Cahaba Media Group, a trade multi-media publisher, publishes 3 monthly print magazines, 2 quarterly publications, several e-newsletters and multiple websites. The intern will gain experience and assist staff in the following areas: proof/edit editorial content; write or compile editorial for particular sections of the magazines; upload content to websites and learn about search engine optimization; proof/edit e-newsletters and all marketing materials; work on social media projects; conduct research as needed; and perform other projects and office support duties for editorial, production and sales staff. Cahaba Media Group’s internship program provides a great opportunity to learn about the multi-media trade publishing business.

The intern must have excellent writing and proofing skills and an attention to detail, and we would like the intern to work approximately 10 to 20 hours a week. The position is paid and can also be used for class credit, but class credit isn’t required. Call Julie Smith at 205-314-8265 or e-mail jsmith@cahabamedia.com, or email Michelle Segrest at msegrest@pump-zone.com.

Fourth graders of The Magnet Express team at Tuscaloosa Magnet School got a lesson in reporting at a news conference on Thursday, which officially marked the move of NESPA to Tuscaloosa.

In a sign of things to come for the University of Alabama, fourth grade students from Tuscaloosa Magnet School asked the questions Thursday at a news conference held to mark the move of the National Elementary School Press Association (NESPA) to Tuscaloosa.

Journalists from The Magnet Express queried Founder and Outgoing NESPA Director Mark Levin and Incoming Director Meredith Cummings about where the  750-member association has come since it started 17 years ago in Asheville, NC and where the organization might go now as part of the UA Department of Journalism.

NESPA’s move to the Tuscaloosa campus became official March 1, 2012.  Thursday’s announcement served as a rare opportunity for the elementary school journalists, who have produced two issues of The Magnet Express this year, to work alongside those from professional news media from Tuscaloosa and Birmingham who covered the news conference.

Tuscaloosa Magnet School Fourth Graders Markell Tucker and Alex Washington show off their work on The Magnet Express.

“We think it’s a really important that the University of Alabama helps the schools in our state, said Dr. Jennifer Chair, chair of the UA Journalism Department. ” Now with this association, we can help schools throughout the country. ”

Click here to see video of Jennifer Greer’s remarks.

The National Elementary School Press Association has members in each of the 50 states.  Levin told the elementary school journalists Thursday that he started with just eight schools and the organization expanded very quickly.

His conversations with Cummings about the future of the organization began more than a year ago.

Click here to see more of Levin’s remarks at Thursday’s news conference.

NESPA joins the Alabama Scholastic Press Association, which is also based here at the University of Alabama.    UA also sponsors the Multicultural Journalism Program (MJP), a 10-day summer workshop whose primary sponsor is the Dow Jones News Fund.

Besides The Magnet Express at The Tuscaloosa Magnet School, the UA Journalism Department’s outreach efforts to elementary school extend to at least three other schools in West Alabama.

The University of Alabama’s department of journalism will become the new home of the National Elementary Schools Press Association in May, and fourth-grade journalists will be on hand to cover the announcement.

The department and NESPA officials will hold a news conference May 10 at 1 p.m. in the Tuscaloosa Magnet School library to announce the official move of the 18-year-old national association from Asheville, N.C., to Tuscaloosa. Elementary students in a journalism class will cover the news conference for the school’s newspaper, The Magnet Express.

NESPA, which has more than 750 member schools, helps elementary and middle schools start and improve scholastic media. The organization needed a new home when director Mark Levin retired. The University of Alabama, already home to the Alabama Scholastic Press Association and the Multicultural Journalism Program, was a natural choice.

“We are so excited to announce this move,” said Meredith Cummings, director of scholastic media in the journalism department. “This is a wonderful opportunity to use resources from our department and existing programs to teach young students, both locally and nationally, about writing and the profession of journalism.”

Read the full story at UA News.

Nearly two months after a massive automobile fire destroyed his laptop, hard drive and hours of video he and five other UA students shot for a crucial class project,  Courtney Williams, a TCF major,  shared his story this week.

Pictures of Courtney Williams' charred car were included in a video presented as part of the Diversity Demonstrated program May 2 at the Ferguson Center.

Pictures of his charred car and a melted down Macbook Pro were visual evidence of what he learned as part of the MC 413 Communication and Diversity course, a writing-intensive service learning course taught by George Daniels.

Students in MC 413 presented “Diversity Demonstrated: A Service Learning Revue” Wednesday at the Ferguson Student Center.

“What we had happen was the definition of adversity,” said Williams, who worked with Kyerra Dexter, Lauren Jacobs, John McDonough, Robert Lacoste and Ron Day in a partnership with the Tuscaloosa’s One Place Family Resource Center.

They shot and produced a series of videos of local couples who told stories of their 30+ years of marriage and were honored at a “Legacy of Love” banquet in February.

Not Just Demographics

Students who worked on videos for Tuscaloosa's One Place told their story May 2 at "Diversity Demonstrated."

Along with Williams and his teammates,  four other groups of students worked at least 12 hours over the Spring semester at either Temporary Emergency Services,  Al’s Pals After-school program, the Alabama Department of Public Health or DA-SH Magazine, which is based in  Bessemer, Ala.

C&IS Students Help  Clients at Temporary Emergency Services

Of the four teams, the largest number of students worked as volunteers at Temporary Emergency Services, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to helping individuals and families in crisis.

“We are all one community,” said Kenny Hicks, a TCF major who worked at Temporary Emergency Services (TES) in the warehouse that served hundreds of families since the April 27 tornado.

“Diversity was represented in every aspect of the experience of working at Temporary Emergency Services, “said Bethany Blair, a journalism major from Alpharetta, Ga.

In addition to working in the office at TES, Blair prepared a presentation board and designed a newsletter that TES can use when it makes appearances at local events to raise awareness about its services.

Volunteers from Temporary Emergency Services listened as C&IS Dean Loy Singleton commented on the students' work at Diversity Demonstrated.

Students from the MC 413 also re-designed a Bessemer-based Christian magazine, DA-SH Magazine.

Their service effort also included solicited advertisements for the publication.

Another team of students were involved in the Al’s Pals after-school program, which placed UA students in the role of mentors in Tuscaloosa’s McKenzie Court community and Oakdale Elementary School.

Each of the UA students shared their individual stories of working with a mentee, most often from a different gender or racial group.   The after-school program focused on helping the students prepare for the Alabama Reading and Math Test.

A team of UA students worked as mentors to elementary students in Tuscaloosa's Oakdale community.

But, in the process, the Oakdale students were exposed to college as an option through a visit to the UA campus.

“Nothing can hold these kids back,” said Anna Kate Delavan, a public relations major. “I learned not everyone has the same opportunity as I have.”

For the UA students, the service at Oakdale was a memorable one.

“My experience at Oakdale Elementary was life-changing,” said Jenna King, a broadcast news major.  “You can learn from people you least expect.”

Read more about Diversity Demonstrated, a special event sponsored by the UA Chapter of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars.

Location: Tuscaloosa, AL/Virtual

Description: VIGOROUS PR, a division of RED INK, is a boutique public relations consultancy that provides tailored marketing, branding and media relations services. We are looking for a dynamic public relations assistant to start immediately and receive college credit during summer semester 2012. This is a fantastic opportunity for a student needing an internship that gives hands-on PR experience. We are a small company with big clients (NBC, Ford, Proctor & Gamble, etc. ) and our interns get involved in all aspects of the business.

After successful completion, our interns would have garnered experience in entertainment, literature, and various other genres, which  can lead to paid internships and entry-level positions at global firms, PR careers in sports/entertainment, fashion, technology and consumer goods, as well as the opportunity to venture out and start their own companies.

The summer 2012 intern will be responsible for generating copy, assisting with media relations, special event planning and execution, new business research, monitoring news coverage and social media, and other duties. The intern will also be directly involved in daily activities, events, updates, and will work virtually as needed. A performance-based stipend may be awarded upon successful completion of all assigned duties and responsibilities.

Responsibilities:

*   Drafting and distributing media materials for various clients
*   Building and updating media lists
*   Coordinating and researching media opportunities
*   Writing and Copywriting for marketing and Press Releases
*   Researching campaign strategies for potential clients
*   Creating/Updating email promotions & social media content for clients
*   Conducting follow-up calls/Monitoring conference calls
*   Attending meetings and client events
*   Organizing projects and administrative duties as needed

Preferred Qualifications:

*   Cumulative 2.5 GPA
*   Solid writing ability — writing samples will be requested
*   Excellent proofreading skills
*   Pleasant speaking voice, good phone etiquette, verbal/interpersonal communications skills
*   Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint)
*   Knowledge of  Journalism, PR concepts/Media procedures; course completion
*   Knowledge of the social media, internet research, must have computer accessibility
*   Must deliver within tight deadlines and work well under pressure
*   Self-starter and independent worker
*   Detail oriented, ability to multi task and take direction

To apply: Send resume, cover letter, and one writing sample to Vigorous.pr@gmail.com<mailto:Vigorous.pr@gmail.com>. Deadline is May 21, 2012.

Alabama Outdoor News is a timely hunting and fishing magazine that reports on subjects relevant to Alabama sportsmen. We are looking for student freelance writers who have an interest in writing and reporting on hunting and fishing issues. Specifically, we need reporters willing to write 2,200-word feature stories, accompanied with photos, where they will spend a day afield and then write the story. We’re also looking for reporters who can cover news-type events and provide 750- to 1,000-word stories with photos.
Contact:
Brad Gill
Editor, Alabama Outdoor News
(800) 438-4663
(706) 342-2022 FAX
www.aonmag.com
gill@aonmag.com

What have you done for your resume lately? (And why we think you should join the Society of Professional Journalists TODAY!)

The Society of Professional Journalists has been the leading national organization for professional journalists for more than 100 years, fighting for diversity, Freedom of Information, ethics and honesty in journalism. However, some of the activities at the University of Alabama student chapter may surprise you.

Although your rights as a journalist are guaranteed under the First Amendment, the Society of Professional Journalists fights and wins battles both nationally and locally for Freedom of Information and First Amendment rights that might not otherwise be fought at all. As a result of SPJ’s grass-roots activism, we are able to address vital issues confronting today’s working journalist. UA’s SPJ plans several professional development, ethics, community service and freedom of information programs throughout the year that allow student journalists to take an active role in this professional organization. Some of our most popular programs have been a networking and internship panel at The Tuscaloosa News, a Valentine’s-themed community service event at the Boys and Girls Club of West Alabama, and a First Amendment Free Food Festival, where nearly 400 students signed away their First Amendment rights for a free lunch on the Quad, demonstrating to students the importance of First Amendment rights that they may often take for granted.

SPJ is not only for journalists though! Many people involved are in Public Relations, Business, and other majors. It is a great way to make connections for any major. This is a great way to get involved, boost your resume, and pursue leadership opportunities on any one of our fundraising, promotions and programs committees. By joining SPJ you have nothing to lose and can only gain from joining SPJ. As of right now dues are only $40 for a full year student membership, but prices are going up by $5 next semester.

The time to join is now! Just go online to www.spj.org and click the “Join” tab at the top lefthand corner to pay by credit or debit card or bring Dr. George Daniels a check for $40 and he will mail it in for you. You can drop your check at 490 Phifer (the main Journalism Office).

Internship opportunities available at Alabama Heritage magazine for the Summer 2012 session (students would need to be available for both summer terms) and the Fall 2012 semester.

Two spots are available during the summer and two during the fall. The internship is available for credit.

If you have any interested students, contact Susan Reynolds at this E-mail address (reyno031@bama.ua.edu). Interested applicants should attach a cover letter, resume, and at least two writing samples.

The UA Journalism Department has openings in its Community Journalism Master’s Program for the 2012-2013 year. Students spend two semesters in Tuscaloosa reporting, writing and producing innovative digital news products that address issues students care about. They then spend the summer working a paid internship at the award-winning Anniston (Ala.) Star newspaper.

This is a great way to hone your journalism abilities, produce clips, and gain management skills. Around 85% of the program’s graduates over the last five years have found jobs in the field or have chosen to further their education within six months of graduation.

Interested? For more information about the program and the application process, please contact Dr. Wilson Lowrey, the department’s graduate coordinator, at wlowrey@ua.edu or (205) 348-8608.