March 2002

IFRA NEWSPLEX OPENS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA

With a click of a button, Andrew Sorensen, president of the University of South Carolina, illuminated a video wall, formally opening the Ifra Newsplex.

In ceremonies Nov. 13, Sorensen thanked Ifra, a German publishing organization, for donating the $2 million micro-newsroom to the University.

About 200 journalists, publishing executives and business leaders from all over the world watched via closed circuit TV from a reception in a nearby studio as Kerry Northrup, Ifra's executive director of advanced news operations, explained the capabilities of Newsplex to Sorensen; Reiner Mittelbach, Ifra's CEO; Moss Bresnahan, president of South Carolina ETV; and Charles Bierbauer, dean of the College of Mass Communications and Information Studies.

Ifra and and the College of Mass Communications and Information Studies will jointly operate the facility, which is located in the South Carolina Educational Television complex near the USC campus.

Concurrent with the opening of Newsplex, Ifra sponsored a world newsroom summit on convergence. In presentations Nov. 14:

Sam Starnes, director of media relations for PR Newswire, a member of the Newsplex directorate, talked about convergence in corporate communications.

Harald Loeffler, Ifra research manager, predicted that E paper, flat panel informational displays, will become an $18 billion business.

Fiona Lloyd-Davies, director of development for Guardian Films in the United Kingdom, described the company's efforts to produce films that champion unpopular causes and challenge the popular consensus.

The Ifra newsroom summit was immediately followed by an academic conference on convergence sponsored by the College.

The USC College of Mass Communications and Information Studies includes the School of Journalism and Mass Communications, which has 1,500 students, as well as the school of Library and Information Science, a graduate program with nearly 500 students.

South Carolina ETV is regarded nationally as an innovator and leader in the development of convergence technology for education and public media.

Based in Darmstadt, Germany, Ifra is the world's leading association for media publishing with 2,200 members in 70 different countries.

GRAND OPENING PHOTOS

Kerry Northrup, Newsplex executive director

Andrew Sorensen, president of USC