Knight Foundation Funds Newsroom Graphics Education at Ohio University

Contact: Anne Keyser, External & Alumni Relations Coordinator, College of Communication, (740) 593-0030 or keysera@ohio.edu

ATHENS, Ohio (April 6, 2001) -- Ohio University's School of Visual Communication has been awarded $550,000 from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The endowment provides for the continuation of the Knight Fellowship in Newsroom Graphics Management, which has brought 10 mid-career professionals to Athens since 1995. This grant brings the Knight Foundation's total gifts and commitments to the Ohio University College of Communication to more than $1.6 million.

The Knight Fellowship is the country's only graduate fellowship in visual communication. It covers tuition costs and defrays living expenses for mid-career graphics professionals as they pursue graduate study and teach in the School of Visual Communication.

"The School of Visual Communication is pleased to be able to continue the Knight fellowship program," said Larry Nighswander, director of the School of Visual Communication and former National Geographic illustrations editor. "The Knight Foundation grant will afford talented professionals an opportunity to renew and increase their professional skills while pursuing a masters degree. Their participation in our program enriches the educational experience of everyone in our school."

Current Fellow Lynn Johnson came to the program this year with 25 years experience as a freelance photographer for National Geographic, Life and Sports Illustrated magazines. "I am catching up on technology trends," said Johnson, "and regaining perspective on a professional world where market forces threaten content and creative quality." When she returns to her home in Pittsburgh, Pa., Johnson looks forward to doing more diverse work and developing personal projects on hate crimes, women's health care and the quality of dying.

"I will have more tools to tackle those projects, be more focused on the nature of the assignments I accept and feel re-energized by the students I've taught and learned from here," said Johnson.

Cindi Christie, also a 2000-2001 Fellow, is similarly expanding her technical foundation for her work as deputy photo editor for the Contra Costa Times. Seeing the convergence of still photography and video photography and the emerging possibilities of adding audio and video clips to online news and photography, Christie seeks to expand her picture editing skills with multi-media training.

"I give students here the perspective of having been in the newsroom just last Thursday, and I will bring something of value back to the newspaper and the Bay Area," she said.

Former Fellows have been Kathleen Hennessy, picture editor for The San Francisco Chronicle; Peggy Peattie, photographer for The San Diego Union; Pulitzer Prize winners John Kaplan, associate professor of graphics at the University of Florida, and Pat Davison, photographer for The Rocky Mountain News; Jim Gensheimer, photographer at The San Jose Mercury News; Jeannie Adams-Smith, picture editor for The Chicago Tribune, and Janet Knott, photographer at The Boston Globe.

Having returned to their professional paths, all have gone on to share their new skills with their peers, the journalism profession and their communities through books, award-winning photo essays, interactive CD-ROMS and web sites. Fellow Stan Alost has come full circle, leaving Ohio University for The St. Petersburg Times, but returning in September to join the faculty.

Created in 1978 as an interdisciplinary program integrating School of Journalism and School of Art curricula, the School of Visual Communication provides a thorough foundation for newspaper graphics professionals. Its curriculum, which emphasizes meaningful content, combines newspaper photography, picture editing, informational graphics, publication design, web design and new media technologies.

The School of Visual Communication has more Hearst Foundation Photojournalism grand champions than any other school in the history of the Hearst program and has won more College Photographer of the Year awards than any program in the U.S. for the last three years.

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation promotes excellence in journalism worldwide and invests in the vitality of 26 U. S. communities.