Final Report By Prof. Mike Tucker, Project Director Department of Journalism Howard University

1
Final ReportBy Prof. Mike Tucker, Project
DirectorDepartment of Journalism Howard
University

• The Newspapers-in-Residence Program, 2003-2004
• The Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass
  Communication

2
Performance Against Goals

• Goal To improve the Department of Journalisms
  new Converged Media Lab with the visitation of
  professionals in core areas that match the
  Departments concentrationseditorial, broadcast,
  advertising and public relations.
• Key measures of success include attendance of
  students to presentations
  
• Use of technology and techniques by students
• Production of special web site coverage on
  selected topic

• Actual While students in all concentrations
  benefited, the major beneficiaries of visits were
  print and advertising students in introductory
  and intermediate classes, and the staff of
  BlackCollegeView.com, the web site affiliated
  with the Converged Media Lab
• Classes were well-attended, with an average of 20
  students
  
• Students utilized photo techniques in completing
  photo essays and use of visualization tips in
  creating magazine prototypes
  
• Stories on Music Downloading reported and
  published on web site

3
Performance Against Schedule

• Plan The original plan called for KC Star
  editors to arrive on campus during Fall
  2003sometime between September and December
  2003. They were to teach and mentor in formal and
  informal settings for two-to-four days depending
  on their schedules and departmental activities at
  Howard University

• Actual The KC editors arrived in April conducted
  reporting and writing classes, mentored students
  and assisted in the creation of special web
  stories on the downloading music controversy. The
  April visits occurred several months later than
  originally scheduled. Reason Scheduling and
  other administrative conflicts at The Kansas City
  Star

4
Performance Against Quality

• Quality goals
• Print students will gather, report, edit and
  distribute stories to BlackCollegeView.com, an
  online publishing site that averages more than
  25,000 hits daily. Content would also be
  available to KCStar.com
• Students enhance storytelling skills and gain
  appreciation of visualization in the writing
  process
  
• Students to gain appreciation of advertising as
  vital part of funding news operation and the
  unique skills and tools required for that
  specialty

• Actual
• Students inspired by storytelling aspects of
  photojournalism
  
• Students intrigued by research methodology and
  skill set used in garnering ads
  
• Lectures to students on various aspects of
  research, reporting, photography and online
  process assisted in class assignments and in
  creation of several stories about download music
• If you are online, click here to view stories
• If you are not online, click here for CD Start
  Page, then click Online Stories

5
Performance Against Budget

• Budget 12, 300
• -Transportation, lodging, meals, miscellaneous
  expenses for four professionals to DC
  administrative support and contingency travel
  expenses for set-up meeting and tour to KC

• Actual cost/expenditures 3,930.49 (as of July
  1, 2004)
  
• Excluded to date Administrative expenses
• Student-Faculty trip to KC newsroom

6
What Went Right

• Reaffirmed basic skillsresearch, reporting,
  editingas quickest path to jobs
  
• Explored new skills setsphotography, online
  journalism
  
• Strengthened existing relationship with top-notch
  newspaper and its editors for future projects,
  student internships, employment and faculty
  development
• Demonstrated ethnic diversity with KC visits by
  two white managers, one African American manager
  and one Hispanic manager
  
• Demonstrated professional diversity by exploring
  research, reporting, writing, editing,
  photography, online journalism and ad sales
  
• Utilized KCs top newsroom personnel all were at
  least assistant managing editor level, creating
  meaningful mentoring opportunities
  
• KC visitors meshed their lectures with classroom
  assignments, improving the quality and scope of
  student work
  

7
What Went Wrong

• Scheduled Fall 2003 visitation by KC staff
  derailed by massive newsroom reorganizationa new
  editorial computer system and training the
  dot-com operations moves to another building
• Wireless network other technical problems

8
Recommendations

• A more interactive learning space than
  traditional classroom needed for presentation,
  demonstration and mentoring
  
• Current program goals must be fully realized with
  scheduled trip to Kansas City newsroom in Fall
  2004 participants will be Howard professors and
  students
• Greater discretion with funds with changing
  technology and journalistic needs, it is naïve to
  believe that traditional hardware and software is
  capable of meeting certain program needs and
  goals