Dafna Lemish
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Featuring narration by actor Alec Baldwin, an award-winning documentary that pays tribute to thousands of World War II veterans will be featured on a Chicago television station next week.
“The Tragedy of Bataan,” a 30-minute documentary written and produced by Jan Thompson, will air on WTTW Channel 11, at 5:30 p.m., Sunday, April 8. The documentary will air once again on the station at 4:30 a.m., April 10. Thompson is an associate professor in Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Department of Radio-Television.
The first-person documentary features accounts of more than 20 Bataan Death March survivors, archival photos, and never-before-seen Japanese propaganda film footage. Between 5,000 and 15,000 of the more than 75,000 American and Filipino prisoners did not survive the 65-mile forced march following the fall of the Philippines to the Japanese in the spring of 1942.
A three-time Emmy-award winning documentary producer and writer, Thompson began working on the project 20 years ago; her father was a POW who surrendered on Corregidor, but was not in the Bataan Death March.
The documentary began airing on Public Broadcasting Service stations throughout the country on Veterans Day 2011. Approximately 125 stations have aired the film. The documentary is also one inspiration behind legislation re-introduced late last year by Sen. Tom Udall, D-New Mexico, to grant the Congressional Gold Medal to troops who defended Bataan during World War II. The documentary is part of a one-hour program that will air this month on New Mexico Public Broadcasting Service stations that will commemorate the 70th anniversary of the fall of Bataan.
A website, www.tragedyofbataan.com/ includes profiles of the men and women who shared their stories, information on the Bataan Death March, the fall of Corregidor, and additional resources.
The documentary includes first-hand accounts of Bataan veterans, including excerpts from the unpublished diary and interviews with 101-year-old Albert Brown of Pinckneyville. Brown was an Army captain at the time of the surrender, and the oldest living survivor of Bataan until his death in August at 105.
Thompson earlier this year earned several awards in the Broadcast Education Association’s (BEA) Festival of Media Arts competition for “The Tragedy of Bataan.” A five-piece companion radio series earned “Best of Festival” honors in the Faculty Audio competition; the documentary earned an “Award of Excellence” in the “Short Form” category; and received “Best of Competition” in the Interactive Media “Documentary/Promotional/Informational” category. She also earned an Emmy from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Mid-America Regional Chapter for her work on an earlier version of the documentary that aired in spring 2010.
“The Tragedy of Bataan,” project created and distributed by Jan Thompson, associate professor in Radio-Television, has won three awards from the Broadcast Education Association Festival of Media Arts. The awards are:
Faculty Audio Competition - Best of Festival: A 5-Part Radio Series: The Tragedy of Bataan (Long-Form Production)
Faculty Interactive Multimedia Category: Documentary/Promotional/Informational - Best of Competition Website
Faculty Documentary Short Form Category - Award of Excellence
The awards will be presented in April at the BEA/NAB conference in Las Vegas.
Thompson is currently participating in a conference in the Philippines during which the documentary will be screened. This event marks the 70th Anniversary of the fall of the Philippines and the Bataan march. According to Thompson, there are multiple events planned in conjunction with the anniversary.
In October, Thompson was awarded an Emmy in the writer program/program feature (non-news) category for the documentary. She was also nominated in Best of Documentary and Best Original Music Categories.
For more information on the project visit http://www.tragedyofbataan.com/.
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- “Alt.news 26:46,” the student-produced television news program at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, continues to earn praise from industry professionals.
The award-winning half-hour alternative TV news magazine earned an Emmy on Saturday, Oct. 22, from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Mid-America Regional Chapter during ceremonies at the Renaissance Grand St. Louis. Alt.news 26:46 earned the Emmy in the specialty program category.
In addition, Jan Thompson, an associate professor in radio-television, earned an Emmy in connection with her half-hour documentary, “The Tragedy of Bataan,” which originally aired in spring 2010 on WSIU-TV. Thompson is also the alt.news 26:46 faculty adviser. Thompson earned an Emmy in the writer: program/program feature (non-news) category.
Gary P. Kolb, dean of the College of Mass Communication and Media Arts, said the college is proud of both Thompson and the alt.news student team for their Emmy wins this year.
Thompson “continues to produce award-winning documentary work and this latest project on the Bataan Death March veterans is a valuable contribution to history and a great tribute to the soldiers who were caught up in that tragedy,” he said. “The alt.news team continues their winning streak and has built a lasting legacy at SIU Carbondale. Their continued success is an inspiration.”
The award-winning program was episode 1205, which aired March 27, and took a look at the music scene with “Less Than Jake,” “Here Come the Mummies,” “The Punch Brothers,” and “Dickwolf.” Segment producers for the show were Susan Shirclifff, a senior in cinema from Prospect, Ky., and Kevin Ryan, a senior in cinema from Springfield.
Dylan Damian and Kelly E. Reed were the program’s executive producers for the two shows nominated. Damian, who is fromCarbondale, is a senior with a double major in television production and cinema, and will graduate in May 2012. Reed, who is fromGrayslake, graduated in May with a degree in cinema.
Alt.news also earned an Emmy nomination in August for best news show.
This is the 30th overall regional Emmy for alt.news 26:46 dating back to 2001. Of those awards, 28 are from NATAS’ Mid-America chapter in St. Louis and two are from the Chicago Midwest Chapter.
“The dynasty continues and it shows the dedication that our students have for reaching and achieving excellence,” Thompson said.
According to current alt.news records, the show won five national College Television Awards in the last 12 years -- 2000, 2001, 2008, 2009, and 2011, to go with two second-place finishes and one third-place finish.
“Once again, our students prove to themselves and to others that beyond their talents and the skills that they acquire while in our programs, it is the teamwork, collaboration, dedication and passion that they bring to their creative work which makes them stand out consistently year after year,” said Dafna Lemish, chair of the Department of Radio-Television.
“Competing and winning on a professional level is a huge recognition of the kind of students that we attract and the opportunities they are being offered in the College of Mass Communication and Media Arts to spread their wings and excel,” she said.
Thompson’s win marks her third regional Emmy in her career, to go along with 14 nominations. Thompson also earned nominations in the documentary/historical, and musical composition/arrangements.
The documentary features first-hand accounts from 15 Bataan Death March survivors. Between 5,000 and 15,000 of the more than 75,000 American and Filipino prisoners did not survive the 65-mile forced march in the spring of 1942.
An updated version of the half-hour documentary will air nationally on PBS stations this fall with actor Alec Baldwin doing the narration. WSIU-TV will broadcast the documentary at 8 p.m., Friday, Nov. 11.
“We are so proud to have faculty members such as Jan Thompson who are talented and productive artists in their own right to serve as role models for our students,” Lemish said. “This particular documentary is a milestone in Jan’s career, a project she is deeply invested in that fills a black hole in the history of the Second World War. The determination, devotion, hard work and talent that she put in this project are exemplary. This award signals to our students that they can use media not only as a career for themselves, but also as a way to make a difference in the world.”
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The hard work and dedication of Southern Illinois University Carbondale students involved with “alt.news 26:46” continue to earn professional recognition.
The student-produced television program earned two nominations for regional Emmys earlier this week from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Mid-America Regional Chapter Emmy Awards. The award-winning half-hour alternative TV news magazine earned nominations in the magazine program and specialty program categories.
Alt.news has earned an Emmy in the competition’s magazine news show category the past four straight years, and five out of the last six years.
In addition to the student recognition, Jan Thompson, an associate professor in radio-television and documentary unit director, earned three nominations for her half-hour documentary “The Tragedy of Bataan,” which aired in spring 2010 on WSIU-TV. Thompson is also the alt.news 26:46 faculty adviser.
Thompson earned nominations in the documentary/historical; musical composition/arrangements; and writer: program/program feature (non-news) categories. The documentary features first-hand accounts from 15 Bataan Death March survivors. Between 5,000 and 15,000 of the more than 75,000 American and Filipino prisoners did not survive the 65-mile forced march in the spring of 1942.
The 35th annual awards ceremony is Saturday, Oct. 22, at the Renaissance Grand St. Louis. Actress Nikki Boyer, who also earned a regional Emmy and is a graduate of Webster University in St. Louis, will host the awards.
The chapter is comprised of television markets primarily in Southern Illinois, central Illinois, Arkansas, Missouri, and surrounding designated market areas, or DMAs, according to event organizers.
Alt.news’ tradition continues with the nominations for professional Emmys, said Gary P. Kolb, dean of the College of Mass Communication and Media Arts.
“We couldn't be more proud of these students who research, create, and produce this award- winning program year after year,” he said. “Literally hundreds of students have been involved with alt.news since its inception and it is a great example of the hands-on opportunities that our students have in the College of Mass Communication and Media Arts. These folks go on to be the media industries leaders of the future.”
The continuing success is a source of pride, said Dafna Lemish, chair of the Department of Radio-Television.
“They are a dedicated, hard-working and creative group of students who are just committed to producing exciting and meaningful media content,” Lemish said. “It only goes to show how the hands-on opportunities provided to our students, combined with talents and hard work, give them a huge advantage in the professional world even before they make their first step in the market searching for jobs.”
The student nominations are for outstanding achievement by individuals and programs broadcast between April 1, 2010, and March 31, 2011.
“It’s always exciting to see the students recognized for their hard work and their talent. It’s even more exciting when it’s in the professional world,” Thomson said.
Dylan Damian and Kelly E. Reed were the program’s executive producers for the two shows nominated. Damian, who is from Carbondale, is a senior with a double major in television production and cinema, and will graduate in May 2012. Reed, who is from Grayslake, graduated in May with a degree in cinema.
The alt.news 26:46 magazine program nominee is for episode 1203, which aired Jan. 30. The episode includes a look at the Hotel Louisville Downtown, which is not only a full-service hotel, but also serves as a transitional living facility for women and families, charging only a penny a night; the Museum of Bad Art in Boston, the history of pinball machines, and Eoto, an “electronic dubstep band.” The episode captured the national student College Television Award for the best collegiate television magazine news show in the nation at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation’s 32nd annual College Television Awards in April. Segment producers for the show were Susan Shirclifff, Kevin Ryan, Jenna Tromburg, and Kathryn Voves.
Shircliff is a senior in cinema from Prospect, Ky.; Ryan is a senior in cinema from Springfield; Tromburg is a senior in cinema from Centennial, Colo., and Voves is a sophomore in cinema from Glen Ellyn.
The specialty program nominee is for episode 1205, which aired March 27, and took a look at the music scene with “Less Than Jake,” “Here Come the Mummies,” “The Punch Brothers,” and “Dickwolf.” Segment producers for the program were Shircliff and Ryan.
According to current alt.news records, the show won five national College Television Award in the last 12 years -- 2000, 2001, 2008, 2009, and 2011, to go with two second-place finishes and one third-place finish. In addition, since 2001, the program has earned 29 regional Emmys -- 27 from NATAS’ Mid-America chapter in St. Louis, and two from the Chicago Midwest Chapter.
The program begins its 13th season Oct. 9 with the season premiere set for 10 p.m. on WSIU-TV Channel 8. More information is available at http://an2646.com/. Damian, Beth Radtke, a junior in television production from Tinley Park, and Kyle Loughrin, a senior in television production from Loves Park, are the executive producers.
Thompson’s work, meanwhile, sets a tone as an example for the students, Lemish said.
“She herself is an active documentarian who is putting out high-quality work on topics of social significance that attracts national attention well beyond our region,” Lemish said. “Her recent work ‘The Tragedy at Bataan’, being nominated for three different awards brings her -- as well as the department of Radio-TV as a whole -- great prestige and pride. With so many award-winning and dedicated faculty and students, this is a great place to be in for your professional education these days.”
During the project, Thompson interviewed more than 65 veterans over a 17-year period.
“It’s nice to be recognized in the best historical documentary category, but it’s even more special when you are recognized for writing the music and writing the script,” Thompson said.
“Professor Thompson's new project on the Bataan Death March will be recognized as the definitive media piece on this tragic chapter in history,” Kolb said. “We are very proud of her determination to bring recognition to the heroic efforts of the American and Filipino soldiers who lost their lives and those who struggled through this tragedy. She continues to be a mainstay of our documentary production tradition at SIUC.”
An updated version of the half-hour documentary will air nationally on PBS stations this fall with actor Alec Baldwin doing the narration. WSIU-TV will broadcast the documentary at 8 p.m., Friday, Nov. 11.
Decemeber 2010 Radio-Television Faculty news updates.
Radio-Television - Phylis Johnson and Jan Thompson
Phylis Johnson and Jan Thompson have been recognized in an award ceremony for their years of service to SIUC in the Provost and Vice Chancellor area, on Friday December 3rd. Phylis has been with SIUC for 20 years and Jan for 10 years.
Radio-Television - David R Burns, Wago Kreider, HD Motyl, Jacob Podber
Four members of RT are presenting their creative work in the SIUC museum faculty exhibit: David Burns, Wago Kreider, Howard Motyl, and Jake Podber.
Radio-Television students Gabrielle Ntsimi and Brittney Edwards
Two RT students in the media industries sequence from this Fall's programming class have been accepted as interns for the National Association of Television Programming Executives (NATPE) international conference in Miami this coming January. Gabrielle Ntsimi and Brittney Edwards were selected from among hundreds of applicants who are studying the electronic media at universities throughout the nation. Interns help with information distribution, registration, seminar seating, publications distribution and other assignments that make the meeting go smoothly. The NATPE Educational Foundation pays the cost of conference registration, provides meals and covers the cost of housing at the Fontainebleu, Miami Beach for one week in January 2011, but the students are responsible for their own travel arrangements. The conference is not open to the public thus the student interns receive a unique, behind-the-scenes view of the television industry. Interns put in long hours but each student has an all access pass to the conference.
Radio-Television - Jacob Pobder
Jacob Podber attended the Oral History Association National Conference in Atlanta, GA, in October, where his article “Television’s Arrival in the Appalachian Mountains of the US: An Oral History," published in the journal Media History, was recognized as the 2010 Outstanding Article of the Year Award - Honorable Mention.
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Alt.news 26:46 continued to show its domination Saturday night when the student-produced television program earned another professional regional Emmy.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s award-winning half-hour alternative TV news magazine received an Emmy in the magazine news program category at the 2010 National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Mid-America Regional Chapter Emmy Awards in St. Louis. The program, “episode 1103,” aired Jan. 24, 2010.
The awards at the 34th annual event were for outstanding achievement by individuals and programs broadcast between April 1, 2009, and March 31, 2010.
The regional Emmy marks the fourth straight year -- and fifth in the last six years -- that alt.news 26:46 earned top honors in the magazine news show category.
"The enormous talent of our students always amazes me. I am very proud of our students who year after year continue to create excellent work, and who are not afraid to go head-to-head with professionals,” said Jan Thompson, an associate professor in radio-television and documentary unit director, who also is the program’s faculty adviser.
“This win continues to build on the dynasty. What is important to remember is students graduate each year and there are new students who step up.” Thompson said.
The program begins its 12th season this month with the season premiere set for 10 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 24 on WSIU-TV Channel 8.
Gary P. Kolb, dean of the College of Mass Communication and Media Arts, applauds the program's continuing success.
"We are extremely proud of the efforts and successes of alt.news 26:46 over the years. It's great to see the students' creative work pay off in awards, but even more important is the learning experience they take away from conceiving and producing that award-winning programming," Kolb said. "They are to be congratulated for their continued success. We believe that alt.news has won more professional Emmys than any other student produced program in the country."
Professor Dafna Lemish, chair of SIUC’s Department of Radio-Television, said the award and program’s continuing success “is an ongoing and lasting achievement that speaks volumes to the dedication, hard work, excellent skills and creativity that go into this extra-curricular work of our students.”
“It goes to show that our students find their studies in Radio-TV to be a lot more than a place where you come to get a degree, but an holistic experience with the real world of high quality television production,” she said. “When students are motivated -- they put in their all -- many hours of volunteer work and a lot of team effort. Winning the award repeatedly shows that it pays off. We are very proud of our students, and of our faculty member, Jan Thompson, who has been their faculty adviser for 10 years now, and is dedicated to helping the students get the most out of themselves.”
John D. Elder, a May 2010 bachelor’s degree graduate in radio television from Carol Stream, and Kevin M. Hill, a senior with a double major in radio-television and cinema and photography from Arlington Heights were the program’s executive producers.
While this is not alt.news 26:46’s first Emmy award, the win is “just as exciting and difficult as it ever was,” Hill said.
“It never gets any easier, nor should it, “ he said. “This is something that we strive for, and when it just so happens that our efforts are recognized with a nomination or even a win, it is an amazingly powerful reminder that we need to continue the tradition of hard work we have been a part of for many years.”
Involved with alt.news 26:46 since his freshman year, the opportunity enabled him to experience every part of the production, and to “hone in what I really feel passionate about,” Hill said.
“This isn’t just a couple-hours-a-week operation, this seems like a volunteer career, and that’s just fine with me,” he said. “The hope is that this will one day help us all in our search for a real career, which from the looks of our alumni, it will.”
Hill hopes to show incoming freshmen involved this year “the ropes, so that they, too, can figure out what it is they are passionate about while finding a way to be successful with it.”
Elder, who is in Austin, Texas, now does freelance video editing for several businesses and production companies. The award is a testament to the program’s annual consistent quality from a variety of sources, including alumni who began the show and students who continue “the tradition of quality.” He also cited continued support from WSIU Public Broadcasting, the College of Mass Communication and Media Arts, Thompson, and other faculty and staff within the college.
“The award represents months of hard work by students who volunteer hours of their lives to be involved in making something of great quality that takes a whole team and whole lot of teamwork to pull off,” Elder said. “This award is not just for Kevin and I, it’s for anyone who was involved. It is a symbol of all the hard work we put into the show for a whole year.”
Since 2001, the program has earned 29 regional professional Emmys -- 27 from NATAS’ Mid-America chapter in St. Louis, and two from the Chicago Midwest Chapter. In 2009, the show earned its fourth national college Emmy in eight years when it received the award for the best collegiate television magazine news show in the nation.
The Mid-America chapter is comprised of television markets primarily in Arkansas, Illinois and Missouri, and surrounding designated market areas, or DMAs, according to event organizers.
Alt.news 26:46 also earned two additional regional Emmy Award nominations in August -- Jenna E. Tromburg, a senior in cinema and photography from Littleton, Colo., for “The Bishop Castle,” in the arts/entertainment feature segment category, and Frank E. McDonald Jr., a senior in radio-television from Bartlett, and James A. Throgmorton, a junior in cinema and photography from Carbondale for “For Kids Sake,” in the public/current/community affairs – story/feature category.
More information is available at http://www.an2646.com
As published in the Southern Illinoisan
Young women made event a success
To the Editor:
Recently, a truly amazing group of young women participated in a unique experience on the campus of Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Faculty from the Departments of Cinema-Photography and Radio-Television and the School of Journalism volunteered their time, energy and considerable talents to offer girls from all over the state of Illinois (and Detroit, Mich.) the opportunity to be part of the very first Girls Make Movies Camp.
The College of Mass Communication and Media Arts would like to thank everyone involved, especially SIUC faculty members, Angela Aguayo, Susan Felleman, Sarah Lewison, Anita Stoner, Jan Thompson, Michele Torre and Deborah Tudor; SIUC alumnus and Hollywood producer, Liz Ralston; graduate students, Dasha Bondareva, Victoria Carter and Dan Elgin; Cinema major, Danielle Williamson; WSIU Broadcasting Service; and the many SIUC staff members who went above and beyond their normal duties to assist in this effort.
We are especially appreciative of Dennis Lyle and the Illinois Broadcasters Association for providing the grant funds that enabled us to offer this experience at very low cost to campers, and to the folks at Flyaway Farm and Dayshift Boutique who permitted the girls to interview and film them. Finally, we give our thanks to the campers for giving this experience their all and for learning more not only about the moving image, but about themselves.
Clare Mitchell
Assistant Dean of Student Affairs
College of Mass Communication and Media Arts
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- A first-person documentary that airs next week on WSIU TV and WSIU-FM will focus on the horrors of the fall of the Philippines to the Japanese and the Bataan Death March in the spring of 1942.
Between 5,000 and 15,000 of the more than 75,000 American and Filipino prisoners did not survive the 65-mile forced march.
Jan Thompson, an associate professor in Southern Illinois University Carbondale's Department of Radio-Television, produced "The Tragedy of Bataan," which is the first in a three-part series. Subsequent programs will look at the prisoner of war experience, and "hell ships," the unmarked Japanese ships used in transporting American POWs to Japan and China as slave labor, she said.
Media Advisory
For more information on the documentary or to arrange interviews with Jan Thompson, contact Monica Tichenor, public information and promotions coordinator for WSIU Public Broadcasting, at 618/453-6160.
The story of Bataan, the Death March, and the circumstances surrounding a three-and-a-half-year ordeal for those captured, is an important but little noticed part of America's history, said Thompson. Her father was a POW but was not in the Bataan Death March.
"It's a small slice of history but it is an important piece of history because it did happen to America," said Thompson, who interviewed more than 65 veterans during the last 17 years for the series. The first part features first-hand accounts from 15 Bataan survivors, including then 101-year-old Albert Brown of Pinckneyville. Now 104, Brown remains the oldest living survivor of Bataan.
"To me, it is unconscionable that we should forget this slice of history," Thompson said. "I think people are well aware what happened in Europe and the atrocities and cruelty that happened there. But they really don't understand what was happening in the Pacific. The Bataan Death March is just one. There are countless other death marches that happened."
Captured on the nearby island of Corregidor, Thompson's father, a medical corpsman, remained reticent and "very protective" of how much he shared with his daughter when she began attending POW conventions in the early 1990s, she said.
As she started to meet other POWs, Thompson said the importance of allowing everyone a chance to tell their story became apparent to her.
"There are no academics or historians. This is truly to me what a documentary should be all about on topics like this, if possible. You have eyewitnesses telling you what it was like to be in these unfortunate circumstances," Thompson said.
The largest surrender in U.S. military history, the story of Bataan is one of men whose forced surrender came after non-stop fighting for several weeks with reduced rations and no reinforcements or additional supplies. Gen. Edward P. King, Jr. surrendered the troops after Gen. Douglas MacArthur left the Philippines for Australia, and did so without informing the general left in MacArthur's command.
Even after surviving horrific conditions, those who remained still love their country, Thompson said.
"When you meet these men you are in awe that they still love their country; they still love what the flag represents, which is freedom," she said. "These guys are true heroes. They are incredible heroes, true warriors, those who gave, as Abraham Lincoln said, the 'last full measure of devotion' to their country."
Even with all the research, Thompson said it was only a few months ago that she discovered a "nugget of gold" -- survivor Albert Brown's diary of the ordeal. She uses his diary throughout the documentary and radio pieces. Jim Gee, WSIU-TV news director, reads Brown's diary excerpts.
"What is interesting about the diary is you can see the cynicism and the dark humor starting to surface because part of the survival mechanism in the prison camp was the dark humor," Thompson said. "You can really tell what is going on with these diary entries. Albert Brown is very, very powerful for someone who is 101."
The documentary shows the POWs' vivid memories, including fears of execution after surrender. Two soldiers recall during the march seeing a dead soldier who had become just a spread-eagle imprint splotch on the ground. The body was about an inch flat because trucks repeatedly ran over him, Thompson said.
Thompson's father is still alive, but more than half of the veterans interviewed are deceased, she said. In doing her research, Thompson came upon footage in the National Archives in Washington, D.C., of her father, clearly looking into the camera during the liberation of his prison camp in September 1945.
Local actors and colleagues, including retired professors Rick Williams and Alan Benson, include voiceovers for the diary selections. Kelly Caringer, a teaching assistant and graduate student in Associate Professor Phylis Johnson's Advanced Audio Production class, coordinated the five radio pieces that will air, Thompson said.
"We are pleased to have the opportunity to premiere 'The Tragedy of Bataan TV documentary and radio series on WSIU," said Greg Petrowich, executive director of WSIU Public Broadcasting. "These programs are an exact mission match for public broadcasting.
"Jan Thompson has created a distinctive body of work, which we've been fortunate to air over the years. To work with her on bringing this very personal story to our viewers and listeners is an honor for WSIU."
In addition to learning more about "this forgotten corner of American history," Thompson hopes viewers and listeners appreciate the story of courage and survival by young Americans, and that heroism "isn't confined to fighting forces, but by those forced to serve in other ways."
"This is a story of true patriotism; the will to survive in order to serve the nation," she said.
Thompson is the president of the Descendants Group, a non-profit auxiliary of the American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor. The convention, hosted by the POWs' descendants, is next week in Reno, Nev. The organization's mission is education and ensuring that the legacy of what the POWs endured remains vivid, she said.
The two remaining segments in the series are nearly complete. Thompson hopes to generate national interest in the series in time for Veteran's Day.
"It's a labor of love. Even when I get these done I will probably not be done I have so much material," she said. One of the reasons the documentary took so long is due to the amount of material and trying to determine how to present it in the best way, she said.
"I always had in the back of my mind it has to be these guys telling their story," she said.
Thompson will discuss the documentary series on WSIU InFocus, which runs Friday, April 9, at 9 p.m. The documentary, "Tragedy of Bataan," follows at 9:30 p.m. A rebroadcast of the InFocus interview and documentary begins at 12:30 p.m., Sunday, April 11.
One of the five, six-minute radio pieces will air daily at 6:30 a.m., 8:30 a.m. and 5:29 p.m., Monday April 5 through Friday, April 9 on WSIU-FM. The broadcast will also stream live on wsiu.org.
The Tragedy of Bataan:
In the early months of World War II, over 75,000 U.S. and Filipino defenders on the Philippine Islands retreated to the Bataan peninsula to wait for reinforcements and supplies from the U.S. in order to continue their fight against invading Japanese forces. Ill-equipped for battle, the men were attacked earlier than expected and overrun in three months.  Their forces were surrendered to the Japanese by U.S. General Edward P. King, Jr.
Already weakened by hunger and illness, the defenders were forced by the Japanese to march under horrific conditions to prison camps over 60 miles away. They endured unimaginable physical and psychological abuse at the hands of their captors, who bayonetted, beheaded, and shot men if they stumbled or fell, assisted a fellow soldier, or tried to get a drink of water. Although there are conflicting reports on the total number of casualties, it is estimated that
between 5,000-15,000 of the men died or were murdered during the march.
The Tragedy of Bataan, the first of a three-part TV documentary series by Jan Thompson, an Associate Professor in Radio-Television at Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC), tells the story of the fall of the Philippines and the Bataan Death March as told through the first-hand accounts of 15 Bataan survivors. Among the men interviewed is now 104-year-old Albert Brown of Pinckneyville, Illinois, the oldest living Bataan survivor. WSIU InFocus will air
an interview with Thompson prior to the broadcast of the documentary. WSIU Radio will broadcast five companion radio segments all week long during the week of April 5.
Thompson also plans to produce two additional TV programs later this year that will focus on the prisoner of war (POW) experience and hell ships, which were unmarked Japanese freighters used to transport American POWs to slave camps in Japan and China.
Look for WSIU's Web pages for The Tragedy of Bataan at wsiu.org after April 5.
Radio-TV Good News
Lisa Brooten reported that two scriptwriting students from Howard Motyl's class placed in the BEA Festival 2010 in the Student Scriptwriting Competition for the Original Television Series Pilot Category. Daniel Cozza's "I'm Ryan Smith" placed second and Jason M. Barr's "Reality" placed 3rd
Jan Thompson's Documentary Production class received an Honorable Mention in the Student Documentary Competition, Long-Form Category for "Silent Monster"-- Melissa Coleman, Devin Miller, Eric Robinson,Lauren Roberts, Will Roberts, Victoria Carter, Nadia Samie, Zubedah Nanfuka, and Dawn Stricklin a PhD student in Anthropology.
Bret Beherns placed third in the Sports Anchor competition. Bret is the RREE Sports Director. He reports news as well as anchors the news one night a week.
Alum Zlatko Filipovic received an Honorable Mention in the Television: Hard News Reporting Category for his report on the 2009 snowstorm "Iced Out" that closed SIU campus and its impact on disabled students. According to Jim Gee, SIU was the only school in Illinois to place in Hard News category.
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The media machine that is alt.news 26:46, Southern Illinois University Carbondale's student-produced alternative TV news magazine, just keeps turning out winners.
The award-winning half-hour news program earned five regional Emmy Awards Saturday, Oct. 3., at the 2009 National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Mid-America Chapter Professional Emmy Awards. The 33rd annual awards ceremony was at the Renaissance Grand St. Louis.
"Alt.news 26:46 continues to be a hallmark of excellence in our student-produced media," said Gary P. Kolb, dean of the College of Mass Communication and Media Arts. "The success of this endeavor rests primarily with the talented students we have recruited to our MCMA programs. My thanks also go to Professor Jan Thompson who has advised and mentored alt.news students for several years now. I am happy that I have been able to offer support for programs like alt.news and remain committed to helping our students achieve the best. Bravo to all involved -- a fantastic achievement."
In March, the show earned its fourth national college Emmy in the last eight years when it received the award for best collegiate television magazine show in the nation. Since 2001, the program has now earned 28 regional professional Emmys; 26 from NATAS' Mid-America chapter in St. Louis, and two from the Chicago Midwest Chapter.
The Mid-America chapter is comprised of television markets primarily in Arkansas, Illinois and Missouri, and surrounding designated market areas, or DMAs, according to event organizers.
"Our students continue to make us proud and to showcase the benefits of the education and extracurricular activities that they can take advantage of in our department and our college," said Associate Professor Lisa W. Brooten, interim chair of the Department of Radio-Television.
Thompson, an associate professor in radio-television and documentary unit director, is the show's faculty adviser. The nominations and awards continue to show the professional level that students achieve, she said.
"I am extremely proud of these students. There are not too many television shows even at the professional level that can sustain this level of excellence," Thompson said. "And we continue do this with undergraduate students who graduate each year."
The awards were for outstanding achievement by individuals and programs broadcast between April 1, 2008, and March 31, 2009. The organization announced the nominations in August.
The alt.news 26:46 regional professional Emmy-winning recipients are:
Other alt.news 26:46 professional regional Emmy nominations went to:
Alt.news 26:46 airs on WSIU-TV. The first episode for season No. 11 is at 10 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 25, with a look at the MuddyGras in Texas, and the indiemusic scene through the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago. The season's second show airs at 10 p.m., Nov. 15.
Check with WSIU.org for more programming updates. More information and previous episodes and awards are available at the alt.news 26:46 Web site at an2646.com.
Read the full article on the Southern Illinoisan's website
ST. LOUIS - Southern Illinois University's student-produced series "alt.news 26:46" was honored Saturday night with five Mid-America Emmy Awards.
The awards recognize outstanding achievement by individuals and programs broadcast during the 2008-2009 calendar year. They were presented at a black-tie dinner at the Renaissance Grand Hotel in St. Louis.
"Alt.news 26:46" is a student-produced news magazine program. In its 11-year history, it has won more professional Emmy awards than any other student-produced program in the country.
The show has a major presence at the National College Television Awards, placing first the last two years against competition including Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism.
The program is broadcast on WSIU, but also was broadcast for a short period of time on WTTW, the Chicago PBS station, a first for a student-produced series.
Its broadcasts currently span five states and reach 1.3 million households. Episodes can also be viewed on the Web site, an2646.com.
Jay Carey of Carterville and Tom Lareau off Watseka, Magazine Program, "alt.news 26:46 Episode 1003."
Dylan Damian of Carbondale, Promotion Single Image Promo Single Spot (non-news), "alt.news 26:46."
Scott Blair of Deerfield, On-Camera Talent Performer/Host; "alt.news 26:46."
Jay Carey of Carterville, Human Interest; "Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping.'
Kevin Rogers of Naperville, Specialty Program; "alt.news 26:46 10th Anniversary Special."
Also nominated were:
Carey, Ats/Entertainment; "Calypso Tumblers"
Carey, Damian and Tom Lareau of Watseka and Tim Wilkerson of Crystal Lake; Graphic Arts Graphics Program/ News; "alt.news 26:46 Graphical Elements."
Kevin Hill, executive producer at "alt.news 26:46," said the group was very happy with the way the awards ceremony turned out and is proud of all of its members.
Hill also extended thanks to WSIU, the SIUC College of Mass Communications and Media Arts, Dean Gary Kolb and adviser Jan Thompson for their support over the past decade.
- Information for this report courtesy of Kevin Hill and John Elder of "alt.news26:46"
SIU Foundation