Categories
1960s Legacies

James Harff (BSJ64, MSJ65)

James “Jim” Warren Harff, age 83, passed away peacefully at his condominium in Elkhart Lake, WI, on November 25, 2024.

Jim was born in Sheboygan, WI, on December 5, 1940, to Benjamin and Helen Harff. Jim attended Jefferson School and graduated from Sheboygan Central High School in 1959.

Jim went on to earn his Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree in journalism from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. Jim was also in the National Army Reserves.

Jim had an extensive and impressive career in journalism, public relations, and communications. He began working for WHBL and Kohler, prior to becoming more involved in politics and campaign public relations. Jim established permanent residency in Arlington, Virginia, while working for Ruder Finn, Inc, and several other international public relations firms in the Washington, D.C., area. Ultimately, he became the Chief Executer Officer of Global Communicators. Jim was extremely passionate about his career and continued working full-time until the age of 82.

Jim had an active lifestyle and enjoyed traveling, skiing, horseback riding, biking, and spending time with friends and family.

Jim was an intelligent, compassionate, and giving person. He maintained many close friendships, some dating back to his childhood. He enjoyed socializing with his friends and family, especially during the summer months while working from his condominium in Elkhart Lake, WI.

Jim will be dearly missed by family and many close friends. Jim is survived by his two nieces, Rebecca (Tim) Thompson of Sheboygan, WI, and Deborah (Chris Yankee) Pope, of Boulder, Colorado. He also has five great-niece/nephews: Cora and Owen Thompson, Bella and Aiden Pope, and Ria Yankee.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents Ben and Helen Harff and his sister Luanne Harff-Burchinal.

Visitation will be held on Saturday, December 7th, from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM, prior to the funeral at 11:00 AM, at Zimmer Westview Funeral and Cremation Care Center, Sheboygan, WI. Burial will occur at Wildwood Cemetery.

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/james-jim-harff-obituary?id=56910741

Categories
1970s Legacies

Edward M. McConville (BSJ74)

Ed died on October 25, 2024, at the age of 77. He was born on October 16, 1947 to Donald Edward McConville and Monica Mason McConville. He leaves three sisters, Kathe M. Crane (Lawrence) of Memphis, Tennessee, Sheila M. Fane of Hartsdale, NY and Patricia M. Smith (Mark) of Plano, Texas. He also leaves two nieces, one nephew and several cousins.

Ed graduated from McQuaid Jesuit High School and Middlebury College (Vermont). He earned an MA in Journalism from Northwestern University and studied for a PhD in American History at Duke University. He wrote for national magazines, and various publications in New York, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. He was an avid reader, preferring hand-held books throughout his life.

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/edward-mcconville-obituary?id=56677805

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Home Medill Research

Major survey of news consumption highlights challenges for entire industry

A sweeping, in-depth survey of the news consumption habits of Chicago-area residents by Medill researchers captures the tectonic shift to smartphone usage from television and print newspapers, and finds that half of consumers believe no one should pay for journalism.

The survey of 1,004 people, one of the largest examinations ever of news consumption habits in the Chicago area, identifies numerous notable findings. Nearly two-thirds of those surveyed, or 62%, said they use their smartphones to get local news all the time or often, compared to 52% who watch news on television all the time or often. Thirteen percent of respondents said they read traditional newspapers and magazines often or all the time, while only a limited number of residents (19%) pay or donate money for access to local journalism.

In one of the survey’s most significant findings, Medill’s researchers identified a lack of public awareness of the financially perilous state of local news. A majority of those surveyed (54%) believe local news outlets are doing “somewhat well” financially. Another 17% said they are doing “very well,” meaning that in total, 71% of respondents don’t know the news business is in crisis. Research by the Medill Local News Initiative has chronicled in detail the alarming pace at which news organizations under financial duress are shrinking or disappearing, creating “news
deserts” in communities across the country.

The disconnect between performance and awareness has profound implications for the future of journalism because many local newsrooms need to persuade more consumers to become paying customers for digital news to make up for weak online advertising revenue. But audiences not only don’t believe the news business is suffering, they are skeptical about who, if anyone, should pay for news. About half (51%) of Chicago-area residents said no one should pay for news. Another 27% of respondents said those who can pay should pay.

Much smaller numbers said those who read the most should pay, or everyone should pay. “The most solid pillar of local news is reader revenue, digital subscriptions, or memberships,” said Tim Franklin, Senior Associate Dean at Medill and one of the authors of the survey. “If half of people think that no one should have to pay for news, that shows the news business model has some headwinds.”

The survey, published as a 64-page report, “The Medill Survey: How the Chicago Area Gets its News,” was conducted by faculty of the Medill School with funding by the MacArthur Foundation. The authors are Medill Professor Stephanie Edgerly, Associate Dean of Research; Assistant Professor Yu Xu; along with Franklin, who is also John M. Mutz Chair in Local News and Director of the Medill Local News Initiative. NORC at the University of Chicago, on Medill’s behalf, surveyed adults throughout the 14-county metro area, including parts of southern Wisconsin and northwest Indiana, via a mixture of phone and web methods. The margin of error was +/- 4.66%.

While the survey focused on the Chicago region, the results may bea microcosm of the fast-changing landscape for local news across the country. The study’s goal was to examine the current state of the public’s interest in and reliance on local news, as well as readership, viewership and listenership habits. The survey also explored other views on journalism, including motivations for consuming news and attitudes related to the trustworthiness of reporters to perform their roles well.

Some of the survey’s key findings include:

  • The public generally remains engaged in following news events. About half (53%) of adults consume local news once or multiple times a day.
  • There are strong generational differences in reader interest, with almost two-thirds (62%) of adults ages 60+ consuming local news once or multiple times daily, compared to just 39% of people ages 18-29.
  • The generational difference is also profound for television viewership: While 66% of adults 60+ watch local TV news daily, that number drops to only 22% for 18-29 year-olds.
  • Chicago-area consumers are fairly positive about what they consume. About half (53%) trust local news media to get things right, a higher portion than found nationally (44%), according to a different study of local news.
  • While most respondents (85%) have never met a local journalist, 43% said they were interested in attending a meet-and-greet with local reporters.

A principal goal of the study is to give news organizations, journalists, philanthropists, scholars and other interested parties a better understanding of consumers’ behaviors. “Armed with these insights, key stakeholders can explore new pathways to better meet the public’s news needs and explore new business models to support the local journalism our communities need,” Edgerly said.

While the Medill report confirms the impact of technological change on local news consumption habits, it also suggests that some basic assumptions by journalists and civic leaders about how the public values local news may no longer be true. Industry leaders have made passionate arguments in defense of financially struggling newspapers, warning that democratic traditions are at stake because journalists are watchdogs of public interest whose work binds citizens to
communities. But that perspective isn’t widely recognized.

The survey found that the main reason people said they consume local news and information is to meet the needs of everyday life. Specifically, 60% of respondents consume news because it “helps me save and manage money,” while 52% consume news because it “helps me stay healthy.” Far down the list are “helps me feel connected to my community” (15%) as well as “helps me take action to address issues I care about” (12%) and “helps me stay informed to be a better citizen” (10%).

“The big push by philanthropy and policymakers right now to provide money for local news is in a democracy framework: More robust local news helps improve the democratic institutions of a community and the country,” Franklin said. “This survey suggests that message isn’t taking hold with the public yet and there’s more work to do to make the public aware of what’s at stake with the loss of local news. While we as journalists attach altruistic reasons for our work and why people come to local news, many of them are tuning in or reading in a transactional way.”

The report includes a conclusion urging stakeholders with an interest in a free and vigorous press to play a role in elevating local news at a moment when it is under siege. The report also features a brief history of Chicago journalism to offer further perspective on the important findings of the survey.

“How the Chicago Area Gets Its News” is a product of the Medill Local News Initiative, a research and development project aimed at bolstering the sustainability of local news.

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Home Medill News

Medill launches new program to cover Illinois Government

Medill has created the Medill Illinois News Bureau, which will provide local news outlets with coverage of the state legislature and government agencies.

Working in partnership with Capitol News Illinois (CNI), Medill graduate and undergraduate journalism students will develop expertise in covering state government, producing stories and multimedia content that will be distributed to news organizations statewide and in bordering states. CNI is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization based in Springfield that is operated by the Illinois Press Foundation. Its vast distribution network includes about 700 newspapers, digital-only news sites and broadcast outlets throughout Illinois and in border state cities such as St. Louis.

“This new Medill Illinois News Bureau is intended to help strengthen coverage of state government at a time when the Statehouse press corps has been depleted and after most newspapers have closed their Springfield bureaus,” said Medill Dean Charles Whitaker. “Medill is stepping up to help fill some of that void, and to provide students with invaluable, real-world experience and classroom expertise covering one of the largest and most complex state governments in the nation.”

A team of Medill students will be based in Springfield during the legislative session and will work out of CNI’s newsroom. When the legislature is not in session, these students will develop enterprise pieces and cover breaking state government news from Chicago.

“Our Capitol News Illinois team is very excited about this partnership with Medill,” said Jeff Rogers, the founding editor of CNI and executive director of the Illinois Press Foundation. “Through its Local News Initiative, Medill and Northwestern University are making a significant push to revitalize community journalism and address the growing number of news deserts in Illinois. Because Capitol News Illinois addresses a news desert at the Illinois Capitol, this is a perfect partnership that will further connect communities statewide to their state government. This is a win for everyone, including the fantastic student journalists at Medill, who will get their work published by newspapers and broadcast outlets throughout the state.”

The program is funded with a grant from the Robert R. McCormick Foundation. The McCormick Foundation is a major supporter of the Medill Local News Initiative, a multi-pronged project aimed at bolstering local news locally and nationally. The initiative includes the Medill State of Local News Project, which tracks the number of news outlets nationally and news desert communities, and programs such as the Medill Local News Accelerator, the Midwest Solutions Journalism Hub and Teach for Chicago Journalism. Program participants also will conduct local news audience research.

“We are glad to have Medill and Capitol News Illinois as partners in keeping our citizens informed about the actions of their government and keeping the State of Illinois accountable to its residents,” said Tim Knight, the president and chief executive officer of the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.

Medill Senior Lecturer Bob Rowley will serve as director of the Medill Illinois News Bureau. Rowley is a former national and foreign correspondent for the Chicago Tribune, where served as national editor for seven years. Rowley covered state government and local politics early in his reporting career.

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Books Uncategorized

OF BLACK, WHITE, AND MANY COLORS

by Michael Chacko Daniels (MSJ68)
With illustrations by Krittika Ramanujan & Aaron Bass

Michael Chacko Daniels, in his inimitable way, paints a wild, sensuous, explosive, and yearning picture of the collision between ideals and base motives, whether played out on a human-relational level or in society at large, and what “experience” at the hands of people with base motives can do to innocence—and what the path to love and resolution may be.

Polarity reigns. There are unforgettable characters on both sides of the world, the racial divide.

There’s the brilliantly drawn Annama, who seeks to control her son from India even at a distance of thousands of miles, and who has visions in the latrine.

There’s the aged, dignified, honorable Mr. Scott, the book editor at Asian Transitions, happily married for sixty years until his wife’s death, who befriends Mathew and his ideals.

There is Huckleberry, streetwise and drug-friendly, who talks to Mathew of the Yoga of Laughter at a time when Mathew has abandoned his ideals in despair.

There is Y. K., the editor at Asian Transitions, who, when Mathew is up for review for the soon-available Editor position, unfairly gives Mathew a poor performance review.

And above all, there is Maria, who, with all her edginess, forms a bridge to Mathew’s past and country by writing secret letters to Annama about her love for Mathew, and locking them up, unsent, in a trunk. This is a testing relationship, not a smooth one. Too many opposites come up against each other: not only the “much darker than your father” of Mathew and the “fully white woman” of Maria, but also their acculturated ways, spirits, and attitudes.

And the language, frequently full of poetry and humor, frustration and transcendence, is a Daniels hallmark. Still, it is Mathew who holds the center for us; and in his ultimate salvation is our own.

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1970s Featured Legacies Featured Legacies Home Home

Richard Lee Harris (BSJ76)

Richard Lee Harris, a beloved family man and distinguished journalist, died in hospice in Washington DC on October 2, 2024. He was 70.

Richard, a member of Medill’s Hall of Achievement, shaped some of the world’s biggest news stories over the past half century as a broadcast producer for NPR’s All Things Considered, news editor at NBC News, and senior producer for ABC News’ “Nightline” for almost two decades. He structured a first-of-its-kind televised town hall between Israeli and Palestinian leaders in 1988 and secured an interview for “Nightline” with Nelson Mandela moments after his release from South African prison. Richard’s pitch for Ted Koppel to interview Brandeis professor Morrie Schwartz on the topic of death and dying put in motion the global best-selling memoir “Tuesdays with Morrie.”

Richard won 14 News & Documentary Emmys and a Columbia DuPont award, and is honored as a standout alumnus in the Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism Hall of Achievement.

In his personal life, Richard enjoyed playing word games with his sister, taking photographs of nature and family moments, bonding with the family dog on late-night walks, and savoring coffee and ice cream (or better yet ½ coffee ice cream). Richard spent some of his happiest moments as Papa to his three grandchildren, reading together, filling the bird feeder, and indoctrinating them into Red Sox Nation.

Richard is survived by his loving wife of 44 years, Kit (O’Connell) Harris; daughters Emily Harris, Susannah Harris, and Lily Harris; sons-in-law Duza Baba and Ben Estabrook; grandchildren Miles Baba, Cecelia Baba, and Norah Estabrook, and sister Debbie Mozes, along with many brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, and nephews.

Richard was preceded in death by his parents, Mildred ‘Millie’ Harris and Lester ‘Lefty’ Harris, and his uncle Jonas Chaves.

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/washingtonpost/name/richard-harris-obituary?id=56561625

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1990s Featured Legacies Home Legacies

Neil King (MSJ90)

Neil King, the former global economics editor at The Wall Street Journal, died Tuesday from cancer.

He left The Journal in 2016. Last year, his book “American Ramble: A Walk of Memory and Renewal” documented his 330-mile walk from Washington to New York.

King worked for 15 years in the Journal’s Washington bureau, where he covered beats ranging from terrorism and foreign policy to trade and the international oil industry. He served as national political reporter from 2010 until early 2014, when he took over as editor of the Journal’s economics coverage.

He first joined Dow Jones in January 1995 as a reporter for The Wall Street Journal Europe, based in Prague. In November of that year, he moved to Brussels as chief correspondent of the European Journal’s Central European Economic Review. In 1996, he became the European Journal’s chief diplomatic and security correspondent.

Prior to joining Dow Jones, King was a staff reporter for the Tampa (Fla.) Tribune in 1990 and moved to Prague in 1992 as a freelance correspondent. He did freelance reporting for the European Journal from Prague from 1993 to 1994.

Born in Colorado, King earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Columbia University in New York and a master’s degree from the Medill.

King, former WSJ global economics editor, has died

Categories
Books

Performing the News: Identity, Authority, and the Myth of Neutrality

Dr. Elia Powers (BSJ03)

“Performing the News: Identity, Authority, and the Myth of Neutrality” explores how journalists from historically marginalized groups have long felt pressure to conform when performing for audiences. Many speak with a flat, “neutral” accent, modify their delivery to hide distinctive vocal attributes, dress conventionally to appeal to the “average” viewer, and maintain a consistent appearance to avoid unwanted attention. Their aim is what author Elia Powers refers to as performance neutrality—presentation that is deemed unobjectionable, reveals little about journalists’ social identity, and supposedly does not detract from their message. Increasingly, journalists are challenging restrictive, purportedly neutral forms of self-presentation.

This book argues that performance neutrality is a myth that reinforces the status quo, limits on-air diversity, and hinders efforts to make newsrooms more inclusive. Through in-depth interviews with journalists in broadcasting and podcasting, and those who shape their performance, the author suggests ways to make journalism more inclusive and representative of diverse audiences.

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1970s Featured Legacies Featured Legacies Home

Stephen Byers (MSJ71)

Stephen Byers passed away on June 2, 2024 at the age of 81. Beloved husband of Gen McBride for 24 years. Loving father of Steven Byers, Mark Byers (Mary Krogmann), John (Laura) Caspari and Cate (Kyle) O’Connell. Proud grandfather of Allen Byers, Dawson O’Connell, Brynn O’Connell, Zoe Caspari and the late Hannah O’Connell; step grandfather of Ian McVeigh, Gwen Atkins, Carrie Krogmann and Bella Krogmann. Dear brother of George “Mike” (Judy) Byers, the late Jane (Lynn) Carstens, Bill (the late Janice) Byers, Phyllis (Dick) Lacey, Rick (Dorie) Byers. Dear brother-in-law of Joe McBride, Mike (Kerin) McBride, Pat (Kim) McBride, Dennis (Karen Barry) McBride, Mark (Kim Stanton-McBride) McBride and Tim (Shirley Porterfield) McBride. Proud great grandfather of Lacey and Allen Byers Jr. Steve will be greatly missed by his wonderful home health aide Laura Buchman, his nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and many friends.

Steve attended Indiana State University for his undergraduate degree Northwestern University for his masters in journalism UW Milwaukee for his doctorate in Urban Studies.

Steve was a talented journalist, wrote for several papers and was a reporter and editor for more than three decades at the Milwaukee Journal and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He then was a professor of journalism at Marquette University.

Steve devoted his life to Gen and her children and their grandchildren for the last 30 years. He brought laughter wherever he went, always brightened the room and taught many how to love with a bigger heart.

He loved basketball, traveling, sailing and cooking. But most of all he loved his many talks with Gen about books and politics. Steve and Gen had the joy of together writing the book Dear Mrs. Griggs: Women pour out their hearts from the heartland.

While later in life Parkinson’s took away many of the things that made him happy, he kept a good spirit and only wanted happiness for those he loved.

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1960s Featured Legacies Legacies

Marcia Smith (BSJ63)

Once in a lifetime. One of a kind. There was no one like her. Marcia Hill Smith of Santa Fe, NM, 83, passed away July 3, 2024 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. She is survived by her husband Herb, son Greg (Lauren McMahon), daughter Ashley Baptiste (Gus Calabrese) and her four loving grandchildren Coleston, Cameron, Elaine, and Brett.

Marcia was born in Saint Louis, MO in 1941 to Irma and Homer Hill of Normandy, MO. She graduated from high school there and attended Northwestern University where she earned a degree in journalism and met her husband of 59 years, Herb Smith.

Marcia and Herb lived on Chicago’s Gold Coast until settling a short time later in Saint Louis area, where Marcia opened her interior design firm, Marcia Smith Designs, Inc., had her children, and moved the family to suburban Clayton, MO. A few years later she moved her design firm to Laclede’s Landing, and later to Ladue, MO where she started Virtuoso, a table-top shop of one-of-a-kind décor for the dining table. She was active for many years in the National Association of Women Business Owners at both the local and national level.
In the mid-1980’s she and Herb built a unique contemporary Bauhaus-inspired home on Lindell Boulevard where they lived until 2003, then enjoyed apartment living in the city’s Central West End before moving permanently to their vacation residence in Santa Fe.

Marcia was inspired by the natural beauty and art scene of Santa Fe.
She dressed to the nines and wore wonderful hats almost every day.
When music, art, design, and dance touched her soul, she shared them with the people in her world. She dedicated herself to bring inspiring design into peoples’ lives every day. Her home and commercial designs focused on being true to yourself and focusing on today. She loved to dance, visit art galleries and museums, and listen to jazz and classical music.

She wrote her own rules and stuck by them with conviction. Manners mattered to her. She was gracious and treated you the way she wanted to be treated. She was bold, and she challenged people around her to be bold, and her lifelong friends were her biggest cheerleaders.

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/santafenewmexican/name/marcia-smith-obituary?id=55636357