In the third edition of his book, Precision Journalism, Professor Philip Meyer wrote that they were raising the ante on what it takes to be a journalist.  In honor of Meyer’s retirement, the School of Journalism and Mass Communication convened a symposium titled “Raising the Ante:  The Internet’s Impact on Journalism Education and Existing Theories of Mass Communication.  Participants included many of Phil’s students, professional journalists, marketing professionals and academics.  For details on the symposium, see below:

http://jomc.unc.edu/raisingtheante
This is the School’s Web site about the symposium.  Includes links to symposium documents.

http://philipmeyersymposium.blogspot.com/
Symposium blog with content by Tom Johnson and JOMC master’s students Julia Crouse and Bart Wojdynski http://www.niemanwatchdog.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Showcase.view&showcaseid=0076
Barry Sussman’s Nieman Watchdog site with text of Phil’s speech, “Raising the Ante:  Then and Now” http://advancingthestory.wordpress.com/
Deborah Potter’s bloghttp://weblogs.jomc.unc.edu:16080/talkpolitics/Hear Bill Schneider’s speech and read student comment.
 

The North Carolina Press Association (NCPA) is a great friend of the school.  The officers have invited me to be an ex officio member of the board, an offer that I quickly accepted.  At their Winter Institute last week, I visited with many alumni who are taking their print products into the interactive world and who are focusing their efforts to serve their communities.  NCPA is a great resource for our faculty and students.  We hope to use our expertise to serve editors and publishers by providing information gleaned from research and by educating students who will be active in the newspaper business and the press association in North Carolina.

As I travel about the state, I am delighted to discover the opportunities that our students have right at home.  For example, Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, President and CEO of Pace Communications in Greensboro, has created a company that publishes about a dozen magazines and is entering the interactive world with gusto.  This company provides opportunities for students who develop skills in writing, design, multimedia and advertising.  Jaci H. Ponzoni, JOMC alum, vice president of custom publishing & marketing services, reiterated Bonnie’s invitation for us to visit again, this time with a group of students.