Alumni Share Their Memories of the Journalism Program

By the Diederich College of Communication

Recently, alumni of our Journalism program shared their favorite memories of college through the Marquette University Facebook page. We’ve selected a few favorites to share with our readers.

“You mean we have to compose a story right on the typewriter? We can’t write it out long-hand first?!?!?!”
–Linda Drezdzon on her first day of Journalism 101

“Learning to write tight. Sitting at a small table w/ Prof Reedy as he described turning points in political campaigns. Researching my assigned Milwaukee address for Prof Salsini’s Jour 101. Media law w/Dr Scotton. The Journal couch. The green glow of Trib VDTs. Laying out the Hilltop into summer. Prof Brill’s guidance. Job leads from Ed Pepan after graduation.”
–Kim Doyle MacGregor

“Late nights at the Trib—then walking home at 4 a.m. in the snow.”
–Melanie Hinchey

A Successful Start to the Centennial of Journalism at Marquette

By Jennifer Janviere

This past Friday, the Diederich College of Communication officially began celebrating a century of journalism education at Marquette University. The kickoff consisted of two big events in one day: the student-produced Centennial Seminars program, taped and live steamed in the early afternoon, and the Centennial Kickoff celebration at the Milwaukee Public Museum’s Streets of Old Milwaukee exhibit later that evening.

Centennial Seminars, taped in Studio 7 (Johnston Hall), offered a panel discussion on ethical issues in journalism. Panel guests included some local names (Ron Smith and Raquel Rutledge of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and our very own Dr. Bonnie Brennen) as well as national ones (political strategist Sophia Nelson, John Barron of the Chicago Sun-Times, Chris Bury of ABC News and Adam Yamaguchi from Current TV’s Vanguard). Students, faculty and staff gathered together in the new JH 103 multimedia classroom to watch the discussion unfold via livestream broadcast.

That evening, the Streets of Old Milwaukee at the Milwaukee Public Museum came alive with faculty, staff, alumni and friends of the college, all there to celebrate the past, present and future of our journalism program. Students dressed as old-fashioned ‘newsies’ strolled the cobblestone pavement throughout the evening equipped with iPads, showing student-created projects about various historical aspects of the journalism program at Marquette. Guests took novelty photos against the backdrop of old buildings holding  prop newspapers while a barbershop quartet sang in the background. Later in the evening, dean Lori Bergen gave a speech about the centennial milestone, after which Marquette’s own Gold N’ Blues entertained guests with a medley of songs. As a whole, the event was a great way to start off the year-long festivities.

Now that the Centennial of Journalism is officially underway in the Diederich College of Communication, stay tuned for upcoming events by visiting this blog, our college website or our Centennial of Journalism at Marquette website.

View photos from behind the scenes of the Centennial Seminars production and the Centennial Kickoff party at MPM on Flickr.

Politifact Used as Important Political Honesty Detection Tool During Election Season

By Steve Byers

The Diederich College is making an impact by proxy in the current Wisconsin election campaign. Several people with ties to the college are heading or participating in the Journal Sentinel’s PolitiFact Wisconsin, a development that was also reported in a nicely-written story by student Brooke Goodman published in the Marquette Tribune.

The Journal Sentinel’s effort is headed by alum Greg Borowski, the newspaper’s senior editor for projects and investigations, and has included contributions by Jim Nelson and Dave Umhoefer. All three have taught in the College in the past couple of years.

PolitiFact originated with the St. Petersburg Times, but the Journal Sentinel has adapted it to Wisconsin where it measures the truth of political advertising with rating ranging from “absolutely true” (rarely awarded) to “pants on fire” (thankfully, also rarely awarded). Much more prevalent are middling ratings such as “mostly true” or “barely true.”

It’s yet another instance of the College’s contribution to society in general.

Steve Byers is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Journalism at Marquette University’s Diederich College of Communication.