Students Participate In Tennessean Journalism Academy
The Tennessean from Jan. 9-11, 2024, hosted 13 college students for an inaugural Journalism Academy. From left to right, the students who attended were Stevie Paige from the University of Memphis, Garrett Bland from Tennessee State University, Symone Maxwell from University of Memphis, Marisa Sardonia from East Tennessee State University, Braden Simmons from Belmont University, Ella Grey MacNicoll from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Jennifer Lindahl from Austin Peay State University, Charlotte Mauger from Vanderbilt University, Riley Haltom from the UT Knoxville, Alayna Simons from Trevecca Nazarene University, Hannah Cron from Lipscomb University, Shamani Salahuddin from Middle Tennessee State University and Destiny Mizell from MTSU.
Junior Ella “Grey” MacNicoll is interested in political journalism. However, covering politics can be a bit intimidating.
That is why she was grateful to meet the political and investigative reporting team at The Tennessean while attending the inaugural Tennessean Journalism Academy in Nashville, Tennessee. There, she met political reporters Duane Gang, Melissa Brown, and Vivian Jones.
“Meeting them was amazing. It really cemented my desire to be a political journalist,” MacNicoll said. “Being able to talk to people who do the job I want to do, and connect with them about why I want to be a political journalist was super encouraging. It was a bit of a lightbulb moment. I was thinking ‘Oh, I can actually do this.’”
Tennessean City Editor Liz Schubauer said thirteen students from colleges and universities across the state participated in the Tennessean Journalism Academy from Jan. 9 to 11. As part of the academy, students attended different workshops focused on developing their skills as aspiring journalists. Topics included building a beat, covering major breaking news, sports reporting, music coverage, conducting investigations, feature writing, digital production, and applying for jobs. Students also networked with and learned more about the industry from professional journalists.
Schubauer said the academy was developed as another way to support the next generation of journalists. She said The Tennessean also connects with students through its internship program and at career fairs. Several members of The Tennessean staff members are also adjunct professors.
“The academy was a fantastic experience,” MacNicoll said. “It was a whole lot of fun and I have so many connections, not only to professionals in the field but to other journalism students across the state. It’s a great experience, and I’m honored to be part of the inaugural class.”
As an aspiring sports journalist, senior Riley Haltom said he enjoyed meeting sports writers Tyler Palmateer and Nick Suss. They shared valuable advice about the reality of working in sports, as well as ideas on how to break into the industry.
Haltom also got the opportunity to watch them in action as news about University of Alabama’s head coach Nick Saban retiring and other coaching changes broke while the academy was in session.
Having the option to participate in opportunities such as the Tennessean Journalism Academy was why Haltom chose the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, to pursue sports journalism.
“The opportunities are numerous and all of them offer a deep dive into what the industry can be like,” Haltom said. “The experiences have introduced me to lifelong friends and I feel like I have learned a great amount about what life after college in journalism will be. They make me prepared for the future.”
Haltom is also involved with The Volunteer Channel and WUTK-FM. He studied sports communication abroad in London this past summer and traveled to New York City for the school’s annual academic trip.
MacNicoll also enrolled at UT to take advantage of the many different experiential learning opportunities available to journalism and media students. MacNicoll is a contributor for The Daily Beacon, where she primarily focuses on Tennessee politics, and is a student worker in the Baker School for Public Policy and Public Affairs. She has also studied abroad in Prague, Czech Republic, this past summer and traveled to New York City for the school’s annual academic trip.
“The opportunities at the School of Journalism and Media, like the academy and the various networking and study-abroad options, have all been simply the best,” Macnicoll said. “I’ve gotten more hands-on experience than I ever thought was possible and have broadened my horizons in the best possible ways.”