Communication Week April 5-9

By Sherry Kughn
News Bureau

April 2, 2004 -- Jacksonville State University's Department of Communication will observe Communication Week April 5 through 8 with experts from key news media from throughout northeast Alabama speaking to students each day in Self Hall. The theme is "Bringing the Story Home: Localization of International News." See schedule below.

"We are pleased and lucky to be able to assemble this quality of professionals from the different areas of the mass media," said Dr. Kingsley Harbor, head of the department. "These are men and women who have spent a considerable period of time in the industry with a wealth of experience in their various areas."

Three of the speakers are JSU alumni -- Roy Williams, Elizabeth Chandler and Lantz Croft.

Monday:

Public Relations Day 8:45 a.m. - 9:45 a.m., Room 236

Mark Morrison, Director of Public Relations at Honda of Alabama, to speak on "Public Relations in Society"

Tuesday:

Electronic Media Day 10 a.m. - 10:45 a.m., Room 237

Lantz Croft and Elizabeth Chandler of WBRC-TV to speak on "The Electronic Media -- Experiences of Two Broadcast Journalists"

Lantz Croft began his television career as an intern at FOX6 WBRC-TV while a student at Jacksonville State University. During his internship he was offered a part-time job as an assistant at the assignment desk. After graduation, Lantz moved to Birmingham and took the weekend assignment desk position in November, 1997. After six months on the weekend desk, he was promoted to nightside assignment editor. One year later, he was promoted to the dayside desk position. He is now the assignments manager. Lantz runs the morning editorial meeting and is responsible for dispatching news crews to stories. Lantz is also the internship coordinator for the college internship program.

Wednesday:

Silent Auction by Society of Professional Journalists, all morning, hallway, Self Hall

Print Media Day 11:15 a.m. -- noon, Room 207 with Matt Korade, senior writer for The Anniston Star, to speak on "Local Connections to International Story"

Thursday:

Communication Awards Luncheon, 11:30-1:30 p.m. 11th floor, Houston Cole Library. Keynote address by Roy Williams, business reporter at The Birmingham News and author of 911, God Help Us: A Journalist's Tale of Faith. His topic: "From Global to Community News"

Williams, a Jacksonville native, has been a reporter for the past 14 years at The Birmingham News. He has won numerous journalism honors, including three Associated Press Awards in Alabama and Georgia. His oldest brother, U. S. Army Maj. Dwayne Williams, died in the terrorist attack on the World Trade Towers on 9/11.

Thursday Evening:

Communication Alumni Reunion at Sports Nut, 6:30 p.m., hosted by SPJ and the Public Relations Club

For further information about any of the events please contact Dr. Kingsley Harbor at kharbor@jsu.edu or call 256-782-5083.

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