The 2009-2010 academic year was a banner year for the JCCC journalism and media communications department.

New video courses, Advanced Video Production and Advanced Broadcast Performance, were introduced as well as Digital Photojournalism, designed for the multimedia needs of today's journalists. The department's foundation course, Mass Media and Society, became a general education elective for humanities credit in the spring 2010 semester for each of the college's associate's degree programs.

This academic year more than 300 students completed classes in the journalism and media communications department, and 10 students received scholarship money. JCCC also continues to offer the largest media internship program in the Kansas City metro area, providing students the opportunity to work in a professional environment.

Beginning in fall 2010, students will be able to earn college credit with Basic Video Production in both the Blue Valley and Olathe high schools as part of JCCC's College Now program.

The department's faculty includes two full-time professors, Mark Raduziner, department chair, and Greg Harrell, and adjunct faculty Gretchen Thum, Julie Haas, Joe Petrie, Molly Baumgardner, Corbin Crable, Joel Nichols and Mary Schulte.

2010 was the seventh year for the Headline Award, honoring local journalists whose example serves as an inspiration to student journalists at JCCC. This year's honoree was Steve Kraske, political correspondent for The Kansas City Star and host of Up to Date on KCUR-FM, Kansas City's public radio station.

JCCC's journalism and media communications department partners with Student Life and Leadership Development on two events. In March, the two departments sponsored People in the Media, a panel of print and electronic media professionals who discussed the future of the industry. In April, the seventh annual Cavalier Film Festival honored student filmmakers from JCCC and Johnson County and Lawrence high schools in five categories. Professionals in the Kansas City film and video industry judge entries and provide constructive feedback.

JCAV, the student-produced TV news and magazine program, took off this year with 10 JCAV news episodes, seven JCAV Campus Updates and five Cavalier sports reports - live cable shows of sports events. JCAV students won five 2010 Kansas Association of Broadcasters student awards, competing against all public and private colleges and universities in Kansas.

Working in collaboration with the journalism and media communications department is Anne Christiansen-Bullers, Student Life media coordinator and adviser to the student-produced radio station, ECAV, and JCCC's student newspaper, The Campus Ledger. ECAV radio had its genesis this fall and will continue next year under radio station manager Marvita Oliver.

The Campus Ledger was awarded the All-Kansas Award and a record of 40 individual awards at the state conference sponsored by the Kansas Associated Collegiate Press Association April 18 and 19.

Judges awarded The Campus Ledger both the gold medal, reflecting overall excellence, and the All-Kansas Award, reflecting the best of show in the two-year-school division.  This is the fourth year in a row that The Campus Ledger has been named best in the state.

The newspaper's Web site received a gold medal, up from last year's bronze-medal distinction. In that division, two-year and four-year schools are judged in one category. Also of note was the cartooning category. Cartoonists from The Campus Ledger swept the category, earning first, second, third and both available honorable-mention awards.

The Campus Ledger editor-in-chief for 2009-10 was Matt Galloway. The online editor was John Young. Galloway won first runner-up in the Journalist of the Year contest sponsored by Kansas Associated Collegiate Press.

Ondrej Pazdirek has been announced as the Campus Ledger's next editor-in-chief.