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Respected educator to visit: Columbia’s Mencher
will speak about reporting, writing and ethics
By Assistant Professor David Bulla’s Jl MC 202 class (section 3)
 |
Photo by Erin Magnani, Greenlee Web Team.
Mel Mencher, nationally renowned educator and author, shares his wisdom with Kathryn Fiegen, senior in journalism and mass communication and managing editor of content for the Iowa State Daily. |
A nationally renowned educator and author will be teaching at the Greenlee School Sept. 21-22.
Melvin Mencher, whose “News Reporting and Writing” is a standard textbook in journalism schools across the country, will teach several Greenlee classes and meet with the Iowa State Daily. The Columbia University professor will also meet with the ISU Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
“Mencher literally wrote the news writing book,” said Greenlee School Director Michael Bugeja. “He has been a force in journalism ever since I can remember.”
His “News Reporting and Writing” first came out in 1977 and is now in its 10th edition.
Mencher is not just known for his textbook but also for being an outstanding teacher.
He was named distinguished educator in 2002 by the Newspaper Division of Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. The veteran journalist was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard in 1952-53. As a reporter, he worked for United Press International, Fresno Bee, Albuquerque Journal and the Christian Science Monitor.
“I think he will give students a hell of a education,” said Mark Witherspoon, adviser to the Iowa State Daily and a Greenlee lecturer.
Mencher is known as a demanding teacher, but Witherspoon said there’s no reason to be afraid of the Columbia professor emeritus.
“I think students need to learn this stuff,” Witherspoon said. “He’s interested in truth, in finding the truth and providing it to the public in a fair and complete manner.”
Mencher, who plans to discuss reporting, writing and ethics, is looking forward to his visit to Ames.
“I am delighted to be meeting with the Greenlee classes and the Daily staff,” Mencher said.
The New York native said he wants to teach Greenlee students how to be effective reporters by getting them to see for themselves and to gather background information. Mencher wants their writing to be clear, interesting and accurate.
In addition, Mencher calls ethics “the morality of journalism” and said he will talk about a journalist’s “responsibility to his/her profession and to the community.”
Highlights of Mencher’s visit include dinner with the Iowa State Daily at 5 p.m. Wednesday and a speech to SPJ at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.
Mencher’s wife, Helen Mencher, will accompany him on the trip.
| Schedule |
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|
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Breakfast with faculty |
7:30-9 a.m. |
Eric Abbott’s Jl MC 349 Editing |
9-10 a.m. |
Tom Beell's Jl MC 201 - Beginning Reporting |
10:30-11:30 a.m. |
Lunch with Iowa State Daily students |
11:30 a.m.-12:10 p.m. |
Erin Wilgenbusch's Jl MC 321 - Public Relations Writing |
12:10-1 p.m. |
Barbara Mack's Jl MC 346 – In-depth Reporting |
1:10-2 p.m. |
David Bulla's Jl MC 201 - Beginning Reporting |
2:30-3:25 p.m. |
Barbara Mack's Jl MC 361 - Media Ethics |
3:40-5 p.m. |
Dinner and Iowa State Daily time |
5 p.m. |
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|
Brenda Witherspoon's Jl MC 202 - Intermediate Reporting |
8-10:15 a.m. |
Meet with Michael Bugeja, director of Greenlee School |
10:30-11 a.m. |
Meet with individual students |
11 a.m.-Noon |
Lunch with Iowa State Daily students and/or faculty and/or professionals |
Noon-2 p.m. |
| Brenda Witherspoon's Jl MC 202 - Intermediate Reporting |
2:10-3 p.m. |
Erin Wilgenbusch's Jl MC 201 - Beginning Reporting |
2:10-4:30 p.m. |
Critique of Iowa State Daily |
4-5 p.m. |
| Dinner |
5-6:30 p.m |
David Bulla's Jl MC 202 - Intermediate Reporting combined with pizza dinner and SPJ meeting |
6:30-7:30 p.m. |
Rest time or Daily time |
7 p.m. |
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