Coral Gables, FL–(HISPANIC PR WI RE – BUSINESS WIRE)–January 17, 2008–The University of Miami School of Communication announced today the appointment of two internationally renowned journalists to academic chairs endowed by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. With the appointments, UM becomes the 21st institution in the nation to have chairs endowed by the Knight Foundation, whose mission is “…to protect and expand press freedom and to encourage journalism excellence at home and abroad.”

Joseph B. Treaster, reporter and former foreign correspondent for The New York Times, was named the Knight Chair for Cross-Cultural Communication and Rich Beckman, a prize-winning international photojournalist, writer, and professor at the University of North Carolina, was designated the Knight Chair in Visual Journalism. They will serve as professors in the School of Communication and carry out projects for the School’s Knight Center for International Media.

“The two Knight Chair acquisitions mark a big step in our growth as a University in becoming a major player in the global communication field,” said President Donna E. Shalala. “These two outstanding journalists have proven records in their fields and can help us excel in the new multi-media world.”

Dr. Sam L Grogg, dean of the School of Communication, said the appointments “send a clear signal that the University of Miami’s School of Communication is a leading program in the fields of international and multi-media journalism.”

Eric Newton, vice-president of the Knight Foundation Journalism Program said: “For humanity to face its greatest challenges, news must flow more effectively across national borders. These chairs will take on the task of inventing new ways to help that happen.”

Treaster, a graduate of the University of Miami and Columbia University, has been on the staff of The New York Times for over 30 years and has reported for The Times and other publications on wars, politics, diplomacy, disasters and business from throughout the World.

Beckman, a graduate of The Ohio State University and the University of Minnesota is a foremost new media journalism educator and internationally known photojournalist who specializes in the environment. He has directed documentary photojournalism projects throughout the world.

For more information, visit http://knight.miami.edu.