Alerting the media

Date: Apr 21, 2004

Alerting the media

Date: Apr 21, 2004

I just discovered that CNN has a web page at which viewers can suggest stories; here is the link:

http://www.cnn.com/feedback/tips/

Here, by the way, is a reformatted version of my letter, with a typo corrected; please feel free to copy-and-paste this and send it to other potentially-interested media!

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A HUGE mess involving academic freedom has been going on at the University of Southern Mississippi for the last two months; it is all coming to a head very soon (see memo below). I suspect that many of your listeners would be very interested in this story. For background, see the following website, which contains a full article from The Chronicle of Higher Education: www.geocities.com/fireshelby

Please give some serious consideration to covering this story.

Thanks!

Memorandum

To:        Members of the Media

From:    Lisa S. Mader
            Director

Date:    April 20, 2004

RE:       Specifics regarding the Hearing for Dr. Frank Glamser and Dr. Gary Stringer on the Hattiesburg campus of The University of Southern Mississippi

The University of Southern Mississippi asks that you review the information listed below and comply with its contents. Doing so will ensure a smooth process for all entities involved in the hearings.

Location
The hearing will take place in room B of the R.C. Cook Union. Proceedings will begin at 9:30 a.m. on April 28.

Credentials
All members of the media must be credentialed. There will be official name badges provided for the hearings. These badges will allow access to the hearing room and to the media room – located next door. You will not be allowed into this area without a badge. Name badges must be reserved no later than Monday, April 26, by noon. Reservations can be made by completing the attached response form and faxing it to (601) 266-5381. Please understand there will be no exception to this deadline because of needed time for preparation. Credentials may be picked up on the morning of April 28 in the lobby of the R.C. Cook Union beginning at 8 a.m.

Automobile Parking
One parking pass will be provided to each media entity requesting parking. Parking will be made available under the West Stadium. Parking passes can be picked up at the information booth on campus the morning of the hearing. You will be required to sign for the pass. Parking passes must be reserved no later than Monday, April 26, by noon. Reservations can be made by completing the attached response form and faxing it to (601) 266-5381. Please understand there will be no exception to this deadline because of needed time for preparation.

Satellite Truck Parking and Logistics
The University can accommodate up to six satellite trucks. Space will be allocated on a first-come-first-serve basis by calling or faxing the numbers listed below to reserve a space. One parking pass will be provided to each media entity requesting parking space for satellite trucks. These spaces have a clear view of the satellite arc to the south. Point-to-point microwave links may be problematic from this area. Please scout the campus area and make parking arrangements as necessary for microwave links.

Pool feed video and audio will be routed to remote trucks by distribution amplifiers located just to the right of the vestibule as you enter the east side of the R.C. Cook Union. Please see the University employee on duty to connect your cables to the DAs. Video will interface the DA by BNC connector. Mono, balanced, line-level audio will interface the DA by FEMALE XLR leaving the MALE XLR to interface with the remote truck. Truck operators should be prepared to run approximately 365 feet of video and audio cable from the allocated parking spaces to the distribution point inside the R.C. Cook Union. Cabling runs will be appreciably longer if parking is anticipated in spaces other than those reserved for visiting trucks.

Parking will be made available in the plaza beside the Hub. Satellite trucks must be parked no later than 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 27. Parking passes must be reserved no later than Monday, April 26, by noon. Parking passes for satellite trucks can be picked up from the information booth between noon and 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 27. Reservations can be made by completing the attached response form and faxing it to (601) 266-5381. Please understand there will be no exception to this deadline because of needed time for preparation. The university will not be able to furnish shore power for trucks. Please be prepared with your own generator power.

Video
The department of Broadcasting and Media Production Services (BAMPS) at The University of Southern Mississippi will provide pool feed video and audio for the hearing. Media access will be located in room "B" of the Union. A representative of BAMPS will be present to provide a video feed (NTSC Composite by BNC connection) and an audio feed (mono line level 600 ohms balanced, by XLR Cannon connection). BMPS will be the only camera allowed in the hearing room and can accommodate up to ten supply feeds to stations from the media room. Microphones will be set up with an associated audio mixer as well as an audio distribution amplifier in the press room for the approximately ten audio feeds accompanying the video as noted above. BPMS will supply a video distribution amplifier and an audio distribution amplifier near the east entry, from which all trucks may obtain live audio and video feeds as desired.

Still Photography
There will be one pool still photographer, who will be provided by the Hattiesburg American. This photographer will make copies available to all other media entities. For more information, contact John Broadbooks at (601) 582-4321.

Telephones
The University is not able to furnish land based telephone service for this event. Please be prepared to use your own cell phone for communication and IFB’s.