Urban Plains wins Broadcast Education Association multimedia award
The spring and fall 2016 editions of Urban Plains — the website created by news, magazine and digital media production seniors — has captured first place in the large group category of the Broadcast Education Association Festival of Media Arts Interactive Multimedia competition. It is the second year that Urban Plains has won the award. This year Drake tied for first with a team from Elon University, among the 174 institutions represented in this year’s competition. Prizes will be awarded during the annual BEA convention in Las Vegas in April. The competition bills itself as the world’s largest digital media and broadcast contest for faculty and students.
Plan to attend accreditation meetings today
The SJMC’s accreditation “site visit” team of media professionals and professors is on campus through Wednesday morning. The team’s review of our program will include meetings with students:
- Monday, Feb. 13, at 3 p.m.: Open meeting with all SJMC majors (Mer. 124B)
- Monday, Feb. 13, at 4 p.m.: Major-specific meetings —
- Advertising (Mer. 103)
- Digital Media Production (including Radio-TV Producing) (Mer. 002)
- Magazine Media (Mer. 125)
- News (including News-Internet and Broadcast News) (Mer. 124B)
- Public Relations and Strategic Political Communication (Mer. 203)
Please help by participating in one or both of these important meetings.
Drake students attend ad summit
A group of Drake students, accompanied by advertising professor Dorothy Pisarski, attended the Student Advertising Summit in Minneapolis last week. Among the professionals the students networked with was Wendy Blackshaw, the senior vice president of marketing/sales for Minnesota Super Bowl LII (above in red).
Alumni note
Drake alum adds to storied broadcast career
SJMC Dean Kathleen Richardson visited with Drake alum and “Voice of the Suns” Al McCoy during a recent visit to Phoenix. McCoy wrote an autobiography detailing his legendary broadcasting career.
Al McCoy, a 1954 Drake alum and Broadcasters Hall of Fame member, will become the 15th inductee of the Phoenix Suns’ “Ring of Honor” during a ceremony March 3. McCoy, who joined the Suns as play-by-play announcer in 1972, is the longest-tenured NBA broadcaster of all time. He began his broadcasting career while a student at Drake. McCoy is also a winner of the Curt Gowdy Media Award and honoree of the Iowa Hall of Pride, and has visited with Drake students during frequent visits back to campus.
Social Media Strategies class launches website
The Social Media Strategies class has launched the website heartdesmoines.com. Students wrote content for the site and will build an execute a social media strategy for driving traffic to the website. The class will do the same thing for Drake Digital News.
Scholarship applications available
Application forms for 2017-2018 scholarships are available on the table outside of Mer. 119. We are especially encouraging journalism students to submit examples of their broadcast or published stories for the Professor Richard Tapscott Reporting Award.
This cash award, in honor of the beloved late SJMC professor, recognizes work that reflects the values Rick tried to instill in his students: curiosity, accuracy, integrity, humanity, public accountability and aggressive reporting. Deadline for submission of work in any medium for the Tapscott Award is Feb. 17. See the application form for details.
Free digital media workshops planned
Professor Chris Snider will be teaching three digital media workshops this spring that are free to Drake students. The remaining workshops are:
- Smartphone Video + Premiere Workshop – Saturday, March 4 — 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
- 360-Degree Photography and Video Workshop – Wednesday, April 5 — 6-9 p.m.
Get more details on the digital media workshops.
DPR seeks writers
Drake Political Review is looking for writers this semester. Email Editor Sarah.LeBlanc@drake.edu if you’re interested.