MIPA is pleased to announce the line up of speakers and sessions for J-Day 2017!

8:45 a.m. Introduction

9-9:30 a.m. Keynote Speaker:

In a time when objectivity and journalistic responsibility couldn’t be more critical, John Beaudoin shares his personal experiences in dabbling in politics early in his career as a young sports writer. And how that decision almost cost him his job and a future as an editor and publisher. The experiences, interviews, coverage and community journalism he was a part of for more than two decades could have ended just a few months into his first job as a sports writer. Journalists young and old are tasked daily with putting distance between themselves and political circles, keeping in mind that every word they write could be brought into question if they don’t show a healthy respect for keeping the Fourth Estate, and themselves, truly apolitical.

Break-out Sessions include:

*We are still scheduling speakers, so check back in the coming weeks to see even more session options and locations.

9:45 – 10:30 a.m.

• WriteOffs and Photo ShootOff – Based on the keynote speech, students have the opportunity to participate in writing contests. Details to come!
• BROADCAST/ SPORTS: Life Inside a Sports Broadcasting Truck – Learn about the vocabulary, format setup, pre-production, FACS equipment, camera assignments, difference between producer and director, various other operations assignments from a pro in the business. – speaker Lyndall Dodson of Niles Media Group
• CAREER: Using a Broadcast Journalism Degree in a Career OUTSIDE of a Newsroom (repeats) – When Kara Potter decided as a senior that she did not want to work in television, she figured her broadcast journalism degree was basically worthless. She was wrong. With career stops in sports information, marketing and communications, Potter shares how she used the lessons and skills from journalism school every step of the way in her 13-year career. – speaker Kara Potter of MSTA Communications
• DESIGN/ YEARBOOK/ NEWSPAPER/MAGAZINE: Designing Umbrella Coverage Using MODs – Update your yearbook’s design and learn how to cover more and more on the same amount of design real estate. – speaker Leah Blase of Herff Jones
• FOOD NEWS: You Are What You Eat – Sources for Food News (repeats) – speaker Christine Tew with Missouri Soybean Programs
• INTERVIEWING: Who is Tommie Pong – Every great story or caption has to start with an interview. Learn how do conduct an interview and get quotable quotes. – speaker Dan Mueller of Herff Jones
• WATCHDOG JOURNALISM: Watchdog journalism in an era of fake news and alternative facts (repeats) – speaker Jamie Greber of KOMU TV and MU professor
• WRITING/ YEARBOOK/ FEATURE WRITING: People Still Read. Promise. (I have pictures to prove it.) – Writing a great yearbook story – that your audience will actually enjoy reading – is totally possible and even sort of fun. Come learn a step-by-step process that leads to a final draft your students will love and appreciate. There might even be prizes. Maybe. – speaker Travis Feil of Jostens
• YEARBOOK: Balancing Act: Building a Theme Verbally, Visually – Take a deep look into how Bryant High School developed their theme: Balance. Check out how it is built upon specific facts unique to the school and year. Visual and verbal development starts with inspiration and reinforces the message at every level by incorporating quick reads and beautiful design. – speaker Jeff Moffitt of Jostens

10:15-10:35 a.m.

• ADVISER ONLY: Annual MIPA Meet & Greet, Business Meeting – Advisers, Please join us for the digest version of the annual meeting. You’ll meet the MIPA Board members, advisers from across our state, and hear MIPA business, as well as have time to ask questions, offer feedback, etc. – speakers MIPA Board Members for 2016-2018

10:45-11:30 a.m.

• ADVISING: Adviser Roundtable and Curriculum Exchange – Advisers, let’s learn! We will hear from the True/False Film Fest representatives, have some time with the keynote speaker and time to share with each other. There’s a lot of talent in Missouri journalism advisers! Come prepared to quick-share your favorite lesson, exercise, team building activity, etc, and gain a couple dozen new ideas to take back to your classroom. A Google folder is available to members to share materials as well. – speaker Christina Geabhart
• DESIGN/ YEARBOOK/ NEWSPAPER/MAGAZINE: Stepping up Yearbook Design – See how photography, concept, coverage and reader aids can engage and excite your readers. – speaker Dan Mueller of Herff Jones
• DRONE: Drone Journalism – speaker Richard Shaw with Pictures of the Year International and Adjunct Assistant Professor Reynolds Journalism Institute
• HEADLINE WRITING: Make Your Headlines Sing – Students attending this session should bring their newspapers to discuss their headlines. Professor Walters talk about good headline writing and will offer to review/critique student paper headlines. If you would like to submit yours ahead of time, Walters will take a look at those as well; mail your headlines to MIPA’s office at: attn: Walters-Headline, MIPA, c/o Missouri School of Journalism, 132 Neff Annex, Columbia, MO 65211-1200 – speaker Maggie Walter with the Missouri School of Journalism
• LEADERSHIP: Leadership in the Journalism Classroom (repeats) – It can be challenging for student editors to lead their peers. This session will cover about what it means to be a leader and effective methods for obtaining results from staff members in the journalism classroom and beyond. – speaker Molly Baker of Herff Jones
• PHOTOGRAPHY: Manual Mode Made Simple – Still confused about the manual settings on that camera? You’re not the only one. This session will take the mystery out of manual mode and teach you to use those high tech tools to capture breathtaking images of your very own. Trust me; it’s not as hard as it seems. – speaker Travis Feil of Jostens
• PODCAST: Podcasting – I want to welcome you to the world of podcasting. Those who attend this session will leave with easy ways to introduce audio production into their newsroom. Podcasts can be an easy addition to any publication that is looking for a multimedia appeal. You will leave with the tools and resources needed for creating podcasts, ideas for content and where to find examples for your students to learn from. – speaker Jane Bannester of Ritenour High School
• WATCHDOG JOURNALISM: Watchdog journalism in an era of fake news and alternative facts (repeats) – speaker Jamie Greber of KOMU TV and MU professor
• YEARBOOK: Icing the Cake: Details Complete the Book – Beautiful cover. Unique theme. But that’s not enough. Great staffs pay attention to the smallest details. They consider every aspect from the table of contents and index to consistent writing style. This session will study these details and how they can make or break the finished product. – speaker Jeff Moffitt of Jostens
• YEARBOOK/ SALES: Let’s Sell! Tactics to Increase Yearbook Sales – Yearbook is a business. Come to this session to learn and endless list of tactics to reach and engage your buyers. – speaker Leah Blase of Herff Jones

11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

• ADVISING/ YEARBOOK: Budget Building 101 – The question is an important one every yearbook adviser and staff member should consider: “Are we going to be able to pay for that?” Together, we’ll break down the component parts of a complete and accurate yearbook budget so you never have to wonder again. Learn strategies to maximize your revenues through channels that make sense so that you can deliver a great, in-budget book to your student body. It’s a concrete plan any staff can achieve. Financial stability and growth are only one session away. The speaker suggests advisers bring a copy of last year’s invoice to use during this class. This is a great way for advisers to leave with actionable information; because, this exercise could shed some light on potential issues, and give the adviser an opportunity to prevent going into debt. He will not ask to see anyones invoices or plans, but he will answer questions and help one-on-one if advisers request it. A sample invoice will be provided for any one who does not have one. – speaker Lucas McCain of Jostens
• BREAKING NEWS: How to Report on a Natural Disaster: KOMU’s Coverage in Joplin (repeats) – For one year I led a large group of KOMU student reporters and producers to Joplin to cover the devastating May 22, 2011 ef-5 tornado which killed 161 people. Komu is the only television station in the country that has the resources to send 5-10 reporters week after week to a story 250 miles away. We did! I along with Komu Meteorologist Michelle Bogowith made 39 combined trips to Joplin during those 12 months. We felt like we had become a part of the Joplin community, and were welcome with open arms! We won many reporting awards including the National Society of Professional Journalists national documentary of the year titled “32 Minutes in May” this 30 minute piece followed the two storm chasing teams which captured the only known video of the tornado on the ground. Michelle and I also received a Missouri House of Representatives resolution for helping fellow Missourians in need. Finally, we co-authored a 400 page book titled “Joplin, Our Words, Our Stories, Their Hope.” Proceeds went to the non-profit Rebuild Joplin. The presentation will be about the difficulty yet the gratitude of covering a horrible disaster many miles away. – speaker Jim Riek of KOMU
• BROADCAST: Using a Chromebook for audio and video production – As schools access new technologies, like the Chromebook, to create a 1:1 environment, we have to imagine new ways to create content for our newsroom. This session will explain easy, budget-friendly ways to weave audio and video alternatives into your staff room through the use of cloud-based programs. You will leave having the tools accessible to you at school, alternative software options, and different ways to implement into your own publication. – speaker Jane Bannester of Ritenour High School
• BROADCAST/ SPORTS: Live Sports Broadcasting (repeats) – In this session, broadcast students will get tips and tricks from a veteran teacher and adviser on how to cover a live sporting event. Get insight on what it takes to prepare for the game from the technical set up to the pre-show research, how to call the play-by-play and provide color commentary, and incorporate stats into the broadcast. Attendees will also see how the NFHS Network setup works and how they can get hands on experience by providing the service for their classmates, school, and community. – speaker Ben Merithew of Fort Osage High School
• CAREER: Using a Broadcast Journalism Degree in a Career OUTSIDE of a Newsroom (repeats) – When Kara Potter decided as a senior that she did not want to work in television, she figured her broadcast journalism degree was basically worthless. She was wrong. With career stops in sports information, marketing and communications, Potter shares how she used the lessons and skills from journalism school every step of the way in her 13-year career. – speaker Kara Potter of MSTA Communications
• FILM: Dive into the world of the True/False Film Fest (repeats) – Dive into the world of the True/False Film Fest, which Indiewire called “the most vital festival in America”. In our session we’ll watch a short film and discuss how you can get involved with the Fest! – speakers Kelly Famuliner and Allison Coffelt of the True/False Film Fest
  
• LEADERSHIP: Leadership in the Journalism Classroom (repeats) – It can be challenging for student editors to lead their peers. This session will cover about what it means to be a leader and effective methods for obtaining results from staff members in the journalism classroom and beyond. – speaker Molly Baker of Herff Jones
• PHOTOGRAPHY: Sports Photography – Part 1 – Photos are the stars of your yearbook. But photography can be confusing and complicated. This two part session will combine Alyssa’s top tips and tricks to get the best photos possible, quickly. We will then take those tips and practice, practice, practice. By the time you leave you will know how to fix any problem you come up against. This is a HANDS ON workshop, so make sure you BRING THOSE CAMERAS. – Alyssa Moses of Walsworth
• REPORTING: 36 hours in Ferguson – Whether you’re covering protests, a riot, a trial, a house fire or a car accident, where you go, how you approach the situation and what you do when you arrive will dictate the tone and tenor of your story. Presenter John Beaudoin will discuss his experiences from covering deadly tornadoes and student protests to the time he hopped in his car and drove to Ferguson during the height of the unrest. – speaker John Beaudoin of KC Communications & Media Matters
• TEAM BUILDING: The Power of Positivity – If you’ve ever had a conflict on staff, and we ALL have, you’ve got to attend this session. No matter how small or seemingly short-lived the conflict might be, the scientifically measurable impacts of negativity may shock you. We’ll dig up the root problem, explore it’s toxic effects, and learn strategies to solve it by getting positive in real, meaningful, ways. Disclaimer: not a fluffy “feel good” presentation, here. It’s actual research, and it works. – speaker Travis Feil of Jostens

12:45-1:30 p.m.

• Photo ShootOff Critiques – join the Photo ShootOff judges in a critique of the work done this morning – speaker Mary Prichard of North Kansas City High School
• ADVISING/ADVERTISING: Ads to Be Had: Finding Revenue for your Publication – Advisers, Come learn some tips for selling and arranging advertising sales for a school publication both yearbook and newspaper, maybe even some web. – speaker Jami Williams of Mexico High School
• BREAKING NEWS: How to Report on a Natural Disaster: KOMU’s Coverage in Joplin (repeats) – For one year I led a large group of KOMU student reporters and producers to Joplin to cover the devastating May 22, 2011 ef-5 tornado which killed 161 people. Komu is the only television station in the country that has the resources to send 5-10 reporters week after week to a story 250 miles away. We did! I along with Komu Meteorologist Michelle Bogowith made 39 combined trips to Joplin during those 12 months. We felt like we had become a part of the Joplin community, and were welcome with open arms! We won many reporting awards including the National Society of Professional Journalists national documentary of the year titled “32 Minutes in May” this 30 minute piece followed the two storm chasing teams which captured the only known video of the tornado on the ground. Michelle and I also received a Missouri House of Representatives resolution for helping fellow Missourians in need. Finally, we co-authored a 400 page book titled “Joplin, Our Words, Our Stories, Their Hope.” Proceeds went to the non-profit Rebuild Joplin. The presentation will be about the difficulty yet the gratitude of covering a horrible disaster many miles away. – speaker Jim Riek of KOMU
• BROADCAST/ SPORTS: Live Sports Broadcasting (repeats) – In this session, broadcast students will get tips and tricks from a veteran teacher and adviser on how to cover a live sporting event. Get insight on what it takes to prepare for the game from the technical set up to the pre-show research, how to call the play-by-play and provide color commentary, and incorporate stats into the broadcast. Attendees will also see how the NFHS Network setup works and how they can get hands on experience by providing the service for their classmates, school, and community. – speaker Ben Merithew of Fort Osage High School
• EDITORIAL WRITING: Print the news and raise hell – Your news, sports and feature writing components may be the backbone of your newspaper, but editorials, columns and editorial pages can often prove to be your heartbeat, invoking emotion, driving conversation and setting the tone for your editorial policies. Writing compelling editorials and columns takes a willingness to be bold while showing a responsibility of the newspaper to shine a light on wrongdoing, corruption or misconduct. – speaker John Beaudoin of KC Communications & Media Matters
• FILM: Dive into the world of the True/False Film Fest (repeats) – Dive into the world of the True/False Film Fest, which Indiewire called “the most vital festival in America”. In our session we’ll watch a short film and discuss how you can get involved with the Fest! – speakers Kelly Famuliner and Allison Coffelt of the True/False Film Fest
• FOOD NEWS: You Are What You Eat – Sources for Food News (repeats) – speaker Christine Tew with Missouri Soybean Programs
• PHOTOGRAPHY: Sports Photography – Part 2 – Photos are the stars of your yearbook. But photography can be confusing and complicated. This two part session will combine Alyssa’s top tips and tricks to get the best photos possible, quickly. We will then take those tips and practice, practice, practice. By the time you leave you will know how to fix any problem you come up against. This is a HANDS ON workshop, so make sure you BRING THOSE CAMERAS. – Alyssa Moses of Walsworth
• PODCAST/RADIO: So you think you want to start a podcast? – In 45 minutes, we’ll cover what a podcast is, how you can make one even if you have a limited budget and technical experience, and ultimately help you figure out if you have an idea that might actually be worth trying. And it’s OK if you don’t. – speaker Ryan Famuliner of KBIA-FM National Public Radio and MU professor
• REPORTING: Reporting from Ferguson – How do you respond to history happening in your backyard? Ferguson is located 13 miles from Ritenour High School in St. Louis. KRHS Media choose to cover the movement through radio and video, leaving a lasting impact. This presentation will discuss our approach, impact on student production and what we learned about the student journalist’s role in community reporting. – speaker Jane Bannester of Ritenour High School
• WRITING: Write This, Not That – Tired of the same old content year after year? This session will look at improving storytelling through not only stories but also headlines, captions, photos and alternative coverage formats. – speaker Jeff Moffitt of Jostens
• YEARBOOK/ SALES: Maybe It’s How You’re Selling It? – “I believe our book is important. I believe our book is valuable. I believe every student should want one and deserves to have one.” Any yearbooker who doesn’t truly believe this may have problems beyond my help. Those who do believe it but still struggle to sell the book should come see me. It’s not magic. It’s marketing, and your approach to it really does matter. Learn how to apply logical, professionally-proven strategies to making your book a “must have” again. – speaker Travis Feil of Jostens

Campus Tours:

In 2017, campus tours must be requested by the adviser for their group. The adviser should go to: http://missouri.edu/visitors/field-trips.php. Due to MU being on spring break during J-Day, there will be a limited number of tour guides available. Tour requests will be processed in the order they are received.

Instructions:

• Visit http://missouri.edu/visitors/field-trips.php.
• Disregard the ‘eighth grade and up’ bullet point.
• Fill out the form.
• In the comments area, mention you are on campus for J-Day. The Visitor Office has been notified to expect Spring Break J-Day tour requests.

If you cannot get a guided tour, you may do a self-guided tour of campus by visiting: https://www.youvisit.com/tour/missouri?tourid=tour1&pl=v&m_prompt=1.

Speaker Bios:

• Molly Baker: Molly Baker has been working for Herff Jones Yearbooks since earning her Journalism degree from the University of Illinois in 2001. She is proud to have made one of her high school and college passions into a long and exciting career. She is based in Kansas City where the Herff Jones printing facility is located and has two young daughters, Shiloh and Summer, who love to go on yearbook deliveries with her!
• Jane Bannester: Jane Bannester is celebrating her 20th year at Ritenour High School in St. Louis, Mo. Bannester leads the nationally, award-winning media program, KRHS Media. She presents locally and nationally on using audio and video in the classroom.
• John Beaudoin: John Beaudoin is a media professional with more than two decades of experience in print, broadcast, radio, online and public relations/marketing experience. Currently, Beaudoin is a contract professional and owner of KC Communications & Media Matters. Beaudoin worked for 22 years in journalism, starting as a sports clerk, sports writer, advertising sales rep and special projects manager, working his way through the ranks to editor and publisher. After 10-plus years at The Examiner newspapers in Independence and Blue Springs, Missouri, Beaudoin took his first Publisher position with the Logan Herald Observer and Woodbine Twiner newspapers in southwest Iowa, part of the Midlands Newspapers Group of the Omaha World-Herald. In 2009, Beaudoin returned to the Kansas City area as Publisher of the Lee’s Summit Journal, Blue Springs Journal, Belton Star Herald and Cass County Democrat Missourian. During his tenure in journalism, Beaudoin has won dozens of state, regional and national awards for his stories, columns, editorials, design and special projects. In 2008, he received the Kenneth Stratton Award for distinguished service to high school journalism education for the state of Iowa. Beaudoin is a graduate of the American Press Institute’s Executive Development Program and past-president of the Show-Me Press Association. In college, Beaudoin was the editor-in-chief of the University News at UMKC and served as the Missouri College Media Association president in 1995-96. In addition to his newspaper experience, Beaudoin has hosted weekly radio and podcast productions and weekly on-air news segments in both the public (Metro Sports) and private (City of Lee’s Summit) sectors. He is still an active member of the Society of Professional Journalists and the Kansas City Press Club.
  
• Leah Blase: Leah Blase has been working with yearbook staffs for 25+ years helping students and advisers innovate and advance their yearbook. Leah’s energy is contagious and will be sure to excite your yearbook staff. Leah has extensive experience with design, writing, staff motivation and sales.
• Allison Coffelt: Allison Coffelt lives and writes in Columbia, Mo. She serves as the Education and Outreach Director for True/False, a nonfiction film festival. At T/F, Allison works on media literacy, creates dynamic learning experiences for high school and college students, and writes grants. Her creative writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Review of Books, Oxford Public Health Magazine, the Crab Orchard Review, and elsewhere. She holds a Master’s in Creative Nonfiction and bachelor’s degrees in English and Political Science.
  
• Lyndall Dodson: Lyndall Dodson works for Niles Media Group out of Liberty, MO. He has worked as a camera operator, replay operator, technical director, director, and producer. This past fall, Dodson produced the Heart of America Conference Football Game of the Week for ESPN3 and KSMO Channel 62. He also produced the Norm Stewart Classic 48 hours of high school basketball and the NAIA Women’s Division 1 National Basketball Tournament broadcasts. Dodson works as a Production Specialist with the North Kansas City School District’s Advanced Sports Broadcasting class. He also just took on a role as specialist for NewTek broadcasting products. His resume reads: radio DJ – 3 years, newspaper sports writer – 7 years, high school yearbook adviser – 24 years, high school newspaper adviser – 14 years, high school broadcasting adviser – 14 years, and broadcasting production specialist – 2.5 years. A graduate of the College of the Ozarks, Dodson holds a BA in Mass Media – Photography Emphasis. He also has a Master’s Degree in Technology in Education.
• Kelly Famuliner: Kelly Famuliner, Education & Grants Coordinator for the True/False Film Fest, works closely with staff to offer cutting edge, high quality educational programs within the visual arts for the local community and Fest attendees. She holds a master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Missouri and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of Missouri.
• Ryan Famuliner: RYAN FAMULINER, BJ ’07, joined KBIA-FM in February 2011. He previously worked as a general assignment reporter and videographer at WNDU-TV in South Bend, Ind., and as a reporter and anchor at the Missourinet radio network in Jefferson City, Mo. He’s reported nationally on NPR and WNYC’s The Takeaway. Famuliner has personally won multiple national Sigma Delta Chi, Edward R. Murrow and PRNDI Awards for his reporting and editing work, as well as scores of state and regional awards. KBIA, under Famuliner’s guidance as news director, also won the General Excellence Award in the Online News Association’s Online Journalism Awards in 2015. Famuliner created the state government data project Access Missouri, using grant funding from the University of Missouri, the Knight Foundation Prototype Fund and the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute. He’s overseen or contributed to numerous collaborative projects across the Missouri School of Journalism newsrooms, including the short documentary project “My Life, My Town” and partnerships with Vox Magazine and Missouri Business Alert. He’s also overseen KBIA’s participation in numerous external partnerships, including the multi-state, multi-station NPR reporting collaborations Harvest Public Media and Side Effects Public Media.
• Travis Feil: Feil advised the All-Kansas and All-American yearbook at Sterling (Kan.) H.S. prior to joining Jostens in 2012. He has served on the Kansas Scholastic Press Association Executive Board as an Area Representative, the First Amendment Response Committee Chairman, the Regional and State Contest Committee Chairman and President-Elect. He has instructed at local, state, regional and national workshops and serves schools in the Wichita and Kansas City metro areas.
• Christina Geabhart: In her 14th year advising, Christina Geabhart, MJE, advises the award-winning The Axe broadcast, N2 Sports broadcast, The Northmen’s Log newsmagazine and NorthmenNews.com online; as well as beginning levels of broadcast, writing and photography. Outside the classroom, she works as the Journalism Subject Area Lead Teacher for North Kansas City Schools.
• Jamie Greber: Greber teaches advanced broadcast reporting in the radio-television journalism areas and is the managing editor at KOMU-TV. As a former investigative reporter, Greber teaches watchdog, data and consumer-interest reporting techniques. She also focuses on crime, court and political reporting. Greber is an Emmy award-winning crime reporter and has earned multiple regional Edward R. Murrow awards, including several for investigative reporting. She was named Idaho’s broadcast reporter of the year two years in a row. Prior to joining the Missouri School of Journalism, Greber worked as a reporter for the NBC affiliates in Waterloo and Dubuque, Iowa, and Boise, Idaho. She has reported live for MSNBC and worked with Dateline NBC on episodes featuring Idaho cases. Greber is a graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism
• Lucas McCain – As a former yearbook adviser and current Jostens representative, McCain brings a well-rounded wealth of knowledge to the schools with which he works. He has an eye for design but shines brightest when applying his business and marketing education degree toward helping schools maximize their budgets through increasing book and advertising sales to make any goal a reality.
• Ben Merithew: Ben Merithew has been teaching high school journalism for 11 years. He has advised newspaper, yearbook, web and broadcasting. Merithew started live broadcasting sporting and regular events at Fort Osage High School with his students in 2014 where they regularly produce over 30 live events each year. He received the MIPA Journalism Teacher of the Year in 2011 and is a past president of the organization.
• Jeff Moffitt: Moffitt, MJE, is a Jostens Creative Account Manager. He advised the award-winning Torch yearbook and Oracle newspaper at Olympia High School in Orlando, FL for 11 years. He is a National Board Certified teacher in Career and Technical education. Moffitt was OHS’s 2007 Teacher of the Year. JEA named him a Special Recognition Yearbook Adviser in 2010 and a Rising Star in 2006.
• Alyssa Moses: Before joining the yearbook world, Alyssa worked for 5+ years in the photography/journalism industry as a Sports and Rock & Roll photographer, Alyssa has had clients spanning from the Saint Louis Rams to One Republic. She is passionate about helping young photographers reach their dreams.
• Dan Mueller: Dan Mueller has been working with yearbooks since he was on staff in high school and college. He has spent his entire adult life motivating students and helping them achieve their goals. Dan has over a decade of experience with design, technology, writing and photography.
• Kara Potter: Kara Potter earned her bachelor’s of journalism in broadcast news from the University of Missouri and her M.S. in sport and fitness management from Troy University. Her career has included stops in sports information, digital communications and social media management. She now works as the communications coordinator for the Missouri State Teachers Association. She swears she didn’t marry her husband, Dave, so that her children would be named Potter and possibly get into Hogwarts, but it didn’t hurt. She still believes an owl might drop off a letter for their daughter Mae, now 10 months, in 2027.
• Jim Riek: Jim Riek studied at MU and Missouri Southern College in Joplin. He has worked at KTVJ TV, Joplin weekend sports and weather anchor; KCBJ TV, Columbia, Sports Director; KRCG TV, Jefferson City, Sports Director; KGBT TV, Harlingen, TX News anchor and reporter; and KOMU TV. Columbia, News anchor 5-6-9-10 o’clock newscasts, (1997-2017).
• Richard Shaw: Shaw is director of Pictures of the Year International (POY), the oldest and most prestigious visual journalism program in the world. POY’s primary mission is to promote the work of visual journalists and foster professional development as a program of the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute at the Missouri School of Journalism. Shaw oversees the program’s 74-year competition, coordinates worldwide exhibitions, cultivates the POY archive, and has launched new initiatives including POY Latin America. Shaw also specializes in drone technology as an emerging tool for journalism. He coordinates the Missouri Drone Journalism program and co-teaches the course “Civilian Drone Issues, Applications and Flight” at the Missouri School of Journalism. Shaw holds a private pilot license under FAA Part 61, plus a remote pilot license under Part 107. He also earned UAS Safety Certification and UAS Instructor Certification for small unmanned aircraft from the Unmanned Safety Institute in Orlando, Florida, affiliated with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Shaw’s prior newspaper career spans 27 years in visual editing and management. He began as a photojournalist and moved into senior editing roles, working for newspapers such as The Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville and The Sacramento Bee for 12 years, where he served in a variety of roles including photo editor, assistant director of photography and an assistant news editor. Shaw was named director of photography and graphics at the Arizona Republic in Phoenix, and in 2001 joined the Hartford Courant as its director of design and graphics
• Christine Tew: Director of Communications and Public Relations at Missouri Soybean Programs
• Maggie Walter: Maggie Walter is a professor and night news editor at the Columbia Missourian. She joined the MU faculty in August 2003. Walter serves as the faculty adviser for the MU Chapter of the American Copy Editors Society and is a member of the national organization. She is a faculty member for the annual Dow Jones Newspaper Fund Missouri Editing Excellence Workshop held at the Missouri School of Journalism. She is also a Wakonse and a Diversity Fellow.
• Jami Williams: Jami Williams teaches journalism, broadcasting and publications at Mexico High School. She is a member of the MIPA executive board and has seen every episode of “The Walking Dead” twice.