Nearly a year after a severe tornado ripped through Joplin, a new documentary is being premiered this week in Columbia that chronicles the efforts of the Joplin Globe newspaper staff to keep the community informed in the wake of the disaster. We talk about the communication challenges a community faces in these types of situations. We also check in about crisis communication plans for mid-Missouri.

Panelists:
Beth Pike, filmmaker
Zim Schwartze, City of Columbia director of emergency management
Wally Kennedy, reporter, Joplin Globe (joining the program by phone)

Related events in Columbia this Thursday (May 3):
* PANEL DISCUSSION: Joplin Globe editors and reporters will share their first-hand accounts of the tornado and discuss their work to keep the community informed. 2-3:30 p.m., Fred W. Smith Forum (200A Reynolds Journalism Institute) on the MU campus. Free.
* FILM SCREENING AND SILENT AUCTION: A silent auction to benefit disaster victims will be followed by the debut screening of “Deadline In Disaster.” The film is presented by the Missouri Press Association. 6-7 p.m. silent auction, 7 p.m. film screening, Missouri Theatre. Tickets: $10 in advance, $12 at the door.
For more information about the film and its premier, click here.

_How do political campaigns drum up support? How do marketers increase brand loyalty? And how do community organizers bring people together? In this public discussion on community engagement, our panel of experts -- and our live audience -- talk about what real engagement looks like as we explore some of the tools that organizations are using to connect individuals and foster a sense of community. This program is part of Innovation Week at the Reynolds Journalism Institute.

_Panelists:
Jana Byington-Smith, CFRE, president, Second Gift
Joy Mayer, director of community outreach, Columbia Missourian
Sam Robinson, director of healthy community initiatives, PedNet

_Spring is officially upon us, and for many in the country it arrived early this year. We get some possible explanations for the record high temperatures in March. You'll also hear how the early spring could benefit farmers, consumers and even the insect population. (Program was recorded Thursday, April 12.)

_Panelists:
Rob Lawrence, forest entomologist, Missouri Department of Conservation
Tony Lupo, chairman, University of Missouri Department of Soil, Environmental and Atmospheric Sciences
Michael Monson, chair, University of Missouri Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics
Lowell Schachtsiek, a farmer from northeast Missouri (joining the program by phone)
Janice Stillman, editor of the Old Farmers Almanac (joining the program by phone)