Master's Comps 2010-01

Pam Parry Awarded Travel Research Grant

Happy New Year! First good news in 2010. Doctoral student Pam Parry was recently awarded a research travel grant by the Eisenhower Foundation! Congrats!

More details here: http://www.abilene-rc.com/index.cfm?event=news.view&id=047D6D24-19B9-E2F5-46C3E1E54EF9CDB0

Graduation Day!

2010 USM Graduate Student Reserach Symposium

2010 USM Graduate Research Symposium call for abstracts! The submission deadline for the Graduate School is Jan. 29, but you need to submit your abstracts to the School of Mass Communication and Journalism by Jan. 22. Thanks!

More info: http://www.usm.edu/graduateschool/symposium.php

Congratulations to Dr. Jae Alexander

Jae Alexander successfully defended her dissertation today. Her dissertation, "The History of American Film Institute," was directed by Dr. David R. Davies. Congratulations!

Graduate Research Forum Meeting Nov. 5

Many thanks to the following graduate students who presented their media history research papers at the meeting:

Kaylene Armstrong: "Making It Personal: Reporter/source relationships in the 1985 Lafferty brothers trials"

Jim Coll: “Tackling General Nat: Newspaper Coverage of the Integration of Southern Miss Football”

Jessica Wallace: “Opening the Floodgates of Hate and Hell: Local press coverage and its effects on the Mack Charles Parker lynching case”

Jessica (left) was also interviewed by Dana Gower (right) from the Lamar Times about her research project.

Online Journal of Rural Research and Policy

Much recent mass media research has focused on the impact of new technology to the dissemination of information in urban areas, specifically the long-term viability of major news organizations. Less research as dealt with the long-term viability of small, rural news groups, such as town newspapers and regional broadcast radio and television networks. In addition, a similar pattern has emerged regarding the spread of broadband into and between large cities. Less has looked at the "last several miles" issue in rural areas.

The Online Journal of Rural Research and Policy, now nearing its fifth year of publication, seeks research and policy papers addressing the impact of new media on news organizations in rural areas, especially in the Great Plains. The research may be in the form of traditional quantitative academic work, or may employ qualitative methods or essay/policy formats. They may include issues of impact, for example, or historical trends. Or, they may focus on one rural news operation's approach new media. All approaches and methods are welcome.

The deadline for submissions is April 1, 2010. Authors should use the "For Authors" link on the right side of the OJRRP homepage for information on how to submit an article. Any questions can be directed to Dr. Tom Gould atthpgould@gmail.com. The Online Journal of Rural Research and Policy can be found at http://www.ojrrp.org/