Not only will Emily Barske assume the role of editor in chief of the Iowa State Daily this fall, but the senior in journalism and mass communication will also attend the 2016 Excellence in Journalism conference as a Columbia Journalism School Student Fellow.
Barske is one of five student fellows selected from schools across the nation by the Society of Professional Journalists. She will receive a $580 scholarship to help cover expenses incurred from attending the 2016 conference, which will take place Sept. 18–20 in New Orleans.
"The experience will enable me to network with renowned journalists from around the country, as well as leaders at other student newspapers," Barske says. "There will be endless opportunities to learn about capitalizing on new trends. I am excited to not only learn at the conference, but to share all of the great things the Iowa State Daily is doing."
Michael Bugeja, director, praised Barske for her plans to add higher news content for the Daily. "She will bring back new techniques to share not only at the Daily but also with members of our award-winning Leo Mores Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists," Bugeja says, adding that the school will help Barske cover her travel and accommodation expenses from the conference.
The trip will be especially meaningful for Barske, as the Iowa State Daily will be recognized as the Best All-Around Student Newspaper and she will receive a national finalist award in feature writing for her piece “Our Way of Life.” What she’s most looking forward to is a session that will be lead by the journalists from The Boston Globe’s "Spotlight" team, the basis for the 2015 Academy Award-winning film.