RJI Futures Lab opens its doors, announces new staff

Will explore "New forms of journalism"

Columbia, Mo. (Sept.5) - The world's first school of journalism has created a $31 million solution-oriented center to foster the ideas, experiments and research that will chart the journalism of the future. Launched in 2004, the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute (RJI) will dedicate its new world headquarters on Sept. 12. The heart of the new RJI complex is the Futures Lab including the Technology Testing Center.

"To move journalism forward, experienced journalists, researchers, students and other innovators need to be able to brainstorm and experiment," says Pam Johnson, Executive Director of RJI. "In addition to state-of-the-art wired and wireless infrastructure, in the Futures Lab we have assembled a premier staff of experienced journalists and technicians who will work with scholars, leading journalists, and new media innovators to develop new forms of journalism. I'm pleased to have Mike McKean as Director of the Futures Lab."

	Associate Professor of the Missouri School of Journalism and immediate past chair of the Convergence Journalism Faculty, Mike McKean has been a leader in helping to transform journalism education through pervasive computing during his 22-year career at the Missouri School of Journalism. He has helped establish converged journalism curricula at universities around the world, including Moscow State University in Russia and Shantou University in China. Before joining the Missouri School of Journalism McKean was managing editor of KTRH NewsRadio in Houston and assistant news director at the Missourinet in Jefferson City.

"The Futures Lab is an experimental newsroom where people can collaborate on news stories and new storytelling styles in a real-world environment," says McKean. "My staff of experienced print, video and advertising professionals will integrate with Missouri School of Journalism's faculty and top MU faculty and students in Computer Science, Business, Information Science and other relevant disciplines. We will provide an unparalleled degree of support for the innovators who will envision and create the future of media."

In addition to McKean, recently named members of the Futures Lab staff include:

	Keith Politte, Manager, Technology Testing Center. In the Technology Testing Center experiments will be conducted on the use of emerging technologies in journalism and advertising. Politte earned his BA with honors from Boston University and his JD from Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco. He has also done extensive course work in Internet design and development through San Francisco State University's Multimedia Studies Program. His career spans a wide range of experiences in law, politics and strategic communication.

	Reuben Stern, Print and Graphics Editor. Stern was most recently the managing editor for the Columbia Missourian, where he ran day-to-day news operations. Before coming back to MU, his alma mater, Stern did stints at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Budapest Sun (an English-language newspaper in Hungary) and the Los Angeles Daily News.

	Olga Missiri, Video Editor. Prior to joining RJI, Missiri taught new media courses at Franklin College in Lugano, Switzerland and later at Stephens College in Columbia. While at Stephens College, Missiri started and managed operations of Mid-Missouri's only Apple Authorized Training Center. An Apple Certified Trainer in Final Cut Pro and DVD Studio Pro, Missiri supervised the Internews School of Journalism in Moscow, Russia, and worked for CNN as a field producer.

	Travis McMillen, Video Technician. McMillen started working at KOMU-TV as a camera operator when he was 16 years old. At age 18 he was given the job of audio operator for KOMU's community variety and talk show, and more recently directed the two-hour morning newscast.

	Sandra Briggs, IT Technician. Before joining RJI Briggs was on the tech support staff at the Missouri Research and Education Network, which provides Internet support for public schools and other clients throughout the state.

RJI was launched in 2004 with an initial grant of $31 million from The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, a national philanthropic organization founded in 1954 by the late media entrepreneur for whom it is named. Headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, it is one of the largest private foundations in the United States. Donald W. Reynolds was a 1927 graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism.

Since its inception in 2004 RJI has engaged in more than 60 journalism initiatives and partnerships including "The Online Credibility Gap," a quantitative study done in partnership with the Associated Press Managing Editors, the development of digital newsbooks currently being marketing at the The New York Times Store, and audience research done on behalf of the Newspaper Association of America.

The Sept. 12 dedication of RJI's new complex will mark the climax of the Missouri School of Journalism's three-day Centennial celebration. During this event journalists from around the world will convene to participate in 35 journalism sessions and 27 media technology discussions among other activities.

A highlight of the Dedication ceremony will be the announcement of the inaugural class of Donald W. Reynolds Fellows. Over the coming year six Fellows, leading thinkers/practitioners in journalism and communications, will tackle ground-breaking projects aimed at improving the practice or understanding of journalism.

Housed in 50,000 square feet of new and remodeled space, the three-building RJI complex includes a modern four-story glass-walled structure built inside a carefully preserved 1892 Victorian gothic building on the University of Missouri campus. To view: RJI images.