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Professors encourage SPJ chapter to think big

By Assistant Professor David Bulla
SPJ adviser

Greenlee School Professor Emeritus Tom Emmerson and Professor Tom Beell discussed the history of Iowa State’s Society of Professional Journalists at a chapter meeting Dec. 6.

Emmerson, who retired in 2004, said the SPJ chapter goes back to at least 1912, when it was an honorary fraternity. It was named national chapter year of the year four times in the 1980s. Emmerson said the chapter did not allow women as members until 1969.

Beell, an electronic media studies professor, told students about his experiences as a member during his undergraduate days at the University of Washington when the organization was known as Sigma Delta Chi.

He recalled a speech delivered at the national convention by then CBS News reporter Dan Rather.

The Texan recalled working for a radio station in his home state where he was responsible for starting the broadcast each morning by playing a pre-recorded religious program.

He would then speed across town to get breakfast, but the program was barely long enough for Rather to get his meal and return.

One day, however, the record was stuck and kept repeating “go to hell, go to hell, go to hell.” When Rather returned to the station, he found the phone ringing off the hook.

“When he answered the phone, it was his boss furiously informing him of the malfunction,” Beell said.

Both professors urged the chapter to bring in prominent speakers to talk about issues of the day. They encouraged the current members to not just think in terms of issues that are close to journalism students but to all ISU students.

Emmerson suggested hosting a panel on the Iraq War that would include a political science professor, an ROTC representative, a peace activist and a journalist.

“No matter what the panel is about, it should be about how the media cover – fill in the blank,” Emmerson said.

Emmerson said in past decades, the student organization had then-ISU basketball coach Johnny Orr and WHO-TV anchor Phil Thomas speak at chapter meetings. The chapter also published the convention newspaper for an SPJ regional conference in Kansas City.

Beell suggested SPJ sponsor a freedom march as part of the Greenlee School’s First Amendment Day celebration in April.

Emmerson said he also wants to see the chapter continue its relationship with the Committee to Protect Journalists. A few years ago, the Greenlee News Group, as SPJ was known at the time, gave computers to the committee.

Emmerson said an alumni group from the 1981 national chapter of the year met in Ames in October and plans to meet again next year for the Nebraska-Iowa State football game.

Other chapter news

Iowa State alumnae who work for the Des Moines-based weekly tabloid Juice will attend the January SPJ meeting.

Both editorial and advertising staff from the Des Moines Register publication will discuss the magazine and their communication careers. The meeting, tentatively scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Jan. 17 in Hamilton Hall 172, is co-sponsored by the Ad Club.

The SPJ chapter also announced that it would provide $9 each for up to 20 entries in the regional Mark of Excellence competition.

Entry fee is $9 for members and $18 for non-members. Contest categories include entries from newspapers, magazines, radio, television, photography and online journalism.

Please contact SPJ graduate student representative Joe Owens at joeowens@iastate.edu if you are interested in having an entry. The deadline is Jan. 16.

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