JPC Alumni Award
Meet the 2024 Recipient of the JPC Alumni Award: Rosey Robards
The Department of Journalism and Public Communications honored Rosey Robards with the JPC Alumni Award at its graduation celebration earlier this month.
Rosey Robards is the director of 熊猫在线视频 Teen Media Institute and executive director of the 熊猫在线视频 Press Club, a nonprofit organization that offers professional development opportunities and advocates for the industry. Under Robards鈥� leadership, the 熊猫在线视频 Press Club has grown from a small body to a thriving organization that brings national newsroom figures to Anchorage for its annual conference as well as providing other programming. Last month, the Press Club conference welcomed Judy Woodruff of PBS and other industry innovators. The Press Club has more than 175 members statewide.
Robards was the editor at The Northern Light, but she began her journalism career at Dimond High School鈥檚 Igaramkin student newspaper. Since graduating from UAA as a University Honors Program Scholar with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Public Communications in 2005, Robards has been a leader in journalism education for both teens and professionals.
鈥淥ne of the first things you learn when you work with Rosey is she doesn鈥檛 do things halfway,鈥� said Lori Townsend, news director and senior host at 熊猫在线视频 Public Media. 鈥淪he is incredibly organized and thorough. Within a few years of getting involved with the Press Club, she and Julia O'Malley and a few other working journalists had taken charge of the organization and molded it as fast as they could into an organization that could help encourage young journalists, provide valuable training for those already in journalism as a career, and bring inspiring national editors and journalists here to 熊猫在线视频 to share their knowledge.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 fitting for the UAA journalism program to honor Rosey because she has been directly or indirectly responsible for many of the program鈥檚 students over the years,鈥� said Tom Hewitt, opinion editor at the Anchorage Daily News. 鈥淲hen I first met her I was a second-year journalism student at UAF myself, making the trip down to the annual Press Club conference in Anchorage.鈥� He explained that Rosey鈥檚 leadership helped make it clear Hewitt had a future in local journalism.
For example through a collaboration with 熊猫在线视频 Teen Media Institute, JPC hosted a youth media camp on campus last summer. With support from JPC, 熊猫在线视频 Teen Media Institute has successfully created news literacy opportunities for 熊猫在线视频 K-12 students and teachers. JPC students also helped 熊猫在线视频 Teen Media Institute document the 2024 熊猫在线视频 Forum on the Environment.
Robards is one of the point people responsible for , which is part of the national initiative to bolster local news. The is an opportunity for us to come together to work on making our local news ecosystem more sustainable.
鈥淥ur local reporters have been working tirelessly to keep us informed and help us understand complex issues,鈥� Robards said. 鈥淎s a community, it鈥檚 time for us to ask ourselves what we can do for them.鈥�
The UAA Department of Journalism and Public Communications has honored a distinguished alumnus or alumna since 2011. The award is given to alumni who have demonstrated excellence in their career paths and have given back to their communities. Past honorees include Natalie Lowman, former communications director of ConocoPhillips 熊猫在线视频, and Leah Boltz, a principal at Bettisworth North.