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WNC Awards Two $2,000 Scholarships

June 25, 2010 By Washington News Council Leave a Comment

The Washington News Council awarded two $2,000 scholarships to students planning careers in communications. The scholarships are named after the late Dick Larsen and Herb Robinson, both longtime editors at The Seattle Times.

WNC President John Hamer, who worked with Larsen and Robinson for many years on The Times’ editorial board, presented the scholarships during a June 24 reception at the WNC office, located above the Pyramid Alehouse in Seattle.

The 2010 WNC Dick Larsen Scholarship winner is:

Peter Sessum, 38, a junior at the University of Washington who is studying journalism. He is a staff writer for The Daily. He was formerly a student at Edmonds Community College and editor-in-chief of the Triton Review campus newspaper.

Before that, Peter was a liaison officer with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan and an international advisor in the poppy-eradication program there.

He is a member of the Asian American Journalists Association, the Society of Professional Journalists, the American Civil Liberties Union, and Veterans of Foreign Wars.

John Hamer & Pete Sessum

In an essay accompanying his scholarship application, Peter wrote:

“Media is the watchdog of the government, but someone needs to watch the watchdog. That is the purpose of the people. As journalists, we should be transparent, accountable and open. And the people should be able to expect that of us. It is the duty of the reporter to inform the people of the issues at hand. Then, the people can make informed decisions.”

The 2010 Herb Robinson Scholarship winner is:

Alexander Herbig, 18, who is graduating from Mountlake Terrace High School and will attend Seattle Pacific University in the fall. He plans to study communications, global development and psychology.

During high school, Alex was a Young Life leader and camp counselor. His senior project was Simply Haiti, which launched two days before the Haitian earthquake and raised $30,000 for a feeding program and earthquake relief. He also was a photojournalist and editorial writer for The Hawkeye school newspaper, and MVP on the junior varsity soccer team.

Alex Herbig & John Hamer

In an essay accompanying his application, Alex wrote:

“I feel as though trust is a journalist’s best friend. Journalists have the ability to twist a story just about any way they want, making the good guy look like the villain or the other way around. Not only that but their stories can create some serious consequences for the person or company in the story. With this power comes the responsibility of the journalist to be trustworthy.”

Scholarships are funded by donations from individuals, foundations and corporations. Since 2000, the WNC has awarded 22 scholarships with a total value of nearly $30,000.

CONTACT: John Hamer, President, WNC – 206.262.9793 (info@wanewscouncil.org)

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Filed Under: Announcements, Featured Posts Tagged With: Adam Faber, Afghanistan, Alexander Herbig, American Civil Liberties Union, Asian American Journalists Association, Brittany Lewis, campus newspaper, CHANTAL ANDERSON, Chris Chancellor, Cynthia Jones, Dick Larsen, Dick Larsen Scholarship, Eastern Washington University, editor-in-chief, Edmonds Community College, Haiti, Herb Robinson, Herb Robinson Scholarship, international advisor, journalist, liaison officer, liaison officer in Afghanistan, location, Maren Anderson, member, Mountlake Terrace High School, Nicole Peterson, Pacific Lutheran University, Peter Sessum, photojournalist and editorial writer, reporter, scholarship, school newspaper, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle University, Society of Professional Journalists, staff writer, Steven Friederich, The Daily, The Hawkeye, The Seattle Times, the Triton Review, Triton Review, United States Army, University of Washington, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Washington State University, Western Washington University, www.simplyhaiti.org, Young Life leader and camp counselor

WNC awards two $2,000 scholarships

October 6, 2009 By John Hamer Leave a Comment

The Washington News Council has awarded two $2,000 scholarships to Washington state students planning careers in communications. The scholarships are named after Dick Larsen and Herb Robinson, both former editors at The Seattle Times.

The 2009 WNC Dick Larsen Scholarship winner is:

CHANTAL ANDERSON (left), 20, a senior at the University of Washington who is majoring in journalism and international studies with a minor in Spanish. Chantal was a reporter intern for The Seattle Times in Olympia during the 2009 Legislature. She also is on the staff of The U.W. Daily, and has been a reporter intern for Real Change, a nonprofit weekly newspaper. She is secretary of the U.W. chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, and also runs a wedding photography business. In an essay accompanying her scholarship application, Chantal wrote:

“The convergence of print and online journalism has redefined the way reporters and readers interpret and define ethics today. The new mantra of newsrooms to churn out stories at high speeds, mixed with emerging professional and personal blogs, has created an upsurge of content on the net. These new forms of media have blurred ethical ideas…. I believe honoring ethical standards has become more challenging for professional journalists in the digital age.”

The 2009 Herb Robinson Scholarship winner is:

SARAH REYES (right), 18, who just graduated from Rogers High School in Spokane and will enter Washington State University in the fall. She plans to study at the Edward R. Murrow College of Journalism. Sarah maintained a 4.0 GPA through high school while taking AP courses in English and history. She was a member of the National Honor Society and a valedictorian. She was also a writer and copy editor for The VOX, a student newspaper published by The Spokesman-Review in Spokane, and worked as an intern at The Spokesman. In an essay accompanying her application, Sarah wrote:

“In today’s world of media and technology, it seems that anyone can get away with saying anything….The First Amendment is something that we as Americans should truly cherish. There are journalists killed around the world for talking about topics that come as second nature to journalists in the United States. We need to use it to our advantage and make sure that it is not abused because nothing is certain and this is a right that might not be around forever.”

Scholarships are funded by donations from individuals, foundations and corporations. Since 2000, the WNC has awarded 20 scholarships with a total value of $25,000.

CONTACT: John Hamer, Executive Director, 206.262.9793 (info@wanewscouncil.org)

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Filed Under: Announcements Tagged With: CHANTAL ANDERSON, Dick Larsen, Dick Larsen Scholarship, Edward R. Murrow College of Journalism, Herb Robinson, Herb Robinson Scholarship, member, National Honor Society, nonprofit weekly newspaper, online journalism, Real Change, reporter, reporter intern, Rogers High School, SARAH REYES, Secretary, Society of Professional Journalists, Spokesman, student newspaper, The Seattle Times, The Spokesman-Review, The VOX, United States, University of Washington, Washington State University, writer and copy editor

A Bittersweet Tribute to Don Hewitt

August 21, 2009 By John Hamer Leave a Comment

Don Hewitt, who died this week, changed my life. Last year, I finally got to tell him that face-to-face.

In 1996, “60 Minutes” – the program that Hewitt originated and produced – did a segment called “You Arrogant Journalists.” Mike Wallace and his crew covered a hearing before the Minnesota News Council on a major complaint by Northwest Airlines against WCCO-TV, the CBS affiliate in Minneapolis. The council upheld the complaint, agreeing that WCCO practiced shoddy journalism.

I missed it when it aired, but a friend of mine gave me a videotape and said: “Why don’t we have a news council in Washington state?” I was a media critic at the time and thought having a news council here was a good idea. An organizing committee formed, and we launched the Washington News Council in the summer of 1998. [Read more...]

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Filed Under: Reflections Tagged With: Bill Gates Sr., CBS, Don Hewitt, Edward R. Murrow, Fast Forward, Frank Sinatra, Gates Foundation, May Don Hewitt, media critic, media sponsors, media-critique newsletter, Mike Wallace, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Minnesota News Council, NBC, news media, Northwest Airlines, Pullman, Rainier Club, Sam Reed, Seattle, Seattle Weekly, Secretary of State, Steve Raible, The Seattle Times, Washington Beef Commission, Washington State Dairy Products Commission, Washington State University, WCCO, WCCO-TV, www.tvw.org

Panel on Spokesman-Review’s Jim West Coverage Draws 250

February 10, 2006 By Washington News Council Leave a Comment

The Washington News Council’s Public Forum on Wednesday, Feb. 8, to discuss the Spokane Spokesman-Review’s controversial coverage of Mayor Jim West, was a huge success.

NOTE: TVW broadcast the event statewide. (If you would like to order a VHS or DVD, please call 206.262.9793)

Nearly 250 people attended the panel discussion in Whitworth College’s Weyerhaeuser Hall from 7-9 pm. An overflow room held another two dozen attendees who watched a closed-circuit screen. In addition to TVW, the event was filmed by Spokane’s local-access channel, Whitworth College, and a crew from “Frontline” doing a documentary for fall broadcast.

The panelists were:

  • Jack Geraghty, former Spokane Mayor, former County Commissioner and former Spokane Chronicle reporter
  • Jane Kirtley, Silha Professor of Media Ethics and Law, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
  • Ted McGregor, Editor and Publisher of The Inlander, Spokane’s alternative weekly
  • Steve Smith, Editor of the Spokesman-Review
  • Ginny Whitehouse, Associate Professor of Communication Studies, Whitworth College

Moderator John Irby, Associate Professor and Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies at the Edward R. Murrow School of Communication, Washington State University (and a Media Member of the Washington News Council), asked each panelist an opening question, invited comments from other panelists, and posed follow-up questions.

Written questions from the audience were also accepted. Dozens of students from Whitworth, Gonzaga University, Eastern Washington University, and Washington State University attended the event and many submitted questions for the panel.

Washington News Council President Stephen Silha (whose father founded the Silha Center in Minneapolis), Media Member Chuck Rehberg, Public Member Sandy Schoolfield, and Lucy Innes, the WNC’s administrative assistant, also attended. WNC Executive Director John Hamer welcomed the crowd and showed a DVD explaining the News Council’s operations.

Spokesman-Review Publisher Stacey Cowles, Editorial Page Editor Doug Floyd, Attorney Duane Swinton and other top staff from the newspaper also attended.

In an email to the WNC after the event, attendee William McCrory, from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, wrote: “We want to thank you and the Washington News Council for presenting one of the most powerful and practical discussions about ethics I’ve heard in a long time. Though the focus was the Spokesman Review’s methods and coverage, the underlying ethical questions and discussions relate to many areas of business and public administration. The five panelists had obviously been carefully selected to offer as many different perspectives as possible.  Moderator John Irby kept the panelists on topic and on time, and for the most part, the panelists were focused, concise, and complete in their answers. Questions and comments were courteous but to the point, and so were the answers.”

In the Feb. 9 edition of The Spokesman-Review, staff writer Jim Camden wrote: “The panel didn’t always agree on the lessons that journalists might take away from The Spokesman-Review’s 2005 investigation that found West had used his city computer to meet young men with whom he had sex, and offered some of them gifts or city positions.”

To read Camden’s full story, go to:

http://www.spokesmanreview.com/jimwest/story.asp?ID=020906_forum

Camden noted that Jane Kirtley of the Silha Center for Media Ethics, and Ted McGregor of The Inlander both criticized the newspaper’s use of a forensic computer expert who posed as a high-school student in a gay chat room and communicated directly with West.

Police sometimes use deception with suspects but “journalists should not be cops,” Kirtley said. McGregor added: “It’s a slippery slope.”

Spokesman-Review Editor Steve Smith vigorously defended the newspaper’s methods, arguing that the deception was a last resort to get “absolute, positive, irrefutable proof” that West was engaged in illegal activity with young people. Smith noted that the newspaper had followed the Society of Professional Journalists’ ethics code and the PoynterInstitute’s guidelines for reporting in such situations.

Whitworth Communication Professor Ginny Whitehouse defended the Spokesman-Review’s practices, saying:  “I don’t think there were alternative means” of getting the story on West and noting that local police were not exploring the allegations.

Former Mayor Jack Geraghty said the main lesson for public officials was that they couldnot expect to have a private life.

In closing remarks, Hamer noted that part of the Washington News Council’s mission is “to provide a forum where citizens and journalists can engage each other in discussing standards of media ethics and performance.” He added: “The discussion we’ve had tonight is exactly what the Washington News Council is all about.”

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Filed Under: Announcements, Events Tagged With: Eastern Washington University, Edward R. Murrow School of Communication, Frontline, Ginny Whitehouse, Gonzaga University, Jack Geraghty, Jane Kirtley, Jim Camden, Jim West, John Irby, Sandy Schoolfield, Society of Professional Journalists, Spokane, Stacey Cowles, Stephen Silha, Steve Smith, Ted McGregor, The Spokesman-Review, University of Minnesota, Washington State University

WNC Awards Dick Larsen and Herb Robinson Scholarships

July 9, 2004 By Washington News Council Leave a Comment

The Washington News Council awarded its Dick Larsen and Herb Robinson Scholarships for 2004 at a reception at the WNC office on July 9, 2004. This year’s winners of the $1,000 scholarships:

Sarah McGuire, 19, a junior at Washington State University in Pullman, won the WNC’s Dick Larsen Scholarship. Sarah, who is from Spanaway, is a staff writer for the Daily Evergreen campus newspaper. She is serving as Leisure editor this summer and will be Life (Arts and Entertainment) editor in the fall. Her goal is to become Editor-in-Chief. She was named the newspaper’s “Outstanding Underclassman” as a sophomore. She has a 3.8 GPA and also plays intramural tennis, softball and volleyball.

In her application essay, Sarah wrote: “I know I have much to offer the profession of journalism. I cannot even express in words how determined I am to make this dream of being a world-class journalist come true”. Like Peter Jennings said when he came to WSU, journalism is meant to be a public service. It is a weapon meant for battling ignorance, intolerance, and indifference, and I plan to use my skills in fighting instead of letting my talent go to waste.”

Michelle de Beauchamp, 18, who will be a freshman at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, won the WNC’s Herb Robinson Scholarship. A 2004 graduate of Bainbridge High School, Michelle was Editor-in-Chief of Campus Voice, the school newspaper. She formerly served as News Section Editor. She was active in Future Leaders Exchange, vice president of Model United Nations, president of the Opera Club, and a member of the Concert Band and Marching Band. She maintained a 3.8 GPA.

In her application essay, Michelle wrote: “From working on the newspaper for the past two years, I have found my calling, which is to educate the public on issues. The media has so much power on the public’s view on things, and can cause things to happen, be it swinging an election or just telling what happened around the world today. I want to be a part of this great thing that can change the world, but keep my opinion out of my reports on the events, because the news media’s job is to educate not persuade.”

The Dick Larsen Scholarship was established by the WNC in 1999 to honor the former Seattle Times political reporter and editor. The Herb Robinson Scholarship was established by the WNC in 2003 to honor the late Seattle Times editorial-page editor. The Larsen and Robinson families help select the scholarship winners.

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Filed Under: Announcements Tagged With: Dick Larsen, Dick Larsen Scholarship, Herb Robinson, Herb Robinson Scholarships, Michelle de Beauchamp, Pacific Lutheran University, Sarah McGuire, Washington State University