesy of PRSSA and Andy Meng/Craig Huey Photography.

PRSSA POWER CHAPTER

INTERNSHIP INNER CIRCLE 12 | COMMS Magazine

Creating and cultivating relationships is essential to success — which is why students, faculty and alumni are connecting online with LinkedIn.

LINKING UP ON LINKED IN HOW CONNECTED ARE YOU? Expand your sphere by joining these LinkedIn groups.

Stephen Martin, the graduating president of PRSSA, says his involvement with PRSSA helped him land an internship with General Motors, a company that only accepts three summer communi-

cations interns nationwide. “General Motors pulled candidates from strong programs with good PRSSA chapters,” Martin said. “They interviewed the candidates at the national conference.

Without PRSSA, I would have been on the outside and would have had to find that information by myself.”

BYU BROADCAST JOURNALISM BYU PRINT JOURNALISM BYU PUBLIC RELATIONS

DIRECTOR OF THE UNIVERSE NEWS LAB

BYU’s Department of Communications teaches students to embrace the changing media landscape in the newsroom and beyond.

THE UNIVERSE EMBRACES DIGITAL DIALOGUE

2012

was a big year for The Daily Universe. The shift from a daily printed newspaper to a news website with a weekly print edition made headlines and changed the department in big ways. The transition was carefully considered and designed by the department with students and the BYU community at large in mind.

“I would love to give people who are not at BYU a reason to keep The Universe on their radar,” says Steve Fidel, the new director of The Universe.

audience has been a focus of the campus paper for more than a century. And there is a rich history full of clever headlines, thoughtful storytelling, resourceful reporting, memorable opinion pages, humorous police beats and thousands of well-trained students to show for it.

A DIGITAL-FIRST APPROACH “As a daily newspaper, The Daily Universe has served the BYU community for decades. We anticipate this new emphasis on a digital-first platform is the next stage in meeting our audience’s needs,” said Brad Rawlins, former chair of the Department of Communications. Meeting the needs of its 14 | COMMS Magazine

In addition to adapting to audience needs and the changing journalism landscape, the communications faculty saw an opportunity to better prepare students for life after graduation with a “digital first” approach. As students contribute to The Universe website, they will learn how to enhance the text components of their stories with audio, video and

web application. "In many ways this change will provide unique opportunities for students. We really want to look at how news breaks online and work toward becoming a 24/7 newsroom,” said journalism professor Joel Campbell. The new format will also help students be more marketable when applying for internships. “We do internships around the country, and what I have been hearing from editors and producers is that they really want students to have these digital skills," Campbell said. "We are trying to adjust our curriculum and prepare our students for the changing marketplace." According to Professor Quint Randle, the twofold goal of the curriculum is to prepare students for the job

environment after graduation and to allow students more diversity in how they choose to specialize. “What we’re really changing is learning adaptation,” Randle said. “All the cool new tools make you more marketable in the short term. Long term, we’re trying to teach communications and the idea of being able to adapt and change with the ebb and flow of the industry.”

PRESS-ING FORWARD

Students will contribute to The Universe website daily. They will also publish stories in the print edition each week. The weekly print edition will be larger and more indepth, with three sections: The Citizen, The Athlete and The Student. Stories includ-

ed in the print edition will be longer and require more in-depth reporting. They will give students the crucial storytelling practice they need without the time constraint of a daily deadline that their web stories will require. More lead time between each printing of the paper will also decrease the number of Associated Press material used, filling the weekly print edition with more studentgenerated content.

LAB OF LEARNING

In addition to being a media outlet that provides news to BYU campus and alumni, The Universe is an educational lab tied to the department’s curriculum. In the early days, articles were written by of a handful of individuals from different

MEET STEVE FIDEL Steve Fidel became the director of The Universe news lab in May 2012. As a seasoned professional with experience in various media platforms, he brings a wealth of expertise to the job. He also brings with him a spirit of innovation and collaboration he hopes to share with students, faculty, readers and alumni. “I’m looking for input and collaboration from anyone who is willing to offer,” Fidel said. “Some people don’t know they are invited to share their thoughts and that we want to hear them.” Coming Full Circle As Fidel takes on the role of director of the newsroom, he comes full circle back to the place where he first developed his reporting skills as a student reporter for The Daily Universe. Fidel also served as The Daily Universe’s photo editor. A Renaissance Man Previously, Fidel has worked as a multi-platform reporter for both KSL and Deseret News. He has also been an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Communications by teaching since 2001 and has taught News Writing and News Research Methods classes. Top Techie Fidel designed and launched the Deseret News’ first mobile electronic edition and has helped developed news websites. He hopes to help students and faculty move forward in their endeavor to adopt the digital first approach in the news lab. Outside the Office Fidel and his wife are the parents of four children, and he enjoys restoring muscle cars in his spare time. He has visited every continent in his role as a reporter.

COMMS Magazine | 15

DIRECTOR OF THE UNIVERSE NEWS LAB

BYU’s Department of Communications teaches students to embrace the changing media landscape in the newsroom and beyond.

THE UNIVERSE EMBRACES DIGITAL DIALOGUE

2012

“I would love to give people who are not at BYU a reason to keep The Universe on their radar,” says Steve Fidel, the new director of The Universe.

PRESS-ING FORWARD

LAB OF LEARNING

COMMS Magazine | 15

“We don’t have to hard code things anymore. The tools that we use now make handling the content better and easier. It gives us the chance to do thing we have never done before.”

Stay connected to The Universe with the following apps, websites and videos.

Warren Bingham, manager of media design and production for The Universe.

departments across campus. The newspaper became a student-produced publication in 1965 due to changes instituted by BYU President Ernest L. Wilkinson. Wilkinson wanted The Daily Universe to be more professional and sought out Ed Heraldson, then an editor at U.S. News and World Report, for assistance. Wilkinson and Heraldson visited the University of Missouri in Columbia and saw that the university treated the newspaper as a lab and required participation from communications students. The pair returned to Provo and got to work bringing the lab model to The Daily Universe. Today the newsroom operates as a lab with unpaid students working to fulfill class credits alongside paid

THE UNIVERSE THROUGH THE YEARS 1891 BYU’s first campus newspaper, the B.Y.A. Student, is published by the Student Life Department.

part-time and full time employees. "One thing we can't forget is that we are in the business of producing journalists, not a newspaper,” said Rawlins. “The news product — whether it is electronic or published on paper — is a valuable byproduct, because it gives students an outlet to practice the skills and principles they are learning. It's not a hypothetical exercise; it's real, tangible and accountable to an audience. A news lab is an integral part of student learning for out journalism program."

BY DESIGN

“When the first newspaper appeared on campus it was a cross between an info sheet and literary journal,” said Ed Adams, chair of the depart-

BRINGING GLOBAL ISSUES INTO FOCUS

The content included in the campus newspaper has changed dramatically over the years as well. “The paper in the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s was very event driven,” said Adams. “You would see announcements for almost everything happening on campus — clubs, performances, visits and sports — because campus life was their life.” These days, readers enjoy the best of both worlds, firstrate campus coverage as well as quality national and global

news. Student reporters are able to localize and humanize national events by including the opinions and thoughts of local sources in their stories. Stories from the Associated Press fill in the gaps. “We aren’t just training students to write about BYU mint brownies,” said Steve Fidel, the new director of The Universe. “It’s important as well to make sure students have their eye on what is going in the community around them. The faculty and staff at BYU are part of the audience too and that creates opportunity to have a bigger audience and for the universe to have an impact on campus and off campus. I would love to give people who are not at BYU a reason to keep The Universe on their radar.”

THE BRIGHT FUTURE AHEAD

“We are not a weekly any-

Looking back at the Daily Universe through the years gives us insight into the issues and events that mattered to BYU students and faculty. In addition, the many changes and improvements the paper has undergone are reflective of the changing curriculum and focuses of the Department of Communications. The evolution closely correlates with the evolution of mass media across the country as the department strives to keep graduates competitive with the national market. Publication has sped up from monthly to weekly to daily to minutely. Increasing circulation numbers mirror the growing campus population, and added media tools like videos and web applications give content greater richness and complexity. If the next century is anything like the last one — big things are in store. 1921 The White and Blue becomes known as Y News. Weekly printing of the paper begins.

1898 The newspaper has its first of several name changes and becomes The White and Blue. Yearly subscriptions go up from 50 cents to 75 cents.

16 | COMMS Magazine

ment of communications. “There were no graphics, just text.” Over the years, the newspaper has increased and improved its design elements. Students are encouraged to plan their stories with specific art in mind rather than simply adding photos as an afterthought. Warren Bingham, the manager of media design and production for The Universe, says that the once-a-week print edition of The Universe will include more charts and abstract art. And each of the sections — The Athlete, The Citizen, The Student — will have it’s own full-color cover page. This push for excellence in design continues with The Universe website and improving technology makes

that pursuit more accessible. “We don’t have to hard code things anymore,” Bingham said. “The tools that we use now make handling the content better and easier. It gives us the chance to do thing we have never done before.”

1965 The campus newspaper becomes a student lab.

1955 The newsroom acquires a new printing press that churns out 3,500 newspapers in one hour. Circulation reaches 7,000.

1948 Y News changes its name to The Brigham Young Universe.

1956 The Brigham Young Universe changes its name to The Daily Universe.

2009 The Daily Universe starts a YouTube Channel. A tabloidstyle edition of the paper, called the “Friday411” is created and published once a week on Fridays.

2006 The Daily Universe celebrates its 50th anniversary. A series of special commemorative issues are published.

more — we are a minutely,” said Randle. “We are creating more content than ever before. We are speeding things up with the digital flow and we are also slowing down the print flow so that we can do a more thorough job.” As the Communications Department faculty and students forge ahead with confidence in the digital first model, they are excited to see the ways it will improve the learning experience for students and they are eager to provide readers and alumni with enhanced content and a quicker response to breaking news. We are not a weekly anymore — we are a minutely,” said Randle. “We are creating more content than ever before. We are speeding things up with the digital flow and we are also slowing down the print flow so that we can do a more thorough job.”

2012 The Daily Universe becomes The Universe. Daily content is published online and the printed edition of the paper becomes a weekly.

2011 Paper circulation reaches 18,500.

INTERACTIVE INFORMATION IPAD APP With The Universe iPad app, you’ll have the world at your fingertips with access to The Universe site content as well as the weekly print edition.

FACEBOOK On the Daily Universe Facebook page you’ll find breaking headlines and reader reaction. Visit facebook.com/TheDailyUniverse.

TWITTER If short and pithy is your style, follow @DailyUniverse to stay up to date on the go. Visit twitter.com/dailyuniverse.

YOUTUBE The BYU Department of Communications YouTube channel features video footage of guest speakers and events. The Daily Universe YouTube channel has more than 190 videos, including exclusive live interviews, sports highlights and EleveNEWS broadcasts. Visit youtube.com /byucomms and youtube.com/BYUDailyUniverse. COMMS Magazine | 17

“We don’t have to hard code things anymore. The tools that we use now make handling the content better and easier. It gives us the chance to do thing we have never done before.”

Stay connected to The Universe with the following apps, websites and videos.

Warren Bingham, manager of media design and production for The Universe.

THE UNIVERSE THROUGH THE YEARS 1891 BYU’s first campus newspaper, the B.Y.A. Student, is published by the Student Life Department.

BY DESIGN

“When the first newspaper appeared on campus it was a cross between an info sheet and literary journal,” said Ed Adams, chair of the depart-

BRINGING GLOBAL ISSUES INTO FOCUS

THE BRIGHT FUTURE AHEAD

“We are not a weekly any-

1898 The newspaper has its first of several name changes and becomes The White and Blue. Yearly subscriptions go up from 50 cents to 75 cents.

16 | COMMS Magazine

1965 The campus newspaper becomes a student lab.

1955 The newsroom acquires a new printing press that churns out 3,500 newspapers in one hour. Circulation reaches 7,000.

1948 Y News changes its name to The Brigham Young Universe.

1956 The Brigham Young Universe changes its name to The Daily Universe.

2009 The Daily Universe starts a YouTube Channel. A tabloidstyle edition of the paper, called the “Friday411” is created and published once a week on Fridays.

2006 The Daily Universe celebrates its 50th anniversary. A series of special commemorative issues are published.

2012 The Daily Universe becomes The Universe. Daily content is published online and the printed edition of the paper becomes a weekly.

2011 Paper circulation reaches 18,500.

INTERACTIVE INFORMATION IPAD APP With The Universe iPad app, you’ll have the world at your fingertips with access to The Universe site content as well as the weekly print edition.

FACEBOOK On the Daily Universe Facebook page you’ll find breaking headlines and reader reaction. Visit facebook.com/TheDailyUniverse.

TWITTER If short and pithy is your style, follow @DailyUniverse to stay up to date on the go. Visit twitter.com/dailyuniverse.

alumni | forces for good

Forces For Good Alumni who are making a difference The phrase “Enter to Learn, Go Forth to Serve” is more than just a nice tagline or a commencement speech phrase. It’s more than a sign at the entrance of campus where graduates take pictures in their cap and gown. It’s a challenge given to graduates — and their willingness to take on the task with enthusiasm and energy is a defining characteristic of BYU alumni across the world.

AND V

The Department of Communications has numerous examples of alumni who have gone forth to serve. They are individuals who dutifully carry on a legacy of service by giving back to the university, their respective industries, their families, the church and their community.

Take public relations alum Heather Barnum, for example. For her, using her communications talents to serve others means flying to Brazil to film a video about education funding recipients. For Stephen Rizley, the senior vice president and general manager of Cox Communications Arizona, finding time to serve in organizations like The Red Cross and Greater Phoenix Leadership is a difficult undertaking, but it’s one he happily takes on. Matt Franck, a St. Louis Post-Dispatch editor, has served the BYU community by writing useful stories he is proud to have his name associated with, and by extension being a writer of which the BYU Department of Communications can be proud. Brad Leone, a communications manager, serves his profession as he acts an advocate of honest and ethical public relations practices. For Tony Martin, working in the entertainment industry as

18 | COMMS Magazine

a songwriter presents many opportunities to make moral judgment calls. He turns to the values he learned at BYU as a guide and stands tall as an example of LDS living to those around him. Megan Murphy, who is an international corporate affairs manager for Walmart, works with non-governmental organizations that teach life skills to female factory workers in Bangladesh. As a writer for the Ensign magazine, Don Searle has inspired, uplifted and helped thousands of readers apply gospel principles to their lives with his stories. Whether you are a student, a faculty member or alumni, we invite you to read the following alumni profiles and admire these individuals’ contributions. They are truly forces for good in the world, and we hope their examples will strengthen your resolve to go forth and serve.

COMMS Magazine | 19

alumni | forces for good

AND V

18 | COMMS Magazine

COMMS Magazine | 19

forces for good | alumni

alumni | forces for good

HEATHER BARNUM BA Public Relations ‘98

PI/PR Manager at HDR By Emma Penrod

ne of the best things about a degree in communications, according to alumna Heather Barnum, is the wide variety of careers available to those who complete the program. “You really can work in many different industries over the course of your career so long as you can prove that your communication skills transfer,” Barnum said. Barnum, who graduated from the public relations emphasis in 1998, is one to know. As the current senior PI/PR manager at the HDR engineering firm, Barnum serves as the communications director for Access Utah County, while contracting with UDOT as the spokesperson for the I-15 corridor expansion. She has only held the position since August — a recent career change she attributed to her unceasing desire to experience new challenges. “I just get that feeling when it’s time for a new challenge,” Barnum said. “That is what my career is all about — what is the next challenge for me? That is why my career has been so diverse.” Since she entered the professional world, Barnum has worked in transportation, higher education, the arts and even gemstone resale. And she feels as comfortable working for an agency as she does performing in-house public relations or in offering her services as an independent contractor. Her educational background is equally diverse. Before completing her bachelor’s degree at BYU, Barnum earned an associate’s degree in Spanish from BYU-Idaho. She later returned to school at Utah State University, where she completed a master’s program in public administration. Each new job and degree offered new opportunities for learning and growth, but the strategic 20 | COMMS Magazine

J. STEPHEN RIZLEY S BA Advertising ‘92 communications methods she learned at BYU was the foundation for her success, Barnum said. “Employers have noticed that I want to think everything through before we do it, to ensure there is strategic thought behind our plan,” she said. Additionally, the department’s emphasis on the importance of internships and real world experience was instrumental in launching her career. Her professors instilled in her a strong sense for ethics that has helped her walk away from questionable situations. Everything she learned over the years at BYU and throughout her career led to her current position at HDR. Working

in the public arena — which requires seeking out public input on large-scale, large-impact construction projects — is a new experience. Barnum says keeping an open mind and learning from the people she oversees is one of the most important lessons she has learned in her career. “I never thought I would get excited about roads,” she said. Though she is still learning to manage her new team at HDR, she has already begun to plan her next big adventure — once her children have grown up, she would like to look for a job within an international company with travel opportunities.

Senior Vice President, General Manager of Cox Communications Arizona By Stacie Carnley

tephen Rizley’s college years influenced his future in more ways than one. Not only did he leave the BYU communications program with a respected education and plenty of realworld experience — he also met the love of his life and found his dream career. He currently serves as senior vice president and general manager of one of the largest cable companies in the nation, Cox Communications Arizona – a television, Internet and phone service provider with a total of about 6 million customers. Upon completing an LDS mission, Rizley came to BYU with plans of attending law school. However, with a little push from his girlfriend (now wife) Marilyn, the history major turned to communications and soon realized he had found his niche. “One of my favorite things about being

a communications major is that we had fun,” Rizley said. “I made friends there that I’m still friends with today.” After graduating with an advertising degree, Rizley went on to receive his MBA in international management from Thunderbird, the Garvin School of International Management in Arizona. Rizley believes his advertising background and BYU degree gave him a major advantage in the workplace. “I started off in the cable business selling advertising, which I had learned to do at BYU,” he said. “I showed up in a career already knowing how to work within quotas and sales territories. I had a lot of real world experience that translated perfectly into post college professional life, like the New York internship program and The Daily Universe. It was a great launching pad for my professional experience.” BYU gave him the tools to succeed in the professional world, but it also played a major role in his personal life as well. “My wife and I made decisions about how to raise a family and how we were going to act from what we learned while at BYU,” Rizley said. “I learned you’re not there to develop one aspect of your life. It may feel like it sometimes, but if you are having the right experience at BYU, you are doing things that are helping you not only just to become a media or business leader, but also a leader as a citizen and across all the facets of your life.” When he isn’t working, Rizley and his wife are heavily involved in their community with organizations such as The Red Cross and Greater Phoenix Leadership, even finding time to found their own charitable organization, the Rizley Family Foundation. “About five years ago we started a family foundation that is dedicated to helping Arizona have a better present and future,” he said. “We do things like donate to immunization programs for kids and other members of our state who are in the mainstream part of the economy.” Even after working in the digital communications industry for 31 years, Rizley has no plans of slowing down. “I expect to work for a few more years — I’ve got a lot of things still to accomplish,” he said. “But I certainly see church service and everything that entails as part of our life going forward. We’re pretty optimistic.” COMMS Magazine | 21

forces for good | alumni

alumni | forces for good

HEATHER BARNUM BA Public Relations ‘98

PI/PR Manager at HDR By Emma Penrod

Senior Vice President, General Manager of Cox Communications Arizona By Stacie Carnley

forces for good | alumni

alumni | forces for good

MATT FRANCK BA Journalism 94’

Assistant Metro Editor for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch By Katie Clark

seful. This is the only comment Matt Franck received from a professor on an investigative piece he worked hard on as an undergraduate at BYU. At the time he was disappointed. “I felt like I was in Charlotte’s Web,” Franck jokes. “All I got was one word.” Franck later realized that “useful” was extremely high praise from a professor for whom he came to have great respect. It shaped the way he built his career in print journalism. “I don’t think a lot of journalists make what they write useful and just want to write about the flashy stuff,” Franck said. After graduating from BYU in 1994 with a degree in journalism, Franck went on to work for several different publications. He has worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch since 1999, most recently as the assistant metro editor. His education at BYU helped prepare him in many ways for his career, and he hopes he is a good example of what the journalism program produces. “It is important to me that people know that BYU produces good journalists,” Franck said. “Hopefully my own career can contribute to that message.” While other universities have larger journalism programs than BYU, Franck doesn’t ever regret getting an education at BYU. And he believes that the most valuable aspect of his education was his time working for The Daily Universe. “I think that The Daily Universe is better than most, if not all, college newspapers in giving you a real-world experience,” Franck said. “It’s not just a typical campus newspaper that quickly becomes a ranting publication because of lack of restraints. As a student, you might think it is miserable and become envious of those other newspapers, but those other students are not being educated the way you are while working for The Daily Universe” 22 | COMMS Magazine

B Franck also feels that the ethics emphasis at BYU has been invaluable in his career. “The course material was rigorous in a way that would surprise people who have presumptions about BYU,” he said. “I felt like my education in communication’s law has exceeded that of most communication professionals I have worked with.” Currently, Franck oversees the work of seven reporters, including one whose work has been submitted for Pulitzer Prize consideration. Franck and the reporter worked closely to discover that two or three deaths in Missouri daycares turned out to be 54 deaths due to the daycares being unregulated and unlicensed and not following simple safety precautions. “I’m proud to have had a role in this

kind of reporting. Useful journalism like this can still happen — a single reporter can take seven months to work on something like this,” Franck said. “I don’t know if the story sold newspapers, but it was a great public thing to bring to light. I don’t think it’s an overstatement to say that her reporting will bring about change. That is what good journalism does.” As for his plans in an industry that has a seemingly uncertain future, Franck isn’t too concerned. “Ask any newspaper man about the future of their career and they won’t be very certain, but I know I want to stay in the newsroom as long as I can,” he said. “I believe that in the long run, there will be an appetite and desire for what good journalists can do. I base my future on that.”

rad Leone isn’t a doctor. But as the communications manager at Plains All American Pipeline, he has helped his boss lower blood pressure. In fact, if there is any type of emergency situation with any of the company’s pipelines throughout North America, Leone is the one the media will contact. “In addition to that, I’m also helping us be better prepared for any kind of incident,” Leone said. “We have about 4,000 employees, and I’m helping some of our key people get media trained, so just in case they’re in a situation where they have to deal with media and I’m not around, they can know what to say and how to say it, and what not to say.” In terms of ethics in the work place, Leone considers himself lucky that he’s always been able to be honest. “I’ve actually learned through my career and had several people instill in me this phrase: ‘tell the truth, tell it first, tell it your way,’” Leone said. “The goal has always been to be truthful. I’ve shared that mantra with many clients when I was working at an agency and here at Plains. Everyone has been very

supportive of that.” Leone is a graduate of the BYU Department of Communications, specifically the PR sequence. “Dr. Laurie Wilson was definitely my favorite communications teacher and mentor while I was at school,” Leone said. “She gave a good basis for what public relations is — what strategic public relations is. I had a campaigns class from her that helped me think through things strategically once I left BYU.” Contrary to popular belief, Leone believes the written word is not dead. In fact, he believes his writing ability was one of his valuable BYU takeaways. “I wrote for the newspaper, and that was extraordinarily valuable for me,” Leone said. “There are fewer and fewer people who know how to write well today. People are living in a digital text and Twitter world where they string together poorly punctuated and poorly spelled 140-character phrases. Writing is still relevant. Learn how to tell a story, learn how to tell it well, learn how to write well and you’ll be on very strong footing when you leave school.”

BRAD LEONE

BA Public Relations ‘96 Communications Manager for Plains All American Pipeline By Ali Kirk

“I’ve actually learned through my career and had several people instill in me this phrase: ‘tell the truth, tell it first, tell it your way.’”

COMMS Magazine | 23

forces for good | alumni

alumni | forces for good

MATT FRANCK BA Journalism 94’

Assistant Metro Editor for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch By Katie Clark

BRAD LEONE

BA Public Relations ‘96 Communications Manager for Plains All American Pipeline By Ali Kirk

“I’ve actually learned through my career and had several people instill in me this phrase: ‘tell the truth, tell it first, tell it your way.’”

COMMS Magazine | 23

forces for good | alumni

alumni | forces for good

MEGAN MURPHY B

TONY MARTIN BA Journalism ‘86 Songwriter By Alex Hoeft

24 | COMMS Magazine

“Journalism teaches you to get to the heart of the story even more than the who, what, when, where, why.”

ony Martin is a Southern gentleman with a drawl almost as thick as his integrity. As a class of ‘86 BYU graduate, Martin lived the communications program experience as thoroughly as today’s students: he wrote for The Daily Universe, filled the big shoes of a copy editor and then headed out to Chicago to write for a few newspapers. Though he graduated with a journalism-emphasized communications degree, Martin’s roots soon gave way, and he found himself immersed in something his father, Glenn Martin, also found passion in — songwriting. “When your hobby starts paying better than your job, you get to switch,” Martin said. He’s been writing songs since 1988. Martin is based in Nashville and is the proud father of 13 No. 1 hits, including Tim McGraw’s “Just to See You Smile” and Joe Diffie’s “Third Rock from the Sun.” “The Internet says I have 12 No. 1 songs, but I have 13,” Martin said. “I’d like to get that one corrected — they’re hard to get.” Because Martin is up to his ears in the media, temptations are thrown at him right and left. But he never falters. “When you’re making ethical and moral-based decisions, you have a value base in your life,” Martin said. “Now remaining true to [that value base] is helpful when you have a badge on you that’s pretty clear. When they see you’re from BYU, you might as well be who you are.” Looking back at his BYU experience, Martin explains that the journalistic values he was taught at BYU fueled his approach to many different subjects in the future. “Journalism teaches you to get to the heart of the story even more than the who, what, when, where, why,” he said. Martin said being a BYU graduate has been nothing but a plus. Donning his BYU badge has made it easier to resist temptation and present the truth. “At the end of the day, truth is truth, and you try to get as close to it as you can — but at the same time, get them to get up and dance,” Martin said.

BA Public Relations ‘05, MA Mass Communications ‘09

Manager of International Corporate Affairs for Walmart Stores Inc. By Elizabeth Hollingshaus

“It’s not just about big decisions you make. It’s about everyday stuff you do.”

YU communications alum Megan Murphy is grateful her education taught her the importance of hard work and ethical decision-making. Murphy is the oldest of five and grew up in northwest Arkansas while her father worked for the Walmart Corporation. His job took them on a two-year adventure to Germany, where Murphy picked up some of the language and experienced another culture. As manager of international corporate affairs for retail giant Walmart, Murphy works with a team overseeing and coordinating communications for the 26 countries in which Walmart operates. She also monitors factory supply chains in the Asia region, which includes India, Japan and China. In high school, Murphy wanted to be a journalist, but when she arrived at BYU and heard about public relations, things changed. Her first week of school she signed up for public relations classes and never looked back. Throughout her education she had mentors who encouraged her to do a master’s program, gave her good career advice and inspired her. Murphy says working for an ethical company has helped in her professional

life. “Ethics isn’t about black and white, right and wrong, it’s about finding the best way to approach things,” Murphy said. BYU’s focus on honesty, integrity and high standards encourages students to instill these values in their future professional lives when they go forth to serve. Murphy said many people respect BYU grads because of these values. “It’s not just about big decisions you make,” she said. “It’s about everyday stuff you do.” Murphy looks forward to seeing how her field will change in this growing technological era. She says the strategy learned in school of how to communicate and persuade will remain constant over time but the tactics of getting those messages out are changing everyday. Tactics like social media outlets are fastpaced and moving. Murphy believes the strategy of persuasion, the way we talk to people and the messages sent are the foundation of the work of communications professionals. “Strategy is solid. It’s the bedrock,” Murphy says.

COMMS Magazine | 25

forces for good | alumni

alumni | forces for good

MEGAN MURPHY B

TONY MARTIN BA Journalism ‘86 Songwriter By Alex Hoeft

24 | COMMS Magazine

“Journalism teaches you to get to the heart of the story even more than the who, what, when, where, why.”

BA Public Relations ‘05, MA Mass Communications ‘09

Manager of International Corporate Affairs for Walmart Stores Inc. By Elizabeth Hollingshaus

“It’s not just about big decisions you make. It’s about everyday stuff you do.”

COMMS Magazine | 25

forces for good | alumni

DON SEARLE

BA Journalism ’68 MA Mass Communications xx’ Writer for LDS Ensign Magazine By Megan Adams

“There aren’t too many places where you can go and work and what you do helps advance the church and helps people apply the gospel of Jesus Christ in their lives.”

n the process of writing his own history, BYU journalism alumnus and former faculty member Don Searle reflects on his life, his many jobs and how the communications program shaped it. “I met my wife in a journalism class, we graduated together and got married three weeks later,” Searle said, noting that the most important thing the communications program did was introduce him to his wife, Marie. “We courted in the newsroom of The Daily Universe,” Searle said. In 1968 as a recent graduate, Don began his career working for the Deseret News. As his life continued and his family grew, he decided to further his education and went back to school for his master’s degree. Upon completion, he taught journalism at BYU for five years. He then worked for BYU’s public communications office until a position with the LDS Church became available. “Each [job] had its benefits, which I really enjoyed. For example, when I was teaching at BYU, I made some long lasting friendships with students, some of whom I’m still friends with today,” Searle said. Searle’s career with the Ensign lasted until his retirement 27 years later. He loved his time at the magazine because he knew it was an important work. “We knew what we were doing every day would make a difference in someone’s life,” he said. “There aren’t too many places where you can go and work and what you do helps advance

the church and helps people apply the gospel of Jesus Christ in their lives.” Searle enjoys spending his time with his wife of 44 years, his five children and grandchildren. He does freelance writing occasionally and is compiling his own history, working from his home in West Valley City. He said he inherited family history materials from his mother and spends a good portion of his time organizing it. “I inherited so much from my mother that if I just catalogue it, I’ve got several years of work to do,” he said. “I’ve become the only living person who knows what some of this is, so I want to make sure it’s organized so my grandchildren — my descendants — can use it.” This love for family history is not new in his family. Marie worked for more than 20 years with the church’s Family History department and had a hand in writing the instructions people now use for family search indexing. He attributes his passion for family history to his own unique family history. “I come from two very interesting families,” he said. “My father’s father knew some of the Butch Cassidy gang personally out in Eastern Utah when he was a little boy, and my mother’s father knew Judge Roy Bean, of the famous ‘The Law West of the Pecos’ in West Texas.” Although retired, Searle continues to use his journalism knowledge. He’s looking forward to writing a history on his grandfather, an opportunity he describes as a great privilege.

Department honors awarded to students in 2011 and 2012.

SCHOLARSHIP & AWARDS WINNERS 2011 Ad Lab Student Volunteerism Award Valentina Rodriguez de Almeida Advertising Faculty Awards of Merit Elise Davis, Lacey Paulson, Chadwick Whatcott Alf & June Pratte Original Research Award Dave Mecham Bruce R. Merrill Scholarship Laura Coalwell Bruce Olsen Scholarship Leesa Allison, Ann Packard Deseret Management/Deseret Book Scholarship Christine Clark Deseret Management/KSL Scholarship Jenne Gampe, Brian Grimmett Deseret Management/Digital Media Scholarship Lauren Flores Deseret Management/Deseret News Scholarship Natalie Barrett, Caitlin Orton Development Board Scholarship Monica Chaves, Porshe Giddings Earl J. Glade Awards Anna Hayes, Lakia Holmes Edwin O. Haroldsen Award Mariangela Mazzei George S. Barrus and Richard I. Kagel Advertising Creative Award Travis Meidell Hopson Family Communications Scholarship Hawken Vance

26 | COMMS Magazine

Kappa Tau Alpha Top Scholar Lauren Simpson LaVieve Huish Earl Scholarship Tori Acherman, Sulgee Lee Michael K Perkins Communications Top Scholar Aimee Brown Mrs. Forace Green Journalism Award Tori Ackerman Nancy Briggs Rooker Richards Memorial Scholarship Briana Carr Owen S. Rich KBYU Pioneer Fellowship Lauren Simpson Peggy Hughes Scholarship Lakia Holmes Professor Raymond Beckham Endowed Scholarship Angela de la Cruz, Heinrich Hettig

2012 Department honors awarded to students in 2012 Ad Lab Student Volunteerism Award Laura Coalwell Advertising Faculty Awards of Merit Taylor Carver, Elise Meservy, Matthew Patrick Bradley PR Agency Alumni Scholarship Alisha Montague Bruce R. Merrill Scholarship Breanna Donnelly Communications Studies Faculty Award of Merit Emma Nordquist Communications Studies Top Scholar Award Kyle Welch Deseret Book Scholarship Megan Hatch Deseret Digital Media Scholarship Robert Rane

Kappa Tau Alpha Top Scholar Alexis Flake LaVieve Huish Earl Scholarship Robin Rodgers Michael K. Perkins Communications Top Scholar Madison Welch Mrs. Forace Green Journalism Award Whitney Evans Nancy Briggs Rooker Richards Memorial Scholarship Rebecca Woahn Owen S. & Ora N. Rich KBYU Pioneer Fellowship Ashley Moser Peggy Hughes Scholarship Megan Noack Professor Raymond Beckham Endowed Scholarship Natalie Grigg, Kaitlin Hollis, Eliza Wilson

Deseret Management/KSL Scholarship Carson McKinlay, Jeffrey Merrill

Public Relations Faculty Awards of Merit Charlotte Chen, Ruth Duersch, Denet Grampp, Michael Graul, Stephen Martin

Reed Irvine Accuracy in Media Internship Kristin Todd, Tiffany Wallace

Deseret News Scholarship Courtney Mann, Martin Twelves

Reed Irvine Accuracy in Media Internship Alexis Flake, Katherine Harmer

Rich Long Dow Chemical Scholarship Alyson Paxman

Development Board Minority Scholarship Amber Singh, Lorne Sleem

Rich Long Dow Chemical Scholarship Gabriel Guerrero

Rulon L Bradley Award Lauren Lytle

Earl J. Glade Awards Rosemary Card, Anna Hayes

Rulon L. Bradley Award Marcus Hardy

Scripps League/N. LaVerl Christensen Scholarship JJ Despain, Daphna Zohar

Edwin O. Haroldsen Magazine Award Allison McCoy

Scripps League/N. LaVerl Christensen Scholarship Emma Penrod

Society of Professional Journalists Awards Natalie Crofts, Elizabeth Grimmett

George S. Barrus and Richard I. Kagel Advertising Creative Award Robert Rane

Society of Professional Journalists Awards Katherine Musman, Jessica Rasmussen

Stephen W. Gibson Entrepreneurial Scholarship Darrian Watts

Hopson Family Communications Scholarship Michael Graul, Chelsey Saatkam

Stephen W. Gibson Entrepreneurial Scholarship Gregory Lloyd

Public Relations Faculty Awards of Merit Jenna Cason, Jordan Dziendziel, Patrick Hernandez, Jordan Kesler, Michelle Treasure

COMMS Magazine | 27

forces for good | alumni

DON SEARLE

BA Journalism ’68 MA Mass Communications xx’ Writer for LDS Ensign Magazine By Megan Adams

“There aren’t too many places where you can go and work and what you do helps advance the church and helps people apply the gospel of Jesus Christ in their lives.”

Department honors awarded to students in 2011 and 2012.

26 | COMMS Magazine

Deseret Management/KSL Scholarship Carson McKinlay, Jeffrey Merrill

Public Relations Faculty Awards of Merit Charlotte Chen, Ruth Duersch, Denet Grampp, Michael Graul, Stephen Martin

Reed Irvine Accuracy in Media Internship Kristin Todd, Tiffany Wallace

Deseret News Scholarship Courtney Mann, Martin Twelves

Reed Irvine Accuracy in Media Internship Alexis Flake, Katherine Harmer

Rich Long Dow Chemical Scholarship Alyson Paxman

Development Board Minority Scholarship Amber Singh, Lorne Sleem

Rich Long Dow Chemical Scholarship Gabriel Guerrero

Rulon L Bradley Award Lauren Lytle

Earl J. Glade Awards Rosemary Card, Anna Hayes

Rulon L. Bradley Award Marcus Hardy

Scripps League/N. LaVerl Christensen Scholarship JJ Despain, Daphna Zohar

Edwin O. Haroldsen Magazine Award Allison McCoy

Scripps League/N. LaVerl Christensen Scholarship Emma Penrod

Society of Professional Journalists Awards Natalie Crofts, Elizabeth Grimmett

George S. Barrus and Richard I. Kagel Advertising Creative Award Robert Rane

Society of Professional Journalists Awards Katherine Musman, Jessica Rasmussen

Stephen W. Gibson Entrepreneurial Scholarship Darrian Watts

Hopson Family Communications Scholarship Michael Graul, Chelsey Saatkam

Stephen W. Gibson Entrepreneurial Scholarship Gregory Lloyd

Public Relations Faculty Awards of Merit Jenna Cason, Jordan Dziendziel, Patrick Hernandez, Jordan Kesler, Michelle Treasure

COMMS Magazine | 27

Publications and Creative Works

FACULTY SCHOLARSHIP BAKER, SHERRY

CHAPTER/SECTION IN SCHOLARLY BOOK From Radio to the Internet: Church Use of Electronic Media in the Twentieth Century

CALLAHAN, CLARK

ACADEMIC JOURNAL ARTICLE Negotiating Adaptation: Perceptions of Culture and Communication Among Cultural Sojourners Communication, Culture and Critique

CALLISTER, MARK

ACADEMIC JOURNAL ARTICLE A Mean Read: Aggression in Adolescent English Literature Journal of Children and Media ACADEMIC JOURNAL ARTICLE Evaluation of sexual content in teen-centered films from 1980 to 2007 Mass Communication & Society

28 | COMMS Magazine

CAMPBELL, JOEL

BOOK, TEXTBOOK Making it Work: Strengthening the Relationship Between Journalists and PR Practitioners REGULAR COLUMN IN NEWSPAPER Dusk comes suddenly for Utah’s sunshine law Salt Lake Tribune Legislators can’t blame open-records woes on media Salt Lake Tribune Five suggestions to start the discussion about open records Salt Lake Tribune Blocking public salaries would harm transparency Salt Lake Tribune KUED’s legislative critics could learn from Egypt Salt Lake Tribune Savings Plan can keep its trade secrets without harming transparency Salt Lake Tribune A citizen’s guide to monitoring the Utah Legislature Salt Lake Tribune Bill would create supersecret body Salt Lake Tribune Legislature’s early efforts

are a ray of sunshine Salt Lake Tribune Video gives high schoolers a taste of citizen activism Salt Lake Tribune

CARTER, ED

ACADEMIC JOURNAL ARTICLE ‘Entered at Stationers’ Hall’: The British Copyright Registrations for the Book of Mormon in 1841 and the Doctrine and Covenants in 1845 BYU Studies ACADEMIC JOURNAL ARTICLE Copyright Ownership of Online News: Cultivating a Transformation Ethos in America’s Emerging Statutory Attribution Right Communication Law and Policy ACADEMIC JOURNAL ARTICLE Gender and U. S. Supreme Court Oral Argument on the Roberts Court: An Empirical Examination Rutgers Law Journal

CUTRI, CHRIS

CREATIVE WORKS Birthday, Utah Cancer Action Network Commercial Pinata, Utah Cancer Action Network Commercial

DAVIES, JOHN

ACADEMIC JOURNAL ARTICLE The Trend of Accessing Non-traditional Sites for Online Political Information Communication Quarterly ACADEMIC JOURNAL ARTICLE TV Ratings and Verbal and Visual Sexual Content in Promotional Ads Journal of Promotion Management ACADEMIC JOURNAL ARTICLE The Effect of Music Priming on Issue Perception, Recall & News Credibility of Photo Slide Shows ACADEMIC JOURNAL ARTICLE Journalism Innovation The Effect of Media Dependency on Voting Decisions Journal of Media Sociology

KEVIN KELLY

CREATIVE WORKS The History of Homefront Jr. — 1980-1985 The Sheep Man

PLOWMAN, KENNETH

CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS Transparency and City Government Communications Strategic Communication for Multi-National Forces in Iraq: Development of Four STRATCOM Plans Transparency and City Government Communications

RANDLE, QUINT

ACADEMIC JOURNAL ARTICLE The Effect of Music Priming on Issue Perception, Recall & News Credibility of Photo Slide Shows Journalism Innovation

RAWLINS, BRADLEY

CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS Autonomy-Dependency Paradox in OrganizationPublic Relationships: A Case Study Analysis of a

University Art Museum Transparency and City Government Communications PROFESSIONAL/TRADE JOURNAL ARTICLE Great Expectations: The Vital Role of Employees in Corporate Social Responsibility Public Relations Tactics

ROBINSON, THOMAS

ACADEMIC JOURNAL ARTICLE Evaluation of sexual content in teen-centered films from 1980 to 2007 Mass Communication & Society

WALTON, SUSAN

ACADEMIC JOURNAL ARTICLE The New Rules of Mentoring: Getting the Guidance You Need in a Virtual World The Public Relations Strategist BLOG Kicking the AVE Habit: Where We Go from Here PRSAY - Official Blog of PRSA

BLOG 24/7 CSR: Employees Are Always Brand Ambassadors PRSAY - Official Blog of PRSA BOOK, TEXTBOOK Making it Work: Strengthening the Relationship Between Journalists and PR Practitioners PROFESSIONAL/TRADE JOURNAL ARTICLE Great Expectations: The Vital Role of Employees in Corporate Social Responsibility Public Relations Tactics PROFESSIONAL/TRADE JOURNAL ARTICLE The Vital Role of Emotional Intelligence in Public Relations PRSA Tactics PROFESSIONAL/TRADE JOURNAL ARTICLE EQ is the New IQ — The Vital Role of Emotional Intelligence in Public Relations. PRSA Tactics PROFESSIONAL/TRADE JOURNAL ARTICLE Memo to Millenials — Working Effectively with Multiple Generations The Public Relations Strategist COMMS Magazine | 29

Publications and Creative Works

FACULTY SCHOLARSHIP BAKER, SHERRY

CHAPTER/SECTION IN SCHOLARLY BOOK From Radio to the Internet: Church Use of Electronic Media in the Twentieth Century

CALLAHAN, CLARK

ACADEMIC JOURNAL ARTICLE Negotiating Adaptation: Perceptions of Culture and Communication Among Cultural Sojourners Communication, Culture and Critique

CALLISTER, MARK

28 | COMMS Magazine

CAMPBELL, JOEL

are a ray of sunshine Salt Lake Tribune Video gives high schoolers a taste of citizen activism Salt Lake Tribune

CARTER, ED

CUTRI, CHRIS

CREATIVE WORKS Birthday, Utah Cancer Action Network Commercial Pinata, Utah Cancer Action Network Commercial

DAVIES, JOHN

KEVIN KELLY

CREATIVE WORKS The History of Homefront Jr. — 1980-1985 The Sheep Man

PLOWMAN, KENNETH

RANDLE, QUINT

ACADEMIC JOURNAL ARTICLE The Effect of Music Priming on Issue Perception, Recall & News Credibility of Photo Slide Shows Journalism Innovation

RAWLINS, BRADLEY

CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS Autonomy-Dependency Paradox in OrganizationPublic Relationships: A Case Study Analysis of a

ROBINSON, THOMAS

ACADEMIC JOURNAL ARTICLE Evaluation of sexual content in teen-centered films from 1980 to 2007 Mass Communication & Society

WALTON, SUSAN

International internships

TAKING IN THE SIGHTS

A WORLDWIDE CAMPUS

For communications students, the world truly is their campus. The concept resonates stronger than ever with the field’s increasing demand for globally-minded graduates and alumni. International internships and a geographically diverse student body help the department produce graduates with international awareness and universal skills. TAKING THE LEAP

International internships often require a leap of faith for students. It takes courage to pack up and fly across the world without understanding the local culture. But it’s worth taking the leap. Several students have jumped at the chance — including Ansley McDonnel, who completed an internship for Icon Health and Fitness in Shanghai, China. “My internship ended up being a perfect fit for me,”

McDonnel said. “I spent the summer creating a marketing plan to target the ex-pats in Shanghai. After researching and looking into the different media outlets available to the ex-pats in Shanghai, I met with those I felt would be the best fit for the company’s needs. I presented a media plan of my recommendations at the end.” McDonnel, a graduate of the advertising program, discovered her love for traveling after participating in a busi-

ness study abroad in Europe. “This internship opened my eyes to international business and living abroad,” McDonnel said. “I recommend doing an international internship because it takes you away from what is comfortable. It pushes you to grow because it presents you with new challenges and new opportunities.” McDonnel found time to travel during her stay in Shanghai. Visiting Taiwan and Taipei were two highlights of her internship.

Daniel Baird enjoyed taking in sights — like the Edinburgh Castle — with his wife Mandi on an international internship in Scotland.

Aside from the educational and career benefits an international internship provides, the opportunity to experience a different culture firsthand and enjoy the country’s sights and sounds is an added value for students. Daniel Baird, a public relations graduate, performed his internship with the Scottish Parliament last year. He worked as an assistant to a member of the Scottish Parliament, Alex Neil, conducting policy research and constituent communication. “It’s a fantastic program and I don’t understand why more PR students don’t do it,” Baird said. “I feel like it’s a huge opportunity that I don’t think many people are taking advantage of it. There’s a lot of value to picking up everything and going somewhere completely different where you’ve never been before, and all you have is two suitcases. It’s more than just a job, it’s changing your whole way of life.” Although he spent many hours each week at his internship, Baird said he and his wife found time to take two three-day trips to the Scottish highlands. “We ate some incredible seafood and saw really beautiful scenery that’s off the radar,” Baird said. He applied for the international internship through BYU’s Kennedy Center. Baird’s wife, Mandi, traveled with him and also got a job with the Parliament. Baird is currently working on his master’s degree in public administration at the University of North Carolina. He still keeps in touch with his bosses and coworkers in Scotland, and his internship opened doors for other career opportunities after graduate school.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

“It’s great for students to see how different countries’ 30 | COMMS Magazine

media systems function differently,” said Steve Thomsen, professor and director of international media for the Department of Communications. One of the department’s new international internships is a position at the LDS Public Affairs office in Germany. Grace Thomas, a broadcast student, will be the first student to participate in the internship. She will be involved in public relations activities including responding to media inquiries, planning events and hosting events. “I think this internship will be very interesting for students because they will be able to see how the church engages the media in other countries,” said Thomsen. Another student who will be developing communications skills in the international arena is advertising student Janice Cho. Cho grew up traveling back and forth between Korea and the United States. After her April 2012 graduation, Cho began an internship with Diamond Ogilvy Group, based in Seoul, Korea. “The advertising in Korea is very different from here,” Cho said. “My goal is to learn more about the differences and actually practice the Korean side of advertising.” Cho said her goal ever since she was young was to work in a foreign-based company stationed in Korea, so this was a perfect opportunity.

A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE

Whether it is welcoming more international students or creating more international internships, the Department of Communications is striving to make the world its campus. And with support from faculty, alumni and students — it’s only a matter of time before they reach the edges of the earth.

ith tish flags w wave Scot . The Baird’s P) O (T raethaven the pride in St le to visit ab so al e Mandi wer d ). an M l O ie TT an D ial (BO urns Memor Robert B

CULTURE-CROSSING CURRICULUM The Department of Communications has a special cluster of classes specifically dedicated to educating students about international communications issues. COURSES IN THIS AREA OF STUDY INCLUDE •

International Media Systems

•

Issues in Global Communication

•

Gender, Race and Class in the Media

•

Media and World Religions

Professor Clark Callahan teaches several of these classes and believes they are beneficial to students as they expose the cultural influences that dictate a country’s media system. “Many times students will visit another country and notice that they do something differently but they don’t know why,” Callahan said. “We help them make those connections and frame their experiences.”

COMMS Magazine | 31

International internships

TAKING IN THE SIGHTS

A WORLDWIDE CAMPUS

Daniel Baird enjoyed taking in sights — like the Edinburgh Castle — with his wife Mandi on an international internship in Scotland.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

“It’s great for students to see how different countries’ 30 | COMMS Magazine

A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE

ith tish flags w wave Scot . The Baird’s P) O (T raethaven the pride in St le to visit ab so al e Mandi wer d ). an M l O ie TT an D ial (BO urns Memor Robert B

International Media Systems

•

Issues in Global Communication

•

Gender, Race and Class in the Media

•

Media and World Religions

COMMS Magazine | 31

Alumni connect with students By Jacey Carpenter

MENTOR UPDATE

Be a mentor 32 | COMMS Magazine

Enter to learn, go forth to serve. Communications alumni do not take this adjuration lightly. Many are using the knowledge they gained at BYU to serve in their professions, families, churches and communities. So when the department put out a call for volunteer mentors to work with current students, it was no surprise that the request was met with an overwhelmingly positive response. What began as an experiment with around 100 volunteers and about as many students has grown, and continues to grow, into an established program that is enriching the lives of students and mentors alike, with approximately 300 volunteer mentors having signed up to be paired with students during the fall and winter semesters. Each time a request is made for more volunteers, alumni and friends willingly answer the call. Kevin Wilkinson, a journalism graduate and freelance sports technical director, said he is enthusiastic about the idea of working with students. “When contacted by BYU about becoming a mentor, I was very excited at the opportunity to meet young students looking to get into the broadcast world,” Wilkinson said. “I considered it a wonderful opportunity for me to possibly give back something to an institution that has given me so much. My time at BYU was priceless as I was given many opportunities to interact with others

in the sports broadcasting world that allowed me to have inroads in place as I approached graduation and developed my career path.” Wilkinson recently mentored journalism student Briana Carr, who said her experiences in the mentoring program were some of the most rewarding she has had during her time at BYU. “I have used connections and skills acquired through the mentor assignments to interview with major networks. My participation in the mentor program tripled my network in size and quality of future employers and contacts,” Carr said. Madeline Hecht, another student participant, is grateful for what she learned from her mentor about professional integrity. Hecht was matched with Jonathan Munk, global demand marketing manager for Skullcandy. “Jonathan taught me that being truthful in all situations takes a conscious effort in business. He said one of the most valuable lessons he learned at BYU was to be transparent in your business dealings. He testified that, because of his efforts to practice professional integrity, he was able to gain his colleagues’ trust as well as that of other companies with whom he associates,” Hecht said. While an increased understanding of better business practices and expanding connections are definitely some notable benefits of participating in the program, students

like Carr and Hecht are not the only ones who have benefited from the mentoring relationship. Wilkinson has gained insights as well as personal motivation during his time as a mentor. “It is a wonderful opportunity to learn and grow as an individual. The thing that surprised me the most is how much I enjoyed the interaction with a young student and the ability in some small way to positively influence her as she chose a career path. It also provided me with valuable information to assist my children as they approach college age in the coming years.,” Wilkinson said. Mentors and students are continuing to have these kinds of positive, enriching experiences within the program with each passing semester. Students are learning that there is a promising future out there beyond the BYU campus and the Brimhall building. They are learning from seasoned communications professionals how to balance family life, spirituality and career. By helping students find their way in a world that can often seem daunting and uncertain, volunteer mentors provide a crucial element of the educational experience that cannot be taught in classrooms or textbooks. By participating in the mentoring program, both students and alumni are making significant contributions to the BYU legacy of education and service.

Ed Adams, chair of the Department of Communications, is grateful for the eagerness of the alumni to come forward when asked to serve as mentors. “We appreciate the willingness of our alumni to give back to the university. Mentoring students is one of the most beneficial ways to do this. Our students place immense value on the advice, counsel and wisdom provided by alumni who have experience in their media fields,” said Adams. If you would like to serve as a mentor, contact Jacey Carpenter, outreach coordinator, at jacey@ byu.edu to get started.

Alumni connect with students

MENTOR LIST Christel Affleck Joshua Aikens Jason Alleger Donetta Allen Justin Allen Mark Allphin Michael Alvarez Martin Andersen Ryan Anderson Timothy Andrus Rebekah Arntz Yvette Arts Jonathan Bacon Jeffrey Bagley Grant Baird Heather Barnum Katie Barrett Michele Bartmess David Bascom James Bell Matthew Bennett Jeanette Bennett Michael Bennion Nate Benson Ronald Bird Laura Bird Brittany Bird Siovhan Bolton Dan Bowles Andy Boyce Marin Bradshaw William Brady Brian Breinholt Brooks Briggs Kay Brown R. Brown Tim Brown Julia Brubaker Marc Buchanan Andrew Burch John Burger Jordan Burke Richard Call Kate Call Andrea Candrian Susie Carlson Alan Cassidy Bart Chidester

Kyle Chilton Jeremiah Christenot Matthew Christensen Tyler Christensen Ron Clark Luke Coltrin Mitchell Cook Taunya Covington Gary Cox Brenna Cox Holly Cox Stephanie Craft Brandon Crockett Kyle Curtis Lisa Dayley Mike Deaver Daniel Deceuster Adam Denison Brandon Despain Leigh Dethman Brian Dixon Gary Dixon Hernando Donosso Jon Du Pre Maureen Dudley Nanette Dunford Richard Dye Cory Edwards Kelsey Egan Joe Ellsworth Steven Enfield Jay Evensen Jon Eyre Randolph Fairbairn Jeffrey Farley Marc Fehlberg Emily Florez DeAnne Flynn Matthew Franck Janet Frank Cameron Fuller Ron Futrell Peter Gardner Kandis Gasdik Curtis Gasser Melissa Gibbs Nick Gonzales Jami Gordon-Smith

Jerry Gowen Brent Green Timothy Grossnickle Tom Hallaq Thayne Hansen Allison Hansen Matthew Hargreaves Jake Haws John Haynes David Hebertson Patrick Hernandez Adriana Higuera Gordon Hochhalter Karene Hoopes Don Hudson Aaron Huff Dwight Hunsaker Michael Hyte Elizabeth Jacinto Heather Janse Carol Lyn Jardine Elizabeth Jensen Bryan Jeppsen Brett Jewkes Michael Johanson Jessica Johnson Jerold Johnson Rachelle Johnson Marti Johnson Stanton Jones Jared Jones Mitchell Josephson Richard Kagel Ed Kanet A. Christian Karlsson Heather Kasik Don Kauffman Keith Kesler Stephen Kimball John Kinkead Lyman Kirkland John Knab Devin Knighton Tom Knox Mark Koelbel Paul Kotter Mauren Kunz Shauna Lake

Reed Larsen John LeBaron Steevun Lemon Brittany Lesser Rachel Lewis Elizabeth Lewis Cathy Lim Antonio Lima Aaron Loewer Chad Lyons Mark Macdonald Jessica Mallard Reed Markham Adrienne Martin Steffanie Martz Jeffrey McClellan Kris McFarland Andrea McOmber Kevin McReynolds Brett Meldrum Parry Merkley Donald Meyers Stan Mickelson Marianne Millar Marianne Millar Jennifer Miller Christopher Moore Michael Morris Cory Moss Frank Mueller Jeffrey Mulcock Jonathan Munk Jared Munyan Megan Murphy Douglas Murray Eileen Nagle David Newbold Gail Newbold Mattson Newell Sara Nichols Tony Nisse Anna O’Brien David Olsen Rebecca Olsen Jeffery Olsen Burke Olsen Adam Olsen Brandon Olson

Nick Olvera Courtney Orton Richard Oto Tyler Page Russ Page James Pardi Marc Paxton Sam Penrod Nicolas Perner John Petersen Rebecca Peterson Wade Peterson Mark Phillips Jeffery Pizzino David Politis Bryce Porter Paul Pratte Brent Priday Jane Putnam Joseph Quimby Edward Quinlan Dan Rascon Brian Rasmussen David Rathbun Stephanie Reese Mary Richards Stephen Ritter Steve Rizley Suzy Robison Brittany Rogers Donald Russell Dave Schefcik Scott Schwebke Bruce Seely Don Shelline Joel Sheppard Aaron Shill Michael Shin Jack Shirts Brandon Shriber Bill Silcock Wesley Sims Michael Smart Sheri Smith Gregory Soter Nicholas Sowards Liesel Sparhawk Jennifer Stagg

Shaun Stahle Robert Starling Marc Stevens Suzanne Stevens Richard Stockton Adam Stoker Blake Stowell Marc Stryker Sarah Stultz Gary Sume Michelle Suzuki Kirk Tanner George Tate Joseph Tateoka Kyna Taylor Laura Tevaga Bryan Thomas Julene Thompson Jenny Titus Ruth Todd Joseph Tolman Kristina Tree Steve Treseder Peter Valcarce Stephanie Valdez Elio Valenzuela Royce Veater Marco Villarreal Fernando Vivanco Michael Walker Rand Walton Chris Ward Andrew Watson Lyndsey Wells Mark Wesel Eric West Taylor White Becky Wickstrom Brooke Wilding Kevin Wilkinson Tyler Williams Diana Windley John Winston Samantha Wiscombe Susan Young Allison Yrungaray Charles Zobell

COMMS Magazine | 33

Alumni connect with students By Jacey Carpenter

MENTOR UPDATE

Be a mentor 32 | COMMS Magazine

Alumni connect with students

COMMS Magazine | 33

HOW TO

REACH BETWEEN THE LINES

DONATE Layne Peterson, Business Manager 375 BRMB · (801) 4226142 layne_peterson@byu. edu

HIRE A

LAB

Bradley Public Relations www.bradleypr.com ?????????????????????? 140 BRMB (801) 422-4946 jeff_dubois@byu.edu

BYU Ad Lab www.byuadlab.com Doug McKinlay, Advertising Faculty 332 BRMB (801) 422-8030 douglas_mckinlay@byu.edu

BECOME A MENTOR Communications students know the power of a good mentor. They eagerly seek opportunities for mentoring relationships, and the department is determined to help them. To reach the department’s goal of having an alumni mentor for every student in the program, more alum volunteers are needed. Mentorships can work within any schedule and any geography. Mentoring relationships can consist of informal emails and phone conversations or more structured in-person sessions. 34 | COMMS Magazine

The department also sponsors a semiannual Mentor’s Day, and several student organizations within the department have their own mentorship programs and activities. For information on how to become a mentor, contact Jacey Carpenter, outreach coordinator. Jacey Carpenter Outreach Coordinator 263 BRMB, (801) 422-4510 jacey@byu.edu

VISIT OR SPEAK TO A BYU COMMUNICATIONS CLASS What’s more powerful than a Department of Communications alum? A

Department of Communications alum in a classroom. Planning a campus visit? Interested in sharing your expertise with students? To explore speaking opportunities, contact Jacey Carpenter, outreach coordinator. SHARE JOB AND INTERNSHIP INFORMATION AND OPPORTUNITIES In a world of networks, students often have a tough time developing a body of contacts to get themselves in the door. Sometimes knowing about opportunities is half the battle. Alumni can provide invaluable information about job

openings and internships. If you would like to alert us to such opportunities, please contact the internship office. comms_internship@byu.edu 280 BRMB, (801) 422-6486 www.commsinternships.byu.edu

Contribute to one of the Department of Communications’ strategic initiatives: FUND INTERNSHIPS Many students have extraordinary opportunities for internships in major markets, but they are financially unable to do so because these internships

are unpaid or require high living costs. The Department of Communications has made significant progress toward endowments that support internships, but much more is needed to fulfill the vision of supporting the best internships for the best students. HIRE OR FUND STUDENT MEDIA LABS As you probably remember, real learning really happened “on the job” in student media labs, like The Daily Universe or Eleven News (formerly Daily News). The department also

operates the student-run Advanced Advertising Lab and the Rulon Bradley Public Relations Agency. Each works with highprofile clients to conduct research and strategic communications planning and execute campaigns. An excellent value for the cost, these labs are seeking new clients and external funding to support socially beneficial pro-bono work. DONATE TO INTERNATIONAL OUTREACH AND EXCHANGES As The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints grows globally, we have

wonderful opportunities to support the church’s global mission. Broadcast students can help provide content for BYU-TV International, public relations students can work with the international offices of LDS Public Affairs, and advertising students can work on campaigns aimed at improving conditions in global communities. These efforts could benefit from financial support and in-kind donations.

COMMS Magazine | 35

HOW TO

REACH BETWEEN THE LINES

DONATE Layne Peterson, Business Manager 375 BRMB · (801) 4226142 layne_peterson@byu. edu

HIRE A

LAB

Bradley Public Relations www.bradleypr.com ?????????????????????? 140 BRMB (801) 422-4946 jeff_dubois@byu.edu

BYU Ad Lab www.byuadlab.com Doug McKinlay, Advertising Faculty 332 BRMB (801) 422-8030 douglas_mckinlay@byu.edu

VISIT OR SPEAK TO A BYU COMMUNICATIONS CLASS What’s more powerful than a Department of Communications alum? A

openings and internships. If you would like to alert us to such opportunities, please contact the internship office. comms_internship@byu.edu 280 BRMB, (801) 422-6486 www.commsinternships.byu.edu

COMMS Magazine | 35

Thanks to a scholarship, he’s all dressed up with somewhere to go. After learning that he had been accepted for a spring internship with the prestigious Goodman Media public relations firm in New York City, reality set in for Gabriel Guerrero: He and his wife could not afford Big Apple housing. With hope fading, Gabe received good news: He had been awarded a scholarship and would be off to Manhattan after all. Gabe’s summer in New York would also include a stint with the LDS Office of Public Affairs—and hopefully a job offer in public relations.

For information about donating a special gift to the College of Fine Arts and Communications, contact Jennifer Lloyd Amott at 801-422-9219 or email jennifer_lloyd@byu.edu.

Overflowing with gratitude, the communications major from Mexicali, Mexico, says, “Being awarded this scholarship gave us peace of mind and made me realize how great people are helping shape the future of so many. We have been blessed in such ways I could have never expected. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.” To contribute toward a scholarship for another grateful communications student, go to give.byu.edu/comms. Your gift could change a life—and that’s good PR.

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