Officials: Howard Doesn’t Plan to Close Research Center 11/11/2009

In the latest edition of Journal-isms, a three-times-a-week online column produced by Richard Prince, officials at Howard University denied intentions of closing the 95-year-old Moorland-Spingarn Research Center. Prince cited Camille Augustin’s article Monday in the university’s student newspaper, the Hilltop, that noted the “university’s Chief Academic Office issued a statement vowing the center will not be closed.”

On Friday, Augustin wrote about how structural, staffing and financial challenges threatened the future of the renowned center.

“‘There is no intention to close the center,’ said Associate Provost for Academic Affairs Alvin Thornton, Ph.D., in an e-mail to The Hilltop on Sunday. ‘It is a treasured and valued part of Howard and will continue,’” according to the Hilltop article.

Thornton noted that the university is searching for a national director and reviewing how to maintain the research center “part of a larger university-wide academic and support program review.”

Journos Using Facebook 11/10/2009

The Poynter Institute  will host a Webinar Thursday to help journalists effectively use Facebook to reach new audiences, enhance their storytelling and engage online readers.

The event, offered via Poynter’s NewsU, begins at 2 p.m. Eastern time on Nov. 12.

Ellyn Angelotti, interactivity editor of Poynter Online and adjunct faculty at Poynter, will demonstrate how news organizations are using Facebook. Participants will explore best practices and techniques for building an online presence.

The one-hour Webinar costs $24.95. For more information and to register, go to www.newsu.org/FacebookWebinar09.

Historic Election Recalled 11/04/2009

I wasn’t born yet when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, but I do remember where I was when the Challenger space shuttle exploded or when planes slammed into the World Trade Center towers on Sept. 11, 2001 or when then-Sen. Barack Obama was officially elected the 44th president of the United States of America.

On Election Night ‘08, I was working as an online producer at a Nashville television station. A few weeks earlier, Obama and McCain appeared in Music City for one of a handful of presidential debates held around the country. As an online producer, I was charged with writing stories, taking and editing pictures and video and posting all of them before, during and after four nightly newscasts. On Election Night, everything moved more quickly and thankfully I worked alongside dear friend and skilled colleague Angela Gardenhire.

As the election returns came in – Ohio, the Carolinas, the DMV (District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia) then the polls across the Midwest and finally the West Coast, people started calling the newsroom. Angela and I hurriedly monitored blog posts and filed updates along with our usual tasks. But, at one point, after ABC anchor Charlie Gibson called the election for Obama, I stopped. I excused myself and went into a conference room and cried. When I returned to my desk among the people who called me was my mother. Initially I didn’t recognize her voice, but the caller ID confirmed the source. She was crying, saying she wished my grandfather was alive to witness this feat. She also said she wasn’t sure months ago if she’d ever see this day, but she was glad for it. I added that I was very proud of fellow Americans who stepped away from fear to elect the nation’s first black president.

Last night, HBO aired a documentary produced by actor Edward Norton  that provided behind-the-scenes access to the Obama campaign. I enjoyed reliving Election Night as well as learning about how the campaign affected staff and volunteers.

Seminar About Women, Online Media 10/15/2009

Women news creators/consumers: Register for upcoming Media Women Entrepreneurs Summit in D.C., http://www.newmediawomen.org/events/register. The event, held on Nov. 9 at the Kaiser Family Foundation Public Affairs Center, is supported by the McCormick Foundation  New Media Women Entrepreneurs project. Topics to be covered include training citizen journalists, launching niche sites and J-Lab  research on the media needs of women news consumers/creators.