Taylor Publishing Brings Tuchman to SHSU

Taylor Publishing Company's Houston office will bring national CNN correspondent Gary Tuchman to the Sam Houston State campus on Tuesday as part of it's 2003 Sam Houston Communications Workshop.

The four-day workshop began Monday morning to introduce high school students from across the state, representing about 80 different schools, to different aspects of journalism, according to Shannon Trial, Taylor Publishing sales representative.

"We have about 725 students (at the workshop), primarily preparing their school's yearbooks: getting their themes, learning all about yearbook design and photography," she said. "But we also have students here who are studying newspaper, photography and marketing."

Tuchman will address the students on his experiences with CNN in three different sessions in the Lowman Student Center Theater.

"He's been everywhere," said Taylor regional vice president Mike Parker. "He did the Washington sniper; he did the 9/11 World Trade Center; he's been in Iraq. He's one of their big reporters."

One session is reserved for allowing participating students to interview him, Trial said.

"Based on what he says and the questions they ask him, they're supposed to be taking notes, and then they will write a story as part of their camp project and will turn it in to be judged," she said.

Since joining the network in 1990, Tuchman has reported as an embedded journalist with the U.S. Air Force during Operation Iraqi Freedom, reported at Ground Zero the day after the Sept. 11 attacks, covered the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster and the anthrax scare, among many other events.

As a CBS affiliate in West Palm Beach, Fla., where he worked as an anchor and reporter before joining CNN, Tuchman received an Emmy Award nomination for his series on the Intifada from the Gaza Strip and West Bank. He is also the recipient of several Associated Press awards and was part of the CNN team that won both a national Emmy Award and a CableACE Award for its coverage of the Oklahoma City bombings.

Due to limited seating in the LSC Theater, the sessions will not be open to the public.

In its 38th year at SHSU, Parker said Taylor publishing always tries to bring in a speaker with real-world experience in the journalism field for the students.

"Most of the kids who come here are interested in some type of journalism," Parker said. "Anytime you can give students who aspire to be good journalism students a taste of the real-world experience, we think that's a real positive reinforcement about being a journalist."

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SHSU Media Contact: Jennifer Gauntt
July 21, 2003
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