UA Journalism Department Publishes New Edition of Dateline Alabama In•Print

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama journalism department will distribute the second edition of Dateline Alabama In•Print, a student-produced feature magazine, in May.

The magazine contains stories about the late journalism professor Dr. Bailey Thomson, a preview of the 2004 football season, campus diversity, healthy eating habits, travel and other topics. Aspects of life among international students at the Capstone are also covered, along with a lesson on how to say “Roll Tide” in other languages.

The first edition of the magazine was published a year ago and presented printed versions of many stories that had previously run in DatelineAlabama.com, the news Web site of the College of Communication Information Sciences, a sister medium of Dateline Alabama In•Print.

The new edition consists of articles written by students taking JN 426 Magazine Editing and Design, an advanced course for seniors and graduate students The work — conceiving, writing, photography, editing, design and ad sales — was done by a team of 13 students under the supervision of Dr. Ed Mullins, chairman of the department and instructor for the course.

Kathleen Penton, a senior from Sylacauga, is editor of the magazine. Other members of the staff are Emily Kornegay, senior from Prattville, managing editor; Kristin Buck, senior from Lincoln, assistant managing editor; Kristen Record, senior from Marietta, Ga., chief copy editor; Mike Lowe, graduate student from Midfield, art director and Web editor; Janet Sudnik, Huntsville, copy editor; David Wasson, Florence, sports editor; Jamie Atchley, senior from Birmingham, advertising director; Carla Jean Whitley, graduate student from Jacksonville, Fla., circulation director; Elina Erzikova, graduate student from Penza, Russia; and writers Alex Bonin, New Orleans; Samantha Hall, Huntsville; and Amanda Price, Gadsden.

Both Sudnik and Wasson are taking the course while working as full-time professionals with The Tuscaloosa News. Wasson is executive sports editor and Sudnik is a copy editor.

“It’s been a dream class for a professor,” said Mullins, a 27-year veteran at the University. “There is a lot of interest in magazines among our students, and this magazine helps to give them experience and background in a very important segment of the mass media. The students have learned a great deal about magazines, including that deadlines are not optional, though that took longer to sink in than I had hoped.”

Plans call for the magazine to be published three times a year. It will be distributed on campus, in the Tuscaloosa business community, to other journalism schools and to media around the country that hire UA students.