Lemke Department Celebrates UA J-Days

‘New media’ editor among noted journalists, UA alumni and faculty to take part in week-long event.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Keith Chrostowski, deputy national editor for The Kansas City Star, will be a featured speaker at the annual J-Days celebration presented April 9-13 by the Walter J. Lemke department of journalism in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas.

Chrostowski is the editor of Prime Buzz, The Star’s first subscription-only Web site, covering politics. He comes to Fayetteville as guest speaker in the Roy Reed Lecture Series.

He will talk about The Star’s embrace of the Internet and the challenges it presents reporters and editors. The Roy Reed Lecture will begin at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 11, at the Janelle Y. Hembree Alumni House. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Chrostowski is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism and joined The Kansas City Times as a copy editor. In his 30-year career at The Star, he has served as Page One editor and a deputy business editor while also doing some reporting. He also has an Master of Business Administration.

In addition to class presentations and visits by Lemke alumni and other professional journalists, J-Days will feature a scholarship awards program beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 12, and the Lemke Alumni Society Golf Classic beginning at noon Friday, April 13, at Stonebridge Meadows Golf Club. To sign up for the golf tournament or purchase banquet tickets for $15 each, either contact Carol Rachal, crachal@uark.edu, or call the department at (479) 575-3601.

At 3 p.m. Thursday, April 12, the Multicultural News Project will present an awards ceremony. This is the sixth year for the project that brings high school students to the campus for six weeks to learn about journalism and write stories that are published in a newspaper. The reception will be in Kimpel 111.

J-Days is being expanded to a full week this year. Beginning Monday, April 9, alumni and other guest speakers will visit classes to talk to students. If room numbers are not listed, call the journalism office, 575-3601, for information.

At 9:30 a.m. Monday, April 9, John Cumptson, chief photographer for television station KHOG, will speak in Kimpel 111.  At 12:30 p.m. Megan Taylor, a UA journalism graduate who works for Axciom, will speak in Kimpel 119J.

At 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Susan Porter, editor of the Free Weekly, will speak to students about alternative media. The lecture will be in Kimpel 209.

At 2 p.m. Tuesday, Tom Hapgood, assistant professor in the visual design area of the UA department of art, will speak on “How to Tell News Stories in the New Media.” He will speak in Kimpel 111.

At 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 11, a panel of news directors will speak to students in the UATV studio.

At 9:30 a.m. Thursday, April 12, Sky Blaylock, manager of Community Access Television, will talk about media reform.

Also at 9:30, Seth Gunderson, a UA journalism graduate who works at Sullivan Higdon & Sink, will speak in Kimpel 115. He will also speak to classes at 12:30 p.m. in Kimpel 115.

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Carol Rachal, secretary, Walter J. Lemke department of journalism
J.William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences
(479) 575-3113, crachal@uark.edu