MARCH 4, 2005

Mesa State College to Host 15th Annual Media Day

Grand Junction, Colo.- More than 300 students from Western Slope high schools, along with college mass communication students, will converge on Mesa State's W.W. Campbell College Center for the 15th annual Media Day on Tuesday, March 8.

Media Day is designed to introduce existing mass communications students to professionals working in the media field. This networking event enables media outlets to fill internship positions and provides students with the opportunity to ask questions and get real-world advice from prominent media professionals. Media Day also lets high school students explore the Mesa State College mass communications program and to compete for scholarships.

The theme for this year's Media Day is photojournalism. Former National Geographic photographer David Hiser will be the keynote speaker. In addition to sharing both experiences and images from his 30 years at National Geographic, Hiser, who now lives in Aspen, will also discuss what it takes to communicate in today's rapidly changing media world and the rewards and difficulties of a life in journalism.

All participants will have the opportunity to listen to Hiser's presentation in the Liff Auditorium before breaking out into workshops on a variety of topics. The schedule includes:

8 - 8:30 a.m. -Registration and General Assembly

8:30 - 9:30 a.m. - Keynote Speaker
David Hiser: "So You Want to Work for a National Magazine" - Liff Auditorium

9:35 - 10:40 a.m. - First Workshop Session
David Hiser, Aspen AR Arts Center Workshops: "Photoshop for Photographers" - Krey Room
Jake Heuer, KJCT-TV: "Elements of a TV Commercial" - Zeigel Room
Joey Ivansco, Atlanta Constitution: "Photojournalism" - Boettcher Room
Courtney Jones, KJCT-TV news producer: "Television News" - Fletcher Room
Robert Garcia, The Daily Sentinel graphics editor: "Newspaper Design" - Bacon Room

10:45 - 11:55 a.m. - Second Workshop Session
David Hiser, Aspen AR Arts Center Workshops: "Landscape and Nature Photography"
and "Going Wild with Digital" - Krey Room
Steve Sorenson, KJCT-TV operations manager/producer: "Video Photoshop and
Newscast Graphics" - Zeigel Room
Denise Gamino, Atlanta Constitution: "Feature Writing" - Boettcher Room
Marc Spears, The Denver Post: "Sports Reporting and Writing" - Fletcher Room
Jeff Kirtland, Mesa County Valley School District 51: "Public Relations" - Bacon Room

Noon - 1 p.m. - Lunch Break

1:00 - 2:10 p.m. - Third Workshop Session
Bill Haggerty, former webmaster for the Colorado Division of Wildlife: "Web Pages" - Krey Room
Anna Beaty Kerr, The Daily Sentinel: "Entertainment Writing" - Boettcher Room
Marc Spears, The Denver Post: "How to Get Into Journalism" - Fletcher Room
Dr. Don Kitchen, Collbran Aviation and Nature Photography: "Wildlife Photography" - Zeigel Room
Rick Castellini and Adam Cochran, Castellini on Computers, a nationally syndicated radio talk
show on computers: "Computers and Photography (Q/A)" - Bacon Room
Colorado High School Press Association - Advisers and Teachers Meeting - Liff Auditorium

2:00 - 3:15 p.m. - High School Awards Ceremony - Liff Auditorium

Representatives from a number of media organizations will be involved in Media Day, including KJCT-TV, The Daily Sentinel, the Aspen AR Arts Center, the Denver Post, Collbran Aviation and Nature Photography and the Atlanta Constitution. Thunder Mountain Camera Club will also host a photography show and have members' works on display throughout the day.

Two $1,300 mass communications scholarships will be presented to top high school seniors at the end of the day. There will also be a live news reporting competition for high school seniors, who will take notes on Hiser's presentation and then write news stories. Prizes will be given for the top stories.

For more information, contact Byron Evers, associate professor of mass communications at 970.248.1287.

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