PAMELA B. FINE
515 Lindley Dr., Lawrence, Kansas 66049
Phone: (785) 840-7936
Email: pamfine@ku.edu
EDUCATION
University of Missouri, Master of Arts in Journalism - Media Management. Graduated
with honors.
University of Florida - Bachelor of Science in Journalism – News-editorial.
Executive development programs - Northwestern University, University of Minnesota,
American Press Institute.
EMPLOYMENT
Knight Chair for News, Leadership and Community and Professor of Journalism,
University of Kansas (May 2008-present) Tenured professor teaching advanced
reporting and other multimedia courses. Board member, American Society of News
Editors. Work with industry and news organizations on content and leadership projects.
Highlights:
-Created Politicalfiber.com, to enthuse KU journalism students about producing serious
political issues coverage and engage students on campus to read it. Web, social media
and mobile sites funded by Knight Chair endowment launched February 1, 2012 with
content produced by recent graduates of the school and advanced reporting students.
Content shared with news providers in Kansas and Missouri.
-Awarded $100,000 grant from t Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation in 2010
to fund reporting internships, scholarly research and civic engagement efforts as part of
an award-winning collaboration created with the Kansas City Star and the University of
Missouri called the Midwest Democracy Project.
-Successfully collaborated with a small group of colleagues on a proposed overhaul of
the news track curriculum to put more emphasis on research, writing, visuals and
innovation. Changes were adopted in December by the full faculty and take effect fall
2012.
-Lead development of and edited “Guide to 10 Best Practices for Social Media” as a
board member and committee chair for the American Society of News Editors. Posted
April 2011. http://asne.org/article_view/articleid/1800/asne-issues-guide-to-10-best-practices-for-socialmedia.aspx
-Conceived and edited award-winning special reporting project in 2009 by six students
for the campus newspaper and website on failed policies dealing with alcohol abuse at
KU. University administrators adopted several policies and practices used at other
campuses that were highlighted in the series.
Managing Editor, Indianapolis Star and Indystar.com (September 2003 - April
2008)
Major Accomplishments:
-Improved training, planning, recruiting and a number of administrative processes and
practices to increase transparency, feedback and effective use of resources.
-Expanded online coverage and staffing to provide robust spot news coverage and
interactivity, niche content, dynamic databases, multi-media and reader-submitted
content. Saw significant growth in page views and time on the site.
-Strengthened watchdog, enterprise and beat reporting with an emphasis on government,
business, healthcare and community news and sports.
-Lead the development of special reporting projects on auto deaths from high speed
chases involving state and local police; significant underreporting of child abuse injuries
and deaths in Indiana; mismanagement of millions in construction funds for a new central
library; violations in child adoption requirements; and the first-ever analysis of more than
200 athletic budgets from Division I universities and colleges, with a searchable database
that in its first year drew more than 500,000 page views.
-Created and redesigned several key sections of the paper to capitalize on niche audience
interests and revenue possibilities.
Managing Editor and Vice President, Star Tribune, Minneapolis (April 1994 - June
2002)
Major accomplishments:
-Restructured staff to facilitate better collaboration and strengthen spot news, enterprise
and packaging for print and online.
-Spearheaded numerous administrative improvements including development of a
performance assessment process and merit pay system, and staff training.
-Beefed up numerous coverage areas including metro growth, technology, business,
education, consumer health, religion, legal affairs, prep sports, entertainment and pop
culture.
-Developed civic journalism and computer assisted-reporting components, resulting in
more in-depth and authoritative coverage.
-Provided editing and leadership on major projects including Pulitzer Prize finalist (West
Publishing Co. and its relationship to the Supreme Court); Robert Kennedy Award (on a
family with AIDS); Sigma Delta Chi winner (on deaths and abuse involving mentally
vulnerable adults); and Columbia University’s “Race Project “ awards for profiling
teenage Somali girls in Minnesota; and post September 11 coverage of Muslims in
Minnesota and four Middle Eastern countries.
-Redesigned newspaper to make it more engaging. Emphasized depth, sophistication,
immediacy, accessibility and utility.
-Created or redeveloped several sections and features particularly involving lifestyle and
sports.
The Atlanta Journal – Constitution (February 1982 – March 1994)
-Assistant Managing Editor (1991 - 1994)
-Metro Editor (1989 -1991)
-City Editor (1989)
-Political Editor (1987 – 1989)
-Deputy City Editor (1986 – 1987)
-Night City Editor (1984 – 1986)
-Reporter (1982 – 1984)
Highlights:
Assistant Managing Editor/Days - Coordinated daily coverage and planning with direct
responsibility for front page story selection and presentation. Worked with all
departments on breaking news and enterprise. Served as news department’s liaison with
marketing department.
Metro Editor – Managed 160-person local news department with responsibility for state
and local coverage; daily metro sections; daily and weekly zoned editions from bureaus
in five counties, staffing and evaluations. Major accomplishments included creation of
several new beats (Over 50; Census; International Community; Neighborhoods;
Drug/Alcohol Abuse; Atlanta University Campus including Spelman and Morehouse
colleges; Weather, Gay Community); new columns (School Matters on trends in lower
education; Monroe Drive on traffic and mass transit; personalities in the news); and
redesign on zoned EXTRA editions.
Political Editor - Headed coverage of the 1988 presidential campaign, national
conventions and congressional races. For Democratic convention in Atlanta, coordinated
60 reporters and a dozen editors to produce a daily 28-page special section. Took a
smaller staff to New Orleans for the Republican convention and ran Cox convention
bureau for 19 newspapers.
Gwinnett Daily News, Lawrenceville, Ga. (February 1981 - February 1982)
Reporter covering government and business for daily newspaper in suburban Atlanta.
Rockdale Neighbor, Conyers, Ga. (January 1980 - February 1981)
Editor of weekly newspaper in suburban Atlanta. Reported on covered county
government.
Daytona Beach News Journal, Daytona Beach, Fl. (April 1979 - October 1979)
Bureau reporter covering city council, development.
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE AND AFFILIATIONS
-American Society of News Editors (ASNE): Currently on Board of Directors serving
second three-year term ending 2013; 2012-2013 chair Partnership Committee; 2011-12
co-chair Membership and Marketing Committee; 2010-11 co-chair Ethics Committee;
2009-10 co-chair annual convention; previously chaired Interactive and Diversity
committees.
-Pulitzer Prize Juror: 2000, 2001, 2006 and 2007.
-Associated Press Managing Editors (APME): Served two terms on the board and was
2000 national convention chair. Served two, two-year terms on the Indiana APME board.
-Society of Professional Journalists: Indiana chapter board member. Wrote 2007 article
for SPJ’s Quill magazine on how to get hired at a metro newspaper.
-Washington and Lee University: Presented case study in ethics seminar sponsored by
the Knight Foundation, April 2006.
-Minnesota Women’s Economic Roundtable: Board member and 2001 program cochair.
-Poynter Institute Ethics Fellow, 2000.
-American Press Institute: Seminar leader at American Press Institute on Ethics;
Newsroom Restructuring, 1990s.
ACADEMIC PRESENTATIONS, SERVICE, FELLOWSHIPS
2011-12:
Kansas Health Institute News Service - Advisory group member for long-term strategic
planning, spring 2012
Scripps Entrepreneurship Institute Fellow – Arizona State University, spring 2012.
Kansas Scholastic Press Association – Judge for regional news-writing contest, spring
2012
Toner Prize for Excellence in Political Reporting - Judge for inaugural award, spring
2012.
Missouri-Kansas AP Publishers and Editors Meeting, Journalism Educators
Breakfast - Panelist for discussion on social media, Kansas City, Mo., Dec. 5, 2011.
Montgomery Symposium - Developed daylong program on investigative reporting and
use of public records for annual Kansas publishers and editors event, University of
Kansas, Nov. 11, 2011.
CQ Press - Prepublication review of ethics textbook tentatively named “Media Ethics at
Work: True Stories from Young Professionals,” Nov. 2011.
Kettering Foundation – Invited participant for small group discussion of journalism
education and journalism routines during the foundation’s annual Research Exchange
week, Dayton, Ohio., Nov. 16-17, 2011
AEJMC convention – Developed and moderated panel, “News Organizations and U:
Strategies for Successful Partnerships,” St. Louis, Mo., Aug. 11, 2011
Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) - Speaker, “Ask the Expert” session at annual
Reporter’s Institute, Poynter Institute, St. Petersburg, Fl., July 11, 2011.
2010-2011:
Big 12 Internal Audit Conference – speaker, “Five Keys to Unlock the Door of
Powerful Interviews,” University of Kansas, June, 8, 2011.
ASNE convention – panelist, “From the Classroom to the Newsroom: Preparing
Students for the Real World of Journalism,” San Diego, April 2011.
Florida Society of Newspaper Editors – Judge, annual awards contest, spring 2011.
Toner Prize for Excellence in Political Reporting - Judge for inaugural award, spring
2011.
“Guide to 10 Best Practices of Social Media” – editor, for ASNE website, spring 2011.
Journalism Accreditation Council - Site team member, Colorado State University, fall
2010.
Midwest Democracy Project - Awarded $100,000 grant from the Ethics and Excellence
in Journalism Foundation for the Midwest Democracy Project, a collaboration of the
University of Kansas, the Kansas City Star and the University of Missouri to develop an
election site, provide extensive 2010 campaign coverage and engender civic engagement,
fall 2010.
Kettering Foundation – Awarded $5,000 for developing and reporting on a research
study on the impact of participation in face-to-face and online forums on the Midwest
Democracy Project site by citizens in Kansas City.
2008 - 2010
Florida Society of Newspaper Editors – Judge, annual awards, spring 2010.
Baruch College/CUNY - Outside reviewer of promotion materials for Geanne
Rosenberg, journalism department chair, March 2010.
ASNE – Judge for annual writing awards, February 2010.
University of Kansas - Presentation on newsroom organization and leadership for
Chinese journalists. December 2009.
Montgomery Symposium - Developed and facilitated symposium on the digital future
of newspapers for Kansas publishers and editors, University of Kansas, fall 2009.
Kansas City Public Television - Panelist for a “citizen conversation” at the Kansas City
public library on the impact of the decline in local news reporting. An edited version of
the community event was aired on Kansas City public television, a co-sponsor with the
community improvement group, Consensus. June, 2009.
Journalism Accreditation Council - Site team member, University of Maryland. spring
2009.
SPJ - Moderated “town hall” meeting on journalism ethics, designed to create a
conversation between the public and professional journalists, May 2009.
Lawrence Zodiac Club - Speaker on how the Pulitzer Prizes are awarded, Lawrence,
Ks., April 2009.
SPJ - Speaker for a regional conference session focused on helping journalists and
students manage their careers, Indianapolis, In., April 2009.
ASNE – Judge, annual writing awards, February 2009.
Florida Society of Newspaper Editors, judge annual contest, spring 2009.
Journalism Accreditation Council - Site team member, Baylor University, fall 2009.
Citizen Journalism Academy - Presenter and partner in fourth annual Citizen
Journalism Academy sponsored by the Lawrence Journal World and KU journalism
school, fall 2008.
Dole Institute of Politics - Speaker at civic engagement conference of Kansas high
school teachers, University of Kansas, fall 2008.
Journalism Accreditation Council - site team member, University of Tennessee,
Chattanooga, 2008
ASNE - Helped design and host two diversity events: “Immigration: Changing
Communities” seminar in Denver, Co. in 2008 for editors and reporters; and ASNE
breakfast for top newspaper editors at Unity minority journalist convention to discuss
change efforts in their organizations.
KU School of Journalism:
-School Curriculum Committee member, 2008-present;
-Promotion and Tenure Committee, 2008-present
-News track curriculum revision sub committee, fall 2011
-Master’s committee member for Kelly Mikala Cochran, 2011;
-Master’s committee member for Karen Blakeman, 2009
-Tenure evaluation committee for Mugar Geana (teaching) 2011
-Tenure evaluation committee for Barbara Barnett (service), 2009;
-Tenure evaluation committee for Scott Reinardy, (service) 2010.
Other service/memberships:
-Member Kansas Bar-Media Committee, which provides educational programs for
lawyers and journalists, fall 2009-present.
-Other memberships include Online News Association and AEJMC
Quoted in the following publications as Knight Chair:
-New York Times, April 2, 2011. Public Editor column on social media policies.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/03/opinion/03pubed.html
-Media Matters blog by Joe Strupp on professional practices and partisanship http://mediamatters.org/iphone/blog/201011300010
http://mediamatters.org/blog/201111090010
-American Editor magazine - on advice to editors about how to bolster staff morale, fall
2009; on what J-schools are doing to prepare students; on changes at J-schools, fall 2008.
-Diverse magazine on diversity hiring in newsrooms, summer 2008.