David McRaney Wins Prestigious Scholarship

HATTIESBURG--David McRaney, executive editor of The Student Printz and a senior in USM's School of Mass Communication and Journalism, has been named a Scripps Howard Foundation Top Ten journalism scholarship winner for 2006-2007.

The honor means McRaney, 29, was awarded a $10,000 scholarship and was presented a plaque and certificate in a special ceremony held recently in The Student Printz office.

According to the Foundation, communication schools nationwide were invited to nominate one full-time student as their representative in the competition. From the pool of candidates, a panel of newspaper, broadcast and television network professionals chose 10 recipients for the $10,000 scholarships. The one-time award is applied toward a full academic year.

"This is a huge honor for David and, by association, for the School of Mass Communication and Journalism here at USM," said Christopher Campbell, director of the school. "We are quite proud of his achievement."

The Top Ten scholars were chosen for academic achievement, demonstrated interest in journalism, portfolio and an essay about their long-term career goals.

"These winners will be stars in the media," the judges said. "They are well-rounded, hard-working, focused journalists. Their goals are ambitious, varied and, for them, realistic - to write for newspapers or magazines, be television reporters or anchors, or to pursue multi-media or Web-based careers."

McRaney said the rigorous application process and the fact he would compete for the scholarship with other student journalists from across the country did not deter him in the least.

"I'm thrilled to have been chosen for this honor, but I felt like I had what they were looking for when I first read the application," said McRaney.

He has interned for The Lamar Times and The Petal News, both in Hattiesburg , and recently began freelancing for The Sun Herald in Biloxi as well as The Daily Journal of Commerce in New Orleans . He is also president of the USM chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

McRaney's wife, Mandy said her husband is driven to be successful in journalism.

"David is naturally curious, which is a big plus for someone wanting to pursue a career in journalism," she said. "And, he's determined. He doesn't give up on something if he really believes in it. I think these are the traits of a successful journalist at any level, don't you?"

Dedicated to excellence in journalism, the Scripps Howard Foundation is a leader in industry efforts in journalism education, scholarships, internships, literacy, minority recruitment/development and First Amendment causes. It is the philanthropic arm of The E.W. Scripps Company, a diverse and growing media enterprise with interests in national cable networks, newspaper publishing, broadcast television stations, electronic commerce, interactive media, and licensing and syndication.

CNN's Kathleen Koch to speak at USM

HATTIESBURG-- CNN correspondent Kathleen Koch, who studied broadcast journalism at the University of Southern Mississippi, will return to Hattiesburg for a showing of a recent documentary about her hometown’s recovery from Hurricane Katrina. While on campus April 26, she’ll also be among the first inductees to the USM School of Mass Communication and Journalism Hall of Fame.

Koch’s “Saving My Town,” which aired as part of the award-winning documentary series “CNN Presents,” examines the impact of Hurricane Katrina on Bay St. Louis, the coastal town where she grew up. The documentary will be shown at noon, Wednesday, April 26, in the International Center auditorium on the USM campus. Koch will be on hand to discuss the project and answer questions. The forum is free and open to the public.

“We’re delighted to have Kathleen Koch back on campus,” said Chris Campbell, the school’s director. “Anyone who has seen ‘Saving My Town’ knows that it’s a powerful story and that she’s a remarkable journalist. This will be a nice opportunity for people from this region to hear from an important journalist who has been at the very heart of the Katrina story.”

That evening, Koch will speak to students at the annual awards banquet of the School of Mass Communication and Journalism, where she will be inducted into the school’s new Hall of Fame.

“Members of the school’s faculty felt that the timing was right to launch the Hall of Fame while she’s on campus,” Campbell said. “She has had a distinguished career and certainly represents the values that we are looking for in selecting members for membership.”

Tickets are also available to her appearance at the School of Mass Communication and Journalism awards banquet, which will be at 6:30 p.m. in the Commons. For ticket information, call (601)266-4258.

April 12, 2006

Junior to intern at ABC in New York

HATTIESBURG--Jessica Bowman, a junior majoring in broadcast journalism, will intern at ABC-World News Tonight in New York City during the summer of 2006. 

She will work in the field with reporters and behind the scenes, assisting in the writing and production of segments for the news program.  Only three interns were chosen out of a nationwide pool of applicants.

"Jessica is really driven and quite serious about her career goals," said Kim LeDuff, assistant professor of broadcast journalism. "This is an excellent opportunity for her and I have no doubt that she will represent USM quite well. I also hope that her involvement and example will lead to opportunities for other USM students at ABC News."

For more information, contact Ms. Kim LeDuff at kim.leduff@usm.edu or 601-266-5461.

April 4, 2006

Student Printz takes 2nd overall in MPA Contest

HATTIESBURG--The Student Printz, USM’s student newspaper, took second place overall in the Mississippi Press Association Better Newspaper Contest Student Division awards announced Thursday in Jackson.

The Student Printz finished second in the general excellence category of the competition, which includes newspapers from seven Mississippi four-year colleges and universities. Thirteen staffers took home individual awards in the contest, including four first-place finishes.

“It is so gratifying to see these very deserving students get the kudos they deserve from professionals in the newspaper industry,” said Maggie Williams, adviser to The Student Printz. “It’s also nice to compete well against other publications within the state of Mississippi.”

In addition to the second place finish in general excellence, The Student Printz staff received a second place finish in the best editorials category of competition. Judges for the category cited the entry as a “good assortment of editorials on campus topics ….”

The individual awards included a first place finish for David McRaney, managing editor for The Student Printz, in the best feature story category. McRaney won for a story about Sumrall resident Flossie Bell Lott who, because she has lived much of her life without electricity, found little inconvenience from lack of electricity after Hurricane Katrina ripped through her town.

“Well written, engaging story with a different twist than most Katrina coverage,” the judges wrote of McRaney’s entry. The story also won recognition from the Hearst Journalism Awards program last fall.

“This is one of those stories that almost wrote itself,” McRaney said. “I found it compelling to find a way to let people know that it is possible to do without in a world where the norm is to always want more.”

Kyle Hilton, a cartoonist for The Student Printz, took both a first and a third place prize in the best cartoon category of the MPA contest. His first place cartoon depicted the character Hilton created as part of his cartoons this year trying to dodge traffic to get across Hardy Street to the USM campus. The judges said of that entry “Absolutely funny, but also true.”

“This is a real honor,” said Hilton. “I’m really happy to have won.”

Katie Carter, former photo editor for The Student Printz, and Stephanie Napier, a Printz photographer, also brought home first place finishes in the contest.

Carter won first place in the best spot news photo category for a picture of Ocean Springs resident Kirk Halstead surveying his property in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Carter was also the recipient of an honorable mention award in the best feature photo category for her shot of UPD Captain Jeff Hilt sharing an ice cream cone with his son, Caden, on the front steps of the Hub.

Napier took first place honors for her picture of Tuskegee Airman Col. Herbert Carter and Major Carroll Woods during their visit to campus to speak in March 2005.

Other awards presented during the MPA ceremony Thursday in Jackson were:

A second place finish in the best general news story category for Printz writer Brittany Brown for a story on the SACS committee recommending probation removal. “Thorough reporting on an important story,” the judges said of Brown’s entry.

• A third place finish in the best sports news story for Printz writer Elise Jordan for a story on charges brought against USM football player Darren McCaleb.
• An honorable mention for Curt Yeomans, a 2005 USM graduate who was sports editor for The Student Printz, in the best sports column category for a series of columns on sports topics that ran during the spring 2005 semester.
• A second place finish in the best sports feature story category for Bradley Warshauer, a former Printz writer, for a story about Jay Hopson joining the coaching staff for the Golden Eagle football team.
• Printz photographer Lauren Byrd took third place honors in the best spot news photo category.
• Former Printz photographer Chad Moore took third place in the best feature photograph category.
• Samantha Smith, the graphic artist for The Student Printz’ advertising department, won an honorable mention in the best retail advertisement category for the senior division of the competition. Smith also took third place in the best miscellaneous ad category which included both junior and senior college competitors.
• Printz Executive Editor Noel Wilkinson took a third place award in the best front page category of the competition and an honorable mention in the best graphic competition.

The MPA is Mississippi’s newspaper industry trade group. The Better Newspaper Contest Student Division judged work done from February 2005-January 2006.

April 3, 2006

MCJ alum anchors CNN Presents: "Saving My Town--The Fight for Bay Saint Louis"

Kathleen Koch, a native of Bay Saint Louis and USM/Broadcast Journalism Alumnus, anchored and narrated a special on CNN Saturday (Feb. 18th) and Sunday (Feb. 19th) at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. entitled "Saving My Town--The Fight for Bay Saint Louis."

"The Student Printz Through the Decades" Staff & Editors Reunion 2005

HATTIESBURG -- Student Printz staffers from the 1950s through 2004 returned to campus in November to reminisce about battles with the USM administration and other highlights of working at the student newspaper.

A panel of former staffers included Charles Kershner of Clinton, N.Y. (class of 1965), Steve O’Malley (1991), Burlian Walker (1964), and Rachel Quinlivan (2004), Walter Skupien (1966), and Donald Dana (1958). About 40 people attended the event held in a large classroom in Southern Hall on Nov. 19.

“We were delighted at the success of this year’s event, and we expect to hold similar reunions either once every one or two years,” said Maggie Williams, adviser to the Student Printz and one of the organizers of the event. Mandy Tilley, assistant to the director of the School, and David R. Davies, associate professor, were the other principal organizers.

Dana recalled tangling with administrators over a Student Printz article about the application of Clyde Kennard to enter USM, then called Mississippi Southern College. He said the administration forced the staff to withhold the story. In protest the staff left a column blank on the front page. Kennard was denied admission because he was black.

Kershner won the informal award for traveling the farthest to attend the reunion. After graduating in 1965, he embarked on a lengthy journalism career that included working for the Reuters wire service. He now owns the Clinton Courier in upstate New York, a consistent winner of statewide awards for photography and writing. While in Hattiesburg he spoke to a number of journalism classes.

The successful reunion is the first of a series of events in which the School of Mass Communication & Journalism will reconnect with alumni by having graduates return to campus, Davies said. He said Tilley is spearheading the compilation of an alumni database that will make it easier for the school to keep alums informed of School events and initiatives.

“Keeping in touch with alumni is an important part of our work within the School,” said Christopher Campbell, the School’s director. “I’m delighted that we’re expanding our efforts to reach out to graduates.”

2005 Printz Reunion Pictures

December 21, 2005

Southern Miss Journalism Major Wins Hearst Feature Writing Award

HATTIESBURG -- A senior journalism major from the University of Southern Mississippi took seventh place in feature writing in the 2005 Hearst Journalism Awards Program.

David McRaney, 28, of Sumrall, won a $500 scholarship and earned USM’s School of Mass Communication and Journalism a $500 matching grant for his work “Area resident not inconvenienced by Katrina,” which ran in The Student Printz Oct. 20. McRaney is news editor for The Student Printz.

McRaney’s story chronicles the story of Sumrall resident Flossie Bell Lott, 92, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which hammered south Mississippi Aug. 29. The storm’s wrath caused loss of electricity for more than 90 percent of the electric customers in the state of Mississippi, including the area around Lott’s home. But for Lott, who has lived most of her life without the air conditioning and other modern conveniences, the loss of electricity made little difference.

“I'm just pleased a story like this one made it into the top ten,” McRaney said. “All of us who escaped the worst of the damage were whining about our air conditioning and our cable, and here was a lady from my hometown who, at 92 years old, barely noticed it.”

McRaney said he wrote Lott’s story as an assignment for Dr. David R. Davies’ reporting class and also as “an attempt to sum up the things rattling around in my head” following Katrina. When the Hearst competition for feature writing deadline was announced, McRaney said, “I knew I had to pick this story."

The story can be read at: http://www.studentprintz.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/10/20/4356ed25517da?in_archive=1

The Hearst Journalism Awards Program is conducted under the auspices of accredited schools of the Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication, and fully funded and administered by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation. It consists of six monthly writing, three photojournalism and four broadcast news competition with championship finals in all division. The program awards more than $400,000 in scholarships and grants annually.

McRaney competed against 101 students from 57 universities and colleges to earn his seventh place finish in the program’s first competition of the academic year. First place went to Nicole Williams of Arizona State University. “This is a really tough competition among excellent student journalists from programs of all sizes and statures across the country,” said Maggie Williams, adviser to The Student Printz. “David is the first student since I’ve been with the Printz who has placed in the Hearst awards. This is a really big honor for David and it is well deserved.”

For additional information, contact Maggie Williams at margaret.williams@usm.edu or 601-266-6746.

December 7, 2005

Southern Miss Mass Comm Students, Faculty Garner AJHA's Top Honors

HATTIESBURG -- Five University of Southerm Mississippi mass communication graduate students were the crème de la crème of this year's American Journalism Historian Association (AJHA) national conference.

AJHA, the country's largest organization of media historians, is a highly competitive conference that attracts students and faculty from the nation's top media history graduate programs.

Southern Miss students--Elizabeth Baugh, Jay Todd, Jason Peterson, Hazel Cole, and Stuart Babington--won AJHA's best honors for papers written in a media history graduate seminar class led by journalism associate professor Dr. Dave Davies in spring 2005.

They will present their papers a AJHA's conference in San Antonio Oct. 5-8.

Dr. Glenn "Pete" Smith, a graduate of Southern Miss' mass communication program, will receive AJHA's award for best dissertation completed in 2004.

Smith's dissertation focused on pioneering woman television producer Gertrude Berg. His dissertation director was Dr. Arthur J. Kaul, professor of mass communication and journalism.

The group's win is considered icing on the cake for Southern Miss' School of Mass Communication and Journalism, which received full national accreditation in February.

Davies said, "The AJHA honors speak well for the students' work and for Southern Miss. Southern Miss has the largest number of graduate students in the program, more than North Carolina, Missouri, or any other university."

AJHA has been a showcase for Southern Miss students in recent years, with the receptions of best conference paper honors in 2003 and 2004.

September 30, 2005

Three New Faculty Members Join Southern Miss School of Mass Communication and Journalism

HATTIESBURG -- Three new faculty members, including a new director and a pioneering journalist, have joined the School of Mass Communication and Journalism at The University of Southern Mississippi.

Christopher Campbell, who previously led mass communication and journalism programs at Ithaca College, Hampton University, the University of Idaho and Xavier University in New Orleans, is the school’s new director. Campbell is the author of a book, Race, Myth and the News, and other articles about media and culture. 

He holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Webster University and a master’s in mass communication from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. He earned his Ph.D. in mass communication at USM in 1993.

“I’m really excited about returning to Southern Miss,” said Campbell. “This is a great program, but it’s kind of a well-kept secret. Part of my job will be to get the word out so that we can build strategic partnerships with the media industry and media foundations.”

Also joining the faculty is Kim LeDuff, who has previously taught at Hampton University and Xavier University in New Orleans. LeDuff, who will teach broadcast journalism, earned her bachelor’s in mass communication from Xavier and her master’s from the University of Maryland. She is near completion of her doctorate in journalism at Indiana University.

Pearl Stewart, a veteran journalist and educator, will join the school as a part-tme visiting professional and teach a course in online journalism. As chair of the Black College Communication Association in 2004, Stewart founded the Black College Wire, an online news service. She will also assist the school with its grant writing and diversity initiatives.

Stewart has previously taught at Florida A&M University, Louisiana State University, Xavier University and Howard University. She was a professional journalist for more than 20 years. When she was named editor of The Oakland (Calif.) Tribune in 1992, she was the first African-American woman to head a major daily newspaper. Before becoming editor, she was a reporter for the Tribune and the San Francisco Chronicle. 

Stewart has a bachelor’s degree from Howard and a master’s in communication from American University. She was a 1995 fellow at Harvard University’s Shorenstein Center for Press, Politics and Public Policy. 

Campbell has worked with both LeDuff and Stewart in previous jobs. “These two will be great additions to what is already an outstanding faculty,” he said.

For additional information, contact Campbell at 601-266-4258 or christopher.campbell@usm.edu.

September 19, 2005

Southern Miss Professor Focuses on Information Age, First Ammendment Issues During Letctures at Taiwan Universities

HATTIESBURG -- Dr. Mazharul Haque, a 20-year veteran faculty member of The University of Southern Mississippi's School of Mass Communication and Journalism, recently presented lectures focusing on First Amendment issues during a visit to a Taiwan university.

Haque gave two lectures at Huafan University in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, in May that focused on First Amendment rights in the United States, the interpretation of those rights and obscenity and indecency issues involving the American media.

Haque presentations were an opportunity for students at the university to learn more about the First Amendment's impact on American society. "Taiwanese students are not very familiar with the First Amendment, and what it means for the press and freedom of expression in the United States," he said.

Last December, Haque was also invited to speak at Taiwan's Providence University in Taichung, where he spoke on media, culture and society, and the evolution of information in post-modern society.

"At Providence University, I lectured on how industrial societies have evolved, the latest state of the information society and post-modern society and how information production, retrieval and distribution are the main activities (in society)," he said.

Gaining access to networks of information and cultural experiences in our society have become as important as, and in some cases even more valuable than, even property ownership, Haque said.

Haque's areas of expertise include media, culture and international communication. He has been a member of the Southern Miss faculty since 1984, and is a past recipient of the Southern Miss Excellence in Teaching Award. He has directed the dissertations of many international students at Southern Miss, some of whom now work as professors and instructors at universities around the world.

Dr. David Goff, director of the Southern Miss School of Mass Communication and Journalism, said Haque's visit to Taiwan was a good opportunity for him to share his research and to help broaden understanding worldwide about the kinds of principles followed in America in terms of law and journalistic practices.

"It's always worthwhile for people from both the United State and other parts of the world to sit down and gain a better understanding of how the media operates in different cultures and societies," Goff said.

June 16, 2004

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