March 25, 2008

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA (UWIRE) -- Neil Rudel, an editor for the Altoona Mirror, has been covering Penn State football for 31 years and has been dealing with Joe Paterno for just as long.

At the beginning of his career, Rudel said Paterno was an equal combination of charming, humorous and maddening. He was entertaining and had a great sense of humor. As the years have gone on, those traits have diminished.

"Joe Paterno has become more distrustful in regards to the media," he said. "He looks out and sees his grandchildren, and that makes him uncomfortable. This is a young business, and there is a big age difference there. I am 51 and considered old."

Mike Poorman, who has been covering Penn State football since 1979, has also seen these changes. He feels studying Paterno and the media will give College of Communications students a different perspective on their major, so he worked with the department to develop the class Comm 497G: Joe Paterno, Communications & the Media

The class, which will explore how Paterno's relationship with the media has changed over the years, will be offered in fall 2008 and will be available to juniors and seniors.

"Penn State is Joe," Poorman said.

"He is unique in academics, athletics, stature and for what he says. Very few people have approached that level. He is a great benchmark for the growth and development in sports media in the last six decades."

Poorman said the class is "not a fan's view of Joe Paterno." Rather, the class will take a historic look at how the press has covered major college football throughout the years.

Experts will be brought in to lead lectures, students will get the opportunity to attend a press conference and Poorman is even trying to get Paterno to come and talk with the class, although nothing is official yet.

"Mike is pretty excited about this class," said Jamey Perry, assistant dean for academic services. "It's not a mainstream course, rather it's a fascinating opportunity for students."

One of the main objectives Poorman has set for the class is to compare and contrast the media coverage of sports of the past and present and relate that back to Paterno.

Rudel described a Friday night media session that Paterno would hold with some members of the media, when the group would enjoy a couple of beers and chat off the record.

The Altoona editor said this session was not held from 2004-2005 because something Paterno said during that time was leaked to the public.

The session resumed in 2006, although Paterno was still wary of whom he could trust.

"Paterno manages the media on his own terms," Rudel said.

"I have been around him for a long time, and there were times when I laughed with him and there are times I was frustrated with him. Overall, it has been a blessing."

The class will be offered in the fall as a special topics course, meaning it may not be offered regularly.

There are 60 spots for communication majors who have met the prerequisites.

To say Poorman is excited to start the class is an understatement.

He has been setting it up for about five months, but he has thought about doing a class on Paterno and the media for several years now.

"Paterno is the one person who makes sense to me in regards to the changing media," Poorman said.

"You couldn't do this with many other coaches."

(C) 2008 Daily Collegian via UWIRE