Stay awhile:
|
|
I
am a PhD student in journalism/
mass communications at the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University, where I teach a range of undergraduate journalism courses. Prior to grad school, I was a reporter at The Vindicator, the daily newspaper in Youngstown Ohio.
My hobbies include winemaking and working on my classic VW Dormobile camper. Once in a great while I write a book review.
Inside you can find:
Ancient story about me in Cleveland Jewish News
Pictures of my cats Sally and Daisy.
Instructions to make your own wine
Tips for beating a speeding ticket
Contact me:
10 Herrold Ave.
Athens, OH 45701
(330) 647-4298
Stephen Siff
10 Herrold Ave.
Athens, Ohio 45701
ph: (330) 647 – 4298
email: stephensiff@yahoo.com
Education
PhD student in Journalism/Mass Communication, E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, Ohio University, anticipated degree completion August 2008. Minor in economics. Scripps-Howard Teaching Fellow.
MS in Journalism, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, June 1999. Concentration in newspaper journalism.
BA in English Literature, Swarthmore College, May 1994.
Teaching Experience
E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, Ohio University.
Journalism 479: Computer Assisted Reporting: Fall 2007.
Journalism 464: Reporting Public Affairs, Spring 2007.
Journalism 331: Reporting Contemporary Issues, Winter 2006, Fall 2006, Winter 2007.
Journalism 233: Infogathering, Spring 2006, Summer 2006, Summer 2007.
Journalism 231: News Writing, Fall 2005.
Hiram College, Hiram, Ohio
Journalism 240: Survey of Journalism, Fall 2002.
High School Summer Journalism Workshop, Ohio University.
Information gathering workshop, June 2006; June 2007.
IRE / NICAR computer-assisted reporting boot-camp, participant/graduate assistant, Dec. 4—8, 2006.
Professional Experience
Editor, The Valley Voice, 2004 to 2005. Managed staff of 21 union reporters as co-editor of 50,000-circulation weekly strike paper during nine-month newspaper strike in Youngstown, Ohio. Also built and administered Valley Voice web sites.
Reporter, The Vindicator, Youngstown, Ohio, 2000 to 2004. Covered local government. Won six state-wide reporting awards for stories that relied on detailed analyses of public records to uncover government wrongdoing or malfeasance, including a $500,000 embezzlement scheme. Winner of internal award for news stories, 2003; runner up, 2002; winner for features, 2001.
TV Panelist, The Youngstown Report, WNEO PBS 45 & 49, 2002 to 2004. Frequent guest panelist on public affairs discussion program.
Editor, Pymatuning Area News, 2,600-circulation weekly newspaper, 1996 to 1998. Reporter, then editor of newspaper Andover, Ohio, with full-time staff of three.
VISTA Volunteer, 1995. Worked with Jewish Family Service Association of Cleveland to create educational programs to assist the Russian immigrant community, as part of the Federal domestic Peace Corps program.
Intern, Cleveland Opera, composed educational and marketing materials, 1994.
Academic Papers Presented
“Selling LSD: Clare Boothe and Henry Luce and coverage of LSD in Time, 1954 – 1968,” Top Student Paper, Magazine Division, AEJMC National Convention, Washington, D.C., August 2007.
“Microeconomic factors influencing the online distribution of news: a theoretical approach,” Top Student Paper (third place), Media Management and Economics Division, AEJMC National Convention, Washington, D.C., August 2007.
“You Must Read This: A content analysis of most e-mailed stories from five news sites,” Newspaper Division, AEJMC National Convention, Washington, D.C., August 2007.
“A government disaster?: Public opinion of television coverage of Katrina and its impact on governmental approval," co-authored with Jennifer Kowalewski, Midwest Association of Public Opinion Research annual convention, Chicago, November 2006.
“Carrying the Banner: The Portrayal of the American Newsboy Myth in the Disney Musical Newsies,” History Division, AEJMC National Convention, San Francisco, August 2006.
“Anonymous Sources and Reader Credibility,” co-authored with Tom Hrach, Media Ethics Division, AEJMC National Convention, San Francisco, August 2006.
“Diversity in the Newsroom and Coverage of Tragedy: How Ohio Newspapers Covered Hurricane Katrina,” with Wei Kang, Mohamed Sati, and John Wing, Mass Communication and Society Division, AEJMC National Convention, San Francisco, August 2006. Also presented at AEJMC Mid-Winter Conference, Bowling Green, Ohio February 2006.
“Credibility: Blogging Ethics from the Consumer’s Perspective,” Institute for Applied and Professional Ethics annual conference, Athens, Ohio, April 2006.
“Time, Life and the Diffusion of LSD,” Magazine Division, AEJMC Southeast Colloquium, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, March, 2006.
Academic Book Reviews
“Reporters at Risk,” review of Killing the Messenger: Journalists at Risk in Modern Warfare by Herbert N. Foerstel, Review of Communication (National Communication Association) publication pending.
“The 20th Century in Print,” review of The Public Press, 1900-1945, by Leonard Ray Teel, and The Postwar Decline of American Newspapers, 1945-1965, By David R. Davies, Review of Communication (National Communication Association) under review.
Freelance Writing and Editing
Cleveland Scene (a New Times weekly), “Blood Sport,” cover story, March 3, 2004; “Barry’s Sweet Racket,” July 11, 2004.
The Business Journal (Youngstown, Ohio), “Ohio Battles to Save Military Bases,” cover story, March, 2005.
Ohio Magazine, “Hobby Uncorked,” feature story on home winemaking, March 2003.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “Boyne City Mushroom Championship has no Lack of Morels,” Travel front centerpiece, May 11, 2003.
High Times, “Squashing the Rainbow,” feature story, November 2002.
Metro Monthly (Youngstown, Ohio), “Three Angry Chefs,” humor column, October 2002.
Ohio Journalist, “School News,” Winter 2007.
Erie Times-News, copy editor (freelance/temporary), January 2000 - March 2000.
Good Housekeeping Magazine, in-house fact checker, May 1999 – August 1999.
America Online’s Digital City Cleveland, numerous short items and reviews, 1999-2000.
Petplanet.com, weekly reported column covering pet advice and care, 1999-2000.
Cleveland Free Times, reviewed Black Hawk Down; Disco Bloodbath; The Man Who Tried to Save the World; and Spooky 8: The Final Mission, 1999-2000.
Columbia News Service, “With help, feral cats thrive on mean streets,” published in newspapers including New Orleans Times-Picayune, San Diego Union-Tribune and Montreal Gazette, June 1999.
Beverage Industry News, “Emergence of high-end tequilas,” cover story, May 1995.
Louie Free Radio Show, WWOW Youngstown, guest for hour-long segment, February 2005.
Service
Post Publishing Board, appointed graduate student representative to oversight board over independent Ohio University student newspaper, October 2006 to present.
Ohio University Graduate Student Senate, senator representing E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, 2005 to present.
Judge, 2006 Ohio Newspaper Association Awards. special sections.
Debate Team Coach, Warren G. Harding High School, Warren, Ohio, 2003 and 2004 academic years.
Served on panels of journalists for election night forums, Cortland, Ohio League of Women Voters, 2003 and 2004.
Served on panel of journalists for broadcast candidate debate, WFUN, Ashtabula, Ohio, 1997 and 1998.
Academic Honors and Professional Awards
Top Student Paper, Magazine Division, AEJMC National Convention, August 2007.
Top Student Paper, third place, Media Management and Economics Division, AEJMC National Convention, August 2007.
Scripps –Howard Teaching Fellow, E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, Ohio University.
Scripps School of Journalism Summer Travel Grant ($1,200) for research at the Library of Congress, 2006.
Kappa Tau Alpha, the national journalism honorary society.
2005 Ohio Society of Professional Journalists Awards, second place for government reporting, newspapers under 100,000 circulation.
2003 Ohio Society of Professional Journalists Awards, first place for government reporting, newspapers under 100,000 circulation.
2003 Ohio Associated Press Awards, third place for investigative reporting, newspapers with 25,000 to 74,999 circulation.
2002 Ohio Associated Press Awards, first place for investigative reporting, newspapers with 25,000 to 74,999 circulation.
2001 Ohio Society of Professional Journalists Awards, first place for investigative reporting, newspapers under 100,000 circulation.
2000 Ohio Associated Press Awards, third place for enterprise reporting, largest circulation division.
1998 Ohio Newspaper Association, honorable mention for photography, weeklies under 3,000 circulation.