FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Dec. 15, 2005

 

Emmerson, Beell encourage SPJ chapter to think big

 

Iowa State SPJ

 

            Former Greenlee School professor Tom Emmerson and current professor Tom Beell discussed the history of the Society of Professional Journalists at Iowa State at the December meeting of the Greenlee School’s chapter on Tuesday, Dec. 6.

            Emmerson, who retired in 2004, said the SPJ chapter goes back at least until 1912, when it was an honorary fraternity, and was named national chapter year of the year four times in the 1980s. Emmerson said the chapter did not begin allowing women as members until 1969.

Beell, an electronic media studies professor, told students about his experiences as a member during his undergraduate days at the University of Washington when the organization was known as Sigma Delta Chi, including a speech at the national convention by then CBS News reporter Dan Rather. The Texan recalled working for a radio station in his home state where he was responsible for starting the broadcast day each morning, playing a pre-recorded religious program. He would then speed across town to get breakfast, but the program was barely long enough for Rather to get his meal and return before it ended. On one day, however, the record was stuck and kept repeating “go to hell, go to hell, go to hell.” When Rather returned to the station, he found the phone ringing off the hook.

“When he answered the phone, it was his boss furiously informing him of the malfunction,” Beell said.

Both professors urged the chapter to bring in a series of prominent speakers to talk about issues of the day. They encouraged the current members to not just think in terms of issues that are close to journalism students but to all ISU students. Emmerson suggested a panel on the Iraq War that would include a political science professor, an ROTC representative, a peace activist and a journalist.

“No matter what the panel is about, it should be about how the media cover – fill in the blank,” Emmerson said.

Emmerson said in past decades, the student organization had then-ISU basketball coach Johnny Orr and WHO-TV anchor Phil Thomas speak at chapter meetings. The chapter also published the convention newspaper for an SPJ regional conference in Kansas City. 

Beell suggested that SPJ sponsor a freedom march as part of Greenlee’s First Amendment Day celebration next April. Emmerson also wants to see the chapter continue its relationship with the Committee to Protect Journalists. A few years ago, the Greenlee News Group, as SPJ was known at the time, gave computers to the committee.

Emmerson said an alumni group from the 1981 national chapter of the year met in Ames this October and plans to meet again for the Nebraska game weekend next football season.

In other chapter news, workers at the Des Moines-based magazine “Juice” who are Iowa State alums will be the special guests of SPJ in January. Both editorial and advertising staff from the Des Moines Register publication will visit Greenlee to discuss the magazine and their communication careers. The meeting, tentatively scheduled for Jan. 17 at 7:30 p.m. in Hamilton Hall 172, is co-sponsored by the Ad Club.

The SPJ chapter also announced that it would provide $9 each for up to 20 entries in the regional Mark of Excellence competition. Entry fee is $9 for members and $18 for non-members. Contest categories span the range of mass communication, from newspapers to magazine to radio to television to photograph to online journalism. Please contact SPJ graduate student representative Joe Owens at joeowens@iastate.edu if you are interested in having an entry. The deadline is Jan. 16.

 

 

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