The University of MiamiSchool of Communication

Fall 2015

Alumni Weekend & HomecomingCelebrate Your Place in History

Whether or not you were a student between 1951 and 1991, you probably know about the rides, concession stands, and booths that would line the Coral Gables campus during Carni Gras, an annual ’Canes tradition that lives on through the memories of alumni. Join us this year at Alumni Weekend and Homecoming 2015 presented by Hialeah Park Racing & Casino, to reminisce about all UM traditions past and present and to celebrate your place in Hurricane History. Help us jazz up Alumni Avenue with the Mardi Gras mentality of pure indulgence in our vibrant campus community, great music, flavorful food, and a happy heart. There’s a set of beads with your name on it, so save the date and make your travel plans now!

UM Communications Wins Awards The redesign of miami.edu and the University’s magazine Miami, take top honors in awards competition.

The University of Miami’s Division of University Communications has been rec-ognized for several projects during the past year in an international awards competition involving marketing and communication professionals. The redesign of miami.edu, launched in April 2015, and the University’s signature magazine, Miami, received Platinum Awards in the 2015 MarCom Awards competition, which is administered and judged by the As-sociation of Marketing and Communication Professionals. UM Communications’ project, Haiti Spe-cial Report [haiti.miami.edu], which chron-icled the University’s work in Haiti during the five years following the 2010 earthquake, received a Gold Award. Two projects received Honorable Mention Awards: a mini-documentary called “Col-laborating with Purpose” that was part of the Haiti Special Report, and a publication developed for UM Libraries titled access:

Reflections on Discovery and Growth at the University of Miami Libraries. The competition attracted more than 6,500 entries from throughout the United States, Canada, and 15 other countries. Submissions came from corporate communication and marketing departments, advertising agencies, public relations firms, and freelancers.

UM’s award winning website

UM’s award winning magazine

Student cheer on the Canes at Sun Life

By Soc News

communication@miami.edu

SoC

Join the ConversationUM President Julio Frenk launched his Listening Exercise during a Town Hall, urging everyone in the UM community to share their ideas. They came from every corner of the U—students, scholars, and staff, scientists and supervisors, trustees and alumni—all of them gathering in one place to learn more about the future of the community they care so deeply about and the man tabbed to lead it to greater heights. And using a format popularized by political candidates during election season, new University of Miami President Julio Frenk gave them what they wanted while also lending an ear. Frenk’s Town Hall Meeting at the BankUnited Center on Thursday allowed thousands in attendance and watching via live stream to get a clearer sense of the vision of UM’s sixth president and, if they were lucky to get their turn at the microphone, pose some of the questions that have been weighing on their minds ever since the former Harvard dean and minister of health of Mexico officially took office on August 16. With a storied football program and five national championships a big part of UM’s legacy, the first question, submitted via Twitter, was, of course, related to that sport and what Frenk would do to help the Hurricanes become title winners once again.

“Make no mistake, I also like to win,” said Frenk, who went on to explain that the nation has many examples in schools such as Southern Cal and his own alma mater, Michigan, to demonstrate how academics and athletics can co-exist. He said that while he doesn’t have much skill in throwing or running with a football, his primary responsibility as UM’s president is to “ensure the success of our stu-dent-athletes on and off the field.” When School of Communication alum-nus Bryan Llenas, the national correspon-dent for Fox News Channel and reporter for Fox News Latino who moderated the Town Hall Meeting, opened up the floor for the live Q&A, eager UM students lined up 10 and 12 deep at two microphones, asking questions ranging from climate change to the LGBTQ community. When asked how UM would help deal with the problem of rising sea levels, Frenk pointed to research and the impor-tance of making sure knowledge gener-ated by University scientists is translated into policy. In answering a question on how he would make a UM education more accessible to students of lower economic status, Frenk noted that 58 percent of the

University’s students receive some form of financial aid, and that part of his vision for the school is to ensure that financial barriers will not prohibit bright and intel-ligent students, who may be struggling financially, from obtaining an education at the private research institution. On other issues, he noted that UM will offer gender-neutral housing starting in the fall of 2016, and he committed the University to becoming an example of diversity for others to follow, pointing to himself as the first Hispanic president of UM as an example of that diversity. His grandparents fled the horrors of Nazi Germany in the 1930s, fleeing to a country, Mexico, which, while lacking economic resources, was much richer in its tolerance for different cultures and groups. He addressed how the University’s UHealth brand could be expanded, noting that UM’s medical and nursing schools and its affiliated hospitals constitute a “fantastic” academic health enterprise that could lead the way in the “amazing transformation of health care” in the country. The Town Hall forum was the first public event of Frenk’s UM presidency.

It was only five months ago that Frenk, sporting the colors of his new employer in the form of an orange and green tie, told a roomful of media at his introductory press conference that he would immediately begin a process of “immersion” to famil-iarize himself with the private research university he had just been chosen to lead. To carry out that process, he promised to listen and learn from as many sources as possible. Thursday’s Town Hall, held as Frenk entered only his fourth week on the job, was a major step in making good on that promise. As such, he outlined for the audience the Listening Exercise initiative he has launched for his first 100 days in office. He described it as an intensive, immer-sive, and iterative listening project—one that invites students, faculty, and staff to share with him their aspirations and hopes for UM. A website -- miami.edu/listen -- has been launched where people can weigh in with some of their recom-mendations. While Frenk is inviting the UM com-munity to share their hopes for the U, he opened his Town Hall Meeting with a presentation that outlined his vision of a roadmap to UM’s second century. One of his primary messages: that with UM’s 100th birthday only a decade away, now is the time to prepare for its centennial and start building on what the institution should look like in the 21st century. He also detailed his four major aspi-rations for the University: the pursuit of excellence in multiple areas including academics, service, the arts, athletics, and administration; achieving relevance in helping to solve the world’s most pressing problems; becoming a model for values such as diversity and tolerance; and be-coming what he called “a force of integra-tion across the Americas,” or specifically taking advantage of UM’s geographic location in greater Miami as a gateway to the world. In the coming weeks, Frenk will be visiting UM’s schools and colleges and meeting with University leaders, students, donors, and trustees. Such efforts, he said, will set the stage for his presidential inauguration on January 29, 2016. Frenk displayed a copy of UM’s approved charter from 1925, asking the audience to take note of Article IV, which said the University should have “perpetual existence.” His roadmap for the future, he said, will help ensure UM continues to be a leader in the region, the country, and the world.

By Robert C. Jones, Jr

The Future of Public TelevisionAs part of the University of Miami School of Communication’s Annu-al Conversation Series, PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger will visit the campus to discuss the role of public media in the digital age.

Kerger’s Nov. 2 visit includes insights from the broadcasting executive, fol-lowed by a moderated Q&A session with students and members of the university community, presided by School of Com-

munication Professor Paul Driscoll. “We are honored by Ms. Kerger’s visit to the School. She has been a visionary leader in broadcast-ing during a time of tremendous change, challenge, and opportunity. Our students and faculty are thrilled by the op-portunity to meet with her, learn from her, and talk with her about the future of pub-lic television,” says Gregory J. Shepherd, dean of the School of Communication. Kerger joined PBS in 2006 as its sixth president and is responsible for the Pub-lic Broadcasting Service’s highest rated drama,Downton Abbey. Under her leader-ship, PBS’ viewership has increased to al-most 90 percent of television households tuning in. Before assuming the position of PBS’ president, Kerger was the executive vice president and chief operating officer of New York’s Educational Broadcasting Corporation. Her honors include receiving the 2008 Woman of Achievement Award

from Women in Development, and the 2012 Brand Builder Award from Promax/BDA, Broadcasting & Cable, and Multi-channel News. She is consistently includ-ed in The Hollywood Reporter’s “Women

in Entertain-ment Power 100” list. Supported by the Robert Corley Groves Lecture Series Fund, the UM School of Communica-tion’s Annual Conversation Series features national leaders who share their insights with students into the current and future state of the media

industry. Past speakers included Leslie Moonves, president and CEO of CBS Cor-poration, and Ron Meyer, vice chairman of NBCUniversal. To read more about the Annual Conversation Series, please visit http://com.miami.edu/annual-conversa-tion-series. The conversation on the Future of Public Television begins at 11:15 a.m. on Nov. 2 at the School of Communication’s Shoma Hall (room 3053) in the Commu-nication International Building and is open to the university community. Those who cannot attend can watch the live stream through Periscope @UMSoC.

By Soc News

President Julio Frenk talks to UM community at Town Hall Meeting

Paula Kerger discusses the role of media in the digital age with students at the annual Conversation Series

2 3Fall 2015

SoC

University of Miami Launches its First Communication Master’s Degree Online

University of Miami School of Communi-cation is launching its first online master’s program in January 2016. The UOnline Master of Arts in Communication Stud-ies will be taught by the world-renowned faculty of the School of Communication, in a flexible, online format. Offering a chal-lenging curriculum, the program is geared toward working professionals who want to pursue a career in communication or earn an advanced degree. “In this program students will study conflict resolution, group decision making, relationship management, persuasion, and much more in courses designed for people who understand that mastering the art and science of communication is key to leader-ship development,” says Dean of the School of Communication, Gregory J. Shepherd.

The UOnline Master of Arts in Commu-nication Studies is designed to build oral, written, critical thinking, and research skills. The 36-credit program can be com-pleted in 24 months, leading to a Master of Arts in Communication Studies. Graduates of the program can expect to gain a com-petitive edge in the workplace by improving their communication and leadership skills in the contexts of interpersonal, intercultur-al, and organizational communication. Applications for the UOnline Master of Arts in Communication Studies program are now being accepted. Scholarships are available for qualified applicants. For more information, please visit www.miami.edu/online or call 888.926.6968 to speak to one of our advisers. The program is pending approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Col-leges and the University of Miami Faculty Senate.

By Soc News

PRSSA Holds a Pitch Perfect Panel

The University of Miami Public Rela-tions Student Society of America chapter (PRSSA) hosted a panel of local media leaders for the Pitch Perfect II event on Wednesday, Oct. 14, at the School of Communication. The journalists shared their advice to a full audience of students and professional PR practitioners on how to build relations and credibility, as well as told a few horror stories of things gone wrong. “When does a public relations prac-titioner become credible in your eyes?” event moderator Jorge Martinez, vice president of The Conroy Martinez Group and a UM School of Communication alumnus, posed to the panelists.The answer was unanimous: The best way for a pitch to be received is for the public relations official to do research and be familiar with the journalist’s work. “You build credibility from knowing the publication you are pitching to,” said Chuck Strouse, editor of Miami New Times and New Times Broward Palm Beach. He went on describe his biggest pet peeve: When a public relations profes-sional doesn’t even know who he or she is pitching to. “About a dozen times a week, I get emails from someone saying ‘Dear Mr. Johnson’ —calls from someone who doesn’t know my name or doesn’t know who they are calling,” Strouse said to much laughter from the audience.The panelists were asked to give one piece of advice they wanted every one in the room to know. Abby Lawing, the assignment planner for CBS-4 WFOR, urged the PR profes-sionals to always talk to the reporter.“Even if the news is negative, always respond,” said Lawing. “At least say you

don’t want to comment or ask for more time, but don’t ignore me. I will keep calling.” The Miami Herald’s Food Editor Evan Benn suggested that if clients want to see their names on the front page of the newspaper, the best way for the PR prac-titioner to accomplish that is to “think like a journalist.” The journalists also talked about the changes their industry is facing, such as declining viewership or readership. But they were optimistic about the business’ future. “Because of the new digital phenome-non with so many new web sources, I find it interesting that clients want more and more to see a printed, published product, said Benn. “Newspapers are iconic things, and the legacy aspect of being in the newspaper, above the fold, in color, means a lot to people. Clients get excited when they’re on the front page, which I think is really cool.” Filling out the panel was Myriam Mar-quez, the executive editor for El Nuevo Herald, the nation’s second-largest Span-ish daily; and Curt Anderson, the legal affairs reporter for The Associated Press. Both talked about the incredible number of emails they get requesting coverage, amounting to thousands per week. But they both also praised PR professionals for finding them experts to talk to on deadline to help explain a complicated topic. The Pitch Perfect II event is one of the many PRSSA-sponsored events hosted on campus. The pre-professional club, which is open to all students, works to bring real-world PR experiences to students. It is hosting a fundraiser at Chipotle on Oct. 21 and a tour of a local PR tech agency on Oct. 28.

Professor Heidi Carr, the faculty advis-er for UM PRSSA, says that joining the society is a must for all students interest-ed in public relations. “We bring in people who have years and years of experience, and you get to meet them,” Carr said, adding that these meet-ings often lead to internships or part-time jobs. “I’m not exaggerating when I say this: This is how you get jobs today. You build a connection with people to make your résumé stand out from the other 500 the companies get. You build that one-on-one.”

By Alexis de La Rosa

Producer of Little Accidents Speaks to Soc Students

Jason Berman, one of the producers of the independent film Little Accidents spoke to Robert “Trae” DeLellis’ Survey of Motion Pictures class on October 22. Little Accidents, starring Elizabeth Banks, Boyd Holbrook, and Jacob Lofland, focus-es on a small mining town after a terrible coal mine accident. The film was shown at Sundance Film Festival in January 2014 and was released in theaters a year later. Berman answered a range of students’ questions from details of the indie film to filmmaking in general. According to Berman, one of the most challenging aspects of making the film was shooting on location. Shooting on location makes any film more difficult because it adds expense to the film’s bud-get and the elements and scenery are not under control like on a set. The film was shot in West Virginia because the writer, Sara Colangelo, based the script off of articles she had read about coal mining accidents in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Kentucky. Berman said that it took about 10 weeks to find a coal mine that would let them shoot there.“It was a very important location because the movie was based around a coalmine,” Berman said. Another concern that spawned from making a movie about a coal mining accident was the reaction from corporate America and the coal industry.“People in the coal industry actually appreciated the movie and thought we did a good job,” Berman said. The producer said that he got invested in the film because of the storyline and the level of talent that was attached to the movie. Berman said that by the time he

got on board, Elizabeth Banks and Boyd Holbrook had already been casted.“It’s a powerful story,” Berman said. “It’s a film that has urgent issues because of ev-erything going from coal to clean energy.”While two of the stars were a part of the film before Berman, the character of Owen Briggs was not. Berman said that they did a wide casting search for this role and eventually landed on Jacob Lofland, with whom they were familiar from his role in Mud. “We asked [Jacob] to put himself on tape for us and he just knocked it out of the park,” Berman said on Lofland’s audition. Berman told the class that he didn’t always want to be a producer. When he started film school at the University of Southern California he wanted to be a director. However, he said that he did know that he wanted to work in the film industry since he was 7 years old. After Berman’s first semester at USC, he realized that his skill set was more in producing than directing. After his freshman year, he began to produce both undergraduate and graduate students’ thesis films. “I was one of the very few people in un-

dergrad that wanted to produce, so I stuck out,” Berman said. During his time at USC, he would road trip to the Sundance Film Festival in Utah, which is where he said he fell in love with independent films.Berman was one of four producers on Little Accidents. The others were Anne Carey, Summer Shelton, and Thomas Fore. According to Berman, he helped to put the financing together and dealt with the investors, while Carey worked on the creative aspects of the film, such as script revisions and working with the writer/director on the first actors. Shelton did a lot of the physical producing, and Fore was the only producer who was also an investor. “In an independent film, when you don’t have the infrastructure of the studio, it’s generally good to work with one or two additional producing partners because it’s good to divide and conquer and there’s a lot of work that goes into the film,” Berman said. Berman was a part of Little Accidents during pre-production, production, and post-production. “It was a long process, but it was one that was very rewarding,” Berman said.

Front entrance at the School of Communication

Media leaders discuss relationships, credibil-ity and pitching with students

4 5Fall 2015

Olivia Smith5840 SW 57th Ave, Unit 105

Miami, Fl 33143

For submissions, please contact:

Gregory ShepherdDean

shepherd@miami.eduPhone: 305-284-3420

Kebrina MaharajProfessional Development & Alumni Relations

kmaharaj@miami.eduPhone: (305) 284-6632

5100 Brunson DriveMiami, Fl 33146

305-284-2265 communication@miami.,edu

Loretta YoungAdministrative Assistant, Main Office

lgyoung@miami.eduPhone: 305-284-2265

Creating a More Cultural Community A task force made of faculty, students and staff was created in early February to increase the number of black faculty. A break-down of the University of Miami’s faculty and student body by ethnicity.