National Center on Disability & Journalism finds home at Cronkite School

The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University is providing the first university home for the National Center on Disability & Journalism, which provides resources for journalists covering people with disabilities.

The center announced new members to its national advisory board of journalists and disability experts:

Jennifer LaFleur, director of computer-assisted reporting for ProPublica, a nonprofit news organization that produces journalism in the public interest;

Steve Doig, Knight Chair in Journalism at the Cronkite School and a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter;

Suzanne Robitaille, founder and editor-in-chief of Abledbody.com, a consumer Web site that covers disability news and assistive technology;

Nan Connolly, former business editor with Knight Ridder who teaches news reporting at the Nicholson School of Communication, University of Central Florida;

Beth Haller, professor of journalism/new media at Towson University in Maryland and former co-editor of the Society for Disability Studies' scholarly journal "Disability Studies;" and

Greg Smith, book author and host and producer of the nationally syndicated radio program "On A Roll - Talk Radio on Life & Disability."

The school also announced a new research Ph.D. program. It targets mid-career media professionals who want to work in education or sharpen skills and return to the media consulting professions. The Cronkite Ph.D. comes with a new orientation. The program is designed to retool the career professional. The program is different from most in several ways. It is a mentoring program matching the students' needs with faculty expertise, essentially providing an individually tailored program of study. The intent of the new Ph.D. is to immerse the student in the activities of original research. The degree is based in the study of philosophy, theory, differing scientific methodologies, and critical thinking. People with media experience are expected to bring divergent topical interests and will work with faculty mentors researching and developing those interests. They also bring a vibrancy into both the undergraduate and graduate classrooms as well as an enthusiasm for advanced learning. The new program is interdisciplinary, requiring complementary course work outside of the Cronkite School as a part of the student's program of study. A Ph.D. in addition to professional experience provides a mid-career professional a balanced base for careers in either education or the related business research professions.