By the USU department of journalism and communications

LOGAN — When Nelson Mandela was released from his South African prison in 1990 after 27 years, Renée Montagne was there. This month, Montagne comes to Utah State University to reflect on that and other journalistic experiences, and to help Utah Public Radio celebrate its 50th birthday.

Montagne is a San Francisco-based special correspondent for National Public Radio, and past host of NPR's award-winning news programs, Morning Edition and All Things Considered.

On April 17, Montagne will talk about the importance of free and open flow of information, about her love of public radio, and about journalism in these troubled times during a live broadcast with Utah Public Radio host Lee Austin aired from the Eccles Conference Center Auditorium on the USU campus in Logan.

The event, sponsored by Utah Public Radio as part of its 50th anniversary celebrations, is part of the department of journalism and communication's Media & Society Lecture Series. Austin's interview with Montagne before a live audience of students, faculty and the Logan public, will air on UPR's Access Utah program from 9 to 10 a.m. April 17.

"Renée Montagne is one of the most respected, recognizable and authoritative voices in public radio," said Austin, UPR's news director. "During an impressive career, she has covered the world in stories that are big and small, but all of which affected people's lives. That's the great strength of public radio."

Add UPR general manager Richard Meng, "We are very glad to have Renée here in Logan to help us look back on a half-century of Utah Public Radio's service to the people of Utah."

Montagne has worked as a reporter and anchor on the NPR national and foreign news desks since 1989. She covered the release from prison of Nelson Mandela, the rebel who became president, in 1990, and continued to cover South Africa's emergence from apartheid through 1992. In 1994, she was part of the NPR reporting team whose coverage of South Africa's historic post-apartheid presidential and parliamentary elections won the prestigious Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Award.

During her April 17 interview on Utah Public Radio, Montagne will take questions from callers and from members of the live student audience. Later that day, Montage will be the guest of honor and speak about public radio at a dinner celebrating Utah Public Radio's 50 years of service at the Bullen Center in downtown Logan.

"The journalism program at USU is delighted to be able to bring our students together with a radio journalist of the stature of Renée Montagne," said JCOM department head Ted Pease.

"This is a great way to expand our students' understanding of the news as war rages in Iraq, and to discuss the importance of journalism in the lives of Americans. We are very grateful to our friends at Utah Public radio for this opportunity."

This special edition of "Access Utah" is sponsored by Utah Public Radio, the USU Department of Journalism and Communication, and the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences.

For more information, contact Utah Public Radio at 435-797-3138 or the USU journalism and communication department at 435-797-3292.

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