Carolyn Nielsen (Journalism) presented papers Aug. 4 and 6 at the national Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication conference in Denver. Her sole-authored papers included "Community Conversation or 'The New Bathroom Wall?' Anonymous Online Comments and the Journalist's Role" and "Wise Latina: The Framing of Sonia Sotomayor in The New York Times and El Diario-La Prensa."

Sheila Webb (Journalism) has been given the Mary Ann Yodelis Smith Award for her project "Women as Readers, Women as Contributors – Creation of Community in Magazines."

The award, which funds feminist scholarship that judges feel could significantly impact the literature of gender and media, is given by the Commission on the Status of Women in the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.

Gabrielle Nomura, a student in the journalism program at Western Washington University, won a first place award for investigative reporting from the Washington Press Association for a piece titled "Heroin use may be on the rise in Whatcom County" that came out of her summer internship with The Bellingham Herald.

Western Washington University will offer three new journalism courses this summer, “Publications: From Concept to Design,” “Blogging” and “Digital Storytelling,” that are open not only to current WWU students but to the general public as well.

Western Washington University students swept the category for best student magazine in the Mark of Excellence Awards at the recent Society of Professional Journalists conference.

Planet Magazine took first and third place, and Klipsun Magazine took second. In addition, Western students won several individual awards for writing. First place regional winners will advance to the national round of judging, and national winners will be announced in early May.

The complete list of WWU winners:

Best Student Magazine

In 2008, Western Washington University journalism professor John Harris received a $5,000 grant from the Lummi Nation. With that grant, he created a photo blog focusing on the Lummi Blackhawk football team during the 2008 and 2009 seasons.

In this video, John reflects on his blog, explains how his experience has influenced his teaching and expresses his goals and visions for the future of the blog and his hope to continue to tell the story of the Lummi Blackhawks.

Video created by student intern Carolyn Copstead for WWU's Office of University Communications.