It’s college basketball’s time to shine.
But the week didn’t start out so bright. Student journalist Jack Weaver, who was covering the SEC men’s tournament for the Kentucky Kernel, had his phone “inadvertently” yanked out of his hand on the sidelines — by another school’s assistant coach, no less. Like most student journalists I know, Weaver handled the situation with grace, and Arkansas rightfully issued a statement and an apology.
Things got brighter when I got an email from Greta Forslund, executive editor of The State Press at Arizona State, letting me know that her organization had assumed management of this year’s College Media Madness, an online competition designed to raise money for college media: “This year, we’re bringing together student journalism outlets from across the United States to see which newsroom can raise the most money from March 12 through April 3, 2023, when the confetti falls.”
Follow along on Twitter @MediaMadness23. At press time, Syracuse (the contest’s originator) was battling for first place against Oregon, while perennial J-school heavyweights Indiana and Northwestern were sitting at zero.
Is your college paper one of the 31 competing? If not, it’s not too late.
Forslund told me, “We’re still adding participants, and publications interested in joining can contact our fundraising email (fundraising.statepress@gmail.
ICYMI
Implications here for our burgeoning criminal justice reporters. “‘Incrementally’ Moving Away From Police | It’s not just cities and towns that have worked to reform their police practices since 2020. Some campuses are trying to incorporate alternative models, too.” (Inside Higher Ed)
From “Guide to Investigating Disability Issues” (Global Investigative Journalism Network), by Emyle Watkins: “This guide is everything I wish I knew my first year covering the disability community. I grew up with a disabled parent, I’m disabled too, and I still find myself undoing my own ableism — the discrimination against people with disabilities, similar to racism or sexism.”
Reporting on Addiction’s educator training is taking applications: “Want to prepare the next generation of journalists to tackle addiction stigma through ethical, empathetic reporting? Join our Summer 2023 cohort of journalism educators!”
“Getting the most out of the Wayback Machine” (Craig Silverman)
Cool! Who’s next? “University of Michigan now offering students 6 free counseling sessions” (MLive)
Yikes. “On college campuses, sports betting agreements are shielded” (Washington Post)
This week’s Professor’s Press Pass
In this week’s Professor’s Press Pass, we break down the Fox News/Dominion voting machine legal considerations — this will be a good one to spark discussion about media law.
One last thing
“Yes, I know I am in Federal Prison and you might think this is a joke but it’s not. It is my Constitutional right to do this even from here.”
Resources for educators
- Enroll your students in our Beat Academy to get them armed with the latest information on the hottest emerging beats in journalism.
- The Poynter/ACES Certificate in Editing promises to empower your wordsmiths and polish your prose pushers.
- If your students are interested in a career in accountability journalism, they should consider taking this course from MediaWise’s Campus Correspondents. They can learn the same fact-checking tools and techniques that professionals use in their day-to-day work. Bonus: It’s free.
