Alumni News Archives: Fall 2006

John U. Bacon ’06 has recently been hired as the Writer in Residence for UM’s Lloyd Hall Scholars Program. In addition, Bacon is teaching The History of College Athletics at the University this fall.

Cynthia Barnett ’05 credits KWF classmates for Florida Trend magazine’s August cover story, “Competing Against the World.” ’05 Fellows Scott Elliott and Jason Tanz gave sage advice, while Matthias Schepp found sources in West Germany and Mi-Seok Koh’s daughter offered a key South Korean teen voice.

Jamie Butters ’06 was promoted to auto editor of the Detroit Free Press in July. Butters had been acting auto editor since his return from the Fellowship in May.

Diane Brozek Fancher ’82 joined the Center for Public Integrity as editorial director in April, overseeing all editorial projects at the Center, a nonprofit, nonpartisan independent organization engaged in investigative reporting on public policy issues. Previously, she was the Maryland editor of the Baltimore Sun.

Bill Buzenberg ’77 has been named executive director of the Center for Public Integrity, effective January 2007. Charles Filler, chairman of the Center’s board, praised Buzenberg’s appointment “at this crucial moment in the country’s history.” Formerly senior vice president of news for American Public Media/Minnesota Public Radio, Buzenberg, along with Susan Buzenberg, also co-edited Salant, CBS and the Battle for the Soul of Broadcast Journalism: The Memoirs of Richard S. Salant.

Chris Carey ’06 launched Sharesleuth.com (www.sharesleuth.com), an online investigative business journalism website aimed at exposing stock fraud and corporate malfeasance. The venture is funded by Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, HDNet, the Landmark Theatres chain and Magnolia Pictures. The partners plan to expand the site to include multimedia content and co-productions with HDNet.

Charles Clover ’06 as recently been promoted to analysis editor for the Financial Times of London. Clover was formerly the paper’s Middle East and Africa editor.

Christopher Cook ’82, won five EMMYs at the annual gala of the Michigan Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS), at which he had a record 13 nominations for work done in 2005. Three of the awards were for short film projects produced for the University of Michigan that appeared on public television or cable outlets. Since 1998, Cook has won nine EMMYs, and produced 16 hours of regional public television, commercial broadcast and cable programming.

Sergio Danishewsky ’05, is now chief editor of the lifestyle section at Clarín of Buenos Aires. Former sports editor Danishewsky oversees a group of 20 journalists covering health, education, science, ecology, technology and society. In addition, he is the director of a new sports journalism school in Buenos Aires.

Charles Eisendrath ’75 accepted a special EMMY award for press freedom on behalf of the International Press Institute at the 27th National News and Documentary EMMY Awards ceremony in New York. Eisendrath was recently elected chairman of the American delegation to IPI.

Scott Elliott ’05 Dayton News education reporter, was a finalist for an Online Journalism Award for his blog, Get on the Bus (www.daytondailynews.com/getonthebus). His blog was nominated in the “online commentary” category in the annual awards contest sponsored by the Online News Association and the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School of Communication.

Caroline Finkel ’03S is featured in a documentary entitled “Ottoman Empire: War Machine” that has been in heavy rotation on the History Channel. Finkel, who lives in London and Istanbul, is an expert on the Ottoman Empire and has written extensively on the subject, including her latest book, Osman’s Dream. Finkel is the spouse of writer and journalist Andrew Finkel ’03.

Steve Franklin ’85 recently completed the necessary training to embark upon a Knight Fellowship at the International Center for Journalists in Sudan in 2007. He will be teaching journalism to Sudanese journalists in Khartoum and other parts of the country for four months.

Jon C. Hall ’89 died on May 29 from Burkitt’s lymphoma in Ann Arbor. Hall, 58, was an investigative reporter and editor for the New Haven Register and the New Haven Journal-Courier in Connecticut prior to moving to Michigan. Throughout his career, he worked as a correspondent for the Boston Globe, ABC News and other media outlets. His wife Sue Deer Hall notes that Hall “always looked back on his Knight-Wallace Fellowship with pride and admiration.”

Frank Lockwood ’05 faith and values reporter for the Lexington Herald-Leader, launched a blog entitled Bible Belt Blogger. The site, found at www.spirituality.typepad.com/biblebelt, explores spirituality and faith-related issues.

Mary Losure ’04 independent radio producer, has received funding for her production company, Round Earth Productions, for 18 months worth of stories from Latin America. She and her producing partner Mary Stucky will begin in Bolivia this November, producing both print and radio pieces.

Otesa Miles ’05 was featured in an article in the May 2006 issue of Essence. In the article, “Free Money: 10 Ways to Fund Your Dreams,” Miles told the magazine how the Knight-Wallace Fellowship allowed her to pursue her dream of studying psychology and mental well-being.

Sedat Pisiriçi ’06S formerly of CNN-Türk, became news manager of the Vatan newspaper in Istanbul. Pisiriçi’s spouse is CNN-Türk’s Semiha Oztürk-Pisiriçi ’06.

Kimberley Porteou ’06S wife of Gerard Ryle ’06, is a finalist for a Walkley Award, Australia’s most prestigious journalism award. Porteous’ Sydney Morning Herald team earned a nod in the “Best Use of the Medium” category for “The War of Ideas: September 11—Five Years On” on the newspaper’s website (www.smh.com.au/multimedia/pmg/).

Elizabeth Stawicki ’00 legal affairs reporter for Minnesota Public Radio, won a Radio-Television News Directors Association Unity Award in 1999. She only recently discovered that she had received the honor when a plaque bearing her name popped up during MPR’s move to new offices. The Unity Awards serve to “encourage and showcase journalistic excellence in covering issues of race and ethnicity.”

Christine Tanaka ’05 has been promoted to news director of WRBL, Media General’s CBS affiliate in Columbus, Georgia.

Steve Twedt ’99 became the staff writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, won a 2006 Missouri Lifestyle Journalism Award from the Missouri School of Journalism. Twedt’s series, “The Fraying Safety Net,” which examined why the money Pennsylvania spends to help those in need simply isn’t enough, won in the Paul L. Myhre Series/Special Section category.