Murphy Reporter Summer 2019

REPORTER MURPHY

COMMUNITY JOURNALISM PG. 4

SPRING SHOWCASE PG. 24

PUSHING BOUNDARIES IN

SUMMER 2019

CONTENTS MURPHY

REPORTER SUMMER 2019 DIRECTOR Elisia Cohen

EDITOR

Amanda Fretheim Gates

DESIGN

Jeanne Schacht

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Elizabeth Brunette, Katie Dohman, Scott Memmel, Brovald-Sims Practicum students

FEATURES

COMMUNITY JOURNALISM.......................... 4 A FOCUS ON RESEARCH............................. 10

PHOTOGRAPHY

Brian Basham, Bill Kelley, Patrick O’Leary

PROOFREADER Katie Dohman

ALUMNI RECORDS Kaylee Highstrom

2019-2020 ALUMNI SOCIETY BOARD MEMBERS Jenni Pinkley, president Karen Schultz, vice president Riham Feshir Nicole Garrison Eric Hansen Brian Hurley Allison Kuznia John Maher Tim Nelson Jacque Smith Jennifer Sorenson Kelli Theiler Tanya Wright

The Murphy Reporter is published semiannually by the University of Minnesota Hubbard School of Journalism & Mass Communication for alumni, faculty, staff, students and friends of the school.

Send questions or comments to murphrep@ umn.edu or Murphy Reporter, 111 Murphy Hall, 206 SE Church St., Minneapolis, MN 55455 The University of Minnesota shall provide equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.

This publication is available in alternative formats upon request. Direct requests to murphrep@umn.edu

1 NEWS FROM THE DIRECTOR 2 AROUND MURPHY

New faculty and staff............................................... 2 New website........................................................... 3

16 EVENTS

Silha Forum........................................................... 20 Northern Exposure................................................ 22 Spring Showcase.................................................. 23

26 SCHOLARSHIP

Faculty News......................................................... 27

28 LEARNING

Graduate Students................................................ 30 Undergraduate Students....................................... 32 Meet a Student..................................................... 34

30 ALUMNI

Why I Give: Kris Wenker........................................ 26 Alumni News......................................................... 35 Alumni Spotlight.................................................... 38 Above the Fold...................................................... 39 Board Letter.......................................................... 40

CONNECT WITH US! facebook.com/umnhsjmc twitter.com/umn_hsjmc instagram.com/umnhsjmc youtube.com/umnhsjmc U of MN Hubbard School of Journalism & Mass Communication Alumni On the cover: Jisu Huh, Matthew Weber and Claire Segijn. Photo by Patrick O’Leary.

NEWS FROM THE DIRECTOR As Joan Gabel begins her role as the 17th University president, she has made clear her interest in supporting student success and on accelerating the university’s contribution to the state’s innovation economy. According to Tripp Umbach, a national research firm based in Pittsburgh, Penn., the University of Minnesota contributes more than $8.6 billion a year in economic activity to the state of Minnesota—supporting more than 77,000 jobs across Minnesota and generating more than $470 million in state taxes. Hardly a week passes when I’m not asked about the number of students enrolled in the School, and the contribution the School can make to Minnesota’s journalism, strategic communication, and media economy.

We are continuously challenged to extend the reach and impact of our teaching, scholarship, and service.

This is for good reason. Hubbard School faculty are nationally and internationally recognized for their contributions to the field of journalism, advertising, public relations, and mass communication. We also continue to lead the nation in pursuit of interdisciplinary scholarly achievements touching on pressing issues related to health communication, political psychology, and media law and ethics.

This issue of the Murphy Reporter focuses on the research enterprise of the Hubbard School’s faculty and students. We're highlighting how faculty-led research inspires our strategic thinking, generates new knowledge, reinvigorates teaching, and informs professional practice. Research in the Hubbard School has been supported by National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, and other prestigious disciplinary, and non-profit foundation awards; these research awards are vital to innovation and economic impact. I hope that you enjoy learning more about this work.

The Hubbard School comprises a faculty with an impressive depth of research and professional expertise.

I am pleased to report that Associate Professor Emily Vraga joins us as the first holder of the Don R. and Carol J. Larson Professorship. Most recently, we recruited Sara Quinn as a lecturer and senior fellow in journalism and media design. Sara joins the Hubbard School after holding the R.M. Seaton Endowed Chair at Kansas State and serving as President of the Society for News Design.

Jennifer Johnson also has returned to the Twin Cities as a lecturer to coordinate our creative advertising curriculum (see page 2).

1

MURPHY REPORTER ❙ Summer 2019

I’m delighted to report that in May 2019 the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications found the Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication to be compliant on all nine standards for evaluation. The School is now re-accredited for another six-year period. National accreditation provides a set of standards for journalism schools to use in evaluating their performance. As a state-supported, public research university, we take great pride in preparing the evidence in support of our accreditation, identifying metrics for performance improvement, and take seriously recommendations made by external reviewers for improving our program. The full report from our accreditor is available on our website.

The Accrediting Council would be hard-pressed to find another journalism school in the nation with a stronger ability to recruit, retain, and graduate students. The secret to the School’s success is clear: Our Twin Cities location and impressive alumni and donor support has a profound influence on our students’ experiences at the U. Scholarships, mentoring opportunities, and internships continue to provide the scaffolding students need to move from college classrooms to careers.

This year we also celebrate Murphy Hall’s 80th anniversary. With the support of generous donors, such as Kris Wenker (page 26), my goal during the next stage of the University’s “Driven” capital campaign is to ensure that the School’s labs and classrooms continue to provide for future generations of journalism and strategic communication professionals’ innovative spirit.

You’ll notice we put our website (hsjmc.umn.edu)

through a complete redesign. We made this investment in support of the school’s contributions and connec-

tions to Twin Cities’ professional journalism, media, and strategic communication communities. Keep your eye

out for additional updates on student work, videos, and embedded features. We’d love to hear what you think at murphrep@umn.edu.

All the best,

Elisia L. Cohen, Ph.D. Director, Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication

Our Twin Cities location and impressive alumni and donor support has a profound influence on our students’ experiences at the U. Scholarships, mentoring opportunities, and internships continue to provide the scaffolding students need to move from college classrooms to careers.

AROUND MURPHY HALL

WELCOME TO MURPHY HALL The School rounds out the faculty and staff.

NEW LARSON PROFESSORSHIP FILLED In 2016, Carole

Larson provided the School with a generous $1 million gift to establish the Don R. and Carole J. Larson Endowed Professorship. The School is happy to announce the hiring of EMILY VRAGA as the first

person to fill this rotating professorship.

Vraga comes to the University from her position as an associate professor in the department of communication at George Mason University.

“I'm thrilled to be joining the Hubbard School, which combines a storied reputation for quality education with an emphasis on cutting-edge research and training at the forefront of our field,” she said.

Vraga’s research focuses on how individuals process news and information about contentious health, scientific, and political issues, par-

Journalism at Kansas State Uni-

This evolution of learning brings a new

versity since 2015. She is also a

opportunity to students and emerging

former president of the Society for

leaders. She has created award-win-

News Design and longtime faculty

ning advertising for million-dollar

member at The Poynter Institute. Her

brands. “I believe that every single

eyetracking research­—some done

person brings their own story to their

at the University of Minnesota with

path,” Johnson said. “The Hubbard

former Hubbard faculty member Nora

School is a place that understands the

Paul—helps journalists and media

importance of evolution in education

professionals determine the best forms

and it gives instructors the autonomy

for storytelling.

to build futures, one student at a time.”

“I'm thrilled to be joining the Hubbard School,” said Quinn. “I feel a strong connection to the University where I have come to admire the program, campus, and the wonderful Twin Cities community. As Hubbard School graduates head into an increasingly visual world, it’s an exciting time for all aspects of storytelling, including media design and data visualization across disciplines. I can't wait to get started.”

JOHNSON RETURNS

The Hubbard School is pleased to

welcome back JENNIFER JOHNSON as a lecturer,

ticularly in response to disagreeable

teaching courses

messages they encounter in digital

in the advertising

media environments. She is especially

sequence. Johnson

interested in testing methods to correct

is an experienced

misinformation, to limit biased pro-

higher-ed teaching

cessing, and to encourage attention to more diverse content online.

MEDIA DESIGN ADDITION This fall, the School welcomes SARA

QUINN as a lecturer and senior fellow in media design. A design consultant and researcher, Quinn was the R.M. Seaton Endowed Chair for Professional 2

MURPHY REPORTER ❙ Summer 2019

professional and creative director with nearly 20 years of advertising experience.

Johnson comes back to the Hubbard School after moving to Wisconsin three years ago, where she taught campaigns and planning at Marquette University.

She continues to build on her experience and knowledge as an expert in advertising, higher-ed, coaching, and organizational development.

Congratulations to three Hubbard School faculty members who earned tenure and promotion from the Regents in May 2019.

NEW IN THE DIRECTOR’S OFFICE

This past spring, the School filled the

spaces left by the retirements of MARY

ACHARTZ HAVERTY and JULIE GOLIAS. LISA MCDANIEL is the School’s new

Rebekah Nagler

office manager. She comes with a wealth of administrative and office experience. Most recently, she worked at the Art Institutes International Minnesota where she coordinated the general education program, influencing faculty processes, curriculum and

Amy O’Connor

human resources. KATERINA SCHUH joined the team in June as assistant to the director. Schuh comes to the University after an administrative career in legal offices, most recently that of the Minnesota Attorney General.

This past spring, RACHEL DALLMAN started in a newly created position as a design desk manager and studio instructional assistant. She previously worked in the Liberal Arts Technologies and Innovation Services (LATIS) department. She will be a resource for instructional support and training, content development, and resource management.

Hyejoon Rim

DISCOVER YOUR VOICE School launches new website and brand During the last year, the School has partnered with local creative agency Public Works to redesign its website and brand messaging. The new website and brand identity comes at a critical time: The School is embracing its new name, nearing its centennial anniversary in 2022, changing study tracks to three individual majors and growing into a destination institution for graduate and undergraduate students.

The new website improves navigation, while also updating brand designs to appeal to the next generation of students.

Visit our new site at hsjmc.umn.edu

“You’re a creator.

Or a trendsetter.

A writer, a seeker, a social media whiz.

You don’t want to sit back and watch things happen. You want to be a part of them.

Discover a city of unmatched opportunity.

Discover how far you can go at the Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Discover your voice.”

HUBBARD SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION

3

FLAGSHIPFOR As the Twin Cities campus has grown more selective, greater Minnesota student population has declined.

4

MURPHY REPORTER â?™ Summer 2019

WHOM? ADA-BORUP HIGH, A SCHOOL IN MINNESOTA’S

students both grew significantly within the

northwestern Norman County, hasn’t sent a

undergraduate population. During the same time

student to the University of Minnesota–Twin

period, international student enrollment went

Cities since 2016.

from 2.1 percent to 8.7 percent, and the portion

Neither have any of the three high schools in the area spanning more than 850 square miles, which puts the county in the company of a

of out-of-state students rose from 4.5 percent to 11.5 percent.

The decline of greater Minnesota undergrad-

growing number of others from rural Minnesota

uates has drawn concern from state legislators

that have sent fewer students to the Twin Cities

and the University administration for the past five

campus over the past decade and a half.

years, prompting special scholarship programs

“We have tons of schools come out and

and recruitment efforts to bring those numbers

speak with students every year. I can’t remem-

up. But the realities of tighter admissions

ber the last time the Twin Cities campus came

standards and rising tuition continue to make it

here,” said Kelly Anderson, the principal of the

difficult for outstate students to come to the Twin

school in Ada, Minnesota, population 1,707. “I

Cities campus.

think students might go if they did, but students aren’t going to go to some place they aren’t familiar with.”

Students in these schools may not choose

TUITION MATTERS

The disproportionate drop in greater Minnesota undergraduate students attending the University

the Twin Cities campus anyway because Moor-

has many driving factors, none of which have

head or Crookston are closer options, Anderson

clear solutions, said Robert McMaster, the uni-

said. Same with students in Clearwater, Lake of

versity’s vice provost of undergraduate student

The Woods, and Mahnomen counties, with all of

education.

them sending fewer than two students total per county over the past five years.

Yet the schools reflect a broader picture

Most notably, he said, the university’s climbing tuition might have excluded students who are not able to keep up with the growing price.

involving greater Minnesota undergraduate

Since 2003, tuition at the Twin Cities campus

students and the state’s flagship research

has nearly doubled.

university: Fewer outstate students are coming

McMaster also points to the decline of the

to the Twin Cities campus as freshmen than 15

overall greater Minnesota population, as resi-

years ago in relation to the total undergraduate

dents have moved closer to the seven-county

population, according to enrollment data pro-

metro area, intensifying the difficulty of maintain-

vided by the University of Minnesota’s Office of

ing stable recruitment numbers. According to

Undergraduate Education.

data from the Minnesota Demographic Center,

Since 2003, greater Minnesota undergrad-

from 2000 to 2015, entirely urban counties

uate students on campus have dropped from

accounted for about 80 percent of the state’s

18.4 percent of the university’s undergraduate

overall population growth while completely rural

population that year to 14.2 percent in 2018,

counties consistently lost population each year

according to the enrollment data. Metro-area

during that time.

students stayed essentially stable, moving from 53.6 percent to 51.9 percent during those years.

Meanwhile, international and out-of-state

BY MICHELLE GRIFFITH, BELLA DALLYSTEELE, MICHAEL ACHTERLING, DYLAN WOOLFOLK AND KATIE GANS, STUDENTS IN THE BROVALD-SIM COMMUNITY JOURNALISM PRACTICUM COURSE.

There are other factors too, McMaster said.

For one, talented greater Minnesota students are also drawn to other universities with a HUBBARD SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION

5

competitive edge, such as the state universities in North Dakota and South Dakota, which consistently undercut the Twin Cities campus tuition. smaller Minnnesota towns or the Dakotas may be more attractive because they are closer to home or less intimidating than a school in a large metropolitan area, McMaster said.

University of Minnesota’s satellite campuses in from greater Minnesota than the Twin Cities

4.2%

THE DROP IN POPULATION OF campus: As of fall of 2018, nearly 60 percent TWIN CITIES UNDERGRADS of students at the Crookston campus were FROM GREATER MINNESOTA BETWEEN 2003 AND from greater Minnesota. At Morris, 46 percent of 2018. students are from greater Minnesota.

In many cases, competitive universities in neighboring states are actively recruiting top Minnesota students, often succeeding with those who live in close proximity to the school, or live in greater Minnesota.

During a March 2019 University of Minnesota Board of Regents meeting discussing university enrollment plans, McMaster told the board the university is experiencing a “problematic and somewhat stunning outflow” of Minnesota high school graduates entering neighboring state institutions. In fall 2016, the university lost 7,443 potential Minnesota college freshman students to neighboring state schools while only taking in a combined 2,610 from those neighboring states—a ratio of 2.85 Minnesota students lost for every neighboring state student who enters a Minnesota college.

Complicating the situation, many agree, is the dual mission of the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities. The campus is the state’s only combined land-grant and highly accredited

And culturally speaking, schools and colleges in

Morris and Crookston are drawing more students

LAND GRANT VERSUS R1

research institution. On one hand, it must maintain high academic standards grounded in teaching and research excellence, drawing in the best and brightest students from wherever it can. On the other hand, as a land-grant university, its mission is to serve the state’s economic needs by expanding higher education “beyond the privileged few, educating many people to be productive citizens and members of the workforce.”

Upholding the university’s land-grant mission while balancing its other interests as the state’s only top-level research university, known as R1, is a “Catch-22,” said Andrew Furco, the University's Associate Vice President for Public Engagement.

Much of this balance boils down to funding, Furco said. In fiscal year 2000, state support accounted for 33 percent of the university’s revenues, but that portion declined to 17 percent by fiscal year 2017, according to the University’s budget office.

As a result, tuition and grant funding became increasingly important sources of revenue over that same time, Furco said. “What gets prioritized is what’s funded,” he said. “Do we keep thinking about serving the state when the state is not necessarily the majority of what the budget’s about?”

The university’s mission is also influenced by its overall rankings, which in turn are influenced by a variety of metrics—including "research profile" for an R1 institution. If the University’s focus is on recruiting high-profile researchers to work at the university, leading to more research dollars, all that may improve rankings.

Indeed, the Twin Cities campus has raised the bar for incoming students considerably during the past 15 years.

The average ACT score of incoming first-year students has increased from 24.8 to 28 since 2003. In 2015, the University started requiring applicants to have completed four years of high school math to be eligible, according to the Office of Admissions.

McMaster doesn’t apologize for the university’s high standards: If Minnesota doesn’t have an in-state institution with the highest academic standards, the university will lose

6

MURPHY REPORTER ❙ Summer 2019

the best students in the state, he said.

R1 public university, they’re going to go to Wisconsin, or

PRACTICUM CLASS ASKS HARD QUESTIONS

they’re going to go to Michigan, or they’re going to go to

For the third year, the Brovald-Sim Community

“These are students that if they don’t have an excellent

Berkeley,” McMaster said. “We want our best Minnesota

Journalism Practicum has focused on an underserved

high school students … to think about this as a destina-

campus community. Previous semesters looked at the

tion where the very best students want to come.”

disability and recovery communities. This year focused on the community of “rural” students who come to

OLD CONCERNS, FAILED SOLUTIONS

the Twin Cities campus from outside the seven-county

Yet greater Minnesota student enrollment has been a con-

metro area.

cern for some time.

Eighteen students were in the class, which spent

Regent Michael Hsu, known to be a strong advocate

the semester on both the Minneapolis and St. Paul

for students, said the University has been criticized by

campuses conducting hours of interviews with stu-

legislators in the past because their constituents are not

dents and faculty. The effort produced 25 stories on

getting accepted into the school of their choice.

the website AccessU: Beyond the Cities. President

According to July 2018 Board meeting minutes, Hsu

Kaler praised the student effort during a May Board of

said he believes the University has space to increase

Regents meeting.

enrollment and pointed to the ACT score requirement as a

The class surveyed 775 undergraduates and found

reason more students are not admitted.

that students from greater Minnesota were more likely

In 2014, after Minnesota legislators criticized the

than metro-area students to be uncomfortable talking

University for those falling greater Minnesota student num-

about politics in classrooms and more likely to cite

bers, the administration made a concerted effort to recruit

“isolation and discomfort on campus” as a reason for

more outstate students.

wanting to transfer.

Increased outreach reversed the trend by a few hundred students, but the program was cut soon after because the

Other stories uncovered sensitive issues difficult to

results weren’t significant enough, McMaster said.

see on campus but important to the community.

Keeping greater Minnesota student numbers stable,

•

McMaster acknowledged, is like “swimming upstream,”

health resources, even when those become more

so the University has returned to normal recruitment of

available after the students come to campus.

greater Minnesota students.

•

Executive Director of Admissions Heidi Meyer is responsible for recruitment of students to the Twin Cities campus.

She said she doesn’t see any conflict between the goals of a research university and one that can accommodate bright students from every county in the state.

“It’s really important for students from greater Minnesota to come to the Twin Cities campus because we’re a research institution,” Meyer said. “We believe that we have solid academic programming and we believe we’re an accessible campus for all students.”

Meyer said the University applies a “holistic approach” to admission decisions for all students. This approach considers GPA and high school curriculum as primary

The reluctance of rural students to seek mental

students—one felt by rural students and

7%

THE INCREASE OF THE OUT-OF-STATE STUDENT POPULATION AT THE UNIVERSITY BETWEEN 2003 AND 2018

A pervasive attitude among metro-area acknowledged or even endorsed by urban students—that being from rural areas equates with being conservative or even extremist.

•

A decline in greater Minnesota undergraduate student enrollment relative to the total population within the past 15 years as the university has become more focused on being an elite R1 university.

Read more from the students in the community journalism class at accessubeyondcities.sjmc.umn.edu

factors along with ACT scores. Secondary factors such as HUBBARD SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION

7

The Twin Cities campus has raised the bar for incoming students considerably during the past 15 years. The average ACT score of incoming first-year students has increased from an average score of 24.8 to 28 since 2003. In 2015, the University started requiring applicants to have completed four years of high school math to be eligible. race, family income and hometown are also considered.

The University has a strategy for reaching students from all over the state, she says: Every Minnesota high

efforts to use every available means to reach greater Minnesota students.

“While we aren’t resourced to visit every school in Min-

school, even the smallest one in the state, has a university

nesota, we work to effectively reach as many students and

advisor who oversees Twin Cities campus recruitment

schools as we can,” she said in an email.

efforts at the school. While she says it’s impossible for

And sometimes even regular outreach isn’t enough to

the University to visit every high school each year, the

spark interest. Bagley High in Clearwater hasn’t sent any

admissions office makes sure every school is served either

students to the University since 2014, despite hosting

through direct visits, high school counselor update meet-

Twin Cities admission recruits every year. Guidance

ings, college education fairs, online events, texting, email

counselor Jenny Fraley said there’s not much

outreach, mailings, and other communication outreach efforts.

“We’re looking for academically prepared students who will thrive here in this campus environment, so it’s not any different than the students that we’re looking at from the Twin Cities metro area or even from a national perspective,” she said.

16%

more the Twin Cities campus can do.

“The admissions office at the U sends

THE DECREASE IN STATE SUPPORTED UNIVERSITY REVENUES BETWEEN 2000 AND 2017

recruits a couple days a year and, given how protective teachers are of their time, I think they do a good job with the time they’re given,” she said. “Only about a third of our graduating class,

which is roughly 20 students, goes onto a four-year university, and the universities they choose tend to be

A DISCONNECT IN THE COUNTIES

close to home.”

Minnesota schools. Fairmont High School, located approx-

post-graduation options like trade school. Kittson County

imately a two-and-a-half-hour drive from the Twin Cities

schools, for example, encourage students to attend com-

campus, has not had anyone from the Twin Cities campus

munity college and trade school, rather than a four-year

visit the school in the nearly 30 years administrative counsel-

college, said Bob Jaszczak, superintendent of Kittson

ing assistant Mary Granheim has worked there, she said.

County Central School District.

Even so, that strategy still appears to bypass some greater

Granheim said the school receives little communication,

In these cases, the Twin Cities campus competes with

“There are many reasons why you’d want to choose

even mail, from the Twin Cities campus. Yet last year, the

something else over a four-year institution. Once you’re

high school sent two students to the Twin Cities campus,

finished with a two-year program, you’re pretty much guar-

and one of them was a guidance counselor’s son. This year

anteed a job and you don’t have the debt associated with

the high school has also sent two students to the University,

going to a four-year university,” he said.

she said.

Principals of Ada-Borup and Falls High, Kelly Anderson and Timothy Everson, say neither of their schools has sent a student to the University in years. They point to the University’s disconnect from the schools as a major factor students choose to go elsewhere.

“The U misses an opportunity every year they’re not here,” Everson said. “Sometimes, all it takes is a brief introduction to spark a student’s interest in a university. A lot of our graduates end up going to UND [University of North Dakota] or NDSU [North Dakota State University], and those schools send admission recruits every year.”

Meyer, when contacted for a response, did not refer to these specific schools but spoke broadly of the University’s 8

MURPHY REPORTER ❙ Summer 2019

LAWMAKERS RESPOND

enrollment numbers have continued to decline at the University in recent years, their legislators are unsure how to proceed—or if this decline even represents a problem.

Serving students from all over the state is an important aspect of the University’s work and main-

Agricultural and Natural Sciences (CFANS) a $20,000 schol-

NEARLY

While some greater Minnesota counties’ student

arship over four years.

60%

This year, the scholarship program aimed to award 100

THE POPULATION OF CROOKSTON STUDENTS WHO ARE FROM GREATER MINNESOTA

Cities campus, the solution lies in making use of the entire

emailed statement.

system, where students are referred and admitted to other

“If changes to admissions standards or campus

system campuses around the state, he said.

environment is a deterrent … for students from Greater

“You don’t need to come to the Twin Cities because

Minnesota to attend the Twin Cities campus, I would

you’re getting a University of Minnesota degree,” McMas-

certainly support the University of Minnesota evaluating

ter said. “The diploma you get from any of our campuses

how their policies could be affecting prospective students,”

is identical.”

Anderson said.

But that’s not always the way students see it. Harley

Cook County, a greater Minnesota county in the

Braun, who came to the Twin Cities campus from Sleepy

northeast corner of the state that includes Grand Marais

Eye, Minnesota, population 3,404, plans to receive her

and Lutsen, has only enrolled 20 University freshmen since

if you had to travel from Minneapolis or St. Paul to Grand Marais it’s about a six-hour drive,” said Rep. Rob Ecklund, R-International Falls, who represents District 3A, the largest geographic state legislative district in Minnesota. “So, I would imagine that the University doesn’t put any focus on that type of active recruitment.”

Ecklund also said because the University is a land-grant college it should be trying to pull students from across every corner of the state. He said he was unaware of the enrollment issue and would begin to discuss it with his constituents.

Additionally, Mahnomen County, located in the northwest portion of the state, has only enrolled two freshmen at the University since 2016 and 11 total enrolled freshmen since 2003.

“I think that every county is different,” said Rep. Steve Green, R-Fosston, who represents portions of Mahnomen, Clearwater, and Becker Counties. “UND, NDSU, and sometimes Concordia, they’re just closer. They’re closer to home, and it’s a different lifestyle for the people that don’t want to come to the cities.”

not solely attend that college.

campus. For students who aren’t admitted to the Twin

Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee said in an

to greater Minnesota to a place like Cook County because

beyond the CFANS, since greater Minnesota students do

to know the University is more than just the Twin Cities

Anderson, R-Plymouth and chair of the Minnesota Senate

“I think that the main University probably doesn’t travel

is realistic to spread this scholarship program to colleges

In the end, McMaster said, it’s important for students

taining that service should be prioritized, Sen. Paul T.

2003 and no new freshmen in the past four years.

scholarships to new students. McMaster said he thinks it

diploma in agricultural education after spending the major-

3.2 POINTS

ity of her classes on the University’s St. Paul campus among what she called a “healthy mix of rural and urban students.”

The Twin Cities was an important choice for

THE INCREASE OF THE AVERAGE her, she said, and by all accounts, she is just the ACT SCORE OF INCOMING kind of greater Minnesota student the University TWIN CITIES FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS SINCE 2003. wants: she has a 3.8 GPA and is on the Universi-

ty's Soil Judging Team, a member of the Agricultural Education Club and the Agricultural Education Mentor Program.

But, she said she knows she is here because she sought the University herself, not because the University came looking for students like her.

“My high school trains people to stay in Sleepy Eye,” she said. “There are a lot of low-income people in my hometown, and they all view the U as this big, intimidating, expensive place that’s impossible to get into. They don’t know any better because the U doesn’t do anything to provide or communicate the opportunities they have for towns like mine.”

Karim Nabhan contributed to this story. Read more from the students in the community journalism class at accessubeyondcities.sjmc.umn.edu

LOOKING AHEAD

One way the University has encouraged greater Minnesota students to attend the Twin Cities campus is by creating the Land Grant Legacy scholarship program. This provides greater Minnesota students enrolled in the College of Food, HUBBARD SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION

9

RESEARCH PUSHING BOUNDARIES IN

Faculty and grad students are researching issues across the spectrum of journalism and communication.

It’s easy to think of journalism as newspapers, advertising as commercials, and public relations as spin. But the depth of study in journalism and mass communication really knows no bounds. Hubbard School faculty members are taking deep dives on social media behaviors, health messaging pitfalls, data analytics, news silos and deserts, reporters and technology, corporate social responsibility, copyright law and so much more. They’re answering questions that could change how we view the world and solving problems that affect citizens in their daily lives.

JOURNALISM STUDIES HOW DO MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS ADOPT DISRUPTIVE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND HOW DO THESE ORGANIZATIONS COORDINATE THEIR WORK WITH TECHNOLOGICALLY ORIENTED ORGANIZATIONS NOT FAMILIAR TO THEIR PROFESSIONAL FIELD’S NORMS AND PRACTICES?

Assistant Professor Valerie Belair-Gagnon has been working on how social media, web analytics, and automation have been integrated in media work. Her method of choice is direct observation, in-depth interviews, and document analysis. Her book on social media at BBC News noted the institutionalization of technological actors in the newsroom and how innovation was hard to achieve because of established professional norms and practices. Funded by the Tow Center at Columbia University and Knight Foundation, she subsequently looked at innovative journalistic practices on chat apps. Her current work focuses on the coordination of actions between peripheral actors (e.g., web analytics companies, AI companies, intrapreneurial units) and how disruptive innovations are transforming organizational cultures. To that end, she is currently starting a project on automation in media work (including journalism and other mass media organizations). She will answer her research

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MURPHY REPORTER ❙ Summer 2019

questions by looking at interactions and power relations in these organizations that are seeking to change their offering.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE AN INFORMED CITIZEN IN OUR CONTEMPORARY DIGITAL MEDIA ENVIRONMENT? Assistant Professor Benjamin Toff, along with collaborators in Spain and the United Kingdom, is engaged in a

ALL PHOTOS BY PATRICK O'LEARY.

Faculty members provided the Murphy Reporter with ongoing questions they’re trying to answer.

The following pages shine light on only some of the research happening in Murphy Hall, but also give a peek at the depth of topics studied by the School’s experts.

much higher or lower rates of news avoidance and consumption. “The supply of news, not only individual differences in levels of interest, shapes cultures of news consumption at the societal level,” he said.

In a separate study with a collaborator at Wisconsin, Toff has examined what kinds of information people draw on when they talk about politics in informal conversation. “We find that contrary to most social science theories about political knowledge, which has largely emphasized news and factual information, people tend to process and share information largely through the lens of their personal experiences,” he said. This tendency to privilege experiential knowledge over other forms of knowledge appears among several different groups regardless of their degree of political engagement and sophistication. This work has led Toff and fellow researchers to propose an alternative interpretation for what it means to be an informed citizen in contemporary democratic systems.

While accurate and reliable information is an important building block for political discussion and multi-year, multi-country study of news audiences. “We specifically examine people with extreme media consumption behaviors—particularly the population of people sometimes called 'news avoiders' who report consuming little to no news at all,” he said.

Through in-depth interviews with such people, Toff and his fellow researchers examine how the digital media environment, increasingly dominated by social media and

Valerie BelairGagnon and Benjamin Toff

deliberation, facts rarely speak for themselves, he said.

“In fact, our digital media landscape offers a seemingly endless supply of information and arguments tailored to support people’s pre-existing views. We argue that models of civic competence which empathize knowledge of facts alone are insufficient. Instead, the ability to listen to, empathize, and understand the different lived experiences of others may be an increasingly core competency needed for promoting healthy democracies.”

search engines, is changing the way people think about the role of professionally produced news in how they discover and engage with the information they believe they need to navigate public affairs and participate in political life.

This research has highlighted the important roles emotions play in regulating the way people manage their use of news media; attitudes about news itself and perceptions about the types of people news organizations aim to reach; and belongingness to communities of other news users as an essential source of social influence needed to sustain the habit of following news.

Toff has supplemented the mostly qualitative research into news audiences with large-scale opinion surveys of news audiences across three dozen countries. This comparative work has examined variation in news avoidance behaviors across different media environments and political contexts, pointing to the role played by political and press freedom in explaining why some countries exhibit

ORGANIZATIONAL STUDIES HOW DO ORGANIZATIONS ADAPT TO CHANGES IN COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY, AND WHAT MAKES SOME ORGANIZATIONS MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN OTHERS? In order to understand how organizations adapt and respond to new technology, Associate Professor Matthew Weber focuses on examining the broader environment within which organizations interact with each other. For example, he’s currently working on a multi-year study examining changes in local news ecosystems. “By examining the overall volume of local news, and the type of local HUBBARD SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION

11

RESEARCH news being produced, it is possible to better understand how local news organizations are adapting to changes in technology,” he said.

Weber is also examining policy ecosystems both on Capitol Hill and at the state level to understand how media organizations and nonprofit organizations engage with policymakers in order to advocate for specific causes or legislation. Communication technology is changing the news media industry, but it’s also changing the role of news media, and this research looks at how reporters serve as brokers to filter research and to guide policymakers to key studies that impact legislative activity.

Weber is leading a new research effort examining how temporary workers interact with their employers to develop knowledge. For instance, this research seeks to understand how employees of Uber and Lyft develop knowledge, and to understand whether or not they share the knowledge of how they do their work back with their employer. In most cases, Weber and his team are finding that temporary workers and “gig” workers don’t have favorable opinions of their employers. In aggregate, this body of work is helping organizations to understand how technology is changing day-to-day communication processes within their organizations, and with other organizations.

Matthew Weber

HOW DOES THE DIGITAL MEDIA ENVIRONMENT AFFECT HOW JOURNALISTS ESTABLISH THEIR LEGITIMACY TO DO NEWS?

that it is not enough to look at news stories on their own. Rather, we

“For a long time, the media environment worked with a pretty

attached to a story in this process.

clear separation between producers of the news and its audience.

Journalists controlled not only what the news looked like, but how it was distributed, either in print forms delivered to readers or through broadcasted messages that arrived on televisions and radios.

“In the digital environment, journalists still produce news and audiences still consume it, but the paths between them are not so straightforward. To list just a few changes: news which used to be made for discrete media channels now all blends together on digital channels; social media become places where the news can be shared and commented on outside the control of journalists; and non-journalists can easily speak for themselves through digital communication channels. Even if the news looks the same as it has in the past, all of these other changes alter how it moves about.

“If this seems confusing for audiences and the news industry, it is confusing for journalism researchers as well. How do we study it then? In a recent article in the journal New Media & Society, I suggest

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MURPHY REPORTER ❙ Summer 2019

need to consider the circulation of news stories. I use circulation both in the more mechanical sense of the transferring of information from one point to another and in a cultural sense as the meanings that get “For example, if I share a news story on Facebook, I am relying on

a complex technological infrastructure to enable me to click on

a link, add some text, and send it to my friends. But sharing a

story is also adding meaning. I am marking it as important and

likely adding some commentary about it, which can then spark feedback from others. The argument that I make is that if we

are to understand news as a form of knowledge—as telling us

something about the world­—we need to look at the entire process through which news circulates. This may seem daunting,

but it reflects how journalism increasingly is and not how it was.

“Circulation opens up exciting future research directions to

examine these new paths for news, including the role of different actors—from individual people to tech company giants. All of this helps answer how it is the news works in a digital media environment.” ­

—Associate Professor Matt Carlson

RESEARCH

ADVERTISING, CONSUMERS & SOCIETY WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE SIMULTANEOUS USAGE OF MULTIPLE MEDIA FOR ADVERTISING EFFECTIVENESS? Extant research typically examines effects of mono-media consumption. For example, research has tested effects of watching a television show including ads with full attention and without any distractions. However, more and more people are using multiple media at the same time. The implications of this phenomenon are not well understood.

Assistant Professor Claire Segijn seeks to advance understanding of how the use of multiple media influences information processing and advertising effectiveness.

Research has shown that people have difficulty processing information when combining tasks. Therefore, it is important to examine factors that could facilitate information processing while using multiple media simultaneously.

For example, Segijn examined if it matters what tasks are combined when multiscreening. She found that people remember more of media content and have more positive attitudes toward brands when they combine related tasks—like tweeting about the television show—opposed to unrelated tasks, such as chatting about your weekend with friends while watching television.

Segijn also studies how attention is allocated to media messages and subsequently how attention allocation affects information processing and advertising effectiveness. Her primary focus is on visual attention, eyes-on-screen. The work on effects across screens connects with her work on attention such that people are forced to divide their attention when using multiple screens at the same time. Segijn and colleagues’ eyetracker study showed that attention is a key factor when multiscreening.

“People switch their attention on average 2.5 times

advertisers that did not exist before,” she said. An example of this is synced advertising, which is the practice of monitoring people’s current media behavior and using the collected information to show people individually targeted ads based on people’s current media behavior across media. It is not a coincidence when people receive an ad on their mobile device that is about the brand shown on television, she said.

WHAT ARE THE SYSTEMATIC METHODS FOR IMPROVING THE EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF ADVERTISING TARGETING BASED ON BIG DATA? For the past 25 years Professor Jisu Huh’s professional

per minute,” Segijn said. “Furthermore, the results showed

career has been devoted to advertising practice, research,

that between multiscreening groups, the amount of atten-

education, and service, across the advertising industry and

tion toward a screen has consequences for how much

academia. Her research program has been centered on sci-

content people will remember.”

entifically examining and better understanding advertising’s

Finally, Segijn looks at ways advertisers can integrate the presence of multiple screens in their advertising strategy. How can advertisers take advantage of the

Jisu Huh and Claire Segijn

potentially positive and negative effects on consumers and its functional and dysfunctional roles in the society.

More recently, Huh’s research has focused on applying

presence of multiple screens at the same time? “The

the computational research approach and trying to find

presence of multiple screens offers new opportunities for

systematic methods for improving the efficiency and HUBBARD SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION

13

RESEARCH effectiveness of advertising targeting based on big data.

with and to the ads,” she said. “My research examines

One line of her ongoing research, which consists of

the role of consumer-to-consumer trust in advertising

multiple projects, is “Trust and its influence on advertising

message diffusion and effects in the ever-evolving

processes and effects: Computational research applying

interactive communication network environment, using a

the trust scores in social media (TSM) algorithm.”

variety of methodological approaches.”

“In today’s interactive communication network envi-

Huh’s latest project applies a computational research

ronment, advertisers have little control over where their

approach to examine the impact of consumer-to-con-

ad messages go and what consumers will do (or not do)

sumer trust in a social network on the extent and speed of viral advertising diffusion, using real-life viral ad examples representing different product types, brands,

MINNESOTA ADVERTISING RESEARCH THOUGHT LEADERSHIP FORUM OCTOBER 18-19, 2019 Data-driven advertising is rapidly growing and gaining popularity in the advertising industry due to its promise for higher efficiency, ability to scale, access to data and tools for precise targeting, and effective tracking across multiple channels. To examine important and timely issues in data-driven advertising and to advance the emerging field of computational advertising research,

and content characteristics. Specifically, this project uses the Trust Scores in Social Media (TSM) algorithm, which was developed through collaboration between computer science scholars.

Another line of research Huh is exploring is the possibility of granular-level targeting of TV and digital video audience based on their mood. To tackle this, Huh, along with her doctoral advisee, is working with computer science researchers to empirically test the relationship between TV content-induced affective states of TV viewers and their attention to and evaluation of ads.

the Hubbard School is hosting the Advertising Research Thought Leadership Forum (TLF) October 18-19, 2019.

Dr. Jisu Huh, Professor and Raymond O. Mithun Endowed Chair in Advertising, is the organizer and chair of this TLF, and the forum participants include prominent senior scholars and active junior scholars from the

CONFLICTS IN HEALTH MESSAGING

of Southern California, University of Amsterdam, and

HOW DO WE PREVENT TEENS FROM USING E-CIGARETTES?

University of Antwerp, among others.

In September 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Adminis-

Northwestern University, University of Illinois, University

Funded by the Raymond O. Mithun Endowment, this TLF aims at setting new research agenda, innovating methodological approaches, and expanding the application of the computational research approach to advertising practice and scholarship. Multiple research papers will be developed from collaborations among the participating scholars, and the papers will be published in the Journal of Advertising Special Section, edited by Dr. Jisu Huh and Dr. Ed Malthouse of Northwestern University.

This Forum will have significant impact on both the advertising theory and practice by revealing new insights and building new theories explaining and predicting advertising effects and effectiveness. The work produced from this forum will provide practically applicable data analytics approaches and tools that will benefit the advertising industry to enhance advertising campaign strategies, execution, and outcome evaluation.

tration warned e-cigarette companies about teenage use that's reached an “epidemic proportion.” Assistant Professor Sherri Jean Katz has been studying e-cigarette warning labels since 2015. In 2017 she was awarded a two-year, $150,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health/NIDA for her project, “E-cigarettes warning labels: Tests of messages to reduce recreational use among adolescents.”

While e-cigarettes are often used by adult smokers to help them quit traditional cigarettes, they can be harm-elevating when used recreationally by non-smoking youth.

The focus of this study is on how the language used on e-cigarette warning statements influences risk perceptions among teenagers. Katz and her collaborators have conducted an experiment with 715 high school students in the greater Twin Cities area. The team compared perceptions of different label conditions to one another, independently and in the context of other package elements, such as flavors and modified risk statements.

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MURPHY REPORTER ❙ Summer 2019

RESEARCH Katz and her collaborators have also conducted an experiment with 240 college students using an eyetracker, and two focus group studies with college students.

“With traditional cigarettes, the message is clear—don’t smoke. E-cigarettes require a more nuanced message,” said Katz. “What is really interesting is that we see a very big difference between those teens who have tried an e-cigarette even once and those who have never tried one. For example, in our study of high school youth in the Twin Cities area, we found that 60 percent of 'triers' agree or strongly agree that e-cigarettes are fun to try, while less than 5 percent of 'non-triers' fell into these categories. And, almost half of 'triers' expect to use an e-cigarette again soon, while only 1.5 percent of 'non-triers' said they probably would use one soon.”

E-cigarettes require a complex message strategy. “The challenge is to discourage recreational use, without discouraging existing adult smokers from making a complete switch from traditional cigarettes,” she said.

DOES EXPOSURE TO CONFLICTING HEALTH INFORMATION IN PEOPLE’S ROUTINE INTERACTIONS WITH THE BROADER INFORMATION ENVIRONMENT THREATEN THE SUCCESS OF MESSAGE-BASED POPULATION-LEVEL PUBLIC HEALTH STRATEGIES? AND, IF SO, WHO IS MOST SUSCEPTIBLE TO THE EFFECTS OF SUCH EXPOSURE? Many public health strategies rely on messaging to promote cancer prevention and control. These strategies do not take place in a vacuum. They occur in the context of a broader public information environment, which is increasingly characterized by conflicting and often controversial health information. To gain more insight on this trend, the National Institutes of Health by way of the National Cancer Institute awarded Associate Professor Rebekah Nagler a $356,125 grant for her project, “Effects of prior exposure to conflicting health information on responses to subsequent unrelated health messages.”

Through her research, Nagler will evaluate whether prior exposure to conflicting health information produces “carryover effects” by adversely influencing responses to subsequent unrelated and uncontested health messages.

She also will identify whether there are individual-level differences in how exposure to conflict affects such responses.

An online survey-based experiment using a national sample of U.S. adults Rebekah Nagler and Marco Yzer

will be conducted. At two time points across a three-week period, participants HUBBARD SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION

15

RESEARCH will be exposed to real news stories about several health topics, such as nutrition, mammography, or e-cigarettes.

Participants will be randomized to one of two treatment groups that differ only in the amount of conflict presented in these news stories (high conflict, no conflict). After the three-week period, all participants will be exposed to unrelated messages about behaviors for which there is scientific consensus, such as skin cancer prevention.

To assess carryover effects, cognitive, affective, and behavioral intentional responses to these unrelated health messages will be measured. These messages are expected to be less effective among those who were randomized to receive conflicting health information. Individual-level differences in the pattern of these responses are also expected, with carryover effects of exposure to conflict being more pronounced among certain groups, like those with greater trust in media sources or those of lower socioeconomic position. Using an innovative research design, the proposed project will directly assess whether the broader information environment, with its ubiquitous conflicting health messages, undermines the success of message-based population-level public health strategies.

HOW CAN BETTER HEALTH MESSAGING FUEL BETTER HEALTH EQUITY?

messaging to encourage important relevant behaviors,” he

Professor Marco Yzer’s recent research focuses on current

ton Health Services, tested why University of Minnesota

issues that deal with health equity. First, Yzer and Associate Professor Nagler collaborated with the American Indian Cancer Foundation (AICAF) to conduct field experiments among American Indian adult smokers and American Indian non-smoking youth. The study addresses the question of how messaging can help abate the strikingly high smoking rates among American Indians. How does one convincingly argue not to smoke commercial tobacco when traditional tobacco is sacred, and a culturally highly significant part of ceremonies?

“We presented about 500 American Indian volunteers with one of multiple messages that differed in whether they made the more conventional argument that not smoking prevents health consequences or the argument that not smoking means that tobacco is kept sacred,” Yzer said. “We found that the ‘keep tobacco sacred’ messages had clear persuasive advantage over health consequence messages, and that this can be explained by the extent to which messages resonate with one's American Indian cultural identity.”

Yzer is also researching mental health communication.

“Mental health is a deeply pressing current health issue, and we know remarkably little about how to best use 16

MURPHY REPORTER ❙ Summer 2019

said. Through recent studies, Yzer, with help from former Hubbard School graduate students, as well as with Boynundergraduate college students would or would not seek help if they had experienced symptoms of depression.

Two findings stand out: First, students feel that seeking help is necessary and potentially effective, but at the same time feel the demands college life puts on them leaves them with no time to do so.

“This is a reality check for college administrators,” Yzer said. “In addition to building a mental health support system and encouraging students to use that support, we need to look carefully at ways to reduce unnecessary stressors that reduce students' ability to seek help.”

Yzer’s second discovery was that increasing levels of depression are associated with increasing intentions to seek help, but only up to a point. Those afflicted with severe depression are the least likely to seek help, Yzer said, in part because of an unfortunate (but typically inaccurate) tendency of depressed individuals to believe that they are partly responsible for their symptoms. “These findings have important implications for understanding how communication can contribute to campus mental health,” he said.

Amy O'Connor and Hyejoon Rim

RESEARCH

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY HOW DOES CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (CSR) CONTRIBUTE TO SOCIETY BEYOND REPUTATIONAL AND FINANCIAL BENEFITS THROUGH MAXIMIZING CO-CREATED AND SHARED VALUE? Associate Professor Hyejoon Rim researches CSR effects and how corporations can better manage and communicate their CSR initiatives to leverage public engagement. “This is important because CSR

practices are often perceived as hypocritical, and audiences remain skeptical of CSR, which limits public engagement,” she said.

During the past years, Rim has developed a programmatic line motivators, and strategic factors

positions on

influencing CSR effectiveness. She examined these effects for both corporations and for their nonprofit partners, in both crisis and non-crisis contexts, in both the U.S. and abroad, and in traditional and in social media.

those located elsewhere. Overall,

collected more than 1,200 surveys from residents all across the state of Minnesota. We had participation from nearly every single county in the state. Minnesota is home to more than 900 corporate headquarters, which makes it a great place to find answers to my question.

“Participants in the study were asked a variety of questions to understand what expectations they had of corporations in and outside of their community. In addition, we asked Minnesotans to tell us what types of behavior they would engage in if a company was behaving responsibly or irresponsibly.

“At the broadest level, the majority of our survey participants agreed that communities which have corporate headquarters are significantly better off than

social-political issues. Yet, when companies take sides on controversial issues, the

“The quest to answer this question began in the

included both undergraduate and graduate students)

corporations express their

WHAT ROLE DOES GEOGRAPHY PLAY IN HOW PEOPLE EXPERIENCE CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (CSR)? sota State Fair. At the Fair, my research team (which

demands that

of research investigating barriers,

“Preliminary analysis of that data sug-

summer of 2018 with survey research at the Minne-

The public

gests that Minnesotans have different CSR expectations/experiences for corporations in their communities versus people described corporations in their community more favorably than corpo-

public engages in collective action that further fuels polarized opinions.

rations located elsewhere. Specifically, participants viewed corporations in their community as being more competent, effective, kind, helpful, and worker-friendly than companies located elsewhere.

“In addition, people indicated that they will behave differently to corporations in their community that act irresponsibly than those located elsewhere. Specifically, they were more likely to engage in pro-corporate behaviors, like sharing information with friends and family or on social media, when corporations in their community behaved responsibly than if the company is located elsewhere. Conversely, they were less likely to engage in anti-corporate behavior, like signing a petition or posting negative comments on social media, when companies in their community behaved irrespon-

communities that do not have corporate headquarters.

sibly compared to companies located elsewhere.

Relatedly, the majority of survey respondents indicated

“We are intrigued by the initial data analysis. Moving

that corporations make a positive difference in the overall well being of the community, including helping to solve important environmental and social issues, and they wished that the community they live in had more corporations headquartered there.

forward, this project will consider how the ratio of population to number of corporate headquarters influences people’s responses as well as determine the extent to which differences exist between communities.”

—Associate Professor Amy O’Connor

HUBBARD SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION

17

RESEARCH According to Rim, scholars and practitioners have emphasized the importance of transparency in corporate communication, as it may mitigate public skepticism. Meanwhile, the potential positive or negative impact of delivering negative performance information has remained an unanswered question.

With her co-authors, Rim used an experimental design to examine effects of transparency signaling on two dimensions of trust—competence and integrity—and how they further influence a public’s evaluation of company reputation. The findings showed that high transparency signaling led to higher perceived integrity, but there were no significant effects on perceived competence and company reputation, she said.

To understand the societal context embedded in defining CSR, Rim also explored how public prioritization of business responsibility and skepticism toward CSR differ in three countries: the United States, the United Arab Emirates, and South Korea.

Her findings shed light on the role of public trust in government and business in shaping the definition of CSR. Related to this, her current work centers on investigating the state of CSR communication and how corporations set CSR agendas in these regions.

Using a computer-aided content analysis program, she measured transparency signaling scores in CSR disclosures. “The study found that the level of transparency in CSR reporting is different by countries, even among the world’s largest corporations,” she said. “The variances in transparency signaling provided evidence that CSR practices and communication efforts have been shaped by institutional and stakeholders’ expectations.”

Rim’s ongoing research focuses on corporate social advocacy (CSA), which lies at the intersection between CSR and strategic issue management. The public increasingly demands that corporations express their positions on social-political issues. Yet, when companies take sides on controversial issues, the public engages in collective action that further fuels polarized opinions. Rim recently examined a network structure to understand how the public mobilizes and establishes relationships in social media when firms get involved in hot-button issues. Rim examined what motivates the public to engage in social movements (e.g., brand boycotting or advocating) and her research continues to explore opportunities and challenges that CSA and digital technology provide to public relations practices and scholarship.

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MEDIA ETHICS AND LAW HOW DO WE UNDERSTAND AND DEFEND THE PRINCIPLES OF FREEDOM OF THE PRESS UNDER THE FIRST AMENDMENT AND ALSO GRAPPLE WITH THE ETHICAL QUESTIONS FACED BY JOURNALISTS IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY? “Are the media really ‘the enemy of the American people,’ as President Trump has said?” Jane Kirtley, Silha Professor of Media Ethics and Law and Director of the Silha Center for the Study of Media Ethics and Law, asks. “Can democracy flourish without a free and responsible press?”

The Silha Center tries to answer these questions.

Its research focuses on topics including defamation, privacy, freedom of information, and newsgathering issues such as cameras in courtrooms. In the past year, the thrice-yearly Silha Bulletin reported on the indictment of WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange for espionage; data privacy issues raised by the use of Google and Facebook; government restrictions on access to information, including to police body camera video and criminal investigative records in high-profile cases; creative lawsuits that may change the face of libel law; and ethical questions prompted by news reporting and editorial choices in an era of “fake news.”

These issues are not new, but will be reexamined as society and news organizations change. “We fought all these battles in the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s,” Kirtley explains, “but people are concerned about the new technology and privacy issues of today.” For example, in October 2018, the Silha Center’s annual lecture featured First Amendment attorney Theodore J. Boutrous Jr., the global co-chair of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP’s Litigation Group and long-time defender of freedom of the press. His lecture, “The First Amendment and #MeToo,” outlined novel, free-expression issues raised by the #MeToo movement, including the defamation lawsuit he brought on behalf of actor Ashley Judd against film producer Harvey Weinstein. In April 2019, the Silha Center’s annual Spring Forum addressed “Free Press­—Fair Trial: The Ethics of Writing Wrongs.” The panel discussion considered how social media can complicate balancing the First Amendment rights of the media

RESEARCH

with the Sixth Amendment right of an accused to a fair trial (see page 20 for more).

As part of her academic and administrative

“We fought all these battles

Protection and Provide Flexibility, released in February

in the ’60s,

2019.

the “Global Privacy and Data Protection” component

’70s and ’80s,”

government will attempt to

of the Practising Law Institute's (PLI) course hand-

Kirtley explains,

regulate how journalists do

Law in the Digital Age,” held in New York each

“but people

First Amendment is supposed

November. Under her supervision, Silha research

are concerned

to circumscribe that. But

sis of data privacy and security topics, including the

about the new

embolden those who would

Internet of Things (IoT), Federal Trade Commission

technology and

suppress it. Without support

privacy issues of

pendent judiciary, freedom of

responsibilities, Kirtley spends the summer preparing

book for the annual conference, “Communication

assistants prepare an annual compilation and analy-

and legislative efforts to regulate data collection and use, as well as international initiatives such as the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which will impact news reporting

today.”

Ph.D. student Scott Memmel and Jane Kirtley

“It is inevitable that

their jobs,”Kirtley said. “The

mistrust of the media can

from the public and an indethe press cannot survive.”

practices throughout the world. Because of her

-- This feature was compiled

acknowledged expertise in this area, Kirtley was

by Amanda Fretheim Gates

consulted by the Government Accountability Office as it prepared its report, Internet Privacy: Additional Federal Authority Could Enhance Consumer HUBBARD SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION

19

SILHA

SILHA CENTER HOSTS SPRING FORUM The event tackled balancing freedom of the press and the right to a fair trial.

BY SCOTT MEMMEL ON APRIL 30, 2019, THE SILHA CENTER for the Study of Media Ethics and Law and the Minnesota Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) hosted the 2019 Silha Center Spring Forum titled “Free Press – Fair Trial: The Ethics of Writing Wrongs.” More than 50 journalists, journalism students, and community members gathered in Murphy Hall to discuss how to balance First Amendment protections for freedom of the press and the Sixth Amendment, which provides that “the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial,” often referred to as the right to a “fair trial.” The forum’s four panelists included KARE-11 political reporter John Croman, Minneapolis Star Tribune police reporter Libor Jany, Minneapolis-based defense attorney Paul Engh, and civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong, who previously served as president of NAACP Minneapolis.

Silha Center Director Jane Kirtley, who moderated the panel, noted that the balancing of freedom of the press and fair trials was an especially “timely topic” due to the then-ongoing trial of former Minneapolis police officer

shooting death of Justine Damond.

On April 9, 2019, Hennepin County Fourth Judicial District Court Judge Kathryn Quaintance had reversed an earlier ruling in which she had limited public and media access to key evidence in the trial, including photographs and police body-worn camera (BWC) footage connected to the case. However, some limitations on the press remained, including holding the trial in a small courtroom with minimal seating for the press.

Kirtley said that the main issue the panel would focus on was how “media access to trials, as well as other information regarding crimes and criminal background, should balance the public’s interest in the right to know and the defendant’s right to a fair trial.” She added that it was “safe to say that this is an issue that is not going to go away.”

Croman began by acknowledging that it was important for journalists to be more aware of problems with racial bias and that in more than one instance, journalists from outside the United States had been “surprised by how the [American media] covers crime,” including the practice of

ALL PHOTOS BY BILL KELLEY

Mohamed Noor who was found guilty of third-degree

murder and second-degree manslaughter for the 2017

Nekima Levy Armstrong, John Croman, Paul Engh and Libor Jany

20

MURPHY REPORTER ❙ Summer 2019

SILHA

"Media access to trials, as well as other information regarding crimes and criminal background, identifying suspects before they are convicted.

Engh argued that he viewed the Sixth Amendment “as

the courts because it is “important for the public to see what’s happening in courtrooms.” However, she also

a reason to invite the press” into courtrooms because it

emphasized the importance of addressing underlying

allows for not only a “public trial,” but also public oversight

societal issues related to race and bias before the trial

of the proceedings, a means of ensuring that defendants

even takes place.

get a fair trial. However, Engh acknowledged that it is pos-

Croman also supported allowing cameras in Minne-

should balance the public’s interest in

sible press coverage can create issues of bias or create

sota courtrooms, emphasizing that several other states

the right

unfair depictions of defendants, two arguments often

provided greater access. He said, “If you have a camera in

raised in preventing media access to trials.

the courtroom . . . you can describe [what is happening],”

to know

Finally, Jany contended that journalists “do need to

including the “expressions on the faces of those testifying.”

and the

be called out from time to time about our coverage and

However, he noted that KARE-11’s policy was not to show

the way that we frame certain stories,” including ones

jurors and only rarely show audience members.

defendant’s

related to race and crime where “we all have racial blind

Conversely, Engh stated that he had “mixed feelings.”

spots.” Jany said that in order for the media to over-

He explained that his concern was that “defendants

come these problems, reporters need to “steer clear of

are subjected to a generalized ‘trashing’ in our society

establishment experts” and only focus on the “official nar-

before they are convicted.” He continued, “I’ve had a lot

rative.” Croman later added that he felt the best way for

of clients who’ve been acquitted who can never quite

newsrooms to “counteract” racial bias is to “hire people

get over the adverse publicity and pictures in the paper.

who represent the racial makeup of the audience.”

Their reputations are absolutely ruined in the Google era.

Kirtley then asked the panel whether they supported

right to a fair trial.”

—Jane Kirtley

I think the danger of having a visualization of the court-

allowing cameras in courtrooms. According to Kirtley,

room can contribute to the trashing of those innocent

Minnesota was among the most restrictive states

people.” The remainder of the forum included a Q&A

regarding allowing audio and video recording in courts,

session with the audience.

despite a July 2, 2018, order by the Minnesota Supreme Court allowing audio and video recording in most criminal

Silha Center activities are made possible by a generous

proceedings “after a guilty plea has been accepted or a

endowment from the late Otto and Helen Silha.

guilty verdict has been returned.”

Levy Armstrong said that she supported cameras in HUBBARD SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION

21

EVENTS

VISUAL LEARNERS A recap of Northern Exposure.

More than 100 visual storytellers descended on Murphy Hall Feb. 7-8, 2019, to attend the School’s relaunched visual symposium, Northern Exposure. The two-day conference was filled with guest speakers, breakout sessions, hands-on access to photography gear, networking, awards and more.

Hubbard School senior Jack Rodgers was named College Photographer of the Year by Visual MN during the conference.

Richard Koci Hernandez, an award-winning multimedia producer, opened Saturday’s sessions with “Everything you know about photography is wrong — and that’s okay.”

Bea Chang, KARE-11, with help from Hannah Foslien, Getty Sports, Carly Danek, KARE-11 and Ann Arbor Miller, freelancer, discussed dealing with sexism in the field.

22

Above: Deborah Pastner, director of photo and video at the Star Tribune, talked about how to build a better portfolio.

MURPHY REPORTER ❙ Summer 2019

Save the date!

Cheryl Diaz Meyer, a Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer known for her coverage of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, presented “Empathy and objectivity can co-exist in photojournalism.”

Next year’s Northern Exposure takes place April 3-5, 2020, at Murphy Hall.

For more information, visit northernexposuremn.org.

ALL PHOTOS BY BRIAN BASHAM

Top: Chad Nelson of KARE-11 and NPPA TV Photographer and Editor of the Year presented “Good storytelling brings people to life, great storytelling keeps them alive forever.”

EVENTS

SPRING SHOWCASE Jörg Pierach and many others were honored at the annual event.

BY AMANDA FRETHEIM GATES MORE THAN 200 SUPPORTERS OF THE HUBBARD SCHOOL of Journalism and Mass Communication came out to McNamara Alumni Center to celebrate the accomplishments of students, donors and alumni. Held on April 25, 2019, the event welcomed old friends and new faces, providing the chance for reconnection and networking.

The popular Student Showcase opened the event, with 20 groups of students sharing their work from the past academic year. Undergraduate groups like Ad Club, the National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC), and the field-based practicum courses participated, as did graduate students who showcased their research.

The program opened with a welcome from Director Elisia Cohen and dinner. After dinner, Cohen returned to the stage to thank donors, faculty and staff, and congratulate scholarship, fellowship and award recipients.

Cohen highlighted many achievements from the past academic year, including the School’s reaccreditation, a soaring undergraduate graduation rate, and several

ALL PHOTOS BY PATRICK O'LEARY.

research efforts.

Jörg Pierach accepts the Award for Excellence (top); senior Jessica Hart speaks about her undergrad experience (center); and Ph.D. student Scott Memmel thanks donors.

“In the past year, we have developed programs and proposals heightening attention to emerging challenges and opportunities of the digital information environment,” she said. “Our goal through the work of the Minnesota Journalism Center, Silha Center for the Study of Media Ethics and Law, and the Mithun program in advertising is to build a research portfolio in the School that examines how digital information exposures, processing, and effects combine to influence an informed citizenry. These issues also bear upon our teaching of journalism, strategic communication, and media professionals.”

Cohen highlighted the new faculty and staff who have joined the School in the last year and those who the HUBBARD SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION

23

EVENTS School plans to welcome in Fall 2019 (see page

mention eating and sleeping at least once

2). She also touted the success of the Director’s

a week. However, the kind and generous

Circle, the giving society that was launched

donations from our donors make it easier. This

by the School in 2018. Since the 2018 Spring

year, graduate students received more than

Showcase, donors have supported the School

$100,000 in fellowships thanks to that gen-

through gifts totaling more than $1.2 million.

erosity, allowing students to conduct exciting

“Nearly 20 percent of that amount comes

new research, teach courses, and, yes, to eat a

from small gifts,” she said. “And there is so

hearty meal more than once a week.”

much power in small gifts. Those dollars allow

Next, Jacque Smith of the Alumni Society

the School to say ‘yes’ more when it comes

Board came to the stage to introduce the

to valuable, one-time opportunities for our

2019 Above the Fold recipients. Four alumni

students, like sending students to important

under 40 years of age were recognized for

conferences and professional workshops.”

their accomplishments: Riham Feshir (B.A. ’08)

Cohen then took the time to highlight several

of MPR News; Elizabeth Giorgi (B.A. ’07) of

new scholarships created over the past year.

Mighteor; Kareem Rahma (B.A. ’08) of Name-

The Leon C. Carr and Donnie Cronin Carr

less Network; and Andy Thieman (B.A. ’01) of

Memorial Scholarship fund was established for

Weber Shandwick. (For more on the Above the

undergraduate students intending to pursue

Fold winners, see page 39.)

careers in public relations. The Ellen and DC

To end the evening, Alumni Society

“Chuck” Wartella estate gift will be used for a

Board President Tanya Wright, introduced

doctoral student research and travel fund. Elena

the 2019 Award for Excellence recipient, Jörg

Mickelson pledged to the Sig Mickelson Family

Pierach (B.A. ’89). Pierach is a marketer and

Fellowship for Media Ethics. Kris Wenker cre-

entrepreneur and the founder of Fast Horse, a

ated a scholarship for undergraduate students

Minneapolis-based integrated creative agency

who demonstrate an interest in pursuing print

he established in 2001. The agency’s client

or broadcast careers after graduation (see page

roster includes a wide variety of local, regional,

26). Finally, Elizabeth and Michael Cooper cre-

national and even international companies and

ated the Ben Fouquette Memorial Scholarship

organizations, including The Coca-Cola Com-

fund in memory of their nephew who died during

pany, Heineken, Deluxe Corp and General Mills.

his senior year at the University.

Pierach is also the Chair of the Board of

Cohen then introduced Jessica Hart, a

Overseers of the University of Minnesota Col-

senior and the recipient of the Hubbard Radio

lege of Liberal Arts’ student-run CLAgency. He

Scholarship. Hart spoke about her time at the

is the creator and producer of The Battle, an

School, thanked donors for the more than

industry event that raises scholarship money for

$250,000 in undergraduate scholarship awards,

diverse students at the U of M’s College of Lib-

and illustrated how scholarships such as hers

eral Arts who are seeking a career in advertising

help offset the expense of an education she

or public relations.

alone was paying for. Hart was the founder of

After Pierach arrived on stage, he talked

the new Women in Sports Media student group

about his dream to attend the journalism

during the 2018-19 academic year. The group

school from the young age of 12, when his

was very successful and will live on without Hart

father would bring home the Minnesota Daily

now that she’s graduated.

for him to read. After college he was mentored

After Hart, Ph.D. student Scott Memmel, recipient of the Hubbard Graduate Fellowship, spoke to the group. Memmel is a research assistant in the Silha Center for the Study of Media Ethics and Law and editor of the Bulletin.

“Graduate school is not easy,” said Memmel.

“It throws a lot at you, whether it be research obligations or homework and grading, not to 24

MURPHY REPORTER ❙ Summer 2019

by former Hubbard School alumni Dave Mona (Above) Students showcase their work.

(Opposite page, clockwise from top left) Riham Feshir, Above the Fold recipient; the family of Award for Excellence recipient, Jörg Pierach; Hubbard School donor Diane Lund and guest; Mr. and Mrs. Hubbard visit the Student Showcase; Above the Fold recipient Kareem Rahma and his mother; alumni board president Tanya Wright; the Spring Showcase crowd at McNamara Alumni Center.

and Scott Meyer, the founders of Mona, Meyer & McGrath (now Weber Shandwick), where he would intern and soon work full-time for the next decade. Both Mona and Meyer are former Award for Excellence recipients, and Pierach said, “it’s a profound honor to be included among them."

EVENTS

HUBBARD SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION

25

WHY I GIVE

KRISTEN SMITH WENKER (B.A. ’80)

In response to attacks on the free press, this alum decided to do something about it.

BY KATIE DOHMAN KRISTEN SMITH WENKER GRADUATED summa cum laude from the University of Minnesota in June 1980. Following graduation, Wenker joined the corporate communications department at General Mills and quickly ascended from interning to writing the annual report to interacting with Wall Street analysts, institutional investors, and individual shareholders.

Wenker earned her Masters in Business Administration from the University of Minnesota in 1985. But she credits the skills she learned at the Hubbard School for her job. Wenker retired in 2015 as a senior vice president of General Mills and head of its Investor Relations Department for 15 years.

In 2018, Wenker reached out to the Department of Institutional Advancement, wanting to start a scholarship for students in the Hubbard School. She created the Kristen Smith Wenker Journalism Scholarship for undergraduate students who demonstrate an interest in pursuing print or broadcast careers after graduation. We talked to Wenker about her career and her motivation for giving back.

ON HER EDUCATIONAL JOURNEY

“The University of Minnesota was the only college I applied to in 1976. My idea going into college was that I was interested in business and working with language. I thought I’d major in German, minor in business, and go to work with a multinational company in Germany. After freshman year, it was really clear the German department was prepared to make me a Ph.D. in German literature, but not fluent in colloquial German and a successful employee in Germany. I love liberal arts and didn’t want to leave CLA. I thought, ‘What else can I get a degree in that will lead to a job?’ And so, the journalism school.”

THE IMPORTANCE OF MENTORS

“One of the first things I did as a journalism student was attend a PRSSA student group presentation. There was a fabulous graduate student who was looking for people to help her on a pro bono basis at Ramsey County Foster Care to attract more host families into the foster care program. That was Lynn Casey, who is now the head of Padilla. She’s turned into a juggernaut, and the rest is history.”

26

MURPHY REPORTER ❙ Summer 2019

WORKING WOMAN

“Those of us who graduated in June of 1980 came into a tough job environment. Many of us in the journalism program were looking for any toehold we could get, including post-degree internships. Anything to get in front of someone and a chance to prove yourself.

“Back then it was still Virginia Slims, bring home the

“If we have more fabulous people coming up through

bacon and fry it up in the pan and make it all work—

strong, well-

and that was a new thought. Title IX passed when I

resourced,

was in eighth grade, so I was among the first women showing up in college thinking I could be a CEO or

well-funded

come close. But you had to see other women with the

J-schools

same ambition. And you needed people who looked at

that know the

you and said, 'You can do this!'

“That’s how I got in at General Mills. I thought I was only there for 12 weeks but I hoped they’d think I was worth keeping. Halfway through the summer the boss running the corporate communications department

difference between entertainment

asked if I wanted to stay. I worked for him for 17

and news

years.”

reporting, that

WHY THIS SCHOLARSHIP

“I’m thinking about supporting people headed toward print or broadcast journalism. I think right now with the profession under attack, we must have the best and brightest deciding they’re going to be the kind of reporter

would be a help to our democracy.”

SCHOLARSHIP

FACULTY

we were being raised to be. I

COLIN AGUR received two grants to

as part of the Prevention Research

support research of mobile phone

Center (PRC) network for the

sequence, but I still had to take the

usage. The first is a Seed Grant for

2019-2024 funding cycle. Cohen

class. You needed to substantiate

Social Science Research from the

previously was a co-investigator with

facts with more than one source,

College of Liberal Arts and will sup-

the University of Kentucky PRC. The

get people on the record, and you

port a collaborative project in Puerto

2019-2024 PRC program will fund

didn’t insert your opinion. If you

Rico, focusing on understanding

25 academic institutions to conduct

were telling news, you reported the

network vulnerabilities and resilience.

applied public health prevention

facts. We’re losing track of that in

The second is from the Imagine

research. Funded PRCs will develop,

both print and broadcast media.

was not in the print journalism

Fund Grant and will support a study

test, and evaluate public health

“The press is far from being

of mobile payment and social life

interventions for wide application,

the ‘enemy of people.’ There is

in Kenya. Agur will put these two

particularly in underserved commu-

no more protective organization

grants to use during an upcoming

nities, based on the latest science.

in a democracy than a free and

single-semester leave in fall 2019.

The Minnesota research team will

uncensored press. I want more super-bright liberal arts people to decide journalism is where they need to end up.

“If we have more fabulous

be focused on improving health

VALERIE BELAIR-GAGNON received

see the full list of awardees visit

and Scholarship from the Office of

www.cdc.gov/prc.

“Peripheral actors, collaboration, and

strong, well-resourced, well-

news innovation: Journalism’s trans-

funded J-schools that know the

formation with automation and AI.”

and news reporting, that would

After winning a Talle Faculty

Research Award, GIOVANNA

DELL'ORTO has been researching the interplay of rising public anxieties

MATT CARLSON co-edited a special

and left-leaning populism, and a

ceptualizing Change in Journalism

deepening confidence crisis for pro-

Studies” that was published in May.

fessional journalism in the Americas

“I have a beautiful life. So much

The issue invited leading journalism

and Europe.

of that traces back to the fact

studies scholars to question whether

that I have a college degree. I

a focus on transformations happen-

GAYLE GOLDEN serves on an Acad-

had an ability to get a really good

ing across the news industry has

emy of Distinguished Teacher’s

job, have a fun career, and meet

meant downplaying long-standing

task force on Classroom Climate

incredible people. I learned about

structural concerns. In the issue,

and Community Conversations

things I wouldn’t even have

Carlson’s article (co-written with

and is slated to speak at the ADT

thought to be curious about. I’ve

Seth C. Lewis) calls for researchers

conference in September about

been giving to the CLA General

to more overtly acknowledge the

this past spring’s Jour 4193 course

Fund for a number of years.

context of time when conducting

AccessU: Beyond the Cities. She

When I sent in my contribution

research on journalism.

also continues to serve on the Uni-

ON GIVING BACK

for 2018, I said, ‘I want to send this as an endowed scholarship and here’s what I want to call it

Jisu Huh

about migration, the success of right

issue of Journalism titled “Con-

be a help to our democracy.”

Valerie BelairGagnon

the Vice Provost for her project on

people coming up through

difference between entertainment

outcomes in greater Minnesota. To

a Grant-in-Aid of Research, Artistry,

Colin Agur

versity’s Liberal Education Redesign

ELISIA COHEN has partnered with colleagues in the School of Nursing,

Committee.

and how I want it to work, and

Medicine and Department of Pedi-

JISU HUH chaired the American

I assume someone will contact

atrics to improve adolescent health

Academy of Advertising (AAA) 2019

me.’ They did!”

communication during medical visits

Global Conference, held in Beijing, HUBBARD SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION

27

SCHOLARSHIP

China in July. She organized this international conference in collaboration with Professor Gang Chen at Peking University and the China Advertising Association. Under the theme of “Smart Communication for a Digital World,” the conference served as an important forum for intellectual exchange and cross-national collaboration among advertising scholars, educators, and practitioners from around the world. During her visit to Beijing, Huh also attended the China Advertising 40th Anniversary Forum,

thinking you know: The relationship

Paulo. The lecture was partnered with

between multiscreening and political

Enois (a journalism agency and school)

learning” shows that multiscreening,

and Agencia Mural de Jornalismo das

or using a device like a smartphone

Periferias (a news agency). On May 3,

while watching TV news and

she delivered a lecture at Escola de Noticias in Sao Paulo. On May 6, she

debates, was associated with higher levels of thinking about politics,

Rebekah Nagler

the Digital Age” at the headquarters of

and greater confidence about

Diario Do Para in Belem, the second

political knowledge, but lower actual

most read daily newspaper in Para.

knowledge, raising the possibility

Finally on May 7, she spoke at Correio

that multiscreening contributes to

Braziliense in Brasilia.

an overconfidence about political knowledge. The study suggests

which celebrated the important mile-

As chairman of the Radio Television Hyejoon Rim

stone of 40th anniversary of modern advertising in China.

presented to Sen. Amy Klobuchar RTDNF’s First Amendment Defender

the client for the final project was

Award.

Mall of America. Mall of America is launching a “body positivity” initiative and they were looking for ideas to

Errol Salamon

reach the 18- to 34-year-old market.

issue salience - a case study about

integrated marketing communications plan. The client was impressed with the presentations and the quality of

STACEY KANIHAN, CLAIRE SEGIJN and Patrick Meirick (HSJMC Ph.D. program alum and associate professor at the University of Oklahoma) presented a study in May 2019 to the Political Communication Division at the International Communication Association annual conference in May. The study “Thinking, knowing or 28

MURPHY REPORTER ❙ Summer 2019

Fernando Severino had a paper, Information seeking as a proxy for

a 25-minute presentation of their

students presented.

SUSAN LORUSSO and graduate student “Immigration news and online search:

On May 1, 2019, each team made

implement some of the ideas that the

SCOTT LIBIN spoke at the First

13, 2019, in Washington, D.C., and

munication Campaigns spring class

on, indicating that they will be able to

Digital News Foundation (RTDNF), Amendment Awards gala on March

In MARK JENSON’s Strategic Com-

the plans that the four teams worked

presented a lecture “Press Freedom in

Scott Libin and Sen. Amy Klobuchar

that multiscreening may encourage active political participation, such as attending rallies or donating money, but may detract from the concentration needed to learn, and the knowledge required to ensure an informed electorate.

JANE KIRTLEY spent World Press Freedom Day and the following week in Brazil. On May 2, 2019, she delivered a lecture at Casa do Povo in Sao

SCHOLARSHIP

Chile” accepted in the Mass Commu-

both at the International Association

BENJAMIN TOFF received a Grant-

nication division at the International

of Business Communicators (IABC)

in-Aid of Research, Artistry, and

Communication Association confer-

World Conference in Vancouver,

Scholarship from the Office of the

ence in May.

B.C., and the Canadian Public Rela-

Vice Provost to continue his research

tions Society’s National Conference

on news avoidance. The grant will

in Edmonton, A.B., this past June.

go toward supporting fieldwork this

REGINA MCCOMBS hosted a webinar in March for The Poynter Institute on

Matthew Weber

summer and in early 2020 in Iowa

“Choosing the Best Photos for the

HYEJOON RIM, along with graduate

Story” aimed at helping reporters

students Jisu Kim and Chuqing

understand how to communicate

Dong, had “A cross‐national com-

MATTHEW WEBER received a major

more effectively with photos. She

parison of transparency signaling

grant from the William T. Grant

also hosted two sessions at the New

in corporate social responsibility

Foundation ($955,012) to support

York Press Association conference in

reporting: The United States, South

a research project entitled “Active

Albany in April on “Five Simple Ways

Korea, and China cases” published

surveillance of policy ecosystems

in Corporate Social Responsibility

and networks (ASPEN) to enhance

and Environmental Management.

brokering of research evidence into

to Improve Your Photographs” and

Marco Yzer

“Choosing the Best Photos for Your Story.”

ERROL SALAMON won two grants in

The central study from REBEKAH

amidst the presidential campaigning.

state policymaking.” The three-year project is an interdisciplinary collab-

April 2019: a $1,000 Teaching Inno-

oration with the New Jersey Alliance

vation Grant from TeachingSupport@

on Mental Illness (NAMI), and Itzhak

Research Careers in Women’s Health

UMN, and a $1,500 Partnership for

Yanovitzky (Rutgers U.), Cynthia Blitz

(BIRCWH) experiment “Effects

Affordable Content Grant from UMN

(Center for Effective School Practices

of media exposure to conflicting

Libraries.

and Rutgers Graduate School of

NAGLER’s Building Interdisciplinary

information about mammography:

Education), Brian Chu (Rutgers

Results from a population-based

CLAIRE SEGIJN received the 2019

survey experiment” was published

American Academy of Advertising

Professional Psychology), and Ashley

in Annals of Behavioral Medicine this

(AAA) Research Fellowship Award for

Koning (Director, Eagleton Center for

past winter.

her proposal, “Synced advertising: A

Public Interest Polling). The research

new effective advertising strategy?”

is designed to address policymaking

Segijn and her research partner

challenges to address the growing

Hilde Voorveld of the University of

problem of adolescent depression in

Chuqing Dong, took home the top

Amsterdam were awarded at the AAA

schools at the state level.

paper award for the PR Division at

conference in Dallas in March 2019.

AMY O’CONNOR, along with graduate students Scott Memmel and

the International Communication

Claire Segijn

Graduate School of Applied and

MARCO YZER presented at the

Association conference for their

CHRISTOPHER TERRY, along with

paper, “Unpacking the complexities

media law graduate students Scott

health equity series on “The potential

of corrective action: Insights from the

Memmel, Jonathan Anderson, and

of health communication to address

NFL’s concussion crisis.”

Sarah Wiley, led a panel discussion

health equity challenges: A tailored

of their project on the role of the

approach” in February. He also

state action doctrine in the age of

published “Beliefs underlying stress

research on gender differences in

social media at the Popular Culture

reduction and depression help-seek-

communication styles and their influ-

Association conference in Washing-

ing among college students: An

ence on workplace communication

ton, D.C.

elicitation study” in the Journal of

AMELIA REIGSTAD presented her

and the practice of public relations

Hennepin University Partnership

American College Health.

HUBBARD SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION

29

LEARNING

GRADUATE STUDENT NEWS

MICHELLE CHEN received the Top Student Paper award from the Communication and Technology

annual seminar, which was held in

and organizations, and aims at

July in Washington, D.C.

developing effective and efficient counter-rumor strategies that are

(CAT) Division of the International

CHUQING DONG and SCOTT MEMMEL

Communication Association (ICA).

co-authored a paper with Professor

fied. Xinyu Lu’s project, “The effects

Michelle’s research and paper

Amy O’Connor titled “Unpacking

of consumers’ affect on attention

“Growing and sustaining a move-

the complexities of corrective

to and engagement with ads,”

ment: Role of Women’s March MN

action: Insights from the NFL’s

addresses the important question

Facebook page” examined Wom-

concussion crisis response” that

of consumers’ selective attention to

en’s March Minnesota and its use of

won a Top Faculty Paper award for

ads, and examines the influence of

social media in facilitating political

the Public Relations Division at the

consumers’ affective states during

engagement and collective action.

International Communication Asso-

media exposure on their selective

ciation conference in May 2019.

attention to ads and differential

HYEJIN KIM became a tenure-track

theory-based and empirically-justi-

processing of them.

assistant professor in the College of Communication at DePaul University.

JISU KIM became a postdoc resident fellow with The Information Society Project at Yale Law School.

BRUCE BAUER

XINYU LU became a tenure-track

Mary Cornelius (left).

assistant professor at Shanghai International Studies University in Shanghai, China.

The School’s Ralph D. Casey Dissertation Research Award

MARY CORNELIUS, a professional

went to HYEJIN KIM and XINYU LU.

Scott Memmel (left).

SCOTT MEMMEL’s paper “Crossing constitutional boundaries: Searches

master’s student and communi-

This is the highest honor given by

and seizures of journalists’ and

cations specialist at Eagle Ridge

the School faculty for graduate

other travelers’ electronic devices

Academy, a public K-12 charter

student achievement, and provides

at U.S. borders” won the Top

school in Minnetonka, received the

recognition for the best Ph.D.

Student Paper award for the Law &

Minnesota School Public Relations

dissertation project of the year

Policy Division at the 2019 AEJMC

Association’s Bruce Bauer New

and a monetary reward. Hyejin

Southeast Colloquium held at the

Professional Award. The award

Kim’s dissertation project, “The

University of South Carolina in

honors school communicators

role of trust in rumor suppression

March 2019. He also served as a

who have made an impact in their

on social media: A multi-method

speaker and discussion facilitator at

districts within their first three years

approach applying the trust scores

Gustavus Adolphus College’s 2019

in their position. It includes a paid

in social media (TSM) algorithm,”

Mayday Conference “War on the

scholarship to attend the National

tackles the fast-rising problem

Press: At Home and Abroad” held

School Public Relations Association

of rumors that damage brands

on May 1, 2019.

30

MURPHY REPORTER ❙ Summer 2019

STAFF NEWS

MICHAELE MYERS and WEIJIA SHI presented their paper “Media use and individual profiles: Unpacking their influence on the likelihood to endorse misbeliefs about politicized science topics” for the Environmental Communication Division at the International Communication Association conference in May.

FERNANDO SEVERINO and faculty member Susan LoRusso had a paper, “Immigration news and online search: Information seeking as a proxy for issue salience - a case study about Chile” accepted in the Mass Communication division at the International Communication Association conference in May.

ALLISON STEINKE presented a poster of her research “Episodic activism and awareness: A frame analysis of internationally oriented anti-trafficking NGO blogs” for the Global Communication and Social Change Division at the International Communication Association conference in May. She also had an encyclopedia article published in the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Communication in February

SUE COULING (top, right) received the College of Liberal Arts 2018-2019 Outstanding Service Award on Feb. 7, 2019 at McNamara Alumni Center. The award celebrates the many outstanding contributions of staff members in CLA.

JULIE GOLIAS and MARY ACHARTZ HAVERTY both received the first-annual Dedication to Graduate Students Award presented by the Hubbard School Graduation Student Organization (GSO) to honor School faculty and staff as a way of recognizing their dedication to graduate students. The 2018-2019 GSO President Scott Memmel

2019 titled “Mobile Applications

created the award in hopes it will be presented annually for years to

and Journalistic Work.” She

come.

also will be presenting a paper, “The emergence of social justice journalism,” in the Newspaper and Online News Division

ERIKA NELSON was one of 25 College of Liberal Arts staff members to complete the 2019 CLA Administrative Leaders Program.

at this summer’s annual AEJMC Conference in Toronto.

HUBBARD SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION

31

LEARNING

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT NEWS

NSAC TAKES THIRD The Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication’s National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC) team placed third in the District 8 competition held April 13, 2019. Six schools (UMN, South Dakota State, UMN-Duluth, University of North Dakota, St. Cloud State and University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh) competed on the West Bank campus.

The teams were tasked with developing an integrated communications campaign for Wienerschnitzel to pitch to a panel of judges.

In addition to third place, the team also received an ICF Next Award for Best Team Chemistry, an ICF Next Award for Best Consistent Creative Campaign, and an individual award for Outstanding Individual Presenter, which was awarded to team member Nick Furlong.

Over the course of the year, the Hubbard School NSAC team grew to more than 20 members. The team also had help from alumni and faculty over the course of the year. “Our team made a terrific presentation,” said Mark Jenson, the team’s faculty advisor. “They were well rehearsed and owned the stage. To say that I was proud of what they accomplished is an understatement. They represented the U of M and HSJMC very well.”

UMN SPJ IN THE DIGITAL AGE During the 2018-2019 school year, the University of Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists focused on events that would equip student journalists with necessary tools to succeed in the digital age.

They invited Nick Halter from the 32

MURPHY REPORTER ❙ Summer 2019

Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal for a conversation about how business journalism differs from typical beat reporting.

The group visited the Star Tribune for a tour of the newsroom and a discussion with Sue Campbell and Tom Horgen about how the newspaper is transitioning to survive in the digital age. The group also spoke with the Star Tribune’s MaryJo Webster and Andy Mannix about data journalism.

Brian Bakst from Minnesota Public Radio and Dave Orrick from the St. Paul Pioneer Press visited the group to talk about covering the 2018 midterms. Tom Scheck from APM Reports led a workshop on how to use social media as an investigative tool. He convinced the group to

PRSSA PROMOTES NETWORKING PRSSA started the year by welcoming 39 new chapter members. The group hosted guest speakers this year from many different industries including corporate, healthcare, film, social and agency, and they toured many area organizations including Padilla, Lola Red, Carmichael Lynch, ICF Next and the Mall of America. In January, the group took a trip to Boston where they toured Weber Shandwick Boston, Converse, PAN Communications, Shift Communications and the Sam Adams Boston Brewery. They also had chapter representation at many PRSA events such as Inside PR: Ignite Your Future Career and PR North, as well as many area networking events hosted by local

clean up their profiles and make social media a necessary part of backgrounding people.

The group was able to send a couple members, as well as next year’s

NSAC team takes third.

leadership, to the Midwest Journalism Conference.

They attended sessions on landing a first job, covering crises in your backyard, essential rules of investigative reporting and reporting on Native Americans.

UMN SPJ visits the Star Tribune.

LEARNING

agencies. The PRSSA student agency,

hopes to place an emphasis on

Fusion, spent the year working with

in-depth, investigative reporting and

the local Insomnia Cookies store on

expand the photo desk.

a social strategy. The end of the year brought the group’s annual Twin Cities

GWIWON NAM participated in the

Day of Tours where they toured Weber

Undergraduate Research Opportuni-

Shandwick Minneapolis, Xcel Energy

ties Program (UROP), which provides

and the Minnesota Twins. The group

all undergraduates, regardless of

also hosted its annual spring Profes-

college, major or discipline, the

sional Networking Night and a career

opportunity to partner with a faculty

readiness workshop.

member on research, scholarly or

NATHAN CASPAR participated in the

creative project. Nam partnered with Assistant Professor Claire Segijn

Dean’s First-Year Research and

on his research project “Advertising

Creative Scholars program which

effectiveness of media multitasking in

engages outstanding first-year

a Korean population.”

students with faculty scholars by recruiting outstanding students to the college; creating an early opportunity for students to interact with faculty members at a premier university; and highlighting faculty scholarship that engages undergraduate students.

Caspar worked with Assistant Professor Claire Segijn on his project “Synced advertising: A new way to target.”

HANNAH ENGEL was a recipient of one of three MIMA student $1,000 scholarships. Hannah completed a business case and presented it to the MIMA board.

CLEO KREJCI was named Minnesota Daily Editor in Chief for the 2019-2010

NATALIE RADEMACHER will take over as president for the University chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists during 2019-2020.

JACK RODGERS finished in top 20 for the Hearst Journalism Awards in the Picture Story/Series category.

PRSSA on an agency tour (top left); Hannah Engle (center) with her MIMA scholarship (top right); Gwiwon Nam with his research (below, top photo); and Nathan Caspar's research poster (below, bottom photo).

Rodgers was also named College Photographer of the Year by Visual MN at this year’s Northern Exposure visual storytelling conference.

Three students were honored at the Minnesota Public Relations Society of America’s Classic Awards in May.

JACK NACHTIGAL earned the Dr. Willard Thompson Scholarship as well as a complimentary PRSA membership.

SCHUYLER MCKINLEY was a Student Classic Winner for news/feature

writing. LEAH COMINS was a Student Classic Winner for digital projects.

The students in the MAGAZINE EDIT-

ING AND PRODUCTION CLASS created Flourish, a student-led magazine that surpasses the boundaries of sustainability. Through intentional, informational and impartial storytelling, the students explored what is takes to not only survive, but thrive as a diverse University of Minnesota community. The magazine inspired readers to make the limited last.

academic year. She’s been an intern, staff reporter and features editor. She HUBBARD SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION

33

LEARNING

MEET A STUDENT: ISABELLA SOGARD. She is double-majoring in mass communication and political science.

INTERVIEW BY ELIZABETH BRUNETTE

Q What journalism class or

Isabella Sogard is a senior in the

professor has had the biggest impact on you?

Hubbard School. While she started out in the strategic communica-

A It’s hard to pinpoint one profes-

tion track, she switched to mass

sor or class that stood out among the rest because I have had so

communication because it aligned

many great experiences at the

better with her interests. The

school. I took both Introduction to Mass Communication and

double major is from North Dakota

Administrative Law and Regulation

and has augmented her education

for Strategic Communication with

with both experiences abroad and

Chris Terry and loved the classes

internships.

as well as his teaching style. Susan

Q Why did you decide to become

favorite professors. She managed

LoRusso has also been one of my

a journalism major focused on mass communication?

to carry out the exceptional task of making sometimes tedious material

A It took me my first couple of

enjoyable and engaging in Information for Mass Communication.

years in college to figure out what degree I wanted to pursue. In

Q What minors, internships, or

high school, I enjoyed humanities classes like history and English, and I participated in my school’s journalism classes. When deciding what classes to take as an incoming freshman, my advisor encouraged me to enroll in Introduction to Mass Communication. The class really opened my eyes to the program and made me realize my interest in journalism. When accepted to the school during the spring semester of my sophomore year in the strategic communication track, I quickly realized that my favorite parts about studying journalism were more in line with the mass communication track. I love the flexibility that the mass communication track offers and that it allows me to explore so many different aspects of journalism, including the economic, political, legal, and sociological impacts it has on society.

34

MURPHY REPORTER ❙ Summer 2019

Q What has been your favorite part of your experience at the Hubbard School?

A My favorite part of my experience at the Hubbard School

has been the connections I have made with people both in and out of class. There is such a massive mutual respect between journalism students to the point where I have never felt intimidated or afraid of speaking up in class. I also enjoy how journalism classes and professors always prioritize candid discussions on all topics. I sincerely believe that the people I have met at Hubbard School are people I will stay connected with for the rest of my professional career.

There is such a massive mutual respect between journalism students to the point where I have never felt intimidated or afraid of speaking up in class.

activities are you pursuing outside of your major? How do you think these enhance your study of journalism and/or your future career plans?

A In addition to journalism, I am also pursuing a major in political

science. I have found that the mass communication track has greatly complemented my second major. I have also taken part in a couple of different study abroad programs, including a freshman seminar in Germany and a May session in South Africa. During the summer of 2018, I participated in an internship in Washington, D.C., in the U.S. Senate. During this internship, I had the opportunity to gain experience both on the legislative side and communications side. All of these different experiences have shaped my career goals as well as given

ALUMNI

ALUMNI NEWS

me new perspectives that I have been able to take back with me into class.

Q What journalism course

would you recommend for other students on your track?

A Some of my favorite courses

EMILY ALLEN (B.A. ’18) was accepted as a 2019 corps member for Report for America. Allen will be based in Charleston, West Virginia, and work under the mentorship of senior reporter, Dave Mistich, on the public affairs beat, including coverage of the legislative session. She will work

in the mass communication track

primarily in audio. Report for America

have been the ones that focus on

deploys outstanding emerging jour-

the historical perspective of jour-

nalists into newsrooms around the

nalism. My favorite class in this

country to report on under-covered

area, and the one course I would

topics and communities.

recommend to other students in the mass communication track, is Media in American History and Law: Case Studies with Sid Bed-

HAILEY ALMSTED (B.A. ’19) accepted a position as an editorial assistant at Tiger Oak Media in Minneapolis.

ingfield. My favorite part of the class was covering the impact of journalism during the civil rights

JASON BAKKER (B.A. ’00) started a new job as the head of U.S. Media

era.

for Alexander Mann Solutions.

Q What advice do you have

AMANDA BARTSCHENFELD (B.A. ’07)

for future Hubbard School students?

A Connect, both in a networking

was promoted at Medtronic and is now the senior manager of inclusion and diversity.

this throughout her college career,

EMMALYNN BAUER (B.A. ’12) started as director of communications

I can not stress enough that you

at the Minnesota Department of

should go to office hours and stay

Commerce.

in touch with your professors.

of Mother Jones, was one of the 2019 I.F. Stone Medal for Journalistic Independence recipients, in recognition of her enduring support of investigative reporting and independent journalists.

CHRISTIAN BETANCOURT (B.A. ’06) started as the senior manager of advertising and social media at Anytime Fitness.

PHAVANNA NINA BOUPHASAVANH (B.A. ’03) is the chief storyteller at I Heart Storytelling, where she creates written, visual, and audio content for corporations, nonprofits, small businesses, artists, and those in need of a personalized approach to their marketing and branding efforts.

LAUREN BUCH (Ph.D. ’18) became a tenure-track marketing communications assistant professor in the Department of Communication and

sense and a personal sense. As

someone who has struggled with

MONIKA BAUERLEIN (B.A. ’91), CEO

Media Studies at the University of Wisconsin­—River Falls.

LORYN CALDIE (B.A. ’11) was promoted to digital campaign manager

Especially at the Hubbard School, professors have outstanding industry advice and can be a source of guidance throughout your professional career. Also, connect with your classmates.

Your peers in class are the same people you will be working with after graduation. Maintaining meaningful connections with these people is worth it.

Emmalynn Bauer HUBBARD SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION

35

ALUMNI

at Minnesota Public Radio. This is her second promotion since starting at MPR in 2014.

which he wrote under co-advisers Professor Jane Kirtley, of the Hubbard School, and Professor Susanna Blumenthal, of the Law School.

SCOTT CARLSON (B.A. ’75) became

currently one of the youngest female chief editors in the Twin Cities market.

DANNY OLSEN (B.A ’04) has been named the new vice president of

managing editor of The Park Bugle, a

consumer banking communication

nonprofit community monthly whose

for TCF Bank. He oversees the team

circulation area includes St. Anthony

responsible for delivering executive

Park and parts of Como Park in St.

and internal communication pro-

Paul and the cities of Falcon Heights

grams for the consumer banking

and Lauderdale. He is also the author

organization. Prior to joining TCF,

of a new book published by The

Danny was a global communications

History Press titled Twin Cities Beer: A Heady History.

manager at 3M.

KATHRYN CHLYSTEK (B.A. ’18) works

MARK PLENKE (M.A. ’87) received a lifetime achievement award for

at FRWD@Bain & Company in Minneapolis doing digital media consulting. She is also vice president

Mukhtar Ibrahim

next year and past-president the

California State University, Chico,

MUKHTAR IBRAHIM (B.A. ’11)

year after that.

founded Sahan Journal, a nonprofit

SARAH COOMBER (M.A. ’96) wrote

to be a “one-stop shop for all things

The Same Moon, a memoir about

KATIE DOHMAN (B.A. ’03) won two

an opportunity to improve their skills.

Minnesota Parent magazine, including for Best Column for her monthly column “World’s Okayest Mom” and for Best Feature for her article “The

upcoming journalists and give them

HILLARY KLINE (B.A. ’10) became the senior public relations specialist at Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union.

KENDALL MARK (B.A. ’12) became

IUD Is Back (And Better).”

the traffic reporter at Fox 9 News.

PATRICK FILE (M.A. ’09, Ph.D. ’13)

JACK NACHTIGAL (B.A. ’19) joined

wrote Bad News Travels Fast: The Telegraph, Libel, and Press Freedom in the Progressive Era. The book was published by the University of Massachusetts Press in January 2019 and was based on his dissertation, 36

MURPHY REPORTER ❙ Summer 2019

advising in Minnesota and California.

immigrant in Minnesota.” He also plans to mentor students and

Page One awards for her work in

after 25 years of college teaching and

news organization, which he wants

her time in Japan.

Society of Professional Journalists

California Journalism & Media Affiliates. He retired this past spring from

for Ad 2 Minnesota. It’s a three-year commitment; she’ll be president

college newspaper advising from

Carmichael Lynch Relate, the PR team at Carmichael Lynch.

KATE NELSON (B.A. ’07) was named editor-in-chief of Artful Living, where she has worked since 2010. She is

Jenni Pinkley

JENNI PINKLEY (B.A. ’97), MARK VANCLEVE (B.A. ’13) and the late RACHEL CHAZIN (B.A. ’13) received a Best of Photojournalism Award

ALUMNI

WE WANT YOUR NEWS!

for Excellence in the Excellence

GET A PROMOTION?

in Social Media category from the National Press Photographers

LAND A NEW JOB?

Association for their work at the Star Tribune titled “Outta Control, The

RECEIVE AN AWARD?

Twin Cities’ best and most outta control food.” Pinkley also received

WRITE BOOK OR START A BUSINESS?

an honorable mention in video

SHARE YOUR NEWS WITH THE MURPHY REPORTER. SEND UPDATES, INCLUDING YOUR GRADUATION YEAR, TO

editing, and Vancleave received an honorable mention in online video storytelling for “Young musicians find harmony on shores of Lake Vermillion.”

Alex West Steinman

KYLE (WOLFRAM) SHIELY (B.A. ’01) moved from WCCO Radio to MPR News in 2017 and is now the producer of All Things Considered weekdays from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

SAVANNAH SIMMS (B.A. ’19) joined MONO, a strategy, content and production agency in Minneapolis, as an intern after graduation.

JASON SPRENGER (B.A. ’02) was elected to the role of chair-elect of the Midwest district of PRSA. He will serve on the district board in a VP-like capacity in 2019, and in 2020 he will serve as chair of the district.

ALEX WEST STEINMAN (B.A. ’11) was named a 2019 Bush Fellow, one of just 24 leaders chosen from an applicant pool of nearly 700. The Bush Fellowship provides Fellows with up to $100,000 over 12 to 24 months to pursue learning experiences that help them develop leadership skills and attributes.

REBECCA SWENSON (M.A. ’05, Ph.D. ’12), an assistant professor

MURPHREP@UMN.EDU.

in the Department of Agricultural Education, Communication and Marketing in the College of Food,

Five Hubbard School grads

Agricultural and Natural Resource

were honored on Ad Fed Minne-

Sciences received the 2018-19

sota’s 2019 32 Under 32 list of

Horace T. Morse-University of Minnesota Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Contributions to Undergraduate Education.

next generation leaders:

CARLYN JACKSON (B.A. ’15); DANNY KRUEGER (B.A. ’16); ABBY MCNABB (B.A. ’10);

AARON WANGEN (B.A. ’91) recently

CAROLINE RUDZINSKI (B.A. ’10)

founded Kohort Energy LLC, a

and

commercial energy efficiency

LOGAN SCHUMACHER (B.A. ’15).

and sustainability services firm in Mankato, Minn. Prior to pursuing a long-standing interest in sustainability, efficiency, and renewables, he held marketing leadership positions in, and consulted for, a number of ISO-certified and FDA-registered

Wisconsin Sea Grant Program in Superior, Wisconsin. Her podcast for work, “Wisconsin Water News,” earned three AVA Digital Awards

manufacturers.

from the Association of Marketing

MARYAM ZAHID (B.A. ’18) was offered

She also had her first short story

a Fulbright Program position in

published in Going Coastal: An Anthology of Lake Superior Short

MARIE (PRAMANN) ZHUIKOV (B.A.

published her second eco-mys-

senior science communicator at the

If you have news of the death of an HSJMC graduate, please contact murphrep@umn. edu. Please include the name of the deceased, class year, date of death, and if possible, the published obituary.

and Communication Professionals.

Malaysia.

’86, M.A. ’05) was promoted to

SUBMIT AN OBITUARY

Stories (North Star Press) and tic-romance novel, Plover Landing (North Star Press).

HUBBARD SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION

37

ALUMNI

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: MAGGIE HABASHY (B.A. ’07) ❙ BY KATIE DOHMAN Balancing work and life, this alum helped create an inclusive Final Four experience in Minneapolis.

WHEN MAGGIE HABASHY GRADUATED

percent female,

from the Hubbard School in 2007

70 percent

at the ripe old age of 19—yes, you

minority. Kate

read that right—she was ready to

really focused on

travel, eat, and live her best life like

‘OK, we need to

Samantha Brown on Passport to

have a diverse

Wherever.

and inclusive

“That changed very quickly,” she

group and not

said. “I found out I liked producing

just in the team

things. As I matured, I wanted to

we have here, but

change the world. I’m Muslim. I’m

also in vendors

Arab/Egyptian. And I wanted to

we’re using.’”

change the way people thought

Habashy saw the

about Muslims.”

signal: The culture

She tried her hand at the local

and the desire to

Fox affiliate producing weekend

be truly inclusive were priorities, not

shows.

talking points.

“I got to know a lot of PR folks

But she knew that her work/life

and how they tell their stories, so

balance was about to get thrown out

I shifted from telling the news to

of whack. She talked to her husband

making the news,” she said. She

to make sure they had clear expec-

moved to the PR team at Best Buy.

tations to execute both personal and

Then she got married to a mili-

professional lives successfully, and

tary man, moved to Korea, and had

he was on board. Habashy left a full-

a baby. She moved to Seattle. She

time job for this intense six-month

went back to Best Buy, then moved

adventure.

on to Sleep Number, where she led

“It is that much harder for

the corporate responsibility program

working moms,” she said. “We are

from the ground up, among other

constantly feeling guilty and we can’t

corporate communications.

do everything 100 percent and we

Despite all the success she was

want to give 100 percent. That pres-

experiencing, her heart just wasn’t

sure is so hard. It can be suffocating.

in it anymore. “I believe it’s import-

But I have to remember the big

ant to be authentic to who you are,”

picture. I’m going to remember the

she said.

really great work and impact we’re

Which is why when the Final

making.” For example, she said, as

Four came calling, she was all ears.

a Muslim Arab woman hired to lead

The diversity in thought, experience,

external operations for the Final Four,

and ethnicity involved with the proj-

“I hope another little Muslim girl, or

ect grabbed her immediately.

Arab girl thinks, ‘I can do that too.’”

“My boss—CEO and president

A big part of her job with the

Kate Mortenson—is female. The

Final Four was to make sure there

second in command is a black

was something for everyone. First,

woman. Our team was 60 to 70

they had to determine who exactly

38

MURPHY REPORTER ❙ Summer 2019

“everyone” was. Habashy did the research and promotion to make

Maggie Habashy at the Final Four.

sure they were reaching them all, first meeting with the Impact Advisory Group through the city of Minneapolis and then later, doing radio spots on Hmong and Somali stations, among other outreach.

“Events like these bring communities together,” she said. “They build communities together. Everything was free or low-cost. We needed to make sure everyone came—and that they would remember it for years to come.”

She might have gotten her wish.

More than 72,000 fans went to the games on Saturday night, setting an all-time attendance record for U.S. Bank Stadium. And nearly 100,000 people descended on downtown during the three-day weekend, April 6-8, 2019, and its festivities.

“I am so proud of coming in here with six months—which, in the event world is nothing—and executing with excellence,” she said. “I’m sad it’s over. I want to ride this high forever.

It’s a career highlight.”

“I am so proud of coming in here with six months— which, in the event world is nothing—and executing with excellence.”

­—Maggie Habashy

ABOVE THE FOLD

THE ALUMNI SOCIETY BOARD HONORS FOUR UNDER 40 ❙ BY AMANDA FRETHEIM GATES At Spring Showcase, the Alumni Society Board recognized the recipients of the 2019 Above the Fold Awards, which honors alumni under the age of 40 who have made exceptional contributions to their fields.

RIHAM FESHIR (B.A. ’08) is a reporter

around the globe.

at MPR News, where she covers

She is a current

race and immigration. She was

board member

the co-creator of 74 Seconds, an

for the Women

innovative podcast that covered the

Who Startup

first police shooting to go to trial in the

Foundation and

state of Minnesota. The team’s work

the Women in

on the podcast won national awards,

Business National

including a Peabody, Livingston, and

Council’s Next

Third Coast International Audio Festival

Generation Board.

Best Documentary Gold award. Since

In addition to her

joining MPR News in 2015, Riham

smart business

has dug deep into various issues

skills, she excels

important to readers and listeners of

in producing

all communities, all across the state,

documentary and short films that

including mental health and racial

investigate the intricate details of the

inequity. Riham’s nominator, Regina

human condition.

in the Hubbard School.”

MPR, says, “Riham is one of those

KAREEM RAHMA (B.A. ’08) is the

From Best Buy, Target, JCPenney

fairly rare people who is both amaz-

founder of Nameless Network, an

ingly talented and a wonderful human

entertainment company that creates

being. The team that created the 74

and distributes smart video content

Seconds podcast had never done one

for the smartphone generation. In

before, and managed to win some of

aggregate, Nameless Network has

the biggest awards in the industry for

generated more than 20 billion video

their work.”

views since its founding. Kareem

McCombs, who worked with her at

was also director of audience devel-

ELIZABETH GIORGI (B.A. ’07) is an

opment and growth strategy at The

entrepreneur on a mission to make

New York Times and before that, the

quality content available to brands

associate director of global marketing

everywhere. She is the founder of

at VICE, where he led publisher

two successful content companies:

partnerships, portfolio growth and

soona, a same-day photo and video

social audience development. Before

service, and Mighteor, one of the

moving to New York City in 2012, he

world’s first internet video production

helped build and create the social

companies. Mighteor’s innovative

departments at Risdall Marketing

approach to video has helped clients

Group, OLSON, and McNally Smith

achieve more than 500 million organic

College of Music in Minneapolis.

views and receive international media

Kareem’s nominator, John Lutter,

attention. Elizabeth is an Emmy Award

who worked with him at Risdall, says,

winner whose work has appeared on

“Through his work, Kareem is helping

PBS, The Discovery Channel, Big Ten

define how businesses, organizations

Network and at festivals and museums

and people communicate. His

entrepreneurial activities should be studied and emulated by all students

Kareem Rahma, Andy Thieman, Elizabeth Giorgi and Riham Feshir.

and General Mills to Colle McVoy,

Martin Williams and Yamamoto, ANDY

THIEMAN’s (B.A. ’01) career is evenly

split between in-house and traditional advertising agencies. Along the way, he’s served as an adjunct professor, survived cancer, founded a nonprofit, toured as a keynote speaker, and started The Minneapolis Egotist. His latest venture has taken him outside of advertising, into the world of public relations, where he currently serves as Executive Creative Director at Weber Shandwick. Andy’s nominator, Luke Behrends, is a previous Above the Fold recipient. Luke says, “Andy’s risen up the ranks from writing price tags at Best Buy to running an up-and-coming agency as their executive creative director. It’s a success story like no other. And most all of it takes place right in Minneapolis. It’s a testament to the Hubbard School’s program and the network that exists.”

HUBBARD SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION

39

ALUMNI BOARD LETTER

PASSING THE BATON ❙

BY TANYA WRIGHT, OUTGOING ALUMNI SOCIETY BOARD PRESIDENT

Finishing up a great year, and handing the reins to new leadership.

IT’S BEEN AN HONOR TO REPRESENT Hubbard School alumni as the board president during the last academic year. We had a successful year matching 69 students with mentors, hosting two alumni mixer events, presenting several awards to exceptional alumni and much more. Before I pass the reins on to incoming president Jenni Pinkley, I wanted to fill you in on some important opportunities and also a couple changes to the board.

First, on behalf of the entire

Allison Kuznia

Kelli Theiler

Riham Feshir

Hubbard School Alumni Society Board, I want to say thank you to two of our board members, who served on the board for six years and wrapped up their final

term in June. HEATHER ARNTSON (B.A. ’05, M.A. ’09) volunteered on several committees, including that of the Mentor Program and Events committees. She also was our Board President from 2016-2017. She currently

And finally, consider making a donation to support Alumni Society Board events in honor of your company or personal experience as a Hubbard School graduate. Our events are geared toward connecting alumni with each other while also bringing alumni and

works at Chobani as the senior shopper marketing man-

students together in a shared mission of furthering

the Mentor Program and Events committees during her

of the Alumni Society Board in the “special options.”

ager. CAROLYN AHLSTROM (B.A. ’06) also volunteered on six-year term. She currently works at Colle+McVoy as an insights director. Thank you both for your support of the board and the School.

With the departure of two long-time members, we’re pleased to welcome three new members to the board

the industry. Please note your donation is in honor Donate today at z.umn.edu/hsjmcfund.

Thank you for the support.

Ski U Mah!

starting in 2019! KELLI THEILER (B.A. ’14), is the associate

Tanya Wright (B.A. ’95), is the outgoing Alumni Society

KUZNIA (B.A. ’02), is an account director at Colle McVoy; and RIHAM FESHIR (B.A. ’08) is a reporter at Minnesota

came back to work as the communications director for

director of strategy at RoundPeg Consulting; ALLISON

Public Radio. We look forward to getting to know them and hearing their good ideas.

Second, I wanted to highlight a new way to help cur-

rent students or connect with other alumni: the MAROON

AND GOLD NETWORK. This online tool is designed to help students quickly identify alumni and professionals who have volunteered to provide career advice. It is not a formal mentoring program, but rather a way for students to reach out with specific questions or to request a job shadow. Often, meetings are 30-minute career conversations around the specific topics alumni have volunteered to help with. Learn more and set up your profile today at maroonandgoldnetwork.umnalumni.org 40

MURPHY REPORTER ❙ Summer 2019

Board president and likes the University so much, she the Admissions Office. You can reach her at tanyamwright27@gmail.com.

Go Gophers!

Consider making a donation to support Alumni Society Board events in honor of your company or personal experience as a Hubbard School graduate.

BECOME A MEMBER CTOR ’ I RE

S

• Student/Recent Alumni: $50-$99 (student or alumni within last five years)

D

Giving levels are designed to meet your interests and giving capacity. Those levels include:

• Friend: $100-$249 • Patron: $250-$499 • Benefactor: $500-$999

CIR

• Associate: $1,000-$2,499 • Partner: $2,500+

CLE

GIVE TODAY: HSJMC.UMN.EDU

Your gi supports students by: Helping students participate in national competitions through student group activities

Providing emergency scholarships for students in need

Supporting high-quality events, research and learning opportunities

Enhancing a targeted fund, like the library, a scholarship or other opportunities

Offse ing the costs of producing high-quality journalism and strategic communication training

HUBBARD SCHOOL

OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION

REPORTER MURPHY

Hubbard School of Journalism & Mass Communication College of Liberal Arts University of Minnesota 111 Murphy Hall 206 Church St. SE Minneapolis, MN 55455

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2019 SILHA LECTURE

IN DEFENSE OF PUBLIC TRIALS: ACCESS TO COURT PROCEEDINGS IN THE INTERNET AGE Attorney KELLI L. SAGER, best known for her representation of the media in the access issues that arose during the O.J. Simpson trial, will address the importance of expanding—rather than retracting— Monday, October 28, 2019 7:30 p.m.

Cowles Auditorium University of Minnesota, West Bank

access rights in the digital age when she delivers the 34th annual Silha Lecture.