WCU Stories      January 7, 2025

By Bill Studenc

Six leaders of Western Carolina University student journalism organizations attended the Society of Professional Journalists National Convention last year in Las Vegas, supported by $2,500 from the 1889 Impact Grants Program through contributions to the Fund for WCU.

Attendees were active members of WCU’s student SPJ chapter and journalists or editors for student media The Western Carolinian and The Western Carolina Journalist. Most of them collaborate and publish in the Jackson County weekly newspaper, The Sylva Herald.

The conference provided a blend of hands-on experience in new tools and techniques in reporting and covering important topics in the industry such as freelancing, pandemic coverage, misinformation and disinformation, international reporting, data journalism and pressures on press freedom, said Katerina Spasovska, WCU associate professor of communication and faculty adviser to the student journalists.

“Students gained invaluable experience and professional development that would not have happened without this grant support,” Spasovska said. “They went to many of the conference’s events and hands-on trainings and networked with professionals and SPJ leaders. This helped them plan and execute several workshops during the 2023-24 academic year, including a well-attended panel on combating fake news.”

Stewart Butler, a senior from Raleigh majoring in communication with concentrations in broadcasting and journalism, was among the students who attended the national gathering of student journalists, young professionals, seasoned news veterans and journalism scholars.

“Many members who attended the convention, including myself, are staff writers for The Western Carolinian. When The Western Carolinian was revived post-COVID, we were eight blind mice trying our best to publish a professional newspaper. When TWC staff members were selected to attend the SPJ convention, we realized that it would be a huge benefit,” said Butler, who currently serves as president of WCU’s student chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

“At the SPJ conference, we were immediately immersed in like-minded college students, all hungry for knowledge and experience,” he said. “It was a priceless experience to meet and connect with our contemporaries on such a large scale. We learned from some, taught others and left with wisdom we could get nowhere else.”

Especially insightful for the student attendees were lessons learned during panel discussions led by seasoned journalism professionals, Butler said.

“The panelists were top tier – from many different backgrounds and successful across the board. We learned how things were actually done in the real world,” he said. “Previously, we did our best to imitate what we saw around us – and we did a pretty good job. But, the opportunity to have actual instructions from industry leaders was invaluable. They gave us the dos and don’ts, the hows and the whys.”

The experience is helping the student journalists with both The Western Carolinian and The Western Carolina Journalist produce better reporting, Butler said.

“We felt like new people when we returned to Cullowhee. Our work improved substantially and became a source of pride,” he said. “Our newfound knowledge actually made work easier. We knew where to focus our energy and where to pull away. We knew what to do, how to do it and why it must be done.”

Butler expressed his appreciation to donors to the Fund for WCU who made the trip to the national convention possible.

“Their contributions have made an incredible impact on six students and continue to benefit them today. Three have graduated and been hired at their dream jobs,” he said. “These words do little justice to the difference they’ve made in our lives. I hope they understand how much they mean to us,” he said.

The trip also was supported by a WCU Intentional Learning Grant from the Division of Academic Affairs and a student travel grant from the College of Arts and Sciences.

Launched in 2021, the 1889 Impact Grants Program is designed to provide a consistent source of funding for colleges and other units at WCU in support of initiatives that enhance the engagement of alumni and community stakeholders with the philanthropic activities of the university.

Funding for the program comes from annual contributions to the Fund for WCU, including leadership gifts from members of the 1889 Club, which recognizes donors for gifts made on an annual basis to the Fund for WCU. The club, among four giving societies established by the Division of Advancement to celebrate the impact of philanthropy on the institution, is named in honor of the year of WCU’s founding.

Campus partners requested more than $176,000 in 1889 Impact Grants through 23 campuswide grant applications for the 2023-2024 academic year, and the Division of Advancement allocated $47,000 overall for 12 projects, a slight increase from the $43,500 in grant funding awarded last year.

The WCU Foundation Board Executive Committee reviews all submissions and selects the awardees in the fall of each year. In addition to the 1889 Impact Grants Program, the Fund for WCU provides first-year access scholarships to new incoming freshmen and transfer students and supports ongoing donor stewardship efforts.

To learn more about the 1889 Impact Grants Program, visit the Fund for WCU website.