9/10/96

Contact: Ralph Izard or Ronald Ostrow,
Scripps School of Journalism, 614/593-2590

ATHENS, Ohio -- Ronald J. Ostrow, a staff writer in the Los Angeles Times Washington bureau, will join the faculty of Ohio University's E.W. Scripps School of Journalism during the 1996-97 academic year as a Scripps Howard visiting professional.

Ostrow will teach several of the Scripps School's newspaper writing and reporting classes. He also will teach special seminars focusing on government reporting.

Ostrow has covered the Justice Department, law enforcement and investigative assignments for the Times Washington bureau since 1972, and covered the Supreme Court from 1966-72. He was a business and financial writer in the Times Los Angeles bureau from 1962-65.

"Students in the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism will find that Ron Ostrow is a real opportunity for them. He brings to us such a wealth of knowledge based on a marvelous background. Our students who associate with him clearly will be richer," said Ralph Izard, director of the Scripps School. "As we conducted our search for the Scripps Howard visiting professional, one name -- that of Ron Ostrow -- kept appearing among recommendations. His reputation among Washington journalists and officials is most impressive. We are delighted he was willing to join our faculty."

Ostrow was assistant editor in the Los Angeles office of Business Week from 1961-62; Los Angeles news bureau manager for Western Air Lines from 1960-61; and staff reporter in San Francisco and Los Angeles for the Wall Street Journal from 1956-60.

He has won numerous awards, including an American Bar Association Certificate of Merit for the book The FBI and the Berrigans: The Making of A Conspiracy, which he co-authored with Jack Nelson. He also co-authored Taking Care of the Law with Griffin B. Bell, and contributed chapters to State of the Nation 1972 and State of the Nation 1974.

Ostrow was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University in 1964-65, and earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism from the University of California at Berkeley.

He is the second full-time Scripps Howard visiting professional to teach in the School of Journalism as part of a 10-year program funded by a $1 million grant from the Scripps Howard Foundation. He replaces Walter Friedenberg, who left the university last spring after three years on the journalism faculty. United Press International White House Correspondent Helen Thomas and former ABC News President William Sheehan also have lectured in the school under the grant program.