The Amazing Life (And Social Dominance) of Twitter

Mat Roberts, Reporters

From its humble beginnings in July 2006, Twitter Inc. has grown to be one of the most popular social networking sites in the world. Created by Jack Dorsey, the Twitter product was created to be the SMS (Short Message Service) of the Internet. It allows people to compile a short snippets of information in 140 characters or less through business or casual community communication. Twitter sets its home grounds in San Francisco, but is used by nearly every country in the world and is accessible in six languages including English, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Japanese. According to The Huffington Post, users are, in total, “tweeting” an average of 55 million tweets per day. With over 105 million registered users, Twitter has also made a statement of outstanding growth from 25 to 175 employees.

At the beginning of winter quarter at Ohio University, I decided that it was my turn to join the rest of the tweeting world.  Initially, I thought that this Twitter phase was nothing too special, but sitting here today I will tell you that it is one of the best tools in the world for college students.

Twitter has allowed me to meet and market with many different firms and businesses that will hopefully guide me in the direction of  internships in my career choice of study: Advertising. Interestingly enough, Twitter is the ideal site for advertising myself to these respective firms and has granted me the opportunity to connect with many different people that are advocates of my career path.

The Huffington Post reports that about 75% of Twitter traffic comes from outside Twitter.com (i.e. via third party applications.), which opens up plenty of doors to connect to the outside world. I am proud to say that every little bit of the available 140 characters per tweet has been put to good use in my college days. Luckily, I joined the Twitter community at the perfect time of its transformation. With their website redesign, Twitter has added more value to its short-spaced tweets by enabling users to “tell your story within your Tweet, think of a Tweet as a worldwide headline, and use the details pane to tell the rest with photos, videos and other media content.

With this idea, people can now create a new window of opportunity by storytelling information and connecting to more outlets such as Storify; which is a newly developed “Twitter teammate” that allows users to make stories using social media.

With the birth of the new generation, the world has completely gone mobile, which has easily become the ultimate stepping stone to the success of Twitter. At Chirp, the official Twitter developer conference, the Huffington Post was able to gather that of Twitter’s active users, 37 percent use their phone to tweet and Twitter’s search engine receives around 600 million search queries per day. Users can use the Twitter short code with their phones and tweet to their personal profile by texting to the number 40404 or download the Twitter application to their smartphone, a creation that I have come to use very often. With all these connections to many outlets, Twitter has become an “underground must” for the typical Ohio University communications major and the average humanitarian.

I recently came across hope140.org, which is Twitter’s path to give back to the world and help support important social movements and events. As of now, the site is working on using their communication platform to send support to Japan and Haiti’s earthquake disaster, the struggles of the Malaria outbreak, and International Literacy Day, which in turn will donate much needed hope from a single tweet.

Originally, the idea of this story was to show the humorous dominance Twitter has gained on the World Wide Web, but I found myself in a new stance and decided to highlight the importance Twitter has become for the next generations to gain an edge in the workforce. Because Twitter is one of the fastest growing sites in the world with 180 million unique visitors every month, I have gained a growing love for Twitter. I know that with patience and proper responsibility I can use Twitter as an important tool to the growth of my career, even though my ultimate dream is to live on the small island of Jamaica harvesting sugar cane. Regardless, the colossal amounts of value and connections that Twitter can offer is far greater than any available social networking sites in this world. It will forever continue to grow importance to my life and the new networking phase of social dominance.

Outstanding Seniors talk achievement

Story // Mat Roberts, Reporter

On Tuesday, May 10th, Ohio University’s Society of Professional Journalists held their annual elections followed by a springtime ice cream social and movie event. The elections for new positions began at 5 P.M and included opening slots for president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, pub- licity chair and co-programming chairs.

Following the elections, SPJ decided to wind down and relax with ice cream and a movie. Students met in Scripps 116 for a viewing of the film Morning Glory.

“The social went great, [and] we enjoyed four different types of ice cream. People came and went as they pleased, but overall I think it was a nice way to unwind after elections and have fun with our members,” said Gina Mussio, SPJ secretary.

Today, SPJ will be featuring the recently announced Outstanding Seniors of 2011 to speak as a panel to SPJ members. The Outstanding Seniors, who were announced at the Scripps Awards Banquet last Wednesday, include Jennifer Bak (Advertising), Will Tapper (Broadcast), Sarah Holt (Carr Van Anda), Savannah Aepli (Honors Tutorial College), Natalie Knoth (Magazine), Erich Hiner (News Editorial), Alyse Kordenbrock (Online), Devin Hughes (Public Relations), and the Overall Outstanding Senior, Evan Millward. SPJ will host these nine seniors today at 5 P.M in Scripps 111. It will serve as a great opportunity for students to ask the seniors what they have accomplished and to understand the process of how they were able to achieve their newly gained title.

“Overall, this event, which occurs almost every year, should be very beneficial to all of SPJ’s members,” said Taylor Mirfendereski, vice president of SPJ.

For those who dare, SPJ will also be leading the First Amendment Free Food Festival co-sponsored by College Media Advisors and the Society of Professional Journalists.

The event will be held Friday, May 20th, from 1-4 P.M. Free lunch will be awarded to all of those who attend, but there is a catch. Students and staff who participate will symbolically sign off their First Amendment rights and receive a “passport,” listing the rights they have relinquished.

“The event is open to all students, not just journalists, and is a prime way of advocating 1st amendment rights and showing people how it can be taken for granted,” Mirfenderski said.

While waiting in line for food, students carrying on with their normal 1st amendment rights of speech and religion will be halted by the “goon squad” who are determined to enforce the new laws and take away the students’ right of assembly. In SPJ terms, this means the students will be denied the right to sit with friends while delighting in their free food. So far, this type of event has taken place at Pacific Lutheran University, University of Baltimore, University of Miami, Florida Atlantic University and Grand Rapids Community campus.

“Students will be able to think twice about countries that don’t have these rights and how journalists keep fighting for our current first amendment rights,” Mirfendereski said. “We hope it will be a good turnout and become an unique eye-opening experience.”

Top 10 Online Resources for the Journalism Enthusiast

Mat Roberts, Reporter

Storify- This new beta site allows users to create personalized stories using social media. Primarily teamed together with Twitter, this site is a great way for experienced social media users to gather information around all social media outlets and create a unique story perspective by adding video, text content, and pictures.

Mashable- One of the premier news sites for social media, technology and the growing trends of the web. Mashable was created in 2005 geared towards audiences within the fields of marketing and advertising by stressing the importance of a new generation of online resources.

Muck Rack- Established in 2009, due to the increasing popularity of “tweets”, this site was created for the gathering of all journalists to share their experiences on Twitter. Muck Rack is a great online source for exploring the wide array of news outlets while highlighting the importance of beat writers, daily news that spread across the web, and press releases.

10,000 words- This multimedia journalism blog site was created by Mark S. Luckie to emphasize the hottest blogging topics that include: writing, videos, photos, social networks, along with being a great resource on journalism-related job postings.

Net News Check- With a strong primary focus of business in the digital media world, this online resource is a great tool for making connections with revenue and the world of information. Net News Check is also a great window for news on the latest smartphone apps, marketing resources, and other gadgets.

Poynter- This one of a kind site was created for the dedication to teach and inspire young journalists. Inspired by Nelson Poynter’s view of independent journalism, this online site is a great outlet for updated news about journalism and offers many invigorating workshops for journalists and media leaders.

TVNEWSER- For those who love news about TV news, then this is your yellow brick road. Along with 10,000 words, this popular site is alos connected by Mediabistro, which features news on major broadcasts including: ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, and NBC while also giving users tool of the best available job listings.

Fact Check- An politically-based organizational website to allow visitors to view some of the most factual articles offered on the web, ask questions directly, and learn the facts about the top controversial topics in the media world.

The Online Journalism Review- With a strong focus on the future of digital journalism and research this is a must stop spot for journalists looking to gain an advantage on increasing the depth of stories. Partnered with USC Annenberg and UC Berkley Graduate School of Journalism, this site only allows application to its extensive workshops and resources to currently employed journalists.

Fair- Founded in 1986, this blog site focuses on the fairness and accuracy in reporting, offering well-documented criticism and censorships around the media world. To discover the truths of the latest trending news, follow Fair and learn about “What’s wrong with news” and important facts on many studies and reports.

Tragic event teaches lesson to reporters

Story // Mat Roberts, Reporter

On Tuesday, April 26, Scripps hosted the 25th anniversary event, “The Battle of Chernobyl”, highlighting one of the most devastating nuclear disasters in world history; it affected millions across Europe, hitting primarily Russia and Ukraine.

Dr. Debatin, director of Tutorial Studies for Journalism in Ohio University’s Honors Tutorial College, led the discussion on the Chernobyl incident and informed attendees that similar events could act as a warning for nuclear disasters. An event of this magnitude triggers discussion on all associated risks ranging from civilian disease and damaged ecosystems to the ways environmental reporting is affected.

“The event, beyond merely being a reminder of the Chernobyl meltdown, was intended to reinvigorate discussion and debate revolving around nuclear energy and alternatives to traditional power in general,” said Benjamin Kain, one of nine speakers who read scripts from the book “Voices of Chernobyl.”

The speakers read a variety of unique dialogues from liquidators, families, and other victims of the Chernobyl incident. “The Battle of Chernobyl” kicked off with an introduction from Dr. Debatin who stressed the horrific truths of the disaster.

“The catastrophic accident caused the Soviet Union to prevent systematic searching of lost citizens and nuclear waste for three years because the effects were so bad,” Debatin said.

Today, the most recent nuclear disaster has gradually unfolded in northern Japan at the Fukishima Daiichi power plant; it has become what many people are calling the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl. Environmental journalism stories covering incidents of this nature offer great public insight and facilitate new waves of information.

“Ideally, such an event will always be reaching out to people who do not know where they stand on the issue,” Kain said. “However, the reality is that such an event almost always attracts a majority of people who feel very strongly this way or that.”

The journalists covering the story had a perfect opportunity to demonstrate the importance of preserving nature.

“This event was perfect for raising awareness on the anniversary of Chernobyl, but acted as an even greater guideline on how to handle events that may come up in the future,” said Zach Hartsell, a freshman student at Ohio University.

Debatin showed that a thriving journalism industry must have a good foundation of environmental journalism because it discusses the importance of social tendencies, regular human nature and keeping the earth at best shape.

“Dr. Debatin’s event functioned on a deeper level than, I think, is the tendency of environmental journalism,” Kain said. “Various perspectives, including Dr. Debatin’s relevant personal experiences were offered, and it was up to the audience to see how the story’s many tragic layers were interconnected. The presentation at the event was far more nuanced and powerful than an article on the event would have been.”

SPJ talks repercussions of defunding news outlets

Story // Mat Roberts, Reporter

On Tuesday, April 19th, SPJ hosted another spectacular event on current events and media connections across the entire Appalachia region. The event was organized by Ohio University’s Society of Professional Journalists’ Ian Bowman-Henderson and Graylyn Roose. SPJ welcomed Jeannie Jeffers, director of WOUB development and communications, to speak on effects of media coverage in Athens and in rural areas across the country.

“Most people in the country’s larger rural areas have minimum access to media coverage and can only get Public Radio and TV,” Roose said.  Last month, Republican Doug Lamborn sponsored a proposal that passed in the House to prevent federal funds from going to National Public Radio. The Washington Post reports that the bill will ban any federal money from going to NPR, which receives $5 million in annual funds. NPR supports roughly 600 member stations that this bill will now prevent from using federal funds to purchase programming and to pay station dues.

“Our primary goal of this event was to raise awareness about the defunding of NPR and to recognize it turning public to private,” Roose said. “As a strong supporter of public radio, it’s important for citizens and reporting journalists to see that people living in rural areas will suffer from this defunding because now they have a significantly less amount of information availability.”

The cut has been locally damaging to Athens’ WOUB, which has had several funding cuts over the past few years making it difficult to manage. Roose later stated, “We want to show that NPR has very well educated people and they deserve support as a worldwide distributor of public radio news.”

This Tuesday at 5 P.M, SPJ will open the doors for a chapter segment on using personal computer programs to better enhance reporting skills. The event will show how to gather stats and facts from these unique techniques to better journalism reporting.

“The event should be very useful on learning how to use current databases to improve the depth of your interviews and using many programs to create your own statistics for stories,” said OUSPJ’s President, Jamie Raterman. Led by an all-star Scripps connected cast including Kevin Viever, Aimee Edmonson, and Lawan Williams, SPJ will look to bring Ohio University’s aspiring journalists an edge at harder reporting by finding their own facts on programs that aren’t usually used for the journalist profession.

Graylyn Roose commented, “The meeting will be very useful to student journalists because it can give them more knowledge on reporting and greater technology intelligence.”

Journalism particularly isn’t a profession that uses computer programs to improve reporting, which is why this event is a must see. “This event will bring focus to programs like Excel and how to complete in depth Google searches for a stronger story,” Ratermann said.

If you are interested in learning a few tricks to create better stories, stop by Scripps 111.

Journalistic trends mark significant alterations to the industry

Story // Mat Roberts, Reporter

Henry Anatole Grunwald, most commonly known as the editor-in-chief of Time, Inc., once said, “Journalism can never be silent: that is its greatest virtue and its greatest fault. It must speak, and speak immediately, while the echoes of wonder, the claims of triumph and the signs of horror are still in the air.”

In essence, journalism has evolved into the world’s single most dominant source of information and a gateway to communication with people around the globe. Though the job is never ending, the tenacious force that is journalism is a rapidly transforming system. The birth of the age of the internet, email, and the powers of telecommunication  have sparked a new generation of journalism, and in my book, there are three precise ways in which the industry has morphed.

Civilian journalism has struck the media world in an effective fashion. CNN has created iReport, which has developed into a site for anyone online to upload videos, pictures, and personal story ideas. Currently, the most popular streaming news within the site is the Japan earthquake disaster, in which many people have traveled to share their unique input. Now, news outlets around the world are asking citizens to deliver their stories and media, with some offering a paycheck at the end of the deal. The Yahoo Contributor Network allows writers, photographers, and videographers the opportunity to publish local content and get paid at about 10 dollars per story.

For journalism students, it has opened a new door of experience- “Being a part of the Yahoo Contributor Network helps me in all terms of writing a successful story. It gives me a real life consensus on meeting deadlines within the system and a realistic sense of one day being in the journalism workforce,” said Molly Wheatley, a freshman journalism student at Ohio University.

Fronteras Columbus, a bilingual weekly newspaper for Latinos living in central Ohio has posed the “freelance” idea for publishing. Anahi Vinazza-Moore, Fronteras’ editorial coordinator said, “My primary job is to properly align stories that come in from out hired freelancers. Most of our work comes from out hired freelancers that report within the central Ohio Latino areas.” Although mostly all published content that is revealed to the public is from full-time reporters and staff, the civilian journalism idea has grown to increase both production and the availability of different perspectives onworldwide information.

The next recent change in the journalism business Twitter, or even more broadly all social networking sites. Twitter has slowly evolved into a machine-like news outlet of its own, allowing people to post quick quotes. ESPN uses Twitter to pull quotes from major athletes; their “tweets” have become valuable sources of information on sports related topics. The idea has proved to be very effective so far; professional athletes can leak information on injuries, trade updates, or personal problems. Or they can talk trash to their following fans. Other major networking sites such as Facebook are  used by businesses to gain support and “likeability” within a closely connected network. Social networking will continue to open the door for businesses to grow and share information at a pace that was never achievable in the past.

For people that want to share experiences and report on an everyday basis, blogging has become the latest trend and a memorable catalyst for a changing journalism industry.

“I plan to start my own blog soon, so I use my social networks, primarily Twitter, to gain credibility and stay on top of Cleveland sports,” said Jerod Scheetz, a freshman journalism student at Ohio University.

 Blogging is not only an idea of itself, but it easily connects to both civilian reporting and social networks. Similar to Scheetz’s story, reports and social networking can be a way to gain experience, which in turn can  grow into an opportunity to begin a successful blog. The blog creation is slowly up and coming and will eventually open up jobs in the online journalism market, but for now it is last on my list.

For some, journalism is a dying piece of history on the move that will never stop growing. It will never be as important as it was in the past because of this new age of change. Perhaps those that say so are right, but in the eyes of Burton Roscoe, “A news sense is really a sense of what is important, what is vital, what has color and life – what people are interested in. That’s journalism.”

INC reporter spills on experience of first-time reporter duties

Column // Mat Roberts, Reporter

At the beginning of Winter Quarter, with one quarter already under my belt, I felt like I had experienced my share of college lifestyle. My academics reached an all-time high, I was living on my own and I was making my own decisions daily for the first time in my life. As a journalism major, I was eager–and at times, socially pressured–to get involved in the student-run publications around campus.

Being accepted into the Scripps School of Journalism is by far my most cherished accomplishment, but it has also brought many challenges.  Finding a way to get involved on campus proved to be the first obstacle, but before the end of my first quarter, I decided to apply for an INC reporter position.

To be honest, I completely forgot about my applying for the position until I was contacted at the end of Fall Quarter to meet with the staff and begin working. When I arrived for the first meeting, it was as if I was smacked in the face with a brick. I was sent off with my first story assignment, and if I remember correctly, I chose to write a column on the development and hassles of sports reporting. I recall being excited, scared and confused all at once after seeing my first story in the INC newsletter. My growing college ego was murdered on the spot. As I faced the job of weekly reporting for the first time, I realized it was my time to become a serious journalist.

Writing for INC has changed my life as a journalism student. At the beginning, I was enthusiastic to have finally become involved with a publication, but as I slowly crept through the cold days of Winter Quarter, my writing came to a sudden drop. Living my daily routine of studying and enjoying the luxuries of college life was interrupted by my weekly reporting duties. It was just a unique change in my everyday  functions. My first slip came from too many grammatical errors and by improperly citing sources. It was one of those moments where I needed to sit down with one of my editors and refocus.

From there, something clicked and I wanted to do better for myself. I gained confidence after writing a preview for the Ohio Sunshine Summit. Then, I wrote a review of the SPJ Battle of the Bands and a unique story on Scripps First, which is a curriculum program designed to further integrate first-year students accepted into the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism.

INC is perfect for first-year journalism students because it allows them to experience and interact with all aspects of journalism. For me, it has become a special bond.

Writing is my passion. Whether it is in the style of a journalist or as an artist composing lyrics, writing has made me into who I am. Writing music with my friends will always be close to my heart, but writing as a journalist–and more specifically for INC–is what inspires me to be the best I can be. Becoming a reporter for INC has helped me to set goals for the future and has acted as a stepping stone for my improvements as a journalist.

I realized the hard way that it takes time and patience for this job — two things I have never wanted to use before. It is for these very reasons of my past, present and future as a general writer, I am galvanized to begin my time with INC in the spring.

New program offers opportunity to first-year students

Story // Mat Roberts, Reporter

Next fall, a new program that caters to first-year students accepted to the Scripps College of Communication will be welcomed as an integral part of the Scripps curriculum.

The program, titled Scripps First, will expand on the current learning community model; it is a system that will better focus student strengths in a series of classes throughout the entire communication school. The upcoming Spring Quarter will mark the anniversary for birth of this new idea.

Scripps First was created within the confines of The Front Room Coffeehouse during a discussion between Scott Titsworth, Associate Director for Graduate Studies, and Robert Stewart, Director of the E.W Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University.

“The primary reason for the creation of the program is to further integrate first-year students,” Titsworth said, “We feel like as a whole (university), we have a better edge and more opportunities to get involved. From this, we can align curricular classes on a cool level.”

Stewart believes that once the program is put into place, it will give prospective students a mark-up and an added value experience to engage in the opportunities of this Center of Excellence.

“By completing Scripps First, the student will receive an award certificate from the Dean, and for any freshman looking to add value to their resume for future internships, this opportunity is perfect,” Stewart said.

Stewart added that this program will serve as a “strong recruiting tool for prospective students, considering the upcoming transition from quarter to semesters in the upcoming years.”

The title of the program, Scripps First, was easily agreed upon, but the structure for the program is still under heavy construction.

“When we go from quarters to semesters, the public speaking course will ultimately be removed from the general requirements,” Stewart said, “Scripps First will create incentive for students to take classes in every level of the college and the ability to add to their education.”

Next year, advertisements will announce the program’s debut.

“We started talking about the issues to our semester model,” Titsworth added, “When we began talking about the program we thought of what courses students would take and things to do after the program, so it’s still a little tricky to figure it all out now.”

Currently, the plan is to offer mostly 100-level classes, which could include COMS 103, VICO 140, JOUR 101 and ITS 201. Starting with a public speaking course, the students can then branch off into other classes within the College of Communication.

“Promotion literature and recruiting literature will be the outlets for letting future students to know about this program,” Stewart said, “It’s amazing how the idea trickled down from a slight mention from the dean down to an in-depth report for students to read in the school’s publications.”

The inspiration for this project stems from Tom Hodson, who teaches a senior level class about the importance and future of communication. With the first goal of Scripps First aimed at allowing students to incorporate communication into every aspect of their potential careers, the timely process for finalization is a must.

“We want to get students to think about communication and create cross talking within majors in hopes that students look into other schools and connect with the outside world,” Titsworth said.

Ed2010 and SPJ host local bands to battle at the Union

Story // Mat Roberts, Reporter

On Feb. 24, the Ohio University chapters of Ed2010 and Society of Professional Journalists presented the hottest show in Athens  — Battle of the Bands.  Completing its second year in the making, this fundraising event garnered the attention of an enthusiastic audience at its Union venue.

The event included a trio of vigorous performances including Matt Reid & TGP, Millions of Michael Jordans, and Dr. Beat and the Beatoffs.

Jeff Trasin (left) and Matt Reed (right) of Matt Reed & TGP battle it out at the co-hosted Battle of the Bands.

Before the fundraising event began, Dr. Bob Stewart, director of the E.W Scripps School of Journalism, and the Bob Stewart Band kicked off with a short performance to warm the incoming crowd.

Dan Weiner (drums), Greg Bikowski (bass), John Ortman (harmonica), Elliot Abrams (lead guitar) and Bob Stewart (guitar/vocals) began the night with a few songs including “I Got this Feelin’,” “Coming for You” and “What I Remember Most.”

Placed in front of a panel of judges including Scripps alumnus Jason Stone, disc jockey for Power 105, the competing performances vied for the prize of one day of studio time at 3-Elliot Studio.

After the warm-up came the first performance of the night delivered by Matt Reed & TGP. The Columbus-born band used their funk and soul style to win the crowd’s attention.  Using a wide array of sounds emanating from keyboards, bass, beats and a duo of vocals, Matt Reed & TGP set the bar high for the following performances. The band is comprised of Matt Reed (Vocals), Jeff Trasin (Keyboard, Decks, Vocals), Jon Hammond (Bass) and Cliff Lefevre (Drums, Sampler).

To continue the battle, Millions of Michal Jordans donned red cut off T-shirts with a star surrounded by Michael Jordan logos.  This athletic-inspired band was led by Kyle Truitt (Drums), Greg “Ay” O’Hearn (Bass), Jared Kurzawa (I-lead), Nathan Moore (II-rhythm).

The last band to make an impression on stage was Dr. Beat and the Beatoffs. The traditional instrumental flood of sounds was a great way to end the night. With Ian Lesage (Guitar/Vocals), John Kammere (Bass) and Nick Kopko (Drums), the trio of OU music majors entertained the audience who waited for the conclusion of the battle.

After the final performance, judges gave a critique of the bands on their musical creativity, stage presence and audience involvement.  Matt Reed & the TGP left with this year’s Battle of the Bands prize, while SPJ walked away with yet another successful fundraising event under their belt.

Ohio Sunshine Summit issues call to change

Story // Mat Roberts, Reporter

For university students, the journalism profession can be a challenge in respects to learning journalistic rights and public policy.  Unfortunately, the ability to access public records and to maintain first amendment freedoms has hit a barricade for some public universities.

On February 26th, Ohio University’s Society of Professional Journalists and Radio Television Digital News Association will be co-hosting the first Ohio Sunshine Summit. The conference is being put in place to discuss press freedom issues between student and professional journalists. The goal of the conference is to draft a policy to the Ohio Board of Regents and the University System of Ohio. Over half of general public records cannot be reached student journalists in Ohio, making the summit a necessary step to preserving rights of accessibility.

“Last year, OU conducted its own audit to fix this problem that has spread all over the country, so it will be interesting to see what student leaders do to stand up and standardize the issue,” said Evan Millward, former president of the Ohio University Society of Professional Journalists and chairman of the Ohio Sunshine Summit.

While the OU chapters of SPJ and RTDNA sponsor the summit, the co-hosted event invites other JSchools in Ohio to partake in the conference as well.  The two organizations have collaborated to deliver a presentation that will provide attendees a better understanding of the open records issues faced at their respective institutions.  Jamie Ratermann, president of OU SPJ, said one of the functions of SPJ is to keep people on their toes with pertinent issues in the journalism industry.

“It is the jack of all trades and being a part of the society informs you about things that you should be fighting for such as knowing your rights as a journalist and how to perform at the best quality,” Ratermann said.

The summit will open with a discussion of the growing debate of university policy and first amendment rights. Led by Amiee Edmondson, a Freedom of Information Act specialist and Dennis Hetzel, executive director of the Ohio Newspaper Association, the conference will begin with an overview of rights protected by Sunshine Laws.

After the opportunity to network with a wide array of panelists and speakers, the students will work together to propose a plan for clear policies to Board of Regents Chancellor Eric Fingerhut. SPJ President Hagit Limor will end the day with a review of the many ideas and questions discussed by attendees.

“My experience at Ohio University, specifically the week I spent summers ago working with WOUB and the upcoming Ohio Sunshine Summit, will be as close to the real world, hands-on experience one can get,” Millward said. “Everything I learned will be here.

Millward added that is excited to hear Chip Mahaney and Lawan William speak about ways to obtain information in an ever-growing world of online media. Another important speaker to be present at the event includes Vince Duffy who will help in the student rights seminar.

“We need to build a foundation so that we can know our rights and freedom of information not only as journalists, but as taxpayers,” Millward noted.

Ultimately, the main purpose for the journalist of this summit is to understand the importance of fighting for the right to information and how to go about protecting that right.

“The speakers are important for this issue because they bring such a different perspective and help us get what we want from the university,” Ratermann said.

For more details on the event or to view the full agenda, head to www.ohiosunshinesummit.com.