School of Journalism & Media

Students Start Spring Semester Getting Hands-On Experiences in New York City

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School of Journalism and Media students visited New York City as part of the school’s annual professional development trip in January 2025..

The first day of school for the spring semester looked a little different for 20 School of Journalism and Media students this year.

Instead of reporting for classes at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, students were in New York City as part of the school’s annual professional development trip. 

For more than 30 years, the School of Journalism and Media has organized the trip as a way to expose students to media professionals and College of Communication and … Read more “Students Start Spring Semester Getting Hands-On Experiences in New York City”

2025 Volunteer 40 Under 40 Recipient Taylor Hathorn discovered passion on Rocky Top

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Alumna Taylor Hathorn’s (’14, ’19) post-graduation path received a jump-start when she signed up to be a part of Land Grant Films’ Medal of Honor Project.

“I cannot begin to explain how formative that project was in my career,” the 2025 Volunteer 40 Under 40 recipient from the School of Journalism and Media said.

The Medal of Honor Project is an award-winning, student-led video production project produced by Land Grant Films, a documentary production program as part of The Media Center at the College of Communication and Information. The project is a continuation of students’ coverage of the 2014 Medal … Read more “2025 Volunteer 40 Under 40 Recipient Taylor Hathorn discovered passion on Rocky Top”

Bane Named a Top 20 Winner in Hearst Journalism Awards in Photojournalism Competition

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School of Journalism and Media junior Avery Bane took this photo while covering the Paralympic Games for USA TODAY and submitted it for consideration for the 2024-2025 Hearst Journalism Awards Program’s Photojournalism News and Features Competition. 

School of Journalism and Media junior Avery Bane finished in the top-20 of competitors in the 2024-2025 Hearst Journalism Awards Program’s Photojournalism News and Features Competition. 

The Hearst Journalism Awards is a nationally recognized program that honors colleges and students that produce exceptional work in the field of journalism and media. The program offers 14 competitions annually awarding up to $700,000 in scholarships, matching … Read more “Bane Named a Top 20 Winner in Hearst Journalism Awards in Photojournalism Competition”

Tennessean Journalism Academy Reinforces the Power of Journalism For Students

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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 … Read more “Tennessean Journalism Academy Reinforces the Power of Journalism For Students”

Four Faculty Members Contribute to New Book on Women’s Sports and Media

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A new book — Media, Women, and the Transformation of Sport — examines the coverage of women athletes and sports from Title IX to NIL. UT School of Journalism and Media faculty members contributed around a third of the chapters

When School of Journalism and Media Assistant Professor Shannon Scovel was asked to contribute to an upcoming book on women, media, and sport edited by Pamela Creedon, she was deeply honored.

“Creedon’s first book on women’s sport media was like a fundamental text for me as I was understanding who I am as a scholar and how I think about … Read more “Four Faculty Members Contribute to New Book on Women’s Sports and Media”

Alum Pays it Forward after Decades-Long Career in the Industry

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School of Journalism and Media alumnus Wesley Loy in Cordova, Alaska (Photo courtesy of Bob Hallinen).

School of Journalism and Media alumnus Wesley Loy (’84) can still recall his father’s misgivings when he decided to pursue a career in journalism.

“But once he saw my name for the first time on the cover of The Knoxville Journal he was blown away by that,” Loy said. “He thought it was the greatest thing ever to tell all his friends ‘Look, my boy is in the newspaper.’.”

Loy has worked nearly 40 years in the journalism industry covering everything from breaking news … Read more “Alum Pays it Forward after Decades-Long Career in the Industry”

UT Jimmy Carter Expert, Author Reflects on Former President’s Legacy

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When School of Journalism and Media Professor Amber Roessner decided to shift her research subject matter from the history of sports media to presidential politics, it puzzled some family and colleagues.

Their befuddlement grew when the former sportswriter and magazine editor-turned-academic shared that her focus would be on the presidential campaign of former President Jimmy Carter. Roessner said some of her colleagues—and later even Carter himself—pointed out much had already been published about the 39th US president.

Nonetheless, Roessner was convinced she could offer a new perspective in what on the surface seemed an exhausted area of scholarship.

“I do … Read more “UT Jimmy Carter Expert, Author Reflects on Former President’s Legacy”

Graduating Senior Allison Seaton Found Her Passion After Transferring to Rocky Top

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Graduating senior Allison Seaton showing off her media credentials.

Transferring to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, turned out to be the right move for graduating senior Allison Seaton.

The East Tennessee native and School of Journalism and Media major may have started her collegiate career elsewhere, but Rocky Top is where she found her passion for sports storytelling.

“If I didn’t come back, I never would have found the field I wanted to be in,” Seaton said.

She enrolled to study political science and pre-law at UT with an interest in working in sports law. During her first semester, Seaton … Read more “Graduating Senior Allison Seaton Found Her Passion After Transferring to Rocky Top”

Riedl Selected as Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich Visiting Fellow

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School of Journalism and Media Assistant Professor Martin Riedl was selected as a Center for Advanced Studies visiting fellow at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich in Germany starting this winter.

Riedl will join a team of international researchers analyzing the role of encrypted messaging services such as WhatsApp in online extreme speech cultures globally.

“I’m excited to join a group of researchers who have been thinking about issues of harassment, violence, and extreme speech on WhatsApp for a long time,” Riedl said. “Our work focuses on analyzing how platforms and their affordances compound harms and power imbalances in society … Read more “Riedl Selected as Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich Visiting Fellow”

Live Election Day Special Helped Students Hone Skills, Milestone for TVC

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TVC students celebrate after successfully producing “Voting Matters,” a live Election Day special, on Nov. 5, 2024.

Three weeks before Election Day, School of Journalism and Media Assistant Professor of Practice Brittany Tarwater reached out to the student leadership at The Volunteer Channel (TVC) with an idea to produce an Election Day live special.

Inspired by the great work the students have been doing all semester covering the election as part of the Election Project, a collaborative reporting initiative between the School of Journalism and Media and The Media Center, Tarwater viewed the live special as the next … Read more “Live Election Day Special Helped Students Hone Skills, Milestone for TVC”