ASNE moves to University of Missouri in new partnership
The nation's premier organization for journalism leaders and one of the world's leading institutions for journalism education and innovation are joining forces. The American Society of News Editors and the University of Missouri's School of Journalism today announced a new partnership, including plans to move ASNE's headquarters to the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute on the university's Columbia, Mo., campus.
"We're very pleased that ASNE and Missouri are joining together in this groundbreaking collaboration," said Ken Paulson, president of ASNE and chief executive of the First Amendment Center. "The future of the news industry will be fueled by innovation and engagement, and this pivotal partnership will help drive both."
Dean Mills, dean of the Missouri School of Journalism, said, "We at Missouri are delighted to work with the nation's leading organization for news practitioners. ASNE is a natural fit with the Reynolds Institute, which is also dedicated to strengthening journalism on behalf of citizens."
ASNE, which has been headquartered in Reston, Va., began the process of searching for a new home last year, as part of a multifaceted strategic plan to ensure the organization remains at the forefront of leadership and innovation in the news industry. The process attracted many attractive university candidates, with Missouri emerging as the most appealing potential partner.
ASNE Treasurer David Boardman, executive editor of The Seattle Times, who led the search process, cited three elements in particular in the decision: Missouri's demonstrated commitment to serving the profession, its history of other successful partnerships, and its leadership in innovation, particularly through its Reynolds Journalism Institute.
ASNE will be housed in the RJI headquarters building, a state-of-the-art facility opened in 2008. The Institute is dedicated to strengthening journalism through experimentation and research on new technologies and methods.
"Imagine the power and promise of bringing the day-to-day experience of ASNE's members together with the innovation and insight of the innovative journalists, researchers and bright students working at the Reynolds Institute," Boardman said. "I have no doubt this collaboration will be a force for meaningful innovation in the news industry."
The university will provide a variety of support services to ASNE in Columbia, as well as additional space in its National Press Building offices in Washington, D.C.
ASNE and the university are already working together on the 2012 edition of ASNE's Newsroom Employment Census, a tool ASNE uses to measure the success of its goal of having the percentage of minorities working in newsrooms nationwide equal to the percentage of minorities in the nation's population by 2025.
ASNE and the Reynolds Institute are also planning joint research, experimentation and training programs aimed at creating new and better methods of creating and delivering journalism.
Contacts: Cristal Williams Chancellor, ASNE, cwilliams@asne.org
Roger Gafke, University of Missouri, gafker@rjionline.org
About the American Society of News Editors
ASNE was founded in 1922. It champions fair, principled, high-quality journalism and the protection of First Amendment freedoms. Its other areas of focus are leadership, innovation and diversity. Although historically an organization of the nation's top newspaper editors, it now includes many members from online-only news outlets, broadcast stations, colleges and universities, and media-related foundations and training centers.
About the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute
The Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute works with citizens, journalists and researchers to strengthen democracy through better journalism. RJI seeks out the most exciting new ideas, tests them with real-world experiments, uses social science research to assess their effectiveness and delivers solutions that citizens and journalists can put to use in their own communities. The institute was created with an initial gift of $31 million from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation in 2004.
About the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation
The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation is a national philanthropic organization founded in 1954 by the late media entrepreneur for whom it is named. Headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, it has committed more than $110 million to its National Journalism Initiative in the United States.
About the Missouri School of Journalism
America's first school of journalism was founded at the University of Missouri in 1908. Some of the best journalists in the world have learned their profession through what is known as "the Missouri Method," which provides practical, hands-on training in news media. The School of Journalism also houses the headquarters of other professional organizations, including Investigative Reporters and Editors Inc., the Association of Health Care Journalists, and the National Freedom of Information Coalition, among others.
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