To our supporters and fellow J-Schoolers…

The year is off to a fantastic start here at the UM J-School. The smoke from the summer fires has cleared, and we’re enjoying blue skies and cool fall weather. Our students and faculty are hard at work already.Postcard which reads: Alumni Showcase, Friday, Sept. 25 at 2 p.m. in DAH 210. J-School Reception , Sept. 25 at 3 p.m. in the A.B. Guthrie Library. We hope to see you there!

Our student produced show, “Business: Made in Montana,” will air Oct. 22 at 7:30 p.m. on MontanaPBS. The Kaimin, our school newspaper, is moving more content online, while the printed edition has become a full-color weekly publication. The Montana Journalism Review is off to a strong start with a new staff, and a wealth of new stories to produce.

This year’s Pollner professor is Kevin Van Valkenburg. He is a distinguished reporter and known for his work with the Baltimore Sun, ESPN.com and ESPN the Magazine. He will present a talk titled “The Art of Storytelling Will Always Be What Matters, Not the Medium.” The annual lecture will take place Oct. 19th at 7:00 p.m. and, as always, the event is free and open to the public.

As we move forward into the new school year, we invite you to celebrate with us. The festivities begin this homecoming weekend.

Join us for our alumni showcase and J-School reception. The showcase is Friday, September 25 at 2 p.m. in Don Anderson Hall, room 210. As usual, we are inviting some of our recent grads to tell us stories of their experiences in the nation’s newsrooms. This is a great chance to see how our students are adapting to the changes in our ever-evolving industry. As we move into the digital age, our students must learn new skills and we must modify our idea of traditional media. We teach our students to maintain the same level of integrity and ethical conduct as we have taught our alums for the past 100 years.

We hope to see you after the showcase. Join us for a reception in the A.B. Guthrie Library (3 – 4 p.m.). We look forward to sharing a libation, catching up on your news, and talking football.

--UM J-School Dean Larry Abramson