The Daily Plan-it / Dean of Students Blog, Columbia J-school

See essay by Prof. Freedman below - the editor also recommends Prof. Freedman’s new book, “Letters to a Young Journalist.”

CBS Public Eye
March 31, 2006

Outside Voices: Samuel Freedman On The Difference Between The Amateur And The Pro
By Samuel G. Freedman

To its proponents, citizen journalism represents a democratization of media, a shattering of the power of the unelected elite, a blow against the empire of Big Brother. Citizen journalism does not merely challenge the notion of professionalism in journalism but completely circumvents it. It is journalism according to the ethos of indie rock ‘n’ roll: Do It Yourself.

For precisely such reasons, I despair over the movement’s current cachet. However wrapped in idealism, citizen journalism forms part of a larger attempt to degrade, even to disenfranchise journalism as practiced by trained professionals.

We are now beginning preparations for the printed graduation program and Journalism School graduation ceremony.

All those graduating in May 2006 and those who graduated in October 2005 and February 2005 are required to complete the graduation program form at http://fs8.formsite.com/cjdos/gradprogram.

Please note that this includes dual-degree students who are completing the Journalism portion of their degrees. You are eligible to march with your classmates even though you won’t receive your actual diploma until you have finished both degrees.

THIS IS A DIFFERENT FORM THAN THE ONE YOU SUBMITTED IN HARD COPY TO THE DEANS’ SUITE OR KENT HALL.

DEADLINE: Monday, April 3, 9 a.m.

Reminder: You can track all the Graduation events here:
http://www.jrn.columbia.edu/students/graduation2006

Questions to dos@jrn.columbia.edu

Wednesday, April 5: Online Careers Power Lunch

WHO: Experts in blogging, podcasting and vlogging, trade
media and citizen journalism, along with the Online News
Association-New York Region and the Columbia University
School of Journalism, Office of Career Services.

Featured participants include:
* Andrew Baron, founder of daily vlog and commerical podcast
service Rocketboom.com.
* Jen Chung, editor and co-founder of New York City blog
Gothamist.com
* Amy Gahran, participatory media expert and editor of
Poytner’s E-Media Tidbits group blog
* Michael Vizard, senior VP and editorial director of the
Enterprise Group at Ziff Davis Media
* Moderator Adam Glenn, former ABCNews.com senior producer and
co-founder of citizen journalism venture I, Reporter

WHAT: Professional Futures Discussion: What’s in Store for Your
Online Journalism Career? A roundtable — with audience
participation — of potential online journalism pathways for
veterans and newbies.

WHERE: Lecture Hall, Columbia University School of Journalism,
116th & Broadway, New York, N.Y.

WHEN: Wednesday, April 5, 12-2pm

Please feel free to bring your lunch; light refreshments will
be served.

Free event for all students.

Journalism: Media Perspectives of a Global Generation
Wednesday, April 5, 6:00 p.m., $8. Webcast and online
discussion at www.online.newschool.edu. Students free.

Location: Theresa Lang Community and Student Center,
55 West 13th Street, 2nd floor.

As the news industry faces unprecedented change, this panel explores how 21st-century technology and human migration complicate and enrich the media landscape. Journalism’s future is seen through three key questions: How will the generation gap between print traditionalists and new media pioneers play out in the future of worldwide news collection, distribution, and consumption? Why does the shrinking distance between the “local” and the “global” require more cross-cultural insight in U.S. newsrooms? What happens
in a world where news and commentary are regularly unhinged from fixed locales, where one can read, listen to, or watch media from any part of the world while in any part of the world? A panel of journalists from mainstream, ethnic, and international outlets discusses how answers to these questions influence story ideas, news content, reportorial and editorial
worldviews, and audiences.

Moderated by Corey Takahashi, freelance journalist (Newsday, VIBE, Public Radio International); guest journalists: blogger, reporter, and journalism
instructor Doug McGill (The McGill Report, The Glocalist, former staff reporter for The New York Times, and former Tokyo, London, and Hong Kong bureau chief for Bloomberg News); Teru Kuwayama, documentary photographer whose recent work has focused on Asia and the Middle East (Time, Newsweek, Fortune, Outside); journalist Anupreeta Das (The Christian Science Monitor, former New Delhi-based staff writer for the national Indian publications Outlook magazine and The Indian Express). Co-sponsored by the Wolfson Center for National Affairs and the Department of Media
Studies and Film.

Spring skills courses begin soon.

• Section 1: New Media - Brian Kennedy (Saturdays, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: 3/25; 4/1; 4/22; 4/29; 5/6 - room 511C)
• Section 2: Photography - Sara Barrett (Tuesdays, 7-9 p.m.: 3/28; 4/4; 4/11; 4/18; 4/25 - room 511C)
• Section 3: Radio - Kerry Donahue (Saturdays, 2-6 p.m.: 3/25; 4/1; 4/8; 4/22; 4/29 - room 511A/B)
• Section 4: New Media - Brian Kennedy (Saturdays, 2-4 p.m.: 3/25; 4/1; 4/22; 4/29; 5/6 - 511C)

Please note that in some cases the five sessions do not run consecutively.

Poseidon and Athena tell of the fall of the Trojan regime, informing us that tough decisions will have to be made in its wake. Journalist Talthybius follows the fate of the vanquished, using Geraldo-style tactics to land exclusive interviews with Helen and Andromache. Poseidon leads a political roundtable in the style of Charlie Rose. You are the studio audience, called upon to determine the fate of the vanquished.

Through a unique presentation, drawn almost entirely from the original Euripides text, this unconventional Trojan Women shows how the decline of objective, non-participatory press affects our collective awareness of suffering.

Discount Tickets to The Trojan Women! Columbia Journalism School students are entitled to $8 tickets for the first two weeks of the show! See The Trojan Women March 16, 17,18, 23, 24, or 25, 2006. Purchase tickets in advance at Ticket Central using promotional code JSCH.

The Trojan Women plays from March 15 through April 1 at The TADA! Theater (15 West 28th Street; between Broadway and 5th). Show times are Thursday through Saturday nights at 8pm, with additional matinees on Saturdays at 3pm. Opening night is Wednesday, March 15 at 8pm.
Tickets are $15.00 for general admission, $10.00 for students and seniors, and they can be purchased by calling 212-279-4200 or visiting TicketCentral.com . Call 718-398-2494 for more information. This presentation is not a TADA! production

The ISSO is offering 5 informations sessions. They are summarized at
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/isso/activities/spring_break.pdf.

Information Sessions
Monday, March 13 Summer Employment in F-1 status
Monday, March 13 Working on Optional Practical Training (OPT) after graduating
Tuesday, March 14 Immigration Attorney: Employment-based visas
Thursday, March 16 J-1 Student Academic Training
Thursday, March 16 Tax Filing Workshop for International Students

The New York Financial Writers’ Association again is offering a number of scholarships to undergraduate or graduate journalism students in the Metropolitan New York area who are seriously interested in pursuing a career in business and financial journalism.

The number of winners varies from year to year. Last year, ten scholarships were awarded of $2,400 each.

Applicants should follow these directions:

(1) Complete application providing your present address and telephone number and, if different, your permanent home address and telephone number. Applications are available at www.nyfwa.org (click on scholarship on the right hand navagation bar and then on application which will then appear in the right hand navigation bar). If you do not have access to an application, simply send a cover letter with the information.

(2) Send an essay explaining why you are pursuing a career in business and financial journalism.

(3) Include a current resume, relevant personal information, and list any other scholarships you have received.

(4) Send samples of your financial writing and clippings.

Awards will be presented at the Association’s Annual Awards Dinner before an audience of leaders from the business, financial and journalism communities.

Applications must be postmarked no later than April 15, 2006. We encourage you to submit them as early as possible. Only applications sent to the PO Box will be accepted.

Send your material to:

Scholarship Committee
New York Financial Writers’ Association, Inc.
PO Box 338
Ridgewood NJ 07451-0338

We keep warning our students about the dangers of spell check. Perhaps we should warn lawyers, too: http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1141207513219

Please see this list of Columbia J-school students for whom diplomas are being ordered for the May 2006 graduation.

If your name isn’t here and you are, indeed, graduating (your name won’t be here if you graduated in October or February; but you will be able to march), you MUST go to the following link,
type in the required information, print, sign and return it the Diploma Division
in 202 Kent Hall. This form cannot be submitted electronically. http://www.columbia.edu/cu/registrar/docs/forms/app-for-deg-or-cert.html

These were due December 1. Late forms must be submitted by 5 p.m., Tuesday, March 7. Here is the original DOS Blog post about this.

If you miss the deadline, you will not receive your diploma in time for the ceremony.

NAME SPELLINGS:
Your name on your diploma will appear as it is written on this list. The spelling was generated by your official registration with the University. If you want to have it changed, you will have to go to the Registrar’s Office, 202 Kent Hall, before 5 p.m. on March 7.

We will be asking students at a later date about their names for the Journalism School’s printed graduation program.

DUAL DEGREE STUDENTS:
Those students in dual degree programs who will finish the Journalism School portion of their studies this May are eligible to march in the Journalism School’s ceremony this year.

You will not, however, receive your Journalism School diploma until you have completed the work for both degrees.

You do not need to submit a diploma application at this time (although it is fine if you did). You will need to respond to all DOS emails regarding graduation participation if you want to be part of our ceremony.