RESTON, Va. - The American Press Institute has awarded fellowships to 15 industry professionals and journalism educators for 2008.
The fellowships provide seminar tuition, and some also cover hotel, meals and some travel. They are intended to offer greater access to API leadership and industry development seminars for journalism educators, future leaders and those from smaller or independently owned newspaper organizations.
"I am consistently amazed by the caliber of our applicants; it's never easy to narrow them down. But we do feel that this year's winners and their organizations are uniquely suited to gain the most from their chosen seminars," said Carol Ann Riordan, API's vice president of programming and personnel.
The recipients are:
Patricia Robertson, publisher, Jackson County Banner, Brownstown, Ind., winner of the William L. Winter Fellowship, to attend Managing the Weekly Newspaper. Ms. Robertson has been the publisher of the Jackson County Banner, an independently owned twice-weekly paper with a circulation of 7,000, for two years. Before that she worked in several advertising positions, most recently at The Tribune in Seymour, Ind.
Catherine McKinney, page designer, The Ellsworth (Maine) American, winner of the Edmund Arnold Fellowship, to attend Visual Storytelling for Print and Web. She has worked in page design and creative services for the award-winning Ellsworth American, an independently owned rural weekly with a circulation of 10,000, for 14 years.
Peter Baniak, metro editor, Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader, awarded the Walter Everett Fellowship, to attend Interactive Community News. Mr. Baniak began in 1995 as a reporter with the Lexington Herald-Leader,a daily with a circulation of 124,000.
Tanya Ishikawa, editor, Denver Urban Spectrum, winner of the Walter Everett Fellowship, to attend Interactive Community News. Ms. Ishikawa joined Denver Urban Spectrum, an independently owned free monthly paper with a distribution of 25,000, in May; she is also a freelance writer and editorial travel planner.
Asel Omorova, journalist, Tovari I Uslugi, a monthly magazine in Kyrgyz Republic, winner of an Ottaway International Fellowship, to attend Storytelling Innovations.
Chris Ogbondah, professor, Department of Communication Studies, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, winner of the Rollan D. Melton Fellowship, to attend Storytelling Innovations. Aside from his role teaching journalism and mass communications, Mr. Ogbondah is a published author whose work focuses on press freedom in Nigeria.
Beth Concepcion, editor, The Chronicle, Savannah (Ga.) College of Art and Design, awarded a Minority Journalism Educator's Fellowship, to attend Newspaper Next 2.0 Ms. Concepción is the administrative director of the college's weekly newspaper and Web site, and has recently brought the newspaper to profitability.
Ernest Wiggins, associate professor, School of Journalism and Mass Communications, University of South Carolina Columbia, winner of a Minority Journalism Educator's Fellowship, to attend Magazine Publishing. Mr. Wiggins has led efforts to merge print and online magazine journalism at USC; in 2004 he created an online magazine, Cyberhemia, for his students to post their work.
Jessica Brown, professional in residence, Loyola University, Chicago, awarded a Minority Journalism Educator's Fellowship, to attend Visual Storytelling for Print and Web. Ms. Brown has held copy editing and design positions at the Orlando Sentinel and the Rockford (Ill.) Register Star. She is the instructor for all news design courses at Loyola.
Donica Mensing, graduate director, University of Nevada, Reno, winner of the James H. Ottaway Sr. Fellowship, to attend Storytelling Innovations. Dr. Mensing teaches online journalism for undergraduates and directs the interactive environmental graduate program.
Rosalind Harris, publisher, Denver Urban Spectrum, awarded a John E. Heselden Fellowship, to attend Building a Niche Product Portfolio. She has been the publisher of Denver Urban Spectrum, a free, monthly paper with a distribution of 25,000, for more than 20 years; she is also owner and art director.
Michelle A. Martin Streeby, convergence director, Record Searchlight, Redding, Calif., awarded a John E. Heselden Fellowship, to attend Benchmarks and Drivers of Bottom-Line Success. Ms. Streeby has been with Record Searchlight since 1998. She is responsible for supervising the online sales staff as well as the marketing department for the 34,000 daily circulation paper.
Felicia Magwood, regional marketing manager, USA Today, Woburn, Mass., awarded a John E. Heselden Fellowship, to attend Creating the Audience Development Department. Ms. Magwood is responsible for increasing distribution and readership of USA Today in the Boston area. Her market has had year-over-year growth both years that she has been in her position.
Emily Toadvine, online content manager, The Advocate-Messenger, Danville, Ky., winner of a Cissy Patterson Fellowship, to attend Visual Storytelling for Print and Web. Ms. Toadvine has been reporter, photographer, columnist and sometimes weekend wire editor in her more than 18 years with The Advocate-Messenger, a daily with a circulation of 11,000. She is now senior content administrator for the company's four Web sites.
Elizabeth Sherman, managing editor, Newport (R.I.) Life magazine, winner of a Cissy Patterson Fellowship, to attend Magazine Publishing. Ms. Sherman is responsible for the editorial production of the bi-monthly lifestyle magazine, a division of the independently owned Newport Daily News, and its four annual special editions. This is her first managerial position.
To learn more about the fellowships API offers and how to apply please visit http://www.americanpressinstitute.org/pages/api/seminars/api_fellowships/.
The American Press Institute, which is based in Reston, Virginia, is an independent educational center for providing skills-training and leadership development in the news industry, offering seminars and onsite programs for newspaper professionals.
Media Contact:
Vicki Govro
Communications Manager
American Press Institute
11690 Sunrise Valley Drive
Reston, VA 20191
703.715.3322
vgovro@americanpressinstitute.org
www.americanpressinstitute.org
