Friday, October 19, 2001

Wilmington--Four of Wilmington's most distinguished journalists and media executives will participate in a panel at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington to discuss the moral and practical issues of news coverage after the Sept. 11 terrorist attack and the subsequent U.S. military retaliation. The discussion will take place at 7:30 p.m., Monday, Nov. 5 in the Warwick Center Ballroom preceded by a reception at 6:30 p.m.

The panel for "The Media: Moral and Practical Issues--September 11th and After," includes Rhonda Bellamy, news director at WGNI and WMNX and talk show host at WAAV radio; Jon Evans, news anchor and managing editor at WAAY-TV, channel 3; Susan Dankel, general manager of WHQR, Wilmington's National Public Radio affiliate; and Allen Parsons, associate publisher and executive editor of the Wilmington Star-News.

Sponsored by the Pastoral Summit and the creative writing and English departments at \UNCW, the event is free and open to the public.

"We constantly hear complaints about 'the media, the media,' but actually there is no such thing," said Paul Wilkes, a UNCW creative writing lecturer and project director of the Pastoral Summit. "Instead, there are many different kinds of news organizations, with a variety of approaches. And within them, decisions about coverage are made by an even wider range of individuals, often under both deadline and economic pressures."

James Leutze, UNCW chancellor, said the panel offers the Wilmington community the opportunity to hear from those who shape the news in the city. "These four panelists will talk about both the moral and the practical aspects of what they do and answer questions from the audience," Leutze said. "I don't think any of us fully realize the many split-second important decisions that these people make on a daily basis: what to include and exclude, what should be covered and what should be left alone.”

Panelists will be as follows:

Rhonda Bellamy has more than 12 years experience in print and broadcast journalism. As WGNI news director, Rhonda has amassed numerous awards and has been recognized for "Best Newscast" and "Best Consumer Reporting" by the Associated Press. She is vice-president of the North Carolina Associated Press Broadcasters.

Jon Evans anchors News Channel 3 at 5, 6, and 11. Jon, a member of the WWAY team since 1992 and the station’s managing editor, has covered everything from hurricanes to presidential debates. He has extensive experience in the news field, having worked at WCJB-TV in Gainesville, Florida, and WCTI-TV in New Bern, North Carolina.

Susan Dankel is the general manager of WHQR, Wilmington's National Public Radio affiliate. Under her management, WHQR increased its broadcast power from 10,000 to 100,000 watts and diversified its programming consistent with the station's mission. She is a former Wilmington assistant city manager and budget officer.

Allen Parsons was named executive editor and associate publisher of the Wilmington Star-News in February 2001. The former director of editorial development for the New York Times Regional Newspaper Group, Allen was also an editor and publisher at a number of the group’s other newspapers. He served as a juror for the Pulitzer Prizes in 2000 and 2001.

"The Media: Moral and Practical Issues--September 11th and After" is sponsored by two UNCW academic departments and a new UNCW initiative, the Pastoral Summit. Together, English and creative writing departments have more than 3,000 students in undergraduate classes and both have graduate programs at the master’s level. The two departments offer a wide range of writing courses in both journalism and creative non-fiction.

"Students of language arts need to be reminded of the crucial role that language plays in the evolution of political action and cultural events," said Mark Cox, chairman of the Creative Writing Department. "We are delighted to offer our students this unique opportunity to learn from practicing professionals during this charged and historic time."

Christopher Gould, UNCW English Department chairman, added: "Students in all academic disciplines, but especially those who study literature and rhetoric, must learn to mediate among various competing representations of the world. The ability to engage in this process deliberately has never been more urgently needed."

The Pastoral Summit began three years ago with a Lilly Endowment grant to study church excellence and the role of faith in both public and private life. The Pastoral Summit currently is also the sponsor of the popular Spiritual Masters Series at five downtown Wilmington churches. Its website is www.findagreatchurch.org.

Paul Wilkes, who has written for the New Yorker, the New York Times Magazine, and other publications, in addition to his many books, said: "The Pastoral Summit hopes to explore the moral dimension behind the news, while not avoiding the reality that media organizations are also businesses, and must be financially sound. Especially now, when people are evaluating our national values, they need to know that people in the media are doing the same thing."