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What do you do? What are your responsibilities?
I am the Communications Director for the City of Independence. My department is within the City Manager's Office. I am responsible for production of the City's newsletter, "CityScene." That includes everything from taking and editing all of the photographs, writing and editing the articles and layout of the newsletter. This newsletter is mailed every month to all residents with their utility statements. Other duties include:

• Updating notices on the front page of the City Web site.
• Writing speeches for the mayor, press releases and brochures.
• Organizing press conferences
• Handling media relations.

Irene Baltrusaitis BJ '71

Another major area of responsibility for me is operation of our government access television station, City 7. We broadcast all of our council and planning commission meetings live, and record them for playback the week after the meeting. We have also broadcast live several public hearings on topics such as fluoridation of water and bioterrorism. My City 7 staff also produces videos to publicize services, programs and products of the City. For instance, whenever we have a sales tax election we produce educational videos. These videos cannot advocate passage. They must be strictly informational. These videos are part of the regular programming on City 7. As the City's public information officer, I also am responsible for any emergency communications during a disaster.

How did you get your job?
I applied for the position when a friend told me about the opening.

What is the best professional lesson learned at the J-School?
I learned so much at the J-School. I think one of the good things that the J-School does is making sure every student has a broad education in all of the disciplines taught there, not just your area of major. As a news-editorial student, I didn't understand the true value of taking classes in every area of major. But, as my career progressed I saw that each area was critical to my success in the field. As for the "best professional lesson," I believe it was that a journalist must always be impartial. Too many journalists today let their personal beliefs and ideas creep into their coverage. I see it daily in print and television reporting, both national and local.

What would be your best advice to current students?
My best advice is to seek the most broad experience as possible while at the J-School. And, if possible, get a graduate degree! I wish I had gone on to graduate school. I have encouraged both of my daughters to do so and am glad to say they have taken my advice. The oldest is a physical therapist, and the youngest received her MBA.

What was your greatest professional achievement?
My greatest professional achievement was becoming publisher of The Blue Springs Examiner, a newspaper for which I was the first reporter in 1974. I left The Blue Springs Examiner in February 2001, after two years as its publisher, to take this job. It was the most difficult decision I have ever made. At the same time I had been offered a job as publisher of the Juneau, Alaska, newspaper. I found that I was unable to move that far away from my children. During my newspaper career I was a reporter, photographer, editor, advertising sales representative, advertising director and finally publisher.

What did you want to be as a kid?
As a kid I always wanted to be a newspaper reporter. My mother was a newspaper reporter at the Houston Chronicle and Denver Post. I always knew I would follow in her footsteps. As a junior high student I wrote articles on a somewhat regular basis for the monthly newspaper for the Air Force base at which we lived. In high school I wrote a weekly school column for the daily newspaper in our community. I only wish my mother had lived to see me become a publisher. She would have gotten such a kick out of that!