Communicator, Spring 2016

Gold Standard In any discussion about best-ever or best-in-their era members of the baseball media, Tom Verducci earns a spot at the top.

Dean’s Message

A

s I read through this Communicator and reflect on the academic year that just ended, I can’t help but think of the ways our alumni are the proof of our success.

Through their work and lives, they demonstrate our impact.

Photos of two great alumni – sportswriter par excellence Tom Verducci and legendary Hollywood producer Don Bellisario – bookend this issue, and photos of a dozen more are between them.

All, in one way or another, have lived the advice that Don gave our newest alumni during his commencement address last month: To seize even the smallest opportunity and turn it into something great.

At commencement, he told the 775 new graduates, “whether you have a job or not, I want you to think outside the box.”

Don told the story of using his first job out of college, selling ads at the Centre Daily Times during the early 1960s, to get himself ready for the job he really wanted as a copywriter. After four years at the CDT, he landed it — at a small agency in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, a few hours away from State College.

There, Don saw an opportunity to set himself apart in a big way. Those were the days when “TV” commercials were nothing more than slideshows with sound. Don proposed making an ad with film. After he got the nod, he taught himself the skills and made it happen.

His first attempt won him an industry

award. From there, he moved to a larger agency and eventually to Hollywood.

He didn’t always have a job, but he was always working. He didn’t waste time waiting for his “big break.” He worked hard and created opportunity every time he got the chance.

And we know, when we turn on our televisions, how that worked out for him.

I’m not a “cord cutter” (see story, p. 12), but I do watch Netflix, and I’ve enjoyed “binge watching” some of Don’s oldest shows, such as “Quantum Leap.”

Don’s lesson seems to be a theme among the alumni featured in this issue.

Perhaps most emblematic is the story of Doug Vollmayer (p. 30), who parlayed his talent and grit into a television job he loves at ABC’s “Good Morning America.”

There are other stories of hard work, creativity and smart networking.

Beth Fantaskey, a recent Ph.D. graduate, used her dissertation as fodder for a new novel (p. 36).

And the story of Dede Flemming shows the way another graduate put his eye on a goal — in this case, a career with “no suits, no ties” — and got there (p. 38).

And, of course, there is Tom Verducci.

To say he is the “gold standard” among baseball writers isn’t hyperbole. His reputation is simply without equal.

And there have been no shortcuts for him, either, as you’ll see in the outstanding story about him by alumnus Sweeny Murti (p. 40).

To both our newest and our most distinguished alumni: Thank you for the way your work, your lives, and your service “swell thy fame.” You truly are the proof that what happens at Penn State makes a positive difference in many lives.

I hope to hear from you!

Dean Marie Hardin

the

Communicator The Communicator magazine is published twice a year for alumni, students, faculty and friends of the College of Communications.

DEAN Marie Hardin EDITOR Steve Sampsell (’90) ASSISTANT EDITOR Trey Miller (’12) CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Gene Foreman All items relating to the College and its faculty, staff, students and alumni will be considered for publication. Opinions expressed are not necessarily shared by the University, College or editorial staff.

CORRESPONDENCE The Communicator Penn State College of Communications 302 James Building University Park, PA 16801-3867 Email: comminfo@psu.edu Twitter: @PSUCollegeComm Web: http://comm.psu.edu

features

Associate professor Martin Halstuk, who retired at the end of the 2015-16 academic year, rides his recumbent bicycle while walking his dog Maggie. More photos, page 16.

(Photo by Cameron Hart)

12 Cord cutters

Moving away from cable easy for some, but change does present challenges

23 Embracing entrepreneurship

Communications students make an impact in growing program

30 A good trip to ‘GMA’

Determination leads to role as producer for popular morning show

32 Social media moguls

Young alums make their mark as voice of big-time brands and entities

40 Baseball’s best writer (and analyst)

This publication is available in alternative media on request. Penn State is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer, and is committed to providing employment opportunities to minorities, women, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and other protected groups.

Nondiscrimination: http://guru.psu.edu/ policies/AD85.html U.Ed. COM 16-160

Alumnus Tom Verducci sets the bar for coverage of Major League Baseball

DEPARTMENTS ON THE COVER Alumnus Tom Verducci ranks as one of the best baseball writers and analysts in the history of the sport, according to fellow alum Sweeny Murti. Story on page 40.

2 Dean’s Message 4 Starting Shots 44 Alumni Notes

The Communicator | Spring 2016

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Penn State College of Communications

Public relations major Jenny Meyers tosses bras into the air in front of Old Main as part of the “Bras For A Cause� breast cancer awareness event. The photograph was the winner in the General News Photo category of the SPJ Region 1 Mark of Excellence competition.

(Photo by Stephanie Distasio)

The Communicator | Spring 2016

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Penn State College of Communications

Penn State psychology major Judah Bird, who goes by the name “Judah Doll� on social media, has crafted a large following. Her popular Pinterest, Twitter and YouTube presence often focuses on fashion and style.

(Photo by Jessie Taylor)

The Communicator | Spring 2016

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8

Penn State College of Communications

Penn State’s Taylor Varner celebrates as she’s declared the winner of her match against Army’s Sarah Gold during a club boxing event at White Building.

(Photo by Haley Nelson)

The Communicator | Spring 2016

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The Communicator | Fall 2015

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News and Notes AEJMC Leader Dean Marie Hardin was elected vice president of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC). She will serve as vice president before becoming AEJMC president for 2018-19.

Critic Honored CNN’s “Reliable Sources” and host Brian Stelter earned the Bart Richards Award for Media Criticism, presented annually by the College of Communications to recognize outstanding contributions to print and broadcast journalism through responsible analysis or critical evaluation.

Cybersecurity Moderator Sascha Meinrath, the Palmer Chair in Telecommunications, moderated a session titled “Getting Serious About Cybersecurity” during the two-day CampaignTech East Conference at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. Excellence Recognized The Award for Excellence in Coverage of Youth Sports was presented by the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism to Newsday for a series about concussions and helmet safety for high school football.

IIP in London Members of the Institute for Information Policy based in the College of Communications conducted a workshop titled “Freedom of Information in Crisis Zones” at City University in London in late May. Service Milestone Three College of Communications faculty/staff members recently reached the 25-year milestone of service at Penn State. They were: financial officer Jane Agnelly, coordinator of graduate education Betsy Hall and senior lecturer Marea Mannion.

11

Contributors

Joyce

GANNON @joyce_gannon

Sweeny

Andy

MURTI

ELDER

@YankeesWFAN

@Awe2W

Lives in: Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania

Lives in: Pleasant Gap, Pennsylvania

Lives in: New York’s Hudson Valley

Job: Business writer, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Job: Public relations specialist, Smeal College of Business

Job: Reporter/broadcaster for WFAN Radio in New York, covering the New York Yankees since 2001

In this issue: Writes about cord cutters (page 12) Best part of the job: Telling stories that have an impact on people and communities Now reading: Hemingway’s “A Moveable Feast” Best advice you ever received: Get out of the newsroom and talk to people My advice to Penn State students: Read and travel as much as you can Favorite campus spot: The walk down the mall from Carnegie Building to College Avenue with trees in bloom It’s a good day when: I meet deadlines ... and my kids respond to my texts

FONDEST PENN STATE MEMORY: Late nights putting The Collegian to bed and then heading to The Corner Room or The Diner

Penn State College of Communications

In this issue: Profiles “Good Morning America” producer Doug Vollmayer (page 30)

In this issue: Writes about alumnus Tom Verducci (page 40)

Big Break: Getting hired at the Centre Daily Times way back when

Big Break: Internship at WFAN in the summer of 1991

Now reading: “The Girl on the Train” by Paula Hawkins

Best part of the job: Going to baseball games every day. Seeing Hall of Fame careers up close. Watching some of the biggest moments in the history of the game in person.

Three things always in the fridge: Hot pepper rings, Diet Mountain Dew, water Best advice you ever received: If you’re going to do a job, do it right My advice to Penn State students: Leverage and network. Leverage the vast array of opportunities Penn State provides and take advantage of our alumni network

IT’S A GOOD DAY WHEN: I can get at least a few things crossed off my to-do list and then get home and sit down to dinner with my family

Best advice you ever received: It’s only radio. If you mess up, come back and do it again tomorrow (from Bill Richardson, then at WHP-580 in Harrisburg, my first job after college)

FAVORITE CAMPUS SPOT: I’m eager to take my kids (4-yearold daughter, Caroline, 2-yearold son, Ryan) to the Creamery for the first time

The Communicator | Spring 2016

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Xxxxxx

By JOYCE GANNON (’79)

Move away from Some consumers move away from cable, but industry’s appeal remains strong 12

Penn State College of Communications

W

hen Hannah Biondi moved in December to a new apartment in Long Island City, New York, she adopted a new strategy for watching TV: She dispenses with cable, saves money and views only the programs she really wants to see.

She streams her favorites from premium networks HBO and Showtime over the internet, subscribes to streaming services like Hulu and Netflix for original programming like “Making a Murderer,” and uses an antenna to get her sports fix on broadcast networks ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC. Biondi (’14 Adv/ PR) is executive assistant to the head of sports and events programming at Showtime Networks Inc. at its Times Square headquarters in Manhattan. The irony isn’t lost on her that, while she works for a major cable entertainment provider, she’s cut the cable cord at home.

“Streaming makes sense from a cost and a technology standpoint,” Biondi said. “It’s definitely something we consider at Showtime when we’re marketing.”

Biondi’s said her employer isn’t bothered by her decision to drop cable. Showtime now offers a streaming subscription through Hulu, and she uses that to binge on Showtime hits like “Shameless” and “Billions.”

“That’s part of the reason I switched,” she said. “You can have Showtime without having cable.”

Though the majority of viewers still pay to watch TV through cable or satellite, the number of those transitioning to onlineonly is growing steadily.

A Nielsen survey released in March showed that, of 30,000 consumers worldwide, 72 percent of respondents still pay for a TV connection. But 26 percent pay for broadcast or videoon-demand through subscriptions to Amazon, Hulu, Netflix or other sources that allow them to stream through the internet.

Nielsen didn’t break out the overlap between consumers who do both.

Just five years ago, the research firm J.D. Power and Associates found that only 3 percent of viewers had cut the cord.

Entertainment providers like Showtime are scrambling to make sure their content is available across platforms beyond the traditional TV format.

“The way we’re using technology now, you have to stay on top. You cannot deliver everything over the same old cable,” said David Dapko (’89 Bus, ’97 MA Telecom), a media and marketing consultant based in Brooklyn, New York, and Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Dapko noted that laptops, smart phones, internet-connected smart TVs and tablets have created a culture of round-theclock, on-the-go media consumers. As a result, he said, people no longer are tied to the TV for “must-see” appointment programming. “We don’t live for Thursday-night TV and ‘Friends,’ ” he said referring to NBC’s stellar prime-time lineup of the 1990s that included “Seinfeld” and “ER” as well as “Friends.”

“We now snack on TV and news, or binge when we have time,” Dapko said. “And that can be done on an iPhone, in the back of a cab, on a tablet or wherever.”

Not surprisingly, most studies say that the millennial generation — the new adults of the opening decades of the 21st century — are cutting the cord at the fastest rate.

A survey last year by Clearleap, an IBM Corp. subsidiary that

provides cloud-based video services, found that more than 70 percent of people aged 18-29 use streaming services.

“It could be a generational thing,” said David Norloff (’91 Eng), a senior lecturer in telecommunications in the College of Communications. He thinks a majority of millennials use Netflix and other streaming services as their primary source of entertainment.

It’s not just the price of cable that is driving people to selective streaming, Norloff said. “The notion of ‘I have to be somewhere to watch something at a certain time’ is eroding. It’s more on-demand — and ‘what I want’ and ‘how much I want.’ ” Norloff, 46, cut the cable cord at his State College home in April 2015. “It was really just a trial to see what it would be like,” said Norloff, who spent two decades working in management and marketing for wireless providers Nextel and Sprint after earning his bachelor’s from Penn State and a master’s in business from Rutgers University.

A quick adjustment

A year since he dropped cable, Norloff and his family, which includes a son, 14, and daughter, 11, are relatively satisfied with their viewing options. When he decided to cut the cord, Norloff’s children “objected for probably the first 24 hours.” Then, their father said, “they adjusted surprisingly fast. They found their content and were able to view what they wanted.”

To provide a variety of channels without cable, Norloff invested in a smart TV that can stream internet and receive broadcast networks through digital antenna that connects to his TV through a USB port. The digital antenna allows him to pick up about a dozen channels including major broadcast networks and PBS stations.

No longer are antennas big, awkward steel contraptions perched on housetops, as they were in the early decades of television. The Norloff family’s antenna is thin and sits on an entertainment center. Most of the content they receive is high-definition quality.

Norloff’s streaming services include Amazon Prime, Netflix and Sling TV. Sling is a recent rollout from the Dish Network that includes sports networks ESPN and ESPN2 as part of its $20 monthly base price. As a promotional gift with his Sling subscription, Norloff got a free Roku streaming device that lets his family watch critically acclaimed original series such as Netflix’s “House of Cards” and Amazon Prime’s “The Man in the High Castle.”

He estimates that he saves $90 a month compared with his cable bill.

In Long Island City, Biondi pays $43 a month for an internet connection and between $60 and $70 for all her streaming services, including Showtime, HBO NOW, Hulu and Netflix.

She got her cable antenna

The Communicator | Spring 2016

13

“You have to intentionally watch TV, not mindlessly. It makes me do more things outside of TV. Like read a book.”

— Hannah Biondi for free from someone who passed it along, and she spent $150 to buy an Apple TV -- a device similar to Roku and Google Chromecast that streams digital data from multiple sources to a conventional TV. “So I don’t have to watch it on my laptop,” Biondi said.

Biondi figures she now spends $50 a month less than what she was paying for cable TV and Internet bundled together.

For her, the antenna is critical so she can watch live network broadcasts of football, basketball and boxing.

Boxing matches are among the events she promotes for Showtime.

For millions of fans, sports are a big reason they haven’t cut the cable cord.

Networks with huge sports contracts want to keep those broadcasts out of the streaming mix because they generate millions in advertising dollars and numbers of viewers through cable and satellite contracts.

Still, live sports are finding a home outside of traditional TV. Besides the ESPN and ESPN2 access included in its basic price, Sling has add-on sports options. During the NCAA basketball tournament in March and early April, Sling carried games that originated on TBS, TNT and TruTV, reporting that viewership soared by more than 1,140 percent over the three weeks of the tournament. Sling’s basic subscription also includes cable channels A&E, CNN, AMC, Disney, TNT, TBS and Food Network, making it a viable pick for individuals and families who may want to add another streaming service like Netflix (starts at $7.99 a month) or HBO NOW ($14 a month) to supplement their viewing options.

As a Sling subscriber, Norloff is satisfied most of the time with the sports coverage he gets on ESPN and ESPN2. He also likes that it’s an internet-based subscription.

“It is somewhat refreshing and empowering to know that I can access my online account and cancel my subscription at any time,” he said. “No need to call anyone or visit a store to return equipment.”

Still, without access to the Big Ten Network, he misses college football.

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Penn State College of Communications

And the Super Bowl broadcast in February became a point of concern for the Norloff family. The game aired on CBS, which is the only major broadcast network he can’t pick up through his digital antenna. “We debated,” said Norloff, who considered the value of entertainment from highly touted Super Bowl commercials as well as the matchup between the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers.

But the family’s concern about missing the game was resolved a week before kickoff when Roku announced it would stream the Super Bowl with no additional charge. So the Norloffs watched the game on CBS.

Sports stronghold

Until more streaming providers offer sports, the appeal of live games is likely to remain a critical factor in keeping consumers on cable, said Matt Jackson, associate professor and head of the Department of Telecommunications.

“Somebody who discovers ‘Breaking Bad,’ ‘The Sopranos,’ or ‘Mad Men’ could thoroughly enjoy watching a hundred episodes 10 years after those shows were produced,” Jackson said. “But even the most loyal sports fans won’t watch a season from 10 years ago. What makes sports so compelling as live content is the unknown outcome. Once you know the score, it’s much less compelling.”

Sports networks have been slower than say, HBO, to migrate to streaming sources because they don’t want to lose The Communicator | Fall 2015

14

their advertising revenues and the fees generated by cable subscribers, Jackson said.

He said ESPN draws a significant portion of its revenue from subscriber fees passed along by the cable companies, relying on those companies to distribute the product. He pointed out that ESPN is advertising-supported, unlike commercial-free HBO. When HBO announced its HBO NOW streaming service, he said, “it was a huge deal in the industry because HBO was saying, ‘We’re confident enough in our brand that even if traditional distributors turn their back on us, we can still succeed.’ And [cable] distributors didn’t turn their backs and are still carrying HBO.” For Vic Carlesi, an advertising major who graduated from Penn State in May, live broadcasts of awards shows and the presidential debates are just about all that draws him to cable TV. He and three roommates had a Comcast basic cable subscription with internet but didn’t pay for premium channels “or anything extra that I couldn’t find online for free.” Carlesi’s share of the bill was $18 a month.

He shares a friend’s Netflix account to stream shows like NBC sitcom “Parks and Recreation” and has a six-month free trial subscription to Amazon Prime, where he views programs like its original series “Transparent.” He accesses HBO using his parents’ account.

Though he plans to subscribe to Netflix on his own soon, Carlesi will likely cancel Amazon Prime. “Everyone would save more money if we could just pay for the internet without TV cable,” he said.

Rather than rely on TV for news, Carlesi gets headlines from his customized feeds from social media sites Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter. He finds cable news networks Fox and MSNBC “pretty polarized” and says he would “rather research my own opinions” than use mainstream sources.

He would be happy if all programming shifted to online, even if that translated to watching more commercials on streaming providers like Netflix. He said he understands why there is so much different content on TV: to sell advertising. And that, he said, is why cable companies are trying to force subscriptions.

Market challenges, responses

As more viewers opt for streaming, the cable and satellite providers are bombarding the airwaves, home mailboxes and email inboxes with signup deals. Flyers for Comcast’s XFINITY and Verizon FIOS promise more on-demand services and faster speeds, while DirecTV (now owned by AT&T) and Dish Network promote free high-definition upgrades.

Even though cable and satellite providers are beefing up their offerings, consumers are still likely to continue to shift from traditional packages, Norloff said. “I don’t think we’re seeing a lot of demand for 140 channels,” he said. “One thing consumers are saying is, ‘I’m not really keen on paying for things I don’t watch anymore.’ ’’ On the other hand, juggling streaming services with an antenna and internet TV devices “can be cumbersome to manage,” Norloff acknowledged.

How fast consumers can download and stream their shows and movies could play a factor in how the market shakes out, he said.

Google, for instance, in 2012 launched Google Fiber in four cities ­­­­­— Atlanta; Austin, Texas; Provo, Utah; and Kansas City — and is eyeing more than a dozen others. Among the features Google is promoting are connection speeds of 1,000 megabits per second, up to 150 channels, cloud storage and a competitive price. In Atlanta, for instance, Google’s internet and full TV package costs $130 a month.

Despite the threat of cord-cutters and super-fast speeds and connectivity from Google, some traditional TV providers are holding their own.

Consider that Comcast, the largest cable company in the United States and the parent of NBCUniversal, had its best year in a decade in 2015. The company added nearly 90,000 subscribers in the fourth quarter and for all of 2015 lost 36,000 customers, the lowest loss in nine years. Comcast attributed the improved numbers to better customer service including its internet-connected set-top box, more channel package options, and faster broadband bundles.

Time Warner, the second-largest cable company, reported a net gain of 32,000 subscribers in 2015.

Those companies are “stemming the tide by improving their set-top boxes for all-in-one delivery” and making the viewing experience more convenient, said Jackson. Customers are able to watch on-demand content, to record programs with the DVR feature, and to find what they want through “simple-to-use” search functions.

And there are still generations of viewers who prefer to sit in front of their TVs instead of watching on other devices, Jackson noted.

“Millennials are clearly more comfortable using smartphones and tablets,” he said. “It’s certainly true many millennials don’t think of TV the way older generations do. It’s much more on their own schedule. That’s one of the ways Netflix has succeeded: by throwing out the whole linear model.”

No matter how long traditional cable hangs on, consumers’ growing demand for options “will continue to put pressure on networks and cable and satellite TV providers,” said Megan Clarken, president of Nielsen Product Leadership.

In comments included in the company’s March survey report, Clarken said that because a majority of viewers are still connected to traditional forms of TV, cord-cutting isn’t going to replace cable or satellite anytime soon.

She explained, “A substantial replacement of one for the other is unlikely. While some consumers are cutting back on traditional TV services, many aren’t severing the cord completely.” In the near term, Clarken sees the biggest threat to cable as “cord shaving,” in which consumers buy slimmer and cheaper packages of channels while supplementing those packages with online streaming.

“We don’t know what the future’s going to be,” said media consultant Dapko. “There is a Steve Jobs out there who will come up with some kind of technology somewhere. I think the race is wide open to what it’s going to be.”

Naturally, consumers are likely to choose the options that deliver the content they want at the best price.

Besides saving money, Biondi is happy she cut the cord because it has made her more thoughtful about her viewing.

“You have to intentionally watch TV, not mindlessly,” she said. “It makes me do more things outside of TV. Like read a book.” l

The Communicator | Spring 2016

15

Faculty/Staff News

M

Next Chapter

artin Halstuk, 69, who was a faculty member in the College of Communications for a decade and a half, retired at the end of the spring semester.

Senior Cameron Hart compiled a photo story about Halstuk, an award-winning journalist and respected teacher, that focuses on Halstuk, his wife Monica, their dogs and his hobbies.

View full photo story at http://www.cameronhart.photo/the-professor 16

Penn State College of Communications

Faculty/Staff News

Sundar earns Faculty Scholar Medal University-wide award a first for faculty member from College of Communications Distinguished Professor S. Shyam Sundar was one of four Penn State faculty members to receive a 2016 Faculty Scholar Medal for Outstanding Achievement.

He was the first honoree from the College of Communications in the 26-year history of the award.

Established in 1980, the award recognizes scholarly or creative excellence represented by a single contribution or a series of contributions around a coherent theme. A committee of peers reviews nominations and selects candidates.

Sundar is a pioneering researcher on the effects of digital media interfaces, having built Distinguished Professor S. Shyam Sundar accepts his Faculty Scholar Medal from President original theoretical models on the social and Eric Barron during a University-wide awards program. psychological consequences of communicafied before Congress as an expert witness and delivered talks at tion technology.

As founding director of Penn State’s Media Effects Research several universities in the United States, China, Germany, Hong Laboratory, Sundar researches a wide range of topics including Kong, India, Korea, Netherlands and Singapore. He has served the effectiveness of interactive news and advertising, persua- on the editorial boards of 18 journals, including Communication sion in online health communications, role of social media in Research, Journal of Communication, Human Communication empowering individuals and effects of smartphones and robots Research, Media Psychology, Journalism & Mass Communication on consumer attitudes. Last year, nearly 1,000 scholarly publi- Quarterly, Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media and Jourcations referenced Sundar’s research. nal of Advertising.

“Over the last two decades, in keeping up with the dizzyHe teaches courses in the psychology of communication ing changes in communication technology, Shyam has been technology, media theory and research methodology. prescient in spotting trends, asking the right questions, develHe earned his doctoral and master’s degrees in communioping new study designs that are sensitive to changes in the cation. He also holds bachelor’s degrees in communication media landscape, and advancing research at the nexus of new and engineering. His industry experience includes more than communication technologies,” said a colleague. “From the intereight years as a journalist. Just as his background is eclectic, his net to social media to mobile media, at every transition, Shyam’s current work is quite interdisciplinary — he holds joint faculcontributions have been innovative, path-breaking and instruty appointments in the departments of film-video and media mental in shaping key aspects of communication research.” studies, advertising, architecture, and communication arts and What makes Sundar’s work so powerful, his colleagues said, sciences at Penn State. is its applicability in a variety of research questions in commuSundar’s research investigates social and psychological nications, computer sciences, human-computer interaction effects of technological elements unique to online commuand psychology and its ability to result in breakthroughs on the nication, ranging from websites to newer social and personal behaviors of users. media.

In particular, his studies experimentally investigate the A former editor of one of the field’s top journals said Sundar effects of interactivity, navigability, multi-modality, and agenis “perhaps our field’s leading theorist” who has “revolutionized cy (source attribution) in digital media interfaces upon online our thinking.”

“One can’t help but be stunned by the range of research users’ thoughts, emotions, and actions.

His research has been supported by the National Science productivity and influence, service, contributions, awards and advertising,” said a nominator. “Very few people in the commu- Foundation, Korea Science and Engineering Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation and Lockheed Martin Information nication discipline have such an extraordinary record.”

A frequently cited source on technology, Sundar has testi- Systems and Global Services, among others. l The Communicator | Spring 2016

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Education in Action

Digital minor debuts in fall Colleges combine for coordinated minor with six courses on digital trends and analytics Two colleges at Penn State have collaborated on an academic minor focused on digital media measurement, management and promotion to better prepare graduates for the changing communications landscape.

The six-course Digital Media Trends and Analytics (DMTA) minor — the result of a collaboration between the College of Communications and the College of Information Sciences and Technology — was approved by the Board of Trustees and will be offered as an option for undergraduate students beginning with the 2016-17 academic year.

“As technology changes how we access information and communicate, the skill sets students need to succeed are quickly expanding,” said Marie Hardin, dean of the College of Communications. “We’re committed to providing students with the tools they need to thrive, and this broad, well-designed minor provides a strong example of that commitment.”

The collaboration between the two colleges taps expertise and strengths in both academic units.

“We realized that our two colleges had already been developing and teaching related courses in this area, and it made sense to bring them together as a coordinated minor,” said Mary Beth Rosson, an associate dean in the College of Information Sciences and Technology.

The minor prepares students for career opportunities in areas such as advertising, analytics, digital media, public relations and more.

Lee Ahern, an associate professor in the Department of Advertising/Public Relations and the DMTA coordinator in the College of Communications, said the minor will complement

existing curriculum and meet important needs in the industry.

In addition to introductory courses in communications and information systems, the minor includes an overview of digital media metrics and web analytics courses. Other courses offer a focus on digital public relations and social media, search engine marketing and digital advertising.

“We have been watching the media and advertising landscape undergo fundamental transformation over the past decade, and have been modifying and adding courses in response,” Ahern said. “The new minor allows us to streamline, formalize and expand on those efforts. We want to make Penn State a leader when it comes to preparing students for a professional future in these dynamic industries.”

Ahern and other faculty members have worked with industry professionals to develop the curriculum that focuses on trends and skills most important to employers. The curriculum is designed to ensure the courses remain relevant. Initial industry partners have included advertising companies such as Adroit Digital, Harmelin Media and MediaMath, as well as representatives from media companies such as billypenn.com, Google, National Geographic, USA Today and VH1.

“One of the many great things about this program is that it destroys the false dichotomy of ‘art vs. science,’” said Jim Jansen, professor of information sciences and technology. “Every discipline needs creativity. Every discipline needs rationality. This program recognizes the value of both.”

Administrators anticipate broad interest in the minor, which will be open to all Penn State students. l

Grants connect PR faculty and industry pros With a goal of bridging the academic and professional worlds, the Arthur W. Page Center for Integrity in Public Communication, a research center in the College of Communications, awarded grants to research projects that unite public relations researchers with professionals in the industry.

Each project focuses on a specific topic, and all six are designed to reveal a better understanding of ethics and integrity in public communication.

To boost the faculty-practitioner collaborations, the Center’s 2016 Page & Johnson Legacy Scholar Grants will provide these groups with up to $10,000 each. The projects will deliver relevant and valuable insights for the entire field 18

Penn State College of Communications

List of all grants at comm.psu.edu/page-center and will examine a range of topics, such as international public communications, millennials’ views on ethics, corporate social responsibility and crisis communication. Practitioners represent a range of companies, including Edelman, APCO Worldwide, the Museum of Public Relations and more.

“It was important for us to encourage faculty to reach out to practitioners so they could see different perspectives and work together to better understand each other’s needs,” said Denise Bortree, Page Center director and associate professor in the Department of Advertising/Public

Relations. “We had a great response from researchers all over the world, and I am excited to see the results that emerge.”

In addition to the Legacy Scholar Grants, the Page Center selected and funded proposed online teaching modules on a variety communication ethics topics.

These modules will be built by experts in the field and shared for use by communication and public relations faculty across the globe.

Since its 2004 founding, the Page Center has become an international leader in research on ethics and integrity in public communication. l

Education in Action Top-two Hearst finish includes individual qualifier

Camera operators Kara Johnson and Alec Evans prepare to capture the action during a rehearsal.

‘Wilde’ night of webcasting Real-life experience as classes produce and promote play Two College of Communications classes collaborated in an effort to promote a webcast and provide real-world experience for students during the spring semester.

COMM 383 Advanced Video Production produced the live webcast of the School of Theatre’s production of Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest” April 22, and students in that class teamed up with students in COMM 473 Public Relations Campaigns, who promoted the webcast in an attempt to attract viewers.

The collaboration served as a win-win: COMM 383, taught by senior lecturer Maria Cabrera-Baukus, received help reaching potential viewers, and students in COMM 473, taught by lecturer Tara Wyckoff, gained valuable, hands-on experience with their own client and PR campaign.

“Having Tara’s class work with us was a great opportunity for the students because it’s a real project. They got to design a communications campaign and we got promoted,” Cabrera-Baukus said.

Another goal of Wyckoff’s students was to help garner interest from students in the COMM 383 course in general. In addition, Wyckoff’s class had to promote the webcast to a non-local audience, as a complement to ticket sales for the event.

Having promotion for a play webcast-

was a first for Cabrera-Baukus and her class, which produced a live webcast of “Julius Caesar” that was staged outdoors on the Old Main steps last year. That webcast could not be promoted beyond campus because of an agreement with the actors’ union. The class produces a live webcast of the Homecoming parade each fall, too.

Wyckoff’s students all had different positions to help promote the show, including campaign tactics, client relations, media relations, research and writing.

“I try to leverage their skills so we have some good quality to work with, but also give them an opportunity to try things that maybe they are still exploring,” said Wyckoff. “This group presented me with a nice cross section of all of those. We rely heavily upon one another. It’s a real team effort.”

The webcast, which featured a magazine show with pre-produced content and interviews, featured three cameras and microphones placed around the stage. It used the available light for the production from the historic Pavilion Theatre. Cabrera-Baukus’ students also took on different roles in her course, including director-producer, assistant director, camera operators, technical director, production assistant and audio operator. l

Driven by strong student submissions in every category, the Penn State College of Communications finished second overall in final standings for the William Randolph Hearst Foundation’s Journalism Awards Program for 2015-16. The annual program is often referred to as “the Pulitzers of college journalism.”

Penn State finished behind only North Carolina after points were compiled as the result of 14 competitions conducted throughout the academic year. There were five writing competitions, four in multimedia, two for photojournalism, two for TV and one in radio. Penn State also finished second in the final multimedia and writing standings.

During the past decade, Penn State’s average overall finish (4.7) is best of any program in the Big Ten Conference or the Northeast. Penn State is one of only six schools from across the country to earn a top-10 finish each year since 2011.

In addition, senior Erin McCarthy qualified for the individual national championships — becoming the 15th Penn State student in the past decade to qualify for the individual portion of the competition. Three earned the individual national championship in writing (Anna Orso, 2014; Andrew McGill, 2010; and Halle Stockton, 2007).

A record 1,261 entries from 100 colleges and universities were submitted to the Hearst Journalism Awards Program this year. The program is conducted under the auspices of the Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication. It has been in existence for 56 years and is funded by the Hearst Foundation. l

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Faculty/Staff News

Seniors connect on Facebook, too Older adults tend to use Facebook as a form of social surveillance

By MATT SWAYNE Older adults, who are Facebook’s fastest growing demographic, are joining the social network to stay connected and make new connections, just like college kids who joined the site more than a decade ago, according to Penn State researchers.

“Earlier studies suggest a positive relationship between bonding and bridging social capital and Facebook use among college students,” said Eun Hwa Jung, a doctoral candidate in mass communications. “Our study extends this finding to senior citizens.”

In the study, the desire to stay connected to family and keep in touch with old friends, what researchers termed “social bonding,” was the best predictor of Facebook adoption and use, followed closely by the desire to find and communicate with like-minded people, which researchers termed “social bridging.”

Curiosity is also another motivation for senior Facebook users, Jung added.

“Because they are now familiar with social networking technology, some seniors are just starting to use Facebook out of curiosity,” she said.

Older adults who are motivated by social bonding and curiosity tend to use Facebook as a form of social surveillance, said S. Shyam Sundar, Distinguished Professor of Communications and co-director of the Media Effects Research Laboratory, who worked with Jung.

“Surveillance is the idea that you’re checking out what people are up to,” said Sundar. “This is something that many older adults do. They want to see how their kids are doing and, especially, what their grandkids are doing.”

Seniors are not motivated to actively participate on Facebook when family and friends prod them to use the site, however.

“When senior citizens respond to requests to join Facebook, that tends to be a negative predictor of use,” said Sundar. “In other words, they are not intrinsically motivated to participate when someone else requests that they join.”

Older adults also tend to use Facebook features that their younger counterparts favor, according to the researchers, who published their findings in a recent issue of Computers in Human Behavior.

“Our findings show that message-interactivity features — for example the chatting function and wall posting — are the dominant activities for older adults’ Facebook use,” said Jung.

The researchers suggest that designers of social media sites should emphasize simple and convenient interface tools to

attract older adult users and motivate them to stay on the site longer. Seniors in their sample visited Facebook 2.46 times a day and stayed on the site for a little over 35 minutes each day.

“Those who are motivated by social bonding are more likely to use the Like button, which shows the importance of simplicity in interface design for senior citizens,” said Sundar. “The Like button is about as simple as you can get.”

Developers may be interested in creating tools for seniors because that age group is the fastest growing demographic among social media users.

In 2013, 27 percent of adults aged 65 and older belonged to a social network, such as Facebook or LinkedIn, according to the researchers. Now, the number is 35 percent and is continuing to show an upward trend.

“This isn’t just a fast-growing market, but also a lucrative one,” said Sundar. “Older adults have much more disposable income than teens and college students and would be more desirable for advertising.”

Despite the growing importance, little research has been published on what motivates older adults to use social networking sites.

“Most of the research is about how college students use Facebook, or how adolescents use Facebook,” said Sundar.

The researchers conducted an online survey with 352 adults whose ages ranged from 60 to 86. A total of 184 (52.3 percent) were female and 168 (47.7 percent) were male.

In the future, the researchers expect one-on-one interviews with older adults to provide better, more precise insight into the motivations that prompt them to join and use social networks. l

In 2013, 27 percent of adults aged 65 and older belonged to a social network.

In 2016, the number had increased to 35 percent.

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Penn State College of Communications

Faculty/Staff News

Reporting methods

Students tap expertise of veteran voters for class With presidential primaries in full swing across the nation and Pennsylvania during the spring semester, a College of Communications faculty member and some journalism students in a 400-level reporting methods class worked with a valuable resource — longtime voters — as they tried to better understand the election.

Senior lecturer Russ Eshleman, head of the Department of Journalism and an award-winning journalist who spent a decade and a half with The Philadelphia Inquirer before joining the Penn State faculty, paired students in his class with residents of Foxdale Village in State College.

Residents of the local retirement community visited the University Park campus and worked with students in the class — an activity, Eshleman said, that gave students a chance to work on their interviewing skills at the same time they were getting lessons in politics and history.

“It was so cool watching students in their 20s hanging on every word of people in their 80s and 90s as they talked about everything from FDR and the New Deal to Donald Trump and political civility,” said Eshleman, who served as Harrisburg bureau chief and state political writer for the Inquirer. l

Hooray for Hollywood robots

By MATT SWAYNE

Remembering robots from film portrayals may help ease some of the anxiety that older adults have about using a robot, according to Penn State researchers.

In a study, older adults who recalled more robots portrayed in films had lower anxiety toward robots than seniors who remembered fewer robot portrayals, said S. Shyam Sundar, Distinguished Professor of Communications and co-director of the Media Effects Research Laboratory.

The researchers, who presented their findings at the Human-Robot Interaction conference, suggested that robot anxiety may influence older adults’ perception of how easy it is to operate robots and their intentions of buying a robot.

Finding ways to ease anxiety about robot adoption could help them accept robots as caregivers, they added.

“Increasingly, people are talking about smart homes and health care facilities and the roles robots could play to help the aging process,” said Sundar. “Robots could provide everything from simple reminders — when to take pills, for example — to fetching water and food for people with limited mobility.”

The most recalled robots included robots from “Bicentennial Man”; “Forbidden Planet”; “I, Robot”; “Lost In Space”; “Star Wars”; “The Terminator”; “Transformers” and “Wall-E.”

The effect seemed to hold even when older adults recalled robots that were not friendly human-like helper robots, he added.

“One of the most surprising results in general was the more robot portrayals they could recall, regardless of the robot’s characteristics, actually led to more positive attitudes on robots and eventually more positive intentions to use a robot,” said Frank Waddell, an assistant professor at the University of Florida, who worked with Sundar. “So, it seems like the more media portrayals they can recall, the more likely their attitudes would be positive toward robots, rather than negative.”

According to the researchers, people also had a more positive reaction to robots that looked more human-like and ones that evoked more sympathy. “The more sympathetic the participants felt toward the robot — for example, the robot in Wall-E — the more positive they felt toward robots,” said Sundar. “So, Hollywood portrayal of sympathy makes a difference and Hollywood portrayal of humanness makes a difference. Both reduce anxiety toward robots.”

Robot designers may want to incorporate features that remind older adults of robots in the media, according to the researchers. They should also create more human-like interfaces and ones that increase sympathy, which may ease apprehension toward the devices. l

The Communicator | Spring 2016

21

Student News

Internships in China offer an ‘eye-opening adventure’ Five College of Communications students will join two of China’s largest media outlets for summer internships.

Journalism major Courtney Barrow has had many internships, including experiences with ABC News and AccuWeather. She also covered the Penn State baseball team’s trip to Cuba last year.

She said two months in China working for International Channel Shanghai will be a drastically different experience.

“I’m looking forward to appreciating the culture. I’m curious to see what the differences in journalism are,” she said.

“The College of Communications is here to help, and I am grateful for this eye-opening adventure.” Barrow was a reporter for the “Centre County Report,” the TV newscast produced by communications students, and hopes to incorporate some of her broadcast experience into the internship.

International Channel Shanghai (ICS) is a variety TV channel that broadcasts in English, Japanese and Mandarin Chinese. It reaches 9 million television sets in Shanghai and it broadcasts to nearly every continent.

Barrow will be joined by telecommunications major Yi-Ting Wu at ICS. Over the last two summers Wu interned for a television company and an online news company in her home country of Taiwan.

“My native language is Chinese and I have a lot of interest in telecommunications,” she said. “I think with my skills and culture experience, I can bring a lot

to English and Chinese speakers who live in China.”

All of the students discovered their internships from Bob Martin, assistant dean for internships and career placement, who regularly sends emails to students with career and internship opportunities. While students get many of these emails throughout the semester, they appreciate the information.

“Bob Martin’s emails are great,” said Stephanie Panny, a journalism major who will be interning as a reporter for China Daily.

“I’ve never really been overseas and I have always wanted to experience China.”

H e a d quartered in Beijing, China Daily is the nation’s largest English-language newspaper with a daily circulation of 200,000. It has offices in seven major cities, including New York City, London and Kathmandu.

Despite making her first voyage abroad, Panny said support from the college and discussions with a past intern calmed some of her (and her parents’) nerves. Also, she plans on keeping classmate Fangzhou Xiong nearby.

A public relations major, Xiong will also be working for China Daily. Beijing is Xiong’s hometown, and the internship ad jumped out at him for a different reason than the others. “It’s close to home,” he said.

Recent visual journalism graduate Akash Ghai, another member of the Penn State team at China Daily, hopes he lands in the photography department. Ghai recently completed an internship with National Public Radio. l

“I’m looking forward to appreciating the culture. The College of Communications is here to help, and I am grateful for this eye-opening adventure.”

— Courtney Barrow

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Penn State College of Communications

Student wins trip to Japan through contest A Penn State student was one of nine winners of the Scripps Howard Foundation’s Roy W. Howard National Collegiate Reporting Competition and earned a nine-day trip to Japan.

Broadcast journalism major Zinnia Maldonado, a native of Philadelphia, was the first Penn State student to win the competition.

“It’s really exciting, especially coming from someone who hasn’t had the chance to travel out of the United States,” said Maldonado.

“I’m excited to be immersed in that Japanese culture, even if it’s only for nine days. That’s still a unique opportunity for any person, especially for someone at a young age still in school.”

Winners from across the country were a mix of broadcast, online and print journalists. Each had to submit a resume, essay, samples of work and a letter of recommendation.

Maldonado planned to lean on a fellow Penn Stater to prepare for the trip.

“One of my sister’s best friends studied abroad in Japan for 10 months,” said Maldonado. “She went to Penn State, too. I’m actually planning a meeting with her and she’s going to help me brush up on my Japanese skills.”

The competition, established in 1984 in cooperation with Indiana University, honors the memory of the journalist who led Scripps Howard Newspapers from 19221953 and United Press from 1912-1920. This year marks the 11th year that the Scripps Howard Foundation has awarded the study tour to Japan to competition winners. l

Student News

Minor mindset Students embrace entrepreneurial opportunities in growing program An entrepreneurial spirit has always been at the heart of the College of Communications.

Thanks to faculty members who possess a vital blend of academic and professional expertise and to professionally focused academic programs that adapt and grow with regularity, that spirit gets put into practice daily on campus and beyond.

Additionally, scores of alumni harness the skill sets they learned on campus and use those in their intended majors in forward-thinking ways or find any of a variety of other career paths toward success. More than ever, students embrace entrepreneurship as well, and that approach has been supported even more with the establishment of an Intercollege Minor in Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

Anne Hoag, an associate professor in the Department of Telecommunications, serves as director of the University-wide program that was established in 2013.

“The program, with core courses in engineering, management, and information sciences in technology, is Communications students (from left) Emma Hebert, Arsen Drobakha and about building and supporting a mindset,” Hoag said. She believes the minor can encourage ideas, and find ways to Atyia Collins were part of a team that traveled to Sierra Leone in May as part of the University’s entrepreneurship and innovation minor. implement them.

President Eric Barron has embraced the minor as part an NGO in Africa or people right here on campus.” of his Invent Penn State initiative, which aims to “develop a Mehta said students in the program, no matter their major, culture that encourages, nurtures and rewards entrepreneurthrive because of the opportunities presented. He presents ship — not just in STEM, but in the arts, health and human develreal-life problems and hopes to find profitable and sustainable opment, education and more.” solutions. While trips abroad related the courses are important Students in the minor complement three core courses ­— and make a difference, they are business ventures for him, not entrepreneurial mindset, leadership and new venture creation simply goodwill visits.

— with additional courses in one of several “clusters” in (so far) “No matter the academic discipline — and honestly the more seven academic colleges on campus. diversity of majors the better — we’re approaching problems and Communications students from each of the College’s five trying to find solutions,” Mehta said. “Just providing the oppormajors have responded strongly to the program, accounting for tunity for students to get engaged makes a difference. We do 22 percent of all enrollment at Penn State through the end of the not expect students to make what we do a career path, although 2015-16 academic year. Overall, the program grew by 61 percent some do, but it’s the mindset of exploring problems and working from the previous academic year. with others that matters.”

While many students are attracted to the College’s new media Collins, from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, initially planned cluster, others, including Atyia Collins, Arsen Drobakha and to study pre-medicine but changed her major to film-video Emma Hebert, have focused on social entrepreneurship. In early because social entrepreneurship touched a passion chord. She May, they traveled to Sierra Leone as part of a program to develhopes to share stories that make a difference for social causes. op cost-effective greenhouses led by Khanjan Mehta, an assis“Pre-med was more about making money, finding a career tant professor in the College of Engineering. that would be profitable,” she said. “That was really the biggest For Hebert, an advertising/public relations major from Rhode motivation for that route. Following a different route, though, Island, exploring the minor was initially a mistake. with film-video, will enable me to be involved in things that can “I signed up originally because I though it was a psych class, make a difference in a different way. It’s a little less about me and when I got in I realized it was actually an engineering class. than it is about what we can do for others.”

But I thought it was going to be an awesome experience so I Mehta said the communications students have contributstuck with it,” she said. “The minor has taught me a very good ed important perspectives and held their own with their Penn work ethic, things like putting in the hours after class, and it’s State counterparts in the program. “If we had a whole roomful taught me not to be scared to reach out to people — whether it’s of them, that would even be better,” he said. l The Communicator | Spring 2016

23

Student News

Standouts serve as spring marshals Six students who packed their careers at the University with academic success and a mix of community involvement, internships and research experience served as student marshals for the College of Communications during spring commencement.

Along with an overall marshal, the group included one representative from each of the five communications majors.

Kristen Laubscher, from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was selected as the overall marshal.

A Schreyer Honors Scholar and dean’s list student, Laubscher graduated with a bachelor’s degree in advertising/public relations and a bachelor’s degree in sociology, as well as a minor in political science. Laubscher completed four internships, including experiences with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association in Arlington, Virginia, and Susan Davis International in Washington, D.C. She also served as a project intern for discernPSU and as a promotions manager and business division staff member for The Daily Collegian.

Laubscher, a member of the Lion Ambassadors, earned several academic awards. Her Schreyer Honors College thesis focused on how corporate social responsibility influences consumer attitudes and purchase intent. The goal of the research was to determine if spending time and money on corporate social responsibility was in a company’s best interests.

Rachael David, from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, was selected as the advertising/public relations marshal.

Along with her bachelor’s degree, she added a minor in psychology. A dean’s list student, she completed three internships and served as a college ambassador for Ford Motor Company on campus.

She also served as editor-in-chief of Her Campus Media and as an account executive for the student-driven Happy Valley Communications. Among her many activities, David was director of public relations for the Lawrence G. Foster Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America, a contributing writer to EliteDaily.com and a volunteer for the Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon (THON).

During her undergraduate career David earned the President’s Freshman Year Award, the President Sparks Awards, the Evan Pugh Scholar Award, the John W. Oswald Award (see story, page 25) and several scholarships.

Megan Roethlein, from Gibsonia, Pennsylvania, was selected as the film-video student marshal. A dean’s list student who started her career at Penn State Behrend, she complemented her bachelor’s degree with a minor in English. Roethlein completed an internship in Los Angeles with Martin Chase Productions, served as a production assistant for Structure Films and was a production intern for Castle Pictures Inc. in New York City.

Roethlein also studied abroad twice — visiting Amsterdam and Iceland, respectively — with a documentary filmmaking class that

Taylor Bisacky

Rachael David

Rachel Kristine

Kristen Laubscher

Megan Roethlein

Wenjuan Xu

made weeklong trips during spring break her junior and senior years for hands-on experience.

Taylor Bisacky, from Jamison, Pennsylvania, was selected as the journalism marshal. A dean’s list student, she graduated with bachelor’s degrees in journalism and marketing.

She completed her classroom success through an abundance of real-life experience with “Centre County Report,” the award-winning, student-produced newscast; an internship WRC-TV in Washington, D.C.; an internship with WPVI-TV in Philadelphia; and back-to-back years as an on-air host for 46 LIVE, which produced the webcast for THON that was seen by viewers in more than 100 countries.

Wenjuan Xu, from China, was selected as the media studies student marshal. A dean’s list student, she graduated with bachelor’s degrees in media studies, criminology, psychology and sociology as well as a minor in linguistics.

She completed three internships in China and served as a research assistant in laboratories at Penn State focused on language and aging research, as well as anxiety and human emotion.

She also served as a teaching assistant for an introductory sociology course and participated as a graphic designer and playwright for the Chinese Theatre Group at Penn State.

Rachel Kristine, of Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, was selected as the telecommunications marshal. A dean’s list student, she added a minor in political science.

She served as a peer mentor in the College of Communications and was consistently involved in THON as an alternative fundraising chair for Apollo and as a member of committees focused on rules and regulations and staff outreach. Kristine also served as an event coordinator intern for FarmFest, organized by Pennsylvania Certified Organic. l

The Class of 2016 was the sixth largest (775 students) in the history of the College.

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Penn State College of Communications

Student News

Three’s company Paige Botch, 16 months old, spends time with her mother, Penn State student Madison Botch (left) and Madison’s friend Cassandra Soars.

Both Botch and Soars are majoring in recreation, park and tourism management. Madison balances school and a job while raising Paige.

(Photo by Jacqueline Pinou)

David among 2016 Oswald Award winners Rachael David was one of five Penn State students in their respective areas of leadership to be honored with the 2016 John W. Oswald Award.

David was the recipient in the field of journalism, speech and mass media.

The John W. Oswald Award, established in 1983, annually recognizes graduating seniors who have provided outstanding leadership in at least one of several areas of activity at the

University. The award consists of a medallion honoring John W. Oswald, president of the University from 1970 to 1983.

David, a senior majoring in public relations in the College of Communications with a 4.0 cumulative GPA, showed she could perform under pressure. When picked out of a field of more than 300 students to address an audience of alumni, donors, administration and students at the College’s annual scholarship awards dinner, she “delivered in spades,” said one nominator. “Her personal message of

gratitude and giving, presented in a confident yet friendly fashion, resonated with the entire group. It was a big stage, and she delivered in a big way.”

To help prepare for her career, David completed several internships, including positions with WebpageFX and Tierney Communications, both in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. She also participated in Happy Valley Communications, Penn State’s student-run communications firm. In addition, she was president of Her Campus Penn State, director of public relations for the Lawrence G. Foster Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America, and a student representative for the College’s Advertising/ Public Relations alumni board. l

The Communicator | Spring 2016

25

Valentina Ndibalema, who was born in Sudan, and Nana Kennedy-Kwofie, who was born in Switzerland, hosting an episode of ‘Centre County Report.’

Local news with international flair Student newscast benefits from students who have lived all over the world

By TREY MILLER (’12)

T

he award-winning weekly newscast produced by the students in the College of Communications, “Centre County Report,” serves as a source of news and information to the residents of Centre County and beyond.

The show reaches some 530,000 households in 29 counties of central Pennsylvania.

But, while the show itself has a local flair, some of the students who produce it have international roots.

Five seniors majoring in broadcast journalism between the two “CCR” classes during the spring semester boasted international backgrounds ranging from Africa to Colombia to Kosovo to Switzerland. With a variety of life stories and experiences, each student brought a unique perspective to life in the United States and American media.

Laura Barbosa

Born and raised in Bogota, Colombia, Barbosa speaks fluent Spanish and moved to the United States in the midst of turmoil when she was 6 years old.

At the time, her mother was the vice president of a construction company and her father owned a limo service.

“It actually happened that it was around the turmoil time of guerilla warfare. All that time during the ’90s and late ’90s, Colombia was not really a great place to be,” said Barbosa.

Because of the warfare and fear of threats, Barbosa’s moth26

Penn State College of Communications

er decided to flee the country. The family moved to Miami in November 2000, and three months later relocated to Allentown, Pennsylvania. Barbosa’s parents earned business degrees in Colombia, but those degrees did not help in the United States.

They found themselves having to start from scratch.

In time, though, her mother became a paraprofessional, helping young people who just moved into the country assimilate themselves into the classroom. Her father ended up making a living by owning his own trucking business.

“The first couple years were really, really hard for us because we came from knowing this lifestyle and then coming here and learning the hard way of the ‘American Dream’ and how to earn your money here for a couple of years,” said Barbosa.

After moving to the United States, Barbosa’s parents made sure she spoke Spanish in the household. Her family didn’t want her to lose her first language. This will be a valuable skill moving forward in broadcasting — something she wanted to be involved in since sixth grade.

“My parents actually would make me, every night, watch the news in English with closed captions,” said Barbosa. “They made me sit down and watch it and I just remember looking at these anchors and how poised and how professional and how they looked so put together and I could understand everything they were saying.

“I want to be able to communicate with more than just one person, with the whole audience and tell them my story and then tell them other people’s stories,” she said.

Now, Barbosa is beginning to look into jobs. One day, she

Student News hopes to live on the West Coast, and she wants to participate in documentary-style reporting, with an ultimate goal of being a creative director for a TV network. “CCR” helped her find that passion.

“Now, I have amazing professional things to put on my reel to send out to directors. I think that’s really the importance of ‘CCR’ to get your feet wet in what you want to do,” said Barbosa. “After ‘CCR’ you’re going to realize if you want to do this or not, and I absolutely want to do it.”

Alexandra Hogan

Born in Switzerland, Hogan has lived in Minnesota, Israel, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Switzerland for seven years, and then south Florida for high school. “(My parents) both had dreams of moving out of the country and seeing the world so my dad went into medical business and my mother became a flight attendant,” said Hogan.

Hogan and her family, which is originally from Minnesota, were frequently on the move due to her father’s job with a medical device company. Hogan and her family moved to the United States when she was nearly 15 after spending the previous seven years in Switzerland. Even after moving here, the family still returned to Switzerland each summer.

With her father now retired, her family is in a transition process to Park City, Utah, as they found it to be the closest thing to Switzerland in the United States.

In the meantime, Hogan is also in a transition period. She graduated in May and will be starting her career in the United States, rather than going back to Switzerland.

“I’m very goal-oriented in terms of pursuing my dreams of becoming a reporter and there isn’t much of a media outlet for me to pursue that dream in Switzerland,” said Hogan. “They don’t have the 24-hour news coverage that exists in the U.S. People don’t really sit and watch the news because there isn’t the news the way it is here.”

Hogan, who has wanted to be a reporter since she was 12, came to Penn State because of its communications program and the opportunities it would provide her. She also wanted a big school that provided her a “college experience” unlike what she would have received in Europe.

“You pretty much just go there for your

specific major (in Europe),” said Hogan.

“There are no clubs. There are no sports.

There isn’t a passion for loving your school. You go there to do your studies and then you go home.

“I think I’ve had a great college experience. I’ve loved my time here. I really wanted to be on the ‘Centre County Report’ when I came and visited Penn State. Being in that my last semester is really rewarding.”

Now, thanks to that experience, she isn’t afraid to go anywhere in the country. Moving 12 times in her life has helped make those kinds of transitions easier.

When she came to Penn State, like all of the other moves in her life, she didn’t know anyone when she arrived.

That will come in handy as she wants to work her way up through different TV stations and market sizes to begin her career.

“There isn’t anywhere that I’d go back to and it feels like, ‘Wow, I’m home,’ unless I’m in Switzerland, which is good, I guess, for the career because I’m going to be moving around a lot,” said Hogan.

Nana Kennedy-Kwofie

While Kennedy-Kwofie, who speaks English and French fluently, was born in and has spent the most time in Switzerland, she has lived in many other places, including: Democratic Republic of Congo, England, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa. Her family moved on a regular basis because her mother was working for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Despite only living in Ghana for a short period of time, she still visits her family’s native country. Right now, though, home is always changing as her mother is in Hungary and her brothers are in England.

“Home for me is wherever my mother and brothers are whenever we’re all together,” said Kennedy-Kwofie. “I don’t really call it a specific place, but it’s being with my mother and my brothers.”

Even so, she still considers herself Ghanaian.

“I think Switzerland was a place where I lived that was sort of a transition period. I was growing up. It reminds me of my childhood. But Ghana, I love Ghanaian food. I love Ghanaian music,” said Kennedy-Kwofie. “As I’ve grown up, I’ve tried to embrace my African culture. It’s some-

thing that has been with me since the beginning I guess.”

Kennedy-Kwofie came to the United States on her own, and randomly chose Penn State, originally intending to major in economics. But in part because she had been making videos since she was young, she followed her passion and ended up in broadcast journalism.

While most things are the same for Kennedy-Kwofie, she has picked up some new things while in the United States. She now says “pants” instead of “trousers” and “popsicle” instead of “lolli.” All in all, moving around a lot has helped her adjust to life in a new country.

“I think moving around has made me a lot more open-minded of the types of people I meet. I feel like the world is a very big place, but it’s also very small because you never know who you will meet,” she said. “I don’t get shocked by people very often.”

Her goal is to someday return to Africa to report the news and make documentaries in an attempt to change the narrative of Africa. Kennedy-Kwofie says journalism seems more appreciated in the United States and there is more storytelling, but that there is a lot of potential in Africa.

“I think one thing that I do sort of miss from back home, there’s a culture of storytelling. My grandmother used to sell rice to kids for lunch, but she was also the local storyteller,” she said. “There’s an oral storytelling tradition that I kind of want to capture.”

Valentina Ndibalema

Born in Sudan with her family, which is originally from Tanzania, Ndibalema has seen a good portion of the world, including Switzerland, Spain, South Africa, China, Russia and Canada — all a result of her father’s job with the UNHCR. Ndibalema even lived near and knew Kennedy-Kwofie while in Switzerland.

“The first time I got the full experience of living in America was actually coming here for these four years of college,” said Ndibalema.

Home for her is Switzerland, where she has mostly lived since she was 9 years old. But, Ndibalema and her family didn’t forget about their roots, splitting summer and winter breaks between Switzerland and Tanzania.

Ndibalema, who speaks English, French

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Student News and Swahili, wanted to come to the United States because she knew she wanted to study broadcast journalism, and felt like this was the best country to fulfill that dream.

She had originally planned on attending Syracuse, but after touring the Penn State campus, she knew it was a fit.

“As soon as I came back to my hotel room, I applied right away to Penn State,” said Ndibalema.

According to Ndibalema, there are five other Penn State students on campus from her home city in Switzerland, and three from the same school. From that group, she sees Kennedy-Kwofie every day.

While here, she certainly found different experiences. That includes more purchasing power when buying things; a small-but-significant difference in McFlurries at McDonald’s (with M&Ms crushed here but not in Switzerland); and, of course, driving on the right side of the road in the U.S. Another difference is college campuses with school spirit, which she said is completely different than universities in Switzerland. There’s also football here, which Ndibalema admittedly knows nothing about, but she has attended every game at Beaver Stadium since arriving at Penn State.

She has used “CCR” to gain valuable experience to help reach her goals.

Ndibalema plans to attend a master’s program, and someday hopes to return to Tanzania to add her perspectives to the growing media presence in Africa.

“Me being able to anchor for ‘CCR’ and go live and have my face seen and everything that we put together whether it’s the packages and anything that we edit to be seen on such a grand scale within Centre County, it’s incredible for me to have that opportunity because I know I would not have received that at home,” Ndibalema said.

Regardless, she has taken advantage of all that she could.

“I came in here with a goal of do as much as you can, see as much as you can and learn as much as you can. I feel like in my four years I pretty much milked my experience as much as I could,” she said. “I can leave Penn State happily knowing that

I 100 percent had the best experience of my life and that was all because I pushed myself to make sure that happened. I’ll forever be a Nittany Lion.”

Leart Vuciterna

“It was a feeling of rush.”

Vuciterna was 6 years old when his family fled Kosovo.

At the time, ethnic tensions grew between the Kosovo Albanians, who accounted for most of Kosovo’s population, and the Serbians, who wanted to control the area. When Serbian Slobodan Milošević became the leader of Yugoslavia, he began to try to force Albanians out of Kosovo. This included Vuciterna and his family in 1999 because of the war and genocide.

example of him in front of all of us in case we were trying to pull something off.

“I think the guy was trying to leave the scene and we weren’t allowed to move. I remember my mom screaming and crying and kind of telling the officer to let him live and that he wouldn’t do it again. She didn’t know who he was. She was just trying to voice herself and make sure he wouldn’t do something so unfortunate.”

Now that Kosovo is independent and rebuilding itself, and he’s a U.S. citizen, Vuciterna still gets back to visit his dad and some other family members each summer. His mom and his brother stayed in America, where he lived in Wayne, New Jersey, before moving to White Plains, New York, last May. Vuciterna always wanted to attend a big school. He toured Penn State and applied to Rutgers, but in the end decided to be a Nittany Lion.

Since coming to Penn State, Vuciterna says “CCR” has been the “best and most unique experience” he’s had.

“When I got accepted in ‘CCR,’ it was like I couldn’t believe it. That was literally the best experience I think I’ve ever gotten as far as coming close to TV.”

“They lived in places that are far different from central Pennsylvania, and it helps to have their voices and outlook on the stories we’re doing here.”

— Steve Kraycik

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“Life was normal. It was just ordinary like here,” said Vuciterna. “I feel like the tension was always there. There were Serbians always living there. They were kind of like authority. It was a long time coming.

“I feel like all of a sudden it was like, ‘Get up, we have to go,’ because they were cutting off a bunch of exits in Kosovo.

There was only a certain amount of time to leave before the bombings came.”

The process wasn’t an easy one. After fleeing to Turkey, the family went back to Albania, then back to Turkey, where they stayed until they found out they could make their way to Staten Island, New York, where Vuciterna had an uncle from his dad’s side of the family.

Vuciterna can still vividly remember a moment when his family was trying to leave Kosovo.

“We were in a crowd and there was a plane in front of us,” said Vuciterna. “They had one guy standing there and one of the Serbian officers was pointing a gun to his head. I think he was going to make an

What they bring to ‘CCR’

According to Steve Kraycik, director of student television and online operations in the College of Communications, students with international backgrounds typically do not face many challenges working on “Centre County Report.”

Sometimes those whose first language may not be English or those who have a heavy accent may need to work harder on pronunciations and clear communication.

But that is minimal, he said.

Kraycik said the five students from the spring semester added significant value to the newscast’s reporting because of their unique perspectives.

“They’ve lived in places that are far different from central Pennsylvania, and it helps to have their voices and outlook on the stories we’re doing here,” said Kraycik. “They also bring diversity to our news team, which is critical because viewers in news markets across the country are becoming increasingly diverse.” l

Alumni News

Late husband: ‘Oh, go write a book’ ... She did

W

hen Joanne McLaughlin’s husband, Paul Hathaway, wanted to be left alone, he would always say, “Oh, go write a book.”

After being sick for quite some time, Hathaway passed away in 2011. A couple months after that, when the memorial services had passed and she wondered what she would do next, McLaughlin (’77 Journ) decided to take her husband’s advice.

She wrote a book.

McLaughlin already had a title, “Never Before Noon” because the couple owned their own firm, Never Before Noon Artist Management, from 1996 to 2002, managing, publicizing and booking shows for blues musicians.

“I thought, ‘What does this title go with?’” said McLaughlin.

“I thought, ‘OK, I’ll write a vampire novel.’ I decided to make it about a family of musicians. It just kind of took off.”

In early March, McLaughlin’s first novel was published by Eternal Press, an imprint of Caliburn Press. The story, which McLaughlin calls a “dark romance,” is about a dysfunctional vampire family and specifically a 31-year-old woman, Chloe Hart. Hart, a spunky millennial, is an only child and grew up in a family of “crazy musicians.”

“They are always in character and they’re manipulative and weird and they ship her off to boarding school,” said McLaughlin. “She has just had it with these people, so she disappears for a dozen years. Then, suddenly, they sort of summon her back in a way that seems different than everything from before.”

When Hart returns, she finds out her parents are vampires.

With no signs of herself being a vampire, Hart has to re-examine herself and everything she thinks she knows about her life.

Since writing the first novel, McLaughlin has written two sequels, “Never Until Now” and “Never Ever Again,” which have not been published, but she hopes will be in the future. Each

Book on Afghan ‘Romeo and Juliet’ An award-winning journalist and alumnus who has worked in more than 150 countries and covered every war that involved the United States for the past three decades has written a nonfiction book

book took about a year to write, with some breaks in between.

Though she had a full-time job, McLaughlin said finding time to write the novel wasn’t difficult.

She found herself sitting behind a laptop at the dining room table during much of her free time.

McLaughlin, the deputy business editor at The Philadelphia Inquirer, doesn’t read much nonfiction because “nonfiction is my life.”

She did, however, include a business journalist in her story and wrote the book in “real time” to make sure everything seemed authentic.

She wanted to write a “smart” book and something she would like to read, which consists of mysteries, romances, vampire novels, but also “deeper” books.

“I just want people to have a good time reading it,” said McLaughlin. “It’s not a fluffy book. It’s not a feel-good book. If you feel a little disturbed by it, I think that’s probably right, but not in a bad way.”

So far, McLaughlin said, the reception to the book has been good. Right now, it’s available online at Amazon and BarnesandNoble.com. She is in the process of developing relationships with independent bookstores to sell the book.

McLaughlin had always wanted to write a book, and still has a murder-mystery novel that she wrote in the 1980s that she hopes to get back to someday. For now, she’s just taking in publishing this first one, which she said is still always in her head.

“It’s like you live with these characters. I’ve lived with them for five years. They are in your head, and they’re in your conversations,” said McLaughlin. “I’ve had this dream in my head for a long, long time. I’m really glad it happened. I can’t believe it happened. When I first got a print copy of my book, I started to cry. It’s so emotional. It’s like holding my baby.” l

about an Afghanistan couple that risked everything to be together.

Rod Nordland’s, “The Lovers: Afghanistan’s Romeo and Juliet,” focuses on women’s rights in the Muslim world and tells the story about Zakia and Ali, who grew up in different tribes in Afghanistan, but fell in love as teenagers. Despite their many differences and cultural norms, the couple defied their

families and ran away together. They are still hiding from Zakia’s family, who wants to kill her. “The Lovers” is available in print and digital formats.

Nordland (’72 Journ) is the international correspondent at large and Kabul bureau chief for The New York Times. He has been with the Times since 2009 after previously working for Newsweek and The Philadelphia Inquirer. l

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Doug Vollmayer works as a producer at “Good Morning America,” the nation’s top-rated morning show.

Long weekends lead to ‘GMA’ Vollmayer’s determination and an extended interview end with big opportunity

By ANDY ELDER (’87)

R

ough-cut video fills a large monitor and first-draft voiceovers blare from the speakers in a darkened editing bay at the ABC studios in New York.

Associate producer Doug Vollmayer sits slumped in a padded desk chair on this Thursday morning, a thin smile creasing his face as he describes the scenes to a visitor. The images, he explains, are the first stage of what will be a consumer-protection story for “Good Morning America.”

For some, working in this solitary darkness would be drudgery. For Vollmayer (’09 Journ), it’s a dream.

“I’m pretty humbled by the work that they let us do,” Vollmayer said. “I get to travel and see things that I would have never seen otherwise.”

While he has finally found his promised land, the road to this editing bay on 66th Street was paved with dogged determina30

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tion and more than a little self-doubt.

Vollmayer graduated with honors in 2009, ranking in the top 2 percent of the College of Communications and earning the distinction of a Schreyer Scholar. He also completed a minor in psychology.

During his four years at Penn State he worked for PSNtv, the student-driven television network, as a reporter, host and producer. That led to a post-graduation internship at Discovery Communications in Silver Spring, Maryland, helping with various production tasks.

After six months at Discovery, Vollmayer landed his first fulltime gig, as a production assistant in the broadcast department at AARP. He was promoted to associate producer, working on projects that included “My Generation,” a PBS show in which experts talked about issues such as health, money and relationships. After that show was canceled, he stayed on as a producer and editor on AARP’s digital media team.

Alumni News By late 2012, Vollmayer’s wife, Christina, who had been work- left Penn State, he was ing at ABC News in the District of Columbia, decided she wanted editing full packagto go back to school to study musical theater. She was accepted es of television news. into the highly competitive program at The Tisch School at New “They weren’t to the caliber they are now, York University.

With his wife and most of their furniture in New York, Voll- but when I look back at mayer remained in the District with a mostly empty apartment, the stories I did then, I think, ‘That was preta full-time job and a goal of gaining employment in New York.

For the next several months, he worked at AARP and occa- ty good.’ I learned a lot sionally took a bus or train to New York. Finally, using contacts there. I really did.”

During his early tour he made at ABC through his wife, he got an interview with “Good of overnight shifts at Morning America.”

The interview and writing test went well, he said, but the offer ABC, Vollmayer met of a couple of days of freelance weekend overnight work was not another College of Communications alum, what he was looking for.

“I went back to D.C. a little discouraged and, for the next Tara Berardi (’08 Journ). month or so, I didn’t even consider the offer,” he said. “Then, She was working as Tara Berardi has been an associate one day a light went off and I said, ‘Why can’t I just suck it up a weekend overnight producer for “GMA” since 2014. and do some weekend work? If it gets my foot in the door, it’ll production assistant at “GMA.” be worth it!’”

Berardi’s own route to New York started at WHVL-TV in State For the next two months he worked full time at AARP and then took a bus or train to New York on Fridays and back on Sundays College. She began as a production assistant and graduated so he could work two 6 p.m.-to-4 a.m. weekend shifts at “GMA.” to doing one-minute sports reports. She helped with WHVL’s Eventually, the strain took its toll.

Saturday morning show “Penn State Tailgate” and then became On a rare night that he was in New York but not working, he host and producer of the lifestyles and entertainment show “The and his wife went to a movie. “The movie let out and I won’t say Centre of It All.” I cried, but I had a really emotional moment when I just hugged After two years at WHVL, Berardi wanted to move on and up. my wife and said, ‘This is really wearing on me. It’s really tough.’” Aided by former professor Thor Wasbotten and her supervisor at Vollmayer soldiered through his moment of doubt. He and his the station, John Stroh, she leveraged contacts she had made as wife were determined that it would be only temporary — as Voll- an intern at ABC’s “World News Tonight” in 2007. That led to her mayer put it, “an extended interview.” overnight production-assistant stint and then, in the summer of In June 2013, his perseverance paid off: Vollmayer was offered 2014, to associate producer at “GMA.” a full-time job at “GMA.” Although he still would work weekends “Working with Doug has been a great experience,” said Berarand overnights, he got three days on the main weekday show. di, whose desk is next to Vollmayer’s. “He is extremely creative Six months later, he earned a promotion to the weekday show, and brings really inventive ideas to the table.” but still on overnights. In January 2015, he was promoted to Seth Fenton, senior producer at “GMA,” praised the contribudayside, usually working a 10 a.m.-to-7 p.m. shift. tions that Vollmayer and Berardi make to the show. “Doug and “Now I’m living the goal,” Vollmayer said. “‘Mission accom- Tara both take so much pride in their work that you always know plished,’ my mom use to say. ‘Now, what’s the next goal?’” their final products will be something special,” he said. “And best Answering that question, Vollmayer said: “My next goal was to of all, this commitment to excellence comes with a pair of terrific be able to do more stories that I really believe in, that I really feel attitudes. Penn State should be very proud.” l strongly about. Stories that inspire, feel-good stories, human interest. I had the opportunity to do a few of those with Robin Roberts, which is pretty cool. I just need to keep impressing them every day so I can do more stories that I like to do.”

Through it all, Vollmayer said, he has leaned on the foundations he built at Penn State. “Penn State did an incredible job of preparing me,” he said. “It taught me how to edit. It taught me how to shoot. It taught me how to write.”

He is glad he got hands-on experience at Penn State, not only in classes but also in extracurricular activities like PSNtv. By the time he Vollmayer shoots on location for a story about how to survive a flash flood.

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Social Success Alumni focus on audiences and embrace opportunities to engage while leading social media accounts for popular brands

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Penn State College of Communications

By TREY MILLER (’12)

W

hen Jeff Lowe came to Penn State in 2009, he expected to spend four years preparing for a career in front of a television camera. He had been on Facebook since high school and had just joined Twitter, but otherwise he saw the world of social media as uncharted territory.

As his college career moved along, however, so did his opportunities to dabble in the digital realm.

And when he got his bachelor’s degree in journalism in 2013, his first job was not as a television reporter but as a social media specialist.

At Penn State, Lowe handled social media efforts for two College of Communications programs: “Centre County Report,” a weekly television newscast, and ComRadio’s “NFL Draft Show.” In one year Lowe said he achieved a 500 percent increase in the Facebook and Twitter accounts for the TV newscast. For four years he provided news and

analysis of the National Football League Draft and prospects on @NFLDraftShow.

Also, for two years while he was a student, Lowe directed social media for Nittanyville as part of his position as the head of public relations for the weeklong student campout that precedes each Penn State home football game. The campers show their support for the team while putting themselves first in line for choice seats at the game.

In 2012, Lowe covered the London Summer Olympics for a John Curley Center for Sports Journalism project that provided student-created content for the U.S. Olympic Committee website and USA Daily, the digital newsletter produced during the Olympics. Once again, Lowe was getting hands-on experience in social media. While other reporters were writing their stories, he was posting results on Twitter. He would report the action live, often posting photos such as the one of Usain Bolt crossing the finish line to win the 100-meter dash.

It was, Lowe said, “the first social Olympics,” and he became the first to report some of the results on Twitter. Being first helped him get his content shared by various news organizations, athletes and ESPN personalities. “That’s where I really saw the power” of social media, Lowe said.

Lowe also got valuable experience while interning as an advanced media production assistant for Major League Baseball in 2011 and 2012. He helped to produce “Fantasy 411,” a show on MLB Network and MLB.com that caters to fans who play fantasy baseball.

After graduation, Lowe took a designed year off. When the time came to look for a job, he knew he wanted to be in digital and he wanted to be in New York City. He also wanted to position himself to move ultimately into an on-air job.

In March 2014 he got a job offer that fit the bill: a social media coordinator position at Major League Baseball. He assisted in the overall social media strategy for MLB, live-tweeting games

and producing content for various platforms for all 30 teams.

After six months at MLB, Lowe found another big-market opportunity as a social media editor, this time at “Good Morning America” on ABC. There he leads the overall social media strategy and content production for “GMA,” reaching more than eight million followers on Facebook and Twitter. In addition, “GMA” was the No. 1 broadcast show on social media in the U.S. through the first quarter of 2016, earning 32.2 million “actions” (post-level likes, shares, retweets, dislikes and comments), over 10 million more than the “TODAY” show, according to Shareablee.

Lowe’s experience illustrates the career opportunities opened up by social media’s rapid growth. According to a study by Pew Research Center, just 38 percent of adults used at least one social networking site in 2009; six years later, the number was 65 percent. For context, @GMA’s first tweet was March 2009, beginning: “Hello Twitternation from GMA!” That was just before Lowe arrived at Penn State from Cedar Park High School in Texas.

Lowe is among several College of Communications alumni who work in social media for organizations near and far. Others include Lauren Damone (’12 Ad/PR), who works for Penn State football, Catie Driza (’12 Ad/PR) at “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” and Alex Steinman (’14 Journ) at Entertainment Weekly.

Combine the Facebook and Twitter accounts of their employers, and the four of them reach more than 31 million followers.

Like Lowe, the others didn’t arrive at Penn State with a vision of social media as a career. Steinman, for example, said, “I started dabbling into social, and it became something that I was really heavily interested in.” Even so, it was not until she worked in social media during an internship at The New York Times in the summer of 2013 that she realized “this is what I wanted to do.”

Now that these alumni are in the social-media business, the challenge is keeping up with the ever-changing trends.

“There is risk involved and there’s constant learning every day,” Lowe said. “You’ve got to be willing to adapt and test things out.

If you want a job that challenges you every day, I think social is a pretty good job.”

While the four Penn Staters work in different cities and in different industries, they all have the same goal: to promote their brand. Whether it’s a game, a show or a story, they all have an audience to interact with.

Working nights and weekends is a routine for someone in a social media job. Twitter and Facebook never stop. “Even after work, I’m still on call,” Driza said. “It’s definitely a 24/7 job.”

Another challenge is to adopt a social-media voice that’s not their own. When there are multiple members of a social team, they are expected to maintain a consistent voice. Driza’s team tries to imitate Jimmy Fallon’s “voice.” Steinman’s team at Entertainment Weekly wants to come across as “people’s companion and people’s friend.”

Damone is conscious that she represents Penn State the university and Penn State the football team. “I always want to be

“There is risk involved and there’s constant learning every day. You’ve got to be willing to adapt and test things out. If you want a job that challenges you every day, I think social is a pretty good job.”

— Jeff Lowe (’13)

Jeff Lowe’s duties at “GMA” keep him busy, and that can include working with people like Channing Tatum (left) or meeting Anna Kendrick (above).

(Photos courtesy of Good Morning America, Jeff Lowe)

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Whether or not students are pursuing careers in social media, anyone interested in working in communications will need to know how to use it. professional,” she said. “But at the same time, it is sports. It can be more casual. It doesn’t always have to be serious.”

Social jobs vary from place to place. In her first jobs with brands and consumer products at places like the Marketing Arm and the public-relations firm MSLGROUP, Driza worked on social media campaigns that were planned two months in advance. Then she went to Lifetime Television and worked on weekly campaigns for new shows. Now, at “The Tonight Show,” her focus is daily.

Goals also differ: Lowe and Driza are driving people to watch a show. Steinman seeks to give readers unparalleled access to Hollywood’s biggest talent and get exclusive scoops and news to them first. Damone is nudging people to go to a football game, or attracting prospective student-athletes, or posting news stories.

“From a sports perspective,” Damone said, “I’m able to issue some personality. I have a huge task of representing these guys on the team, and I want to make them look as human as possible Lauren Damone handles social media accounts for Penn State football. … People don’t just think of them through their stats.” Damone (Photo by Mark Selders) might “brag about them a little” by writing about the communiabout how to use it wisely because everyone was starting to look ty-service events the players take part in. at Facebook accounts. They all had Facebook when they came Whether or not students are pursuing careers in social media, here. … We were trying to figure out what it would mean for anyone interested in working in communications will need to organizations.” know how to use social media.

Now, the College of Communications integrates a social-me“Social media is something that your future employers are going to expect you to know how to do,” Steinman said. “There dia element into many of its courses taught on campus, seekare always going to be new social sites coming in, and it’s import- ing to teach social-media best practices. Through the World ant to get on them and be active on them and to see where they Campus, online students may focus exclusively on social media go. The big players – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat – by taking the COMM 428E Social Media Strategies course, which it will be interesting to see where they’re going to go.” covers specific tools and best practices to be successful. MultiDriza noted that college students are often admonished “to ple classes use hashtags to share information. keep all of your social media profiles on lockdown” because In the College’s introductory news writing course, taken by future prospective employers might see something that turns all journalism and advertising/public relations students, a full them off. Driza’s message would be different. “I would recomlesson is devoted to the role of social media, focusing on fundamend that people would let their profiles be public and have mentals and how social media have revolutionized journalism. something good to show for it,” she said. “I think if you want to In a principles of multimedia course, students talk about work in social media, prove that … you know how to use each platform instead of trying to hide everything you do.” social media extensively “both as a reporting tool and for audiWith the growth of social media and its constant change, the ence engagement,” according to senior lecturer Curt Chandler. way the subject has been taught at Penn State has changed over In an advanced multimedia production class, students use the years, according to Marcia DiStaso, an associate professor social media to help tell their stories. These students covered in the Department of Advertising/Public Relations. She has THON using #commTHON2016, and they documented the been researching social media since 2005. pope’s visit to the United States in September.

When she first started teaching at the University in 2007, she DiStaso’s 400-level public relations campaigns class discusses encouraged students to use social media to portray themselves how social media can be incorporated into a public relations as subject-matter experts. campaign. DiStaso is focused on teaching students “strategic “I didn’t necessarily say, ‘Hey, do you want to go into social media?,’ because we didn’t know that there was that possibil- social media use and measurement, along with how to effecity,” DiStaso said. “At the same time, I started talking to them tively build their digital footprint.” l 34

Penn State College of Communications

Acceptance speech Alumni Achievement Award winner Mandy Muphy (’02 Ad/PR), a Special Olympics International executive who directs the account with global partner ESPN, prompts a smile from Provost Nick Jones as she delivers her acceptance speech. (Photo courtesy of Penn State Alumni Association)

Alumni Board gives guidance and advice to students In April, approximately 60 students from all majors participated in one-on-one conversations with members of the College of Communications Alumni Society Board.

Members and students discussed topics that ranged from increasing the quality of resumes and what to expect in job interviews to crafting the right career path and how to maximize internships.

“I wanted to hear their stories, how they got to where they are and how they used Penn State as an asset during their career journey,” said Chanee Hylton (seniortelecommunications).

“We help to calm their anxiety and reinforce to them that they are going to do great,” said Meredith Topalanchik, a board member and senior vice president at CooperKatz, an agency in New York City. “There’s a lot of unknowns for students about to enter the workforce. We give them real perspective, one that that they can trust because we are all Nittany Lions.”

Board members agree that mentoring current students is a privilege, one that they get to experience on campus twice a year. Along with supporting the College’s recruitment process and sponsoring the Alumni Society Board Internship Fund, providing opportunities for student networking is a major component of the board’s mission.

Kelly Gibson (senior-public relations) asked for tips for her first job interview. “It’s just a really good way to learn what employers are expecting from you, because there really isn’t a rulebook for all of this,” Gibson said. “Any advice you can get from people who have already done it is amazing.”

Several students who attended were freshman and have yet to declare a major. Hannah Gellar, a freshman who intends to major in film-video, said her biggest takeaway from the event was a reminder to stay flexible and be prepared to make changes on her career path.

“I think it’s the most important thing to start early,” said Gellar. “Because if we don’t learn from others who have experienced the same things as we do eventually experience, then we are not doing ourselves justice.”

“Every member of the alumni society board represents a different career path,” said Alyson Joyce, the board’s president-elect and PR associate for Seneca Resources Corp.

“For undecided students our advice can show them that their degree could take them in a variety of directions.”

Hylton considered the event to be a roadmap to a successful career. “They understand; they were here once,” she said. “They know the struggles that I’m going to face as a post-college graduate. They can give me that advice and insight because they’ve been through it.” l

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Beth Fantaskey has written five books, including “Isabel Feeney, Star Reporter,” which grew out of her Ph.D. dissertation.

Book-ing an approach

Alumna uses Ph.D. dissertation to launch young adult novel set in 1920s

By JONATHAN McVERRY (’05)

D

issertations can spawn an array of publications. Newly minted Ph.D.s author journal articles, research books and conference presentations. But recent alumna Beth Fantaskey Kaszuba walked away with something truly unique — a children’s novel.

Inspired by her graduate work studying female journalists who covered the 1920s Chicago mob scene, Fantaskey wrote “Isabel Feeney, Star Reporter.” It is a book written from the point of view of a 10-year-old newsgirl who, with the help of seasoned reporter Maude Collier, seeks to solve a case: Who killed Charles “The Bull” Bessemer?

The book has all the ingredients of a classic murder-mys36

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tery. What makes it especially sweet is the role passionate female journalists play in its plot. It also showcases the power of mentorship, the importance of hard work and the necessity of good journalism.

“Everything comes into play,” Fantaskey said. “I have a strong heroine inspired to enter a man’s world.”

Fantaskey had already written four young adult novels, but the origin of Isabel was quite different. The idea started while sifting through back issues of 1920s newspapers. It was not until Fantaskey’s dissertation defense day that the idea took a big step forward.

In 2002, Fantaskey had worked as a public relations writer, freelancer and author for nearly 20 years, and she thought about trying something new.

Growth as a writer Before publishing her first novel, Beth Fantaskey Kaszuba, like many people, thought being a writer was a solitary career — a profession limited to an author hunched over his or her keyboard in a candle-lit room.

However, after chatting with a published author, she realized writers needed to network.

While teaching at Susquehanna University, her husband David had an adult learner in his class who helped introduce Fantaskey to the “confusing world of being an author.”

“She told me that there’s incredible competition,” Fantaskey said. “It’s hard to find an agent. It’s hard to get attention from a publisher. Then you have to get people to read it.”

The student was Mary Leo, a USA Today best-selling romance author.

“I was ready for a change,” she said.

“And it was a dramatic change.”

David Kaszuba, Fantaskey’s husband, had completed his own Ph.D. program at Penn State. His dissertation examined the history of a different kind of female reporter in the 1920s — sports writers. Seeing the fascinating history her husband was finding, Fantaskey decided a doctoral degree was the challenge she was seeking. However, before she dove into 1920s Chicago, her path toward a Ph.D. sent her to India.

While searching for dissertation ideas, Fantaskey was intrigued by the advancement of social justice for India’s “untouchables,” more than 160 million citizens relegated to the lowest rung of the country’s caste system. It was a fascinating topic that would probably require at least three research trips to India.

At that time, Fantaskey and her husband were adopting their first child, Paige. Despite concerns from her committee, Fantaskey was committed to returning to India and completing her dissertation. But when Paige arrived, plans changed.

“I realized that my committee had been right,” she said. “It wasn’t realistic to drag a 16 month old all around India.”

The search for a new topic did not take long. Enjoying her media histo-

She encouraged Fantaskey to build a network and suggested she join the Romance Writers of America. Even though she did not write romance novels, Fantaskey joined the group and it opened the doors needed to break through.

Fantaskey says she has come a long way since her first book, “Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side.” Not only did her earlier books dip into the paranormal genre, they were also for young adults. With each book, she continues to evolve.

“My first transcript came back with 12 pages of edits,” she said.

“Now, I’ll get maybe one page from the editor. I’ve learned how to put a book together better. I am more confident now and I trust my own writing.”

“Isabel Feeney” is Fantaskey’s fifth book. She has two more books coming out in 2017 and she is already working on her eighth. l

ry graduate classes, Fantaskey found a slew of interesting stories from Prohibition-era Chicago.

It was a hostile, corrupt time when mobsters ruled the streets. It was extremely rare to find women working in early 1900s newsrooms. Some wrote under male pen names to hide their identities, which made the significance of their work relatively unknown.

Fantaskey wanted to make a point of how far women have come in terms of careers and freedom. “Isabel Feeney’s” Collier character is modeled after these trailblazing women.

“Unfortunately, women in media history often get regulated to just the last few decades,” said Ford Risley, committee chair and associate dean of the College. “Here it’s the 1920s and we have a group of women journalists covering some of the most dangerous men in America.”

Not exactly a topic tailor-made for 10to 13-year olds.

Isabel is born

After Fantaskey’s dissertation defense, she was enjoying some friendly conversation with her committee, and the idea for the book came up.

“The worst part was over and we were just talking like colleagues,” she said.

Committee member “Russell (Frank) mentioned that his daughter was a middle-grade editor. They thought the idea would make a great middle-grade novel. It seemed crazy at first, but …”

Fantaskey returned to the keyboard and began typing her next novel, a book that would be a Junior Library Guild selection and described as “a not-to-bemissed novel for middle graders looking for a satisfying mystery with a daring female heroine” by the School Library Journal.

Fantaskey realized that her immersion in the topic of 1920s Chicago helped build the detailed stories that would become the basis to “Isabel Feeney.” She had slogged through hundreds of newspaper articles and advertisements, so painting the scenes of the Windy City came easier than expected.

“The ads for clothing, the furniture, what people ate … it was easy weaving all of it into the book,” she said. “The book is very rooted in everything I learned in my dissertation.”

Oh yeah, the dissertation

Away from her quest for a Ph.D., Fantaskey was still freelancing, as well as penning novels and short stories. Her family welcomed two more daughters, Julia and Hope. David earned tenure at Susquehanna University. It took some time, but Fantaskey kept moving toward her goal of a Ph.D. “Beth was certainly a nontraditional student,” Risley said. “Frankly, I wondered if she could complete her dissertation with all the other things going on in her life. But she picked a great subject, worked tirelessly and finished.”

Fantaskey did more than just finish.

Her look into 1920s journalism won the American Journalism Historians Association’s top dissertation prize in 2014.

“How many Ph.D.s finish an excellent dissertation and go on to write a book for kids on the same topic?” Risley said with a laugh. “Not many.”

Since finishing her dissertation, Fantaskey continues to write novels.

She also taught classes at Susquehanna. A mother-teacher-author, Fantaskey claims to have no time management secrets. She just stays as organized as she can.

“Get up and work while the kids are in school,” she said. “Try to pull it all together and be there when they get off the bus.” l The Communicator | Spring 2016

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A natural fit

No suits or ties for alum at LA-based, family-run event planning and festival company

By JONATHAN McVERRY (’05)

W

hen Jason “Dede” Flemming returned to Penn State to finish his bachelor’s degree, he had a clearer vision for a career.

First rule: No suits or ties.

Sixteen years later, his office is an intricately designed concert stage. He holds meetings with nearly 25,000 people. And he sure as heck isn’t wearing a suit or tie.

Dede (’02 Media Studies) is the cofounder of the Do Lab, a Los Angeles-based events company that specializes in planning music festivals and creating unique and colorful performance stages. Its biggest annual event is Lightning in a Bottle, a five-day festival in Bradley, Calif. It is an immersive experience that stretches well beyond the average concert.

He says the job is a “natural fit,” but it took some time to find it.

After graduating from Twin Valley High School (Elverson, Pa.) in 1998, Dede enrolled at Penn State Berks in 1998 before transferring to West Chester University 1999. At West Chester he chose to major in business-marketing and admits that he did

not know why. It seemed like a major as good as any.

Dede’s roommate, a fellow business major, had recently graduated. In the early mornings before class, Dede watched his roommate suit up for his 8 to 5. It was like looking into the future, and it was a path Dede had little interest in taking.

“At that point, I pretty much chose business by default,” he said. “But I saw my roommate checking the classifieds every day and rotating suits to work. It didn’t feel natural.”

His roommate sold industrial copy machines. A fine job, but not what Dede saw himself doing. He chose to return to Penn State, this time to University Park, to major in media studies.

“I was always fascinated by radio and television,” he said. “I just didn’t think it was something I could do in real life.”

The entertainment gene runs in Dede’s family. While earning his degree, his twin brothers Jesse and Josh were in Los Angeles working in the industry. His plan was to join them once he graduated.

At Penn State, Dede was finally enjoying his classes. He liked the hands-on aspects of his film courses. He found the theo-

“It all started as a birthday party with about 100 people.

About 1,200 came to the first one that was a music festival in 2006, and now we have proper 20,000-person music festivals.”

— Dede Flemming (’02)

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More info, visit http://www.thedolab.com ry and critical discussions inspiring. The best part: “I didn’t have to sit behind a desk the whole time.”

Along with a diploma, Dede took home a new outlook on what he could do with his career. Then he took it to LA. He moved in with his brothers and the trio started making something special.

Dede was getting jobs working on music videos and reality shows. His brothers worked for ABC News on “20/20” and other TV shows. They were closer to the ideal job, but the grueling hours and at times thankless work were not satisfying “You’d think going from small town Pennsylvania to LA would be a world of endless creativity. It’s not,” Dede said.

“Everyone is climbing the ladder and nothing is ever good enough. Someone is above you and someone will always be above you.”

The brothers got their creative fix by decorating for friends’ parties around LA. Wanting to take it to the next level, their hobby evolved into building sculptures to enhance the party experience. Soon they were building stages for concerts and before they knew it, people were requesting — and even paying for — their creative services.

“Ever since we were kids, it didn’t matter if it was a concert or a barbecue, the three of us were the organizers. It was always us rallying the troops,” Jesse, Dede’s brother, said. “We started doing it just for fun, but then it dawned on us that we could make it a business.”

Their Do Lab project started small. The brothers had no plan or business model.

Any money they made, they reinvested it back into the company. “The joke about eating ramen noodles every day is real.

We did that,” Dede, 35, said. He’s three years younger than his brothers.

“We were constantly winging it,” Jesse said. “We learned a lot of things the hard way and lost a lot of money, but it’s how we got our business experience.”

There have been bumps in the road. In 2006, the brothers saved up some money and rented an old warehouse. The plan was to build their fledgling company in it and host dance parties there to pay the bills. They rented the space at $250,000 for five years. Unfortunately, the venue

was not exactly up to code. Their first party was busted by the police and fire departments. The brothers were put on a three-year probation.

Dede said the setback was a learning experience that taught them not to give up. More importantly, it taught them to cover all their bases. It was the kind of experience that got them to where they are today.

That included planning for the more than 25,000 people who attended Lighting in a Bottle in May. Headlining the nearly 70 artists performing on Lightning in a Bottle’s three stages were Australian award-winning musician Chet Faker, Norwegian DJ Cashmere Cat and Canadian “synth pop” singer Grimes. Other groups on the bill featured unique styles such as folktronic, instrumental hip-hop, electronic rock and progressive house music—all subgenres of electronica.

At the heart of Lightning in a Bottle is the Lucent Temple of Consciousness, a vibrantly colorful tent where attendees hear from self-help speakers and activists. Dede said the temple is designed to strengthen the understanding of self, ecology and spirituality.

“This year more than any other year, Lightning in a Bottle became a deeply immersive experience,” said Marsi Frey, who has worked with Dede for 12 years. “It’s not just standing pieces of art.

Attendees could walk in and put something on their bodies … become a part of it.”

In addition to Lightning in a Bottle, the Do Lab puts together an annual installation at the popular Coachella Festival in Indio, California. In the fall, it organizes the Dirtybird Campout and in the summer it hosts Woogie Weekend in Silverado, California.

“It all started as a birthday party with about 100 people,” Dede said. “About 1,200 came to the first one that was a musical festival in 2006, and now we have proper 20,000-person music festivals.”

When it is time to take down the stages and clean up the concert grounds, Dede finds that feeling he was looking for as a student. With no suits or ties in sight, he says the glowing reviews and feelings of accomplishment let him know he finally found a natural fit. l

Book explores free speech The roots of the emotional, loud and raucous presidential campaign of 2016 trace back not just four years, or even a decade, but all the way to the beginnings of the United States and the Founding Fathers’ protection of free speech.

In “Revolutionary Dissent: How the Founding Generation Created the Freedom of Speech,” author and Penn State alumnus Stephen Solomon (’71 Journ) uses a series of chronological narratives to explore how Americans of the Revolutionary period employed robust speech against the British and against each other to form the country’s political character — intemperate and sometimes mean-spirited — that remains more than 240 years later.

“Revolutionary Dissent,” a 368-page hardback published by St. Martin’s Press, is available for purchase online and in bookstores.

The book provides historic context to a topic that remains timely. It’s additionally interesting because what happened in the nation’s founding period gave meaning to the freedoms of speech and press at a time when the crime of seditious libel was used to punish criticism of government.

Solomon is associate director of the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute and director of the master’s program in business and economic reporting at New York University. He earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism at Penn State and, later, his juris doctor from Georgetown University. l

The Communicator | Spring 2016

39

Talented Tom Verducci sets bar for coverage of Major League Baseball

By SWEENY MURTI ( ’92) The great ones could play in any era.

Most baseball arguments, whether in barrooms or in cyberspace, generally boil down to this conclusion. Joe DiMaggio and Ty Cobb were so talented they could compete in today’s game, no question.

The same statement applies to the man generally regarded as the best baseball writer of this generation. Tom Verducci writes — and talks — about the game like few others before him.

“Tom is a singular entity in sports media because he is a writer who reached the highest level of (broadcasting) a big-four sport.

It’s never happened before,” said Richard Deitsch, senior editor and media columnist at Sports Illustrated.

Verducci is the national Sportswriter of the Year two years running for his work at Sports Illustrated. He’s entering his 24th season at the magazine. He’s also won a pair of Sports Emmy Awards for TV work at MLB Network and is the first person ever to win as both Outstanding Sports Reporter and Outstanding Studio Analyst.

Verducci is not only the first non-former athlete to win the latter, but also became the first analyst of a World Series broadcast who was not a former player or manager when he sat in the Fox booth for the Fall Classic in 2014 and 2015.

“He is a guy that does what I don’t think anybody else can do,” said Joe Buck, Verducci’s broadcast partner with Fox. “No ex-players are going to write like he writes, yet he is a writer that analyzes a game like an ex-player.”

In a day and age when social media has turned journalism into something measured in characters rather than pages, and loud and outrageous is considered healthy debate, Verducci brings old-school values and intelligence to the table, no matter the medium.

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“He’s a throwback,” said Buck. And the term fits even more when you consider how against type Verducci really is.

“He’s one of those guys that just doesn’t look like your typical sportswriter,” Buck said. “And I mean this with all due respect to the other sportswriters, but this guy’s like a GQ model walking around and everyone else has got salad hanging out of their mouths. So he kind of catches your attention.”

Strong roots for success

Verducci, 55, is not just well groomed, but his 6-foot-1, 185-pound frame suggests his skill sets are more athletic than scholarly. And he was good enough to walk-on to the baseball team at Penn State. But Verducci’s ability to relate to athletes in a way no modern sportswriter seems to goes back to his New Jersey roots as Tony Verducci’s son.

Tony Verducci coached high school football and baseball from 1955 to 1988 at Seton Hall Prep. Verducci’s connection to Penn State began when his dad helped work summer football camps with Joe Paterno. Those early memories of University Park remain vivid.

“Anybody who sees (the campus), how can you not love it in the summer?” asked Verducci, who earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism from Penn State in 1982.

When you’re the son of a coach, discipline and attention to detail aren’t learned so much as they are consumed. Verducci recalls his dad jotting down notes while watching football games on TV. “The preparation, the work habits, all those things, from a young age I picked up from my dad,” said Verducci — the fifth in a line of eight children. “The other thing that really resonated with me was it wasn’t work to him. He loved what he was doing.

And I was like — that should be what everybody does in life.”

Verducci, who said he knew sports writing was his passion as

The Communicator | Spring 2016

(Photo courtesy Robert Beck / Sports Illustrated)

41

far back as elementary school, cut his teeth at The Daily Collegian. His first job after graduation at Florida Today had him on the Miami Dolphins beat, following them to Super Bowl XVII in 1983. Their legendary coach was Don Shula, who “treated me like I knew what I was doing, even though I was some kid who really didn’t know what I was doing.”

Verducci’s first baseball beat was covering the New York Yankees for Newsday in 1985. Five years later, he became the newspaper’s national baseball columnist and in 1993 Verducci joined Sports Illustrated, an iconic brand in journalism.

“I can’t even call it a dream job because I never even thought it was something that was possible,” Verducci said.

Biggest story in baseball

the business that’s exactly what you want — people who speak their minds without an agenda.”

Within weeks of the article’s publication, Congress told officials from Major League Baseball and its players union that some form of testing for performance-enhancing drugs had to be included in their new collective bargaining agreement.

And barely more than two months after that, MLB instituted its first-ever form of steroid testing.

Affecting meaningful change through the printed word has happened countless times over the centuries. It happened in baseball because of the relationships Verducci had built and how they affected him.

“Because I do love baseball, I didn’t love where baseball was going,” Verducci said. “The game was very fraudulent at the time.”

In the aftermath of the Caminiti article, Verducci could feel the cold stares in clubhouses around the majors. But it wasn’t long before he quite literally entered the players’ fraternity to write a story he calls his personal favorite.

The daily baseball beat is filled with the nuts and bolts of who’s doing what and where. At SI, long-form journalism allowed Verducci to “deep dive into stories, people, and issues.” And this is where Verducci has thrived, focusing more on the how and why and taking baseball reporting to a new level.

In 2002, at the annual pre-spring training meeting of SI’s baseball writers and editors, Verducci put the big story in focus.

In the spring of 2005 Verducci went to spring training as a “I told them, ‘Listen, the biggest story in baseball right now is player, in uniform with the Toronto Blue Jays, for five days. steroids in the game. Somebody’s going to write this story and “My idea was: I cover baseball. I should know the game from it better be us.’” as close a vantage point as I could get.”

It had been barely more than three years since SI had named It actually shocked Verducci when then-Toronto GM J.P. Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa as Sportsmen of the Year, and Ricciardi gave his approval without hesitation. Joining the Blue baseball fans everywhere marveled as decades-old home-run Jays as an outfielder and taking part in all the hitting and fielding records fell. Barry Bonds set a new standard when he hit 73 drills alongside actual major league players, Verducci discovered home runs in 2001. the obvious to be true.

“What really got me motivated,” Verducci said, “was the end “I’ve always known baseball is a hard game,” Verducci said. of the 2001 season. I had a lot of players … who came up to me “I’ve never kidded myself that it’s not. But it did impress upon and were openly complaining about how unfair the game had me when you see the game up close how much faster it is.” become, that it wasn’t just a few renegade players. They felt like Blue Jays players were a bit uneasy at first. Here was the same playing the game clean was a disadvantage … and that just didn’t reporter who helped expose a clubhouse secret of PED use now smack me as anything that was right.” walking into the lion’s den and asking not to be eaten. What “We need to tell stories that nobody else is telling,” said Peter other scandalous information could wind up in the pages of SI? King, the preeminent football writer in the game and Verducci’s That tension was short-lived. “He was one of the guys,” said colleague for four decades at both Newsday and SI. “And you former Blue Jays outfielder Frank Catalanotto, who was in need to develop the kind of relationships with people that are Verducci’s hitting group every day that week. going to allow them to trust you to tell the real stories about the sport that you’re covering.”

Those relationships helped Verducci change the game.

In June 2002 recently retired Ken Caminiti, a former National League Most Valuable Player, admitted to Verducci in the pages of SI that he had been a steroid user. What were just whispers before now had a name and a face attached — a big one — with an article that estimated steroid use in baseball to be 50 percent or higher.

“He was always a very honest person,” Verducci said of Caminiti.

“And for us in Verducci and Joe Buck have teamed up in the broadcast booth for Fox. (Photo by Rick Norton)

Earning respect on the field

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As good an athlete as he was, haven’t seen the upside to it.” even at age 44 then, Verducci held Television, on the other hand, his own among the big leaguers. provides an outlet that does allow And by that we mean he suffered no the freedom to expand on stories major injuries and managed to make and ideas about the game. When contact — a popup to first base — in John Entz helped start the MLB his one at-bat during an intrasquad Network in 2009, he knew Verducci game against hard-throwing rightwas a different kind of analyst. hander Chad Gaudin.

“What struck me most was that “I was amazed I didn’t strike him any time it was his turn to speak, he out, to be honest,” Gaudin said with always had something interesting a chuckle, admiring the level of skill to say,” Entz said. “It was never just Verducci brought to the battle. “He a bland answer filled with clichés. put together a pretty decent at-bat I always felt like he made people for never playing. It was pretty smarter.” impressive.”

Entz, now president and execuSo impressive that Gaudin didn’t tive producer at Fox Sports, took realize until after it was over that the bold step of hiring Verducci as it was Verducci batting against him a color analyst for baseball’s showand not a regular player. He fit into case, the World Series. Verducci his temporary surroundings, both excelled in the role, even though on the field and in the clubhouse. there was an energy level he never “He got his chops broken a lot of experienced before while covering a times by a lot of guys,” Catalanotto baseball game. said. “He took it like a champion and “It’s like walking on stage,” he said. he also dished it out.”

(Photo courtesy Al Tielemans/Sports Illustrated) “It’s not quite being on the field, but The respect Verducci got from his literally under the lights.” teammates grew 10-fold when, as a thank you, he handed CataAfter positive reviews, Deitsch thinks it will be seen as a lanotto and the others in his group gift cards to P.F. Chang’s, barrier-breaking move in the future, which isn’t normally said of which goes on the Mount Rushmore of restaurants baseball white men in this industry. players frequent.

“Tom will have opened doors,” Deitsch said. “He will have “One of the things that Tom has proven over the years is that helped break the mold of always having to put a former athlete if you really can get good access and write about it in a sort of or coach in the color analyst position.”

John Updike style, you’re going to have the best of both worlds,” “He doesn’t just come at this from a writer’s perspective,” Entz said King, who was envious of his co-worker’s experience in said. “He knows the game inside and out.” uniform.

And where others have failed in TV, Verducci’s skill as a The tone was different than the Caminiti piece, but the idea communicator helped him strike a balance between the guy that was the same. It comes from a credo that Verducci actually handed out as advice to his future colleague Deitsch, at the time can write a story in 5,000 words and say it in 15 seconds.

“Tom can introduce a point, make a viewer understand a a college student seeking guidance. point, and summarize the point in a short window of time,” Buck “Find out what you want to know from those who know.” said. “And that’s not easy to do.”

Digging in the dirt

It’s how the journalist finds new ground. And breaking new ground is something Verducci takes seriously.

“I do that by being in places and digging in the dirt where the crowds don’t hang out. I can’t be satisfied by plowing the same ground that other people are plowing,” he said. “I’ve gotta keep fresh, I’ve gotta look for things that are new or interesting or haven’t been discovered yet.”

He admits it’s harder to do that in the age of the Internet and the minute-to-minute news cycle. Twitter has changed the look of journalism in 2016, and Verducci is not a fan.

“A lot of the things Twitter is good for are not exactly in my wheelhouse, whether it’s snark, self-promotion or disregard for grammar — which bugs me!” he said.

“I like to do things that are hand-crafted for lack of a better phrase. That kind of stuff to me is microwavable and there’s nothing lasting to it. It’s useful in its own ways, but for me — I

------

Writer’s Note: I personally have known and admired Tom for more than 20 years, one Penn State grad to another. Tom is a reporter who breaks definitions — a writer who excels on TV, open and engaging, not a crusty old newspaperman.

Like Tom, I am often asked for advice for young people entering the field. Here is how I would sum it up: If you aspire to write or talk about sports for a living today, Tom Verducci is everything you should want to be.

Editor’s Note: Sweeny Murti (’92 Brcab) has worked for WFAN Radio in New York City since 1993, serving as New York Yankees beat reporter since 2001.

He can also be seen regularly on MLB Network and SportsNet New York, where he has won two New York Emmy Awards.

The Communicator | Spring 2016

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Alumni Notes 1980s

Marc Brownstein (’81 Adv) was appointed chair of the advisory board for the Arts & Business Council of Greater Philadelphia. Brownstein, named an Alumni Fellow of the University in 2009, is president and CEO of the Brownstein Group.

Katy Koontz (’81 Journ) wrote an article titled “Saying YES!” for Unity Magazine that was named a finalist in the 2015 Folio: Magazine Eddie Awards. Koontz, who lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, has been the editorin-chief of Unity Magazine since October 2013. She also completes other freelance writing and editing projects.

Mark Livolsi (’84 Film) served as the editor of Disney’s “The Jungle Book,” which was released April 15 in the United States and became one of the most successful films of the year. Livolsi has been honored with the Outsanding Alumni Award from the College of Communications. He has edited nearly 30 major films, including “The Devil Wore Prada,” “We Bought a Zoo” and “Wedding Crashers.”

Rob Boulware (’86 Journ) was inducted into the Kiski Athletic Hall of Fame. At the Kiski School, Boulware was a member of the varsity cross country and track and field teams for four years. He holds the school long-jump record (22’ 6-5”) and his times still ranks sixth-fastest in the 300-meter hurdles and 10th-fastest in the 110-meter hurdles. Boulware was a varsity track athlete at Penn State as well. He’s presently manager of stakeholder relations for Seneca Resources Corp. and serves as chair of the College of Communications Alumni Society Board.

Joseph S. O’Sullivan (’87 Adv) is a social studies teacher at Kennett High School and recipient of the Franklin and Marshall College High School Teacher Award. He is the former senior vice president at Momentum Worldwide and former vice president of sales and marketing for the Philadelphia Flyers. He lives in Kennett Square, Pa.

1990s

Adrienne Ciletti (’90 Journ) returned to JCPenney Company Inc. as senior manager of internal communications. She previously worked for JCPenney as senior editor from 2000-2007. After that, she served as an internal communications manager at Raytheon for five years and director of internal communications at Golden Living for three years. She lives in Lucas, Texas, with her husband, John (‘88 Eng), and her son, Anthony.

Matt Pencek (’91 Journ) was named sports director at WBOC-TV, a CBS/Fox affiliate in Salisbury, Md. Dawn Kopecki (’94 Journ) was named business

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editor of the San Antonio Express-News. She previously worked for Bloomberg News.

John L. Myers (’95, Brcab) has accepted a position as a producer for Audible’s original content team after more than seven years as a producer for NPR’s “Fresh Air” with Terry Gross.

2000s

Laura Burgos (’00 Telecom) is a doctoral candidate in education leadership at Harvard. She lives in Belmont, Mass.

Anthony Miller (’00 Journ) was promoted to news team leader at the Gannett Design Studio in Asbury Park, N.J. He and wife Erin (‘02 Eng) have a son, Tate, born June 24, 2015. They live in Bayville, N.J. Rick Braun (’01 Film) is co-founder of Whiplash Digital, an indie game company. He uses his filmmaking skills to create atmospheric mobile games. The company released its first game, “The Attuned” to much acclaim.

It is currently availaible on iOS and Android. It topped the charts at No. 1 among 16,000 games on Slide DB, a well-known database for mobile games. The company’s second game, “Courage,” is currently in production. It debuted at No. 2 out of 19,000 games when announced two months ago. The company has been acknowledged

by EA Chillingo and is an up and coming indie darling. www.whiplashdigital.com Jennifer Ayer Drake (’04 Journ) is owner of Drama Kids International in Loudon County, Va. The company runs after-school theatre classes for kids. She and her husband Peter have two sons and live in Ashburn, Va. Monica Pryts (’04 Journ) and her husband Stephen Pryts, Sharpsville, Pa., welcomed a son, Gavin, on Nov. 27, 2015. Gavin is their first child.

Kevin Fiorenzo (’06 Journ) returned to the University to work as the publications coordinator for Penn State Athletics, overseeing the production and distribution of all official athletic publications. Fiorenzo previously worked as a publishing project manager at IMG College in Lexington, Ky., where he helped create print and digital publications for numerous Division I athletic programs, athletic conferences and the NCAA. Chris Perkins (’06 Journ) is communications manager in the Office of Research Commercialization at Rutgers University.

Laura Fistner (’07 Ad/PR) was promoted to media manager by Harmelin Media.

Chris Vargo (’08 Ad/PR) is an assistant profes-

To submit an alumni note, visit comm.psu.edu/alumni sor in the College of Communication and Information Sciences at the University of Alabama.

Jessie Davis (’09 Ad/PR) is the marketing and sales manager for RaceWire.

Ryan Rakoske (’09 Ad/PR) joined [2 of 5] Advertising as a business development manager. He is responsible for driving the agency’s marketing channels, gaining visibility and growing the business. He previously worked at 160over90 and Ultimark Products.

2010s

Andrew McGill (’10 Journ) is the graphics editor at The Atlantic. Starting with the 2016-17 academic year he will teach an online data journalism course for the College of Communications.

Emily Whittet (’10 Ad/PR) is an account supervisor at Jim Beam Suntory Brands.

Rachel Darville (’11 Ad/PR) is a senior strategist at ARC Worldwide.

Andrew Gabriel (’11 Journ) is a communications program assistant at AMIDEAST. Stephen Hennessey (’11 Journ) is an associate editor at Golf Digest.

Natalie Episcopo (’12 Ad/PR) is an account manager at Razorfish Health.

Kaila DeRienzo (’12 Journ) works as the communications director for the Norfolk Sheriff’s Office in Norfolk, Va. Prior to that, she worked as a television reporter/fill-in anchor at WVEC-TV in Norfolk, Va., and at WPDE-TV in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Jake Kaplan (’12 Journ) is a sports writer at the Houston Chronicle.

Lynn Ondrusek (’12 Journ) has been at the Pocono Record in Stroudsburg, Pa., for the past year, reporting on local education.

Becky Basile (’13 Ad/PR) is on-site manager of Capital Wine & Spirits in North Wales, Pa. She lives in Matua, N.J. Mariel Echemendia (’13 Ad/PR) is a student at

Alumni Notes the William & Mary Law School and editor of the William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal.

Jill Knight (’13 Journ) is a staff photographer at the News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C. Natalia Kudryk (’13 Ad/PR) is an advertising sales assistant at Bon Appetit.

Taylor Wenner (’13, Ad/PR) of Brian Communications joined the Philly Ad Club’s social media committee.

Dakota DeBellis (’14 Journ) works in the television-sports department for Creative Artists Agency.

Lucy Couillard (’15 Journ) is a digital content producer at the New York Daily News.

Gabby Richards (’15 Journ) was named the manager of social media strategy for Ceisler Media and Issue Advocacy, a Pennsylvania-based public relations firm with offices in Philadelphia, Harrisburg and Pittsburgh. In this capacity, she is responsible for creating and executing social media and digital strategy for the firm’s clients, which include non-profits, education initiatives, healthcare coalitions and various Fortune 500 companies.

Danielle Sampsell (’15 Ad/PR) is an account executive with Stern Advertising in Pittsburgh.

Emily Ullmann (’15 Ad/PR) is a social media strategist at McGarryBowen.

Olivia Vellone (’15 Ad/PR) is social media marketing coordinator at Hollywood-based Miles High Productions and a training advisor for New Pig in Tipton, Pa. Jess Arnold (‘16 Journ, Bus) is a multimedia journalist at WBNT-TV in South Bend, Ind. Taylor Bisacky (’16 Journ) is a reporter at WINKTV in Fort Myers, Fla. Megan Caldwell (’16 Journ) is a producer at WBRE-TV in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Graceanne Domino (‘16 Ad/PR) is completing a post-grad internship with Edelman PR in New York City, in the company’s consumer practice area.

Tyler Feldman (’16 Journ) is a sports multimedia journalist at WBNG-TV in Binghamton, N.Y. His duties include reporting and serving as the weekend sports anchor.

Kristen Garrone (’16 Journ) works for the

Professional Golfing Association.

Alexandra Hogan (’16 Journ) is a reporter at WFMZ-TV in Allentown, Pa. Caroline Jimenez (’16 Ad/PR) is in the Accelerated Development Program at Vanguard.

Bree Kerwick (’16 Ad/PR) is a sales assistant in corporate sales and marketing for Time Inc. Emily Stangl (’16 Ad/PR) is an associate of the Marketing Leadership Development Program at Cigna HealthCare.

Caleb Yoder (’16 Film) is working as a videographer at Dreamworks Animation SKG. He completed a videography internship with the company last summer.

Lindsay Zacharia (’16 Ad/PR) works as an associate media planner for Publicis Health Media.

IN MEMORIAM Gary Matthew Meyers (’74 Film), a producer, writer, director and editor for film and television, died Jan. 15, 2016, in his hometown of Scranton after an eightmonth battle with cancer. Meyers worked as a producer/ director/editor for “America’s Most Wanted” on Fox for 23 years. He worked with Yoko Ono on posthumous music videos for John Lennon’s “Milk and Honey” and his varied career included work with numerous shows, including editing episodes of “Saturday Night Live” and “The Daivd Letterman Show.” Meyers’ career took him to California, New York and Washington, D.C., before he returned home to be closer to family. In his hometown he became a strong influence for the police department’s “Be Part of the Solution” campaign and created and produced public service announcements that were televised locally to promote the effort.

Neal Andrew Hechtkopf (’06 Journ) died Sept.

10, 2015, at the age of 31 after a three-year fight with colon cancer. Hechtkopf, who was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer two weeks after graduating first in his class at Cardozo Law School, passed the bar exam while undergoing chemotherapy and battled the disease into short term remission. He worked as an assistant corporation counsel for the New York City Law Department until he was forced to go on medical leave in May 2015. He enjoyed Penn State football, traveling to bowl games and watching every game he could.

Mary Mander, a faculty member until her retirement in 2003, died Feb. 25, 2016 at the age of 71. Mander was the initial head of the Department of Film-Video and Media Studies, and received numerous grants in her time at Penn State, including the Fulbright Senior Research Grant. She enjoyed painting, reading and traveling.

In loving memory He was one of the most successful public relations executives in the country – because he cared.

He wanted to make you better and he would make you better.

If he agreed with your mission, he would help you. For in the words of his daughter, Katie, “people were his passion.”

He’d support you, build you up and step aside as you’d shine.

He never sought the credit.

He may have won national awards and honors, but his accolades were Bob O’Leary his family and friends. And I am honored to be one of those friends.

Bob O’Leary invested in me early and wholeheartedly.

He wanted to Jennifer Studer see me striving, thriving and fulfilled. He encouraged me to take some leaps and grow, have adventures and learn.

Days and hours before he passed, he incessantly reminded me: “I am one of your greatest fans.”

It’s been nearly two years now and I still read our correspondences for inspiration. I keep in touch with Katie to help fill the void.

Now as I embark on a new chapter of my professional career, I thank him, for being one of my most beloved fans. He’s one of those five people I’ll meet in heaven.

— Jennifer Studer Editor’s Note: Jennifer (’13 Journ) met Bob (’71 Adv) during her sophomore year at Penn State, and they remained friends until he died Dec. 4, 2013. She is a freelance producer and writer who lives in Los Angeles.

The Communicator | Spring 2016

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The INTERVIEW

Alex Fattal A faculty member in the College of Communications since January, Alex Fattal’s research analyzes the central role that the media plays in Colombia’s armed conflict through a long-term ethnographic approach. This combination of subject and method has led him to a research agenda that is deeply interdisciplinary, drawing on the social sciences, humanities, Latin American studies and the documentary arts. His documentary work exists at the intersection of experimental visual anthropology and social justice, and his experience transfers well to the classroom.

What’s been the biggest surprise since you’ve been at Penn State?

AF: It’s just so welcoming. I’ve been here a few months but it feels much longer, much more comfortable. I’m very impressed with the students.

They’re extremely inquisitive.

What are the challenges of having the country and people you’re researching so far from campus?

AF: It’s mostly been benefits. I had the opportunity to go to Cuba this spring break. I got to meet with negotiators from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, the rebel group in Colombia that’s thinking about putting down its arms next year. There were all sorts of resources to help me do that in a short time frame – to get to Cuba, work out all those logistics and meet contacts. Now I have a whole summer to follow up and finish the book.

When did the book project begin?

AF: It’s a little embarrassing. These projects seem to take longer in academic time. But the first summer of exploratory research was the summer of 2007.

It’s been a 10-year gestation period, but it’s a major undertaking and I am pushing the bar on the last stage.

How did you decide on a research focus?

AF: I had just graduated, and I had this transformative year abroad in Colombia on a Fulbright grant. It was a stimulating time, for someone to pay you to apply concepts you had studied. I had learned about photography, theories of representation, Latin America, visual depiction — and then I got there and

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Penn State College of Communications

started teaching young people. It was a tremendous experience to see the thirst for knowledge from sharp, young kids.

Do you consume media differently because of your interests?

AF: What’s so interesting about media studies is that it’s such a dynamic field. You’re constantly learning and rethinking.

When I’m focused on photography, it’s the basics of questioning the frame, who is the photographer and what’s their perspective. As I’ve gotten into questions of marketing and consumer culture, that’s been an expansive area with fascinating questions. How are commodities rendered virtuous?

What is a brand? How is surplus value created? These are practical questions of the everyday economy, but they’re also philosophical about how we organize value in our society.

What’s the value of your work on Colombia, and how important is it for others to be aware of it?

AF: It’s a case study, but it’s also a lens through which to analyze the contemporary moment. It’s about the mediaitization of security. You look at ISIS, for example. It’s operating like a brand with savvy use of social media to recruit people. We’re in this kind of post-Cold War moment when it’s not about two giant superpowers mirroring each other. There’s a similar

relationship, but different adversaries are trying to mimic tactics, and inevitably those are operating at an individual scale. If you can send a message to one person it can have tremendous disruptive potential, without it coming from a highly structured group. That’s why the question of how security intersects with media is so important.

How does that transfer to classes?

AF: I try to simultaneously move between theory and cases, really try to bring the theory alive. I want to get the students thinking critically about the world.

So, you’re going to Colombia this summer to wrap up writing the book?

AF: Yes. Of course, the danger is that something new and different could come up. The goal is to just be super disciplined and write every morning and then get out in the afternoon and talk to people.

COLLEGE CALENDAR JUN 29

Second Six-Week Summer Session Starts

JUL 4

Independence Day (No Classes)

JUL College of Communications Summer Camps 10-15 JUL 14-17

Central Pa. Festival of the Arts

AUG 12

Second Six-Week Summer Session Ends

AUG 22

Fall Semester Classes Begin

SEP 5

Labor Day (No Classes)

OCT 7

Homecoming Parade

Legendary meeting

OCT 9

Donor Dinner (5 p.m., Penn Stater Hotel)

Seniors (from left) Kristen Scribner, Lia Ehrl-Corbo and Darion Queen meet with Distinguished Alumnus Donald Bellisario — the TV legend who created shows such as “Magnum, P.I.”, “Quantum Leap”, “JAG” and “NCIS” — during his visit to campus to deliver the commencement address. (Photo by Trey Miller)

OCT Foster-Foreman Conference 19-20 of Distinguished Writers

Student seeks title to inspire Kelsey Wettig, a junior majoring in advertising/public relations, is one of two Penn State students competing for the title of Miss Pennsylvania June 19-25 in Pittsburgh.

Wettig, 20, from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, hopes to use the pageant as a platform to spread an important message. “I have generalized anxiety disorder and put off seeking the help I needed when I was younger,” she said. “I wanted to earn a title to show having a mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of and to hopefully inspire anyone who may be suffering to seek the help they need.” l

NOV 20-26

Thanksgiving Break (No Classes)

DEC 9

Fall Semester Classes End

DEC 12-16

Fall Semester Final Exams

DEC 17

Fall Commencement

The Communicator | Spring 2016

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600 for-credit internships completed each year

350 study abroad opportunities

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The College of Communications at Penn State provides the opportunities and resources of a large university with the personalized feel and support of a small school. As the largest accredited program of its kind in the nation, the College offers a place where all students can fit in and succeed.

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