• Article

    Innovators Series brings cutting-edge collaboration to University of Florida

    Published May 21, 2014 by

    Diane McFarlin is dean of the College of Journalism and Communications at the University of Florida, which is launching an Innovators Series with support from Knight Foundation. Photo credit: Steve Johnson. When I became dean of my alma mater, the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications, just 18 short months ago I joined a school that was strong in many areas. The college is blessed with excellence in research and graduate education, mixed with historic strength in undergraduate studies of advertising, journalism, public relations and telecommunication, and a Division of Media Properties, with seven broadcast licenses and digital properties, all located in our building. Florida has long been considered one of the nation’s top programs, due to both its size and the quality of individual programs. My predecessors as dean have positioned us well, forecasting the rise of digital nearly 30 years ago; establishing venues and programs for media innovation and research; and opening the Innovation News Center, among other signature programs. However, in this time of great disruption, we need to assert extra measures of agility and foresight to ensure that our school remains a world-class leader in digital communication, education and research.
  • Article

    Two for one at the Mitrani spaces

    Published May 20, 2014 by

      A still showing the sad lives of elephants in captivity. The Mitrani sisters, with adjacent art spaces in Wynwood, have collaborated for the first time with a photography and video show from Chicago-based Colleen Plumb, and it’s a real success. Elegant and moving with a...
  • Article

    News21 produces compelling journalism while preparing students for careers

    Published May 20, 2014 by

    Veterans wait for disability checks as VA struggles to reduce backlog from News21 on Vimeo. Len Downie is the Weil Family Professor of Journalism at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University and a vice president at large of The Washington Post. In a significant example of the continuing impact of the 2012 News21 national student reporting project on voting rights, President Obama cited its investigation of voter fraud in a recent speech to the 16th annual convention of the National Action Network. Obama criticized state laws passed in recent years requiring certain kinds of photo identification from voters to prevent voter impersonation at the polls. Referring to the unprecedented News21 database of voter fraud cases compiled from all 50 states over a 10-year period, the president said such restrictions were not necessary because “one recent study found only 10 cases in 10 years” of voter impersonation. News media and public policymakers continue to refer to findings from the voting rights investigation as part of the ongoing debate over voting rights in various states.
  • Article

    Sugar Man located: Rodriguez packs the Masonic

    Published May 20, 2014 by

    Rodriguez, center stage before a packed house at the Masonic Temple. Attendance was lively at the Sixto Rodriguez concert on Tuesday, May 13th, which took place at the Masonic Temple in an area once known as the Cass Corridor—a neighborhood that has changed rapidly, much in...
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    The many faces of printmaking with Star Wheel Printers

    Published May 20, 2014 by

    Broad Street's Gershman Y is the center of Philadelphia's freshest manifestation of printmaking as it opens its halls to “Making Our Mark: Philadelphia Printmakers,” hosted by the brand new collective Star Wheel Printers. This group started by Elaine M. Erne, Nicole Patrice Dul and Hanna Aufschauer seeks to recognize the...
  • Article

    The return of UNRIVALED! to the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art

    Published May 20, 2014 by

    By Barbara Johnson Ross, Ohr-Ohr’O’Keefe Museum of Art The Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art initiated the annual Unrivaled High School Art Competition in 2002 before moving to its new museum campus in Biloxi, Mississippi. Now that the museum is in its permanent location, the juried competition will be held again each...
  • Article

    Dance eXchange-May 2014

    Published May 20, 2014 by

    By Tara Keating, BalletX “Ms. Tara?”, one of the 4th grade dancers whispers into my ear. “I’ve been practicing my steps every night at home before I go to bed. Can I show you?” She proceeds to demonstrate the entire “Superstition” dance to Stevie Wonder that we’ve been working on...
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    ZERO1 unveils BRING IT! 2014

    Published May 19, 2014 by

    By Serlin Quah, ZERO1 ZERO1 is thrilled to announce the unveiling of BRING IT! 2014. This summer, through the support of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, we’re handing over the ZERO1 Garage to innovative performance artists who are pushing the boundaries of digital culture. We are combing...