From international conferences to talks with award-winning authors, this year the SOJC hosted 44 face-to-face gatherings, celebrations, and lectures at the Eugene campus, our Portland location, and venues throughout the state. In the process, we engaged over 11,000 attendees, expanded students’ horizons with new perspectives, and connected them with a wider network of professionals and experts.
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION SERIES
Protecting Free Speech While Promoting Inclusion
Like many universities, the UO has been grappling with the legal, ethical, and moral issues surrounding the First Amendment: How do public universities support the exchange of ideas—even controversial ones—while ensuring students feel safe and included on campus? To spur constructive conversations about this important issue, the SOJC’s Edwin L. Artzt Dean and Professor Juan-Carlos Molleda co-chaired the UO Freedom of Expression Series of lectures, panels, discussion groups, and art exhibitions.
2018 SOJC Graduates Are Ready to Fly
More than 670 SOJC students crossed a major life threshold when they turned their tassels in front of over 6,200 friends and family at the school’s 102nd commencement ceremony. Look back over a student's multi-year journey through the SOJC in the student-produced video that kicked off the ceremony.
See the SOJC Commencement Flickr Album
The Power of Caitlyn Jenner’s Story
Caitlyn Jenner and renowned public relations strategist Alan Nierob came to campus in May to give SOJC students insight into a real-life case study in public relations strategy and personal courage. Watch the pair discuss how they transformed the story of Jenner’s coming out as a transgender woman from tabloid fodder to a pivotal moment at the intersection of media and the American transgender movement.
RUHL/JOHNSTON LECTURE
Communicating Climate Change Through Photos
Dennis Dimick, former executive environment editor for National Geographic, delivered a narrated visual journey through the Anthropocene—the past three centuries of human activity culminating in our fossil-fueled modern world. Presented by the Media Center for Science and Technology, Dimick's talk makes the case that humanity’s quest for prosperity on Earth comes at a cost we must now reckon with.
This lecture was made possible by funds from the Robert and Mabel Ruhl and Richard W. and Laurie Johnston lecture series.
ANCIL PAYNE AWARD FOR ETHICS IN JOURNALISM
Seattle Times Reporters Win for Mayor Exposé
When Seattle Times reporters Jim Brunner and Lewis Kamb learned a sexual-assault lawsuit was in the works against Seattle’s mayor, they knew it was worth investigating. The tough calls they made next earned them the 2018 Ancil Payne Award for Ethics in Journalism. The annual award, sponsored by the SOJC and the Payne family since 1999, honors the difficult ethical choices journalists and media organizations make behind the scenes.
IAMCR Conference Brings Nearly 1,000 to Campus
Nearly 1,000 communication researchers traveled to the UO from around the world for the International Association for Media and Communication Research's first-ever U.S. conference. The organization’s president, SOJC Knight Chair in Communication Research Janet Wasko, and a team of SOJC faculty organized the event, which explored how communication systems consume energy and contribute to pollution and waste.
