Shawn Johnson: Iowa's All-Star

If one were to interview Iowan's six months ago on who Shawn Johnson was, most wouldn't have a clue. However, she is a common name in our households today. One can't go anywhere without seeing her smiling face or hearing a recent interview about the upcoming Olympics. So, how did she get so popular?

I think that our media has a great deal to do with Johnson's publicity, and they have presented her perfectly to Iowa. More than once, I have heard her referred to as "the pride of West Des Moines, Iowa." And most share in this overall feeling about the young athlete that has pushed her way to the top. Desmoinesregister.com even has a "quick link" to her name on their main page. This is positivie publicity for Johnson and for the state of Iowa. It's great that all kinds of media from print to internet to television have picked up this uplifting story and shown her as the star she truly is.