Tennessean Journalism Academy Reinforces the Power of Journalism For Students
The Tennessean hosted 12 college students for their annual Tennessean Journalism Academy in January. Representing the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, were journalism and media seniors Kylia Berry and Catherine Cox. Pictured above in the back row are, from left to right, Shauna Reynolds, Samuel McCormick, Faith Vance and Brianna Sorrell. In the middle row are Berry, Cox, Anastasia Boldyreva, Nolan Russell and Michelle Loria. In the front row are Liz Schubauer, content strategist at USA TODAY Network, Hannah Carley, Anabelle Coker and Sarai Bennett.
Hearing The Tennessean’s breaking news team share their perspective on covering horrific events and using empathy when telling these stories was one of Kylia Berry’s favorite moments during her time at the Tennessean Journalism Academy.
“These sessions stood out because my whole reason for pursuing a journalism career is to impact and serve a community positively, whether by informing a community or listening to someone grieving over losing a loved one or any other traumatic event,” said Berry, a senior journalism and media major.
The Tennessean Journalism Academy brought together 12 college juniors and seniors from across the state to The Tennessean Nashville offices for three days of learning, networking, and mentorship earlier this month. Student academy participants were nominated by their school directors based on faculty input and represent some of the program’s most promising journalism students.
Representing the School of Journalism and Media at the academy this year were Berry and fellow senior Catherine Cox.
“Experiences like the Tennessean Journalism Academy allow me to grow as a journalist. They allow me to see how everything I have been learning in the classroom and student media correlates to a real-world newsroom,” Berry said.
The Tennessean staff covered topics such as feature writing, breaking news, trending news, investigative journalism, and more. Students also networked with and learned more about the industry from professional journalists.
Cox said she enjoyed talking to photojournalist Nicole Hester. Hester covered the 2023 Covenant School shooting in Nashville, snapping a photo of a little girl crying and looking out the window of a school bus during the incident. Cox said Hester shared that sometimes the work is hard but it is important to keep the public informed about what is happening in their community, especially during difficult times such as the shooting.
Cox also enjoyed listening to features reporter Keith Sharon discuss his coverage of the Kevin Hughes’ murder in 1989. He has since created a true crime podcast called Murder on Music Row from The Tennessean that dives deeply into what went into Sharon’s investigative reporting.
“Their work and genuine passion were truly inspiring,” Cox said. “I hope to use their tips in my own projects.”
Berry said attending the academy reinforced the power and importance of journalism. She said The Tennessean investigative team shared stories they covered and the impact they noticed following their reporting. Berry recommends other students take advantage of The Tennessean Academy and similar opportunities. She plans to utilize all she learned while attending it to grow as a journalist.
“It was an incredible experience to meet so many journalists who share the same passion for journalism and grow our journalism skills together,” Berry said.
Tennessean Journalism Academy Reinforces the Power of Journalism For Students written by Ernest Rollins and originally published on the College of Communication & Information site.