Experienced broadcaster to speak at UO in Portland for Johnston Lecture

EUGENE, Ore. – (March 25, 2013) – The University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication will host a Peabody-award winning television reporter, author and former talk show host for its annual Johnston Lecture on April 25 in Portland.

Charles JacoCharles Jaco will present the “Voice, Sound and Story: The Role of the Radio Storyteller” for the 2013 Johnston Lecture on Thursday, April 25, at 5:30 p.m. at the UO in Portland at the White Stag Block, Events Room 142/144. A reception will immediately follow.

Jaco has covered wars, natural disasters and politics for NBC, CNN, CBS and Fox.  He has won two Edward R. Murrow awards, six National Headliner awards, and many other national and international journalism awards. Two programs on which he worked received the George Foster Peabody Award.

In 2012, Jaco’s television interview with then-U.S. Congressman and U.S. Senate candidate Todd Akin gained national attention regarding Akin’s statement about “legitimate rape.” Following Jaco’s interview and widespread interest in the comment, Akin lost the election.

Jaco is the author of two novels as well as “A Guide to the History of Gulf War I” and “A Guide to the Politics of Oil.” As a television reporter, he covered several conflicts including the Salvadoran civil war in 1988, the U.S. invasion of Panama in 1989, the first Gulf War in 1991, and the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003.  

To RSVP to the free lecture, please visit the SOJC website at journalism.uoregon.edu/event/johnston-lecture.

For those who are unable to attend, the lecture will be streamed on the SOJC website.

About Johnston Lecture

The Richard W. Johnston Memorial Project brings professionals to the School of Journalism and Communication at the University of Oregon for lectures, workshops and discussions every year since 1984. The Johnston Lecture honors Dick Johnston, a 1936 graduate and distinguished correspondent and journalist. He is best known for founding and shaping Sports Illustrated, where he served as executive editor until his death in 1981 at the age of 66. The project was made possible with generous gifts from his widow, Laurie; George E. Jones of U.S. News and World Report; and the Correspondents Fund. Past lecturers have included Alex Kotlowitz, Jonathon Gold, and Andrew Revkin.

About the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication

The University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication (SOJC) produces outstanding writers, editors, digital media makers, strategists and critical thinkers by providing a program grounded in ethics, innovation and social responsibility. Students hone their skills while participating in award-winning student media such as Flux, OR Magazine, Mosaic and Oregon News, and more than 10 student groups including Allen Hall Advertising, Allen Hall Public Relations and the National Broadcasters Association. The SOJC hosts the annual Journalists- and Executives-in-Residence programs, as well annual events including the Ancil Payne Awards for Ethics in Journalism, the Hulteng Conversations in Ethics and the annual Johnston and Ruhl Lectures. The school counts nine Pulitzer Prize winners among its more than 9,000 graduates (journalism.uoregon.edu).

MEDIA CONTACT: Kellee Weinhold, UO School of Journalism and Communication, 541-346-2897, kelleew@uoregon.edu

Note: The University of Oregon is equipped with an on-campus television studio with satellite uplink capacity, and a radio studio with an ISDN phone line for broadcast-quality radio interviews.

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