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Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Delivery of Edward R. Murrow's Speech
Fifty years ago this month – October 15, 1958 – Edward R. Murrow addressed the Radio-Television News Directors Association at its annual convention in Chicago. His topic: the future of broadcast and of broadcast journalism. Would it be used to enlighten or merely to entertain? Would it all become just “wires and lights in a box?”

The speech has been widely quoted for the last half-century. The themes Murrow spelled out continue today. Will entertainment overwhelm news values? What is the role of opinion and controversy in an impartial press? What are the business models that will support journalism in the public interest?

From the RTNDA archives comes this recording of Murrow’s speech – now made available in its entirety online for the first time. You are there, hearing Murrow’s words as he delivered them 50 years ago.

Download the entire speech as an MP3 here.
Courtesy of CBS Radio

 Hear the entire speech with a streaming audio player here.
Courtesy of KYW-AM, Philadelphia

The National Scholastic Press Association recently announced its 2008 Broadcast competition winners. RTNDF and School Tube helped with the judging. Check out a this winning video and more from the Broadcast Pacemakers 2008 contest here at HSBJ.org, and check back often to see a different winning video. This week's winning video comes from Montrose High School. Videos are also featured on SchoolTube.com. Questions or comments? Contact Carol Knopes at carolk@rtndf.org.

Five Freedoms Contest Is Open 
For High School and Middle School

Students, start your scripts! The 2009 Five Freedoms PSA Contest is open. Now's the time to put together a 30- or 15-second PSA about any or all the freedoms of the First Amendment. Enter as often as you wish. Winners get $500. Turn in your entry NOW to qualify for early entry prizes. First Amendment info, NEW CONTEST RULES and entry forms are here. (Scroll down to the links.)

2008 Freedom PSA winners here! 

Coming Soon: Contest tips from the 2008 judges.

The Five Freedoms PSA Contest is sponsored by STN, School Tube and RTNDF's HSBJ project.
 
Fall 2008-09 Teachers Survey
Have you started a new Broadcast Journalism Program this school year? Or added Journalism? Or Multimedia?

We want to hear from you. RTNDF keeps track of all the new broadcast programs. Just fill out the 2008-09 New Program Survey and send it to carolk@rtndf.org.
CareerCasts
Through the support from partners at the George Washington University, RTNDF shares stories from seven diverse journalists. These journalists give insight into the industry and tell the steps they took to get where they are today. Each week, HSBJ will feature a new career cast video. Don't worry if you miss one. All CareerCast videos will be available in a video archive on HSBJ.org. See last week's CareerCast in the Students section called CareerCasts.

Here is a CareerCasts that has been featured in the past:
Sonya Gavankar, Posted: September 5

 Here's a NewsU teaching tool your students can use TODAY!

RTNDF has partnered with NewsU to present an online interactive class designed to teach multimedia approaches to storytelling. Reporting Across Platforms is a free 2-3 hour class for students and teachers.

Professional multimedia journalist Victoria Lim shows how she worked through one story on WFLA-TV, online and in her Tampa Tribune column.

Then we ask your students to put together a story in video, print and online.
This class was designed and written for RTNDF by Professors Julie Dodd and Judy Robinson of the University of Florida. 

Tips & TricksTips and Tricks
Looking for a way to store those bulky tripods?  Need some more hard drive space for your students?  We've got two new Tips and Tricks to share from Teachers Jeff Deitchman and Steven Cortez.  Find out more.
Veterans History Project
Our World War II veterans are dying at a rate of 1,000 per day. RTNDF wants to get students involved in making sure their stories live on, while learning something in the process, so we're partnering with the Library of Congress to interview veterans and capture their stories as part of the Veterans History Project.  RTNDF may be able to help you find a World War II veteran to interview – even help you work with a local television or radio station.  Find out how your school can get involved.
RTNDF Promotes Diversity in News Coverage
The Diverity Toolkit contains a downloadable workbook with streaming video of stories to help stations evaluate how they address diversity in their newsrooms and in their coverage. This resource encourages journalists to broaden the definition of diversity to include a variety of voices and groups.

The updated toolkit is available at http://www.rtnda.org/pages/media_items/diversity-toolkit540.php.  The Diversity Toolkit was made possible by a grant from the MK Level Playing Field Institute.

Teachers

Teachers-Only Forum Is Up and Running

Looking for a place to share tips and ideas with other broadcast teachers from around the country?  Having trouble with your equipment and need help troubleshooting?  Frustrated with the daily grind and need a place to vent your spleen?  Our brand-new Teachers-only Forums are just what you've been looking for and they're just a click away.

Radio Curriculum for Broadcast Teachers

All four courses of the Radio Curriculum are now available. Many lessons -- including all the journalism lessons -- are suitable for both radio and television classes. Tell us how your class is using it. Send your comments to carolk@rtndf.org. 

This curriculum was created by RTNDF, Prime Movers, and the District of Columbia Public Schools CTE and funded by a generous grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.  Download now.


RTNDF Educator in the Newsroom Lesson Plans and Videos
Thanks to RTNDF's Educator in the Newsroom Fellowship Program, teachers have been able to work at local radio and television stations to gain current, real-world industry experience that they can then relay to their students.  Many of these teachers collaborated to create a series of comprehensive lesson plans complete with video. Click here to access the EIN Lesson Plans.


Free Listserv for Broadcast Journalism Educators

New to broadcast? Veteran teacher? Thinking of adding broadcast journalism to your print program? Everyone is welcome on the RTNDFTEACHER listserv. Thanks to our friends at Kent State University, RTNDF's community of more than 300 broadcast journalism teachers across the country trade ideas, lesson plans, support and advice. Sign up free today!

STN Releases New "Code of Ethics" for High School Broadcasters

The largest network of scholastic broadcast journalism students and teachers in the country has just released a new "STN Code of Ethics" for scholastic broadcasters.  Make sure to download it here.  Also you can find RTNDA's own Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct for journalists here.

College Recommendations
Teachers on the RTNDFTEACHER Listserv have compiled a list of recommended colleges from around the country that offer either Broadcast Journalism, Television Production or Radio Production.  Click here to see the list and share it with your students.


What's CubReporters?
For information about journalism schools, internships, job openings and more, check out http://cubreporters.tripod.com/
School-to-Station

The next round of School-to-Station connections is open. Broadcast classes can partner with local radio or TV stations or work with a "virtual partner" from a station far away.

Station partners can critique student work, offer tours of the station or perhaps have professional journalists visit the classroom. Virtual partners can critique student work and mentor students and teachers online.

To volunteer as a station partner or a virtual partner, contact RTNDF's Director of Education Carol Knopes, carolk@rtndf.org.

Broadcast teachers, to apply for a School-to-Station connection,  email carolk@rtndf.org. To learn the dates of the partnership openings, join the RTNDFTEACHER listserv.RTNDFTEACHER listserv