More than 600 Arkansas high school journalists will be on campus this week, followed by a Society of Professional Journalists meeting with participants from four states.

The two conferences are part of Journalism Days, an annual tradition in the School of Journalism and Strategic Media. The school, in partnership with the Lemke Journalism Alumni Society, is hosting J-Days April 18-22. Events include an open house, scholarship reception, guest speakers and the Roy Reed Lecture.

The lecture honors Reed, a New York Times reporter from 1965-1978 who taught journalism for 16 years at the U of A.

Antoinette Grajeda, Arkansas Advocate senior reporter, and Rusty Turner, Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette executive editor, will give a joint lecture Tuesday to a class of 150 journalism majors. Both are graduates of the journalism school with standout careers in reporting. 

Grajeda has worked for 16 years in a variety of platforms: public radio, print journalism and online, covering health, education, immigration and the arts. She currently covers Arkansas politics and policy.

Turner is retiring next month after a 40-year career in journalism in Northwest Arkansas and the River Valley. Since 1991 he has held a variety of editor roles and has trained and mentored many graduates of the journalism school.

"Antoinette and Rusty are leaders in Arkansas journalism. In the Roy Reed tradition, they are dedicated to seeking the truth and to building the profession by giving back to the younger generation of journalists,'' said Larry Foley, chair of SJSM. "Roy Reed was a legendary reporter and beloved professor. I'm so glad we can carry on his tradition with this lecture series.''

Arkansas Scholastic Press Association

The Arkansas Scholastic Press Association will bring teachers and high school students to campus and downtown Fayetteville starting Wednesday. The students, from newspapers, yearbooks, literary magazines and broadcast and media programs, will compete in on-site contests and attend sessions.

"This is the first time the ASPA convention has been on our campus in more than a decade. We are excited to showcase our campus to a large new audience,'' said Renette McCargo, interim director of diversity, equity and inclusion for the SJSM.

McCargo took over as executive director of ASPA two years ago as part of an effort to strengthen ties between the Fayetteville campus and the high school group.

ASPA was founded by Walter J. Lemke, who also founded the journalism school. The first ASPA convention brought 14 high school groups to campus on April 19-20, 1929.

McCargo said the goals are the same as in the Lemke era: improve school publications in Arkansas, increase their prestige, promote the field of journalism and recognize outstanding achievement.

Professional Journalists Regional Conference

The high school event ends Friday as the SPJ region 12 conference begins for college journalists, educators and reporters from Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. The two-day conference, on campus and at Mt. Sequoyah, offers training and networking opportunities.

"The U of A is positioned to recruit young journalism talent and provide top opportunities for our students and graduates,'' said Gina Shelton, campus adviser for SPJ and president of the Northwest Arkansas pro chapter. "Our school is engaged at every level.'' 

J-Days Schedule

Monday, April 17

9:40 a.m. — Student Media Center — Sarah Brown, producer for Entertainment Tonight' in Los Angeles, will meet by Zoom with Robyn Starling Ledbetter's TV1 class.

12:55 p.m. — Student Media Center — Allyson Roach, news producer at WPBF West Palm Beach, Florida, will Zoom with students in Tiffany King's television production class.

Tuesday, April 18

9:30 a.m. — Kimpel Hall 145 — McCargo's editing class will Zoom with Denise Beeber, a U of A graduate who has spent nearly three decades with The Dallas Morning News, currently serving as news editor.

11 a.m. — Kimpel Hall 145 — Shelton's News Reporting II class will Zoom with two Razorbacks working in beat reporting: Mary Hennigan, The Arkansas Times, and Abby Zimmardi, The Baltimore Banner.

12:30 p.m. — JBHunt 144 — Roy Reed Lecture. Limited seating is available, but the lecture will be recorded and posted online.

12:30 p.m. — Student Media Center — Two members of the management team from KFSM will meet with King's advanced television reporting students.

6 p.m. — WJWH203 — Ad Club hosts its annual business casual dinner and panel discussion on Influencer Marketing with Jordan McGarrah, client services manager for Soapbox Influence, and former sports anchor and influencer Danyelle Musselman. 

Wednesday, April 19

9:40 a.m. — Student Media Center — Kansas City Chiefs lead producer Anna Tobkin Zooms with Ledbetter's TV2 class.

3 p.m. — Janelle Y. Hembree Alumni House — More than $100,000 in scholarships will be awarded to journalism students, followed by a reception in their honor.

Thursday, April 20

All Day — ASPA events and guest speakers on campus, in downtown Fayetteville and at partner news organizations like KUAF.

Friday, April 21

9:40 a.m. — Student Media Center — Bridget Spencer, reporter with WBTV in Atlanta, Zooms with Ledbetter's television class.

11 a.m. — 1 E. Center St. — Recognition event for more than 40 high school students who spent Saturdays on campus working on The Multicultural News, published by the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, podcasts and television roundtables in the Lemke Journalism Project.

12:15 p.m. — Fayetteville Town Center — ASPA Awards ceremony and close of convention.

2-4 p.m. — Kimpel Hall, second floor — School of Journalism and Strategic Media Open House. Students, alumni and friends of the school are welcome as the SPJ kicks off the regional conference.

*Classes are open to visitors; contact the instructors in advance.

More about J-Days: For updates, news and reminders about all J-Days events, visit the Lemke Journalism Alumni Society website at www.arkansasalumni.org/lemkesociety.

More about ASPA, the high school journalism association founded by Walter J. Lemke: www.arkansasscholasticpressassociation.org.

More about the Region 12 SPJ Conference, the Art of Journalism: region12conferencespj.wordpress.com.