A taste of the Frankfort beat
State Journal helps out UK program

The University of Kentucky’s School of Journalism and Telecommunications is again offering students the opportunity to spend some time in Frankfort learning the ins and outs of covering state government.

Covering the Capitol, the journalism elective, is being offered for the second semester in a partnership with The State Journal, Frankfort’s daily newspaper. Three UK students are enrolled in the course taught by retired Louisville Courier-Journal reporter Richard Wilson. Students attend a weekly seminar where Wilson, state capitol reporters and government officials lecture on media coverage of government. Students choose a “beat,” or area of government, to cover.

During the semester they must prepare at least three news stories in that area for publication in The State Journal.

“We’re privileged to be part of this course. It has permitted the newspaper to publish some outstanding stories we probably wouldn’t have had if these student journalists hadn’t written them,” said State Journal Editor Carl West. Last year’s seven-student class produced 19 front page stories for the State Journal. Two of those students are now State Journal post-graduate interns.

This year’s class members are seniors Troy Lyle and Katheran Wasson and junior Chris Miles.

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