School of Journalism & Media

Land Grant Films Team Produces Award-Winning Short Documentary on Blind Woodworker

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Senior Carter Moore interviewing Greenville, Tennessee native and woodworker George Wurtzel for the Land Grant Films short documentary “Carving The Creative Vision”.

In small-town America, there always seems to be that person everyone knows who perfectly reflects what that community is all about. 

This phenomenon is what prompted Nick Geidner, School of Journalism and Media professor and Land Grant Films director, in 2023 to pitch to the student documentary production team a series highlighting unique individuals from various small Tennessee communities. 

While the full series has not yet developed, the team’s initial research introduced them to Greenville, Tennessee native and … Read more “Land Grant Films Team Produces Award-Winning Short Documentary on Blind Woodworker”

UT Faculty Research Shows Dramatic Shift In Ukrainian Attitudes After Invasion

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UT Faculty Research Shows Dramatic Shift In Ukrainian Attitudes After Invasion written by Randall Brown and originally published on the College of Arts & Sciences site.

A new study published by an interdisciplinary team of Tennessee researchers sheds light onto the dynamics of national unity experienced by Ukrainians following the 2022 Russian invasion.

While a nation would be expected to rally against an aggressive foreign army crossing its borders, researchers were surprised by the speed and magnitude of the unifying public attitude shift in Ukraine. They detail the findings in their paper, “Response to collective threat: Russian invasion unifies … Read more “UT Faculty Research Shows Dramatic Shift In Ukrainian Attitudes After Invasion”

Scovel Hosting AEJMC Podcast on Sports Communication

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Assistant Professor Shannon Scovel presenting at the 2024 AEJMC Conference. Scovel is the host of a new AEJMC podcast on sports communication.

For School of Journalism and Media Assistant Professor Shannon Scovel, podcasts have been a useful resource during her academic career. So, she has always been interested in offering a similar service for others.

That opportunity has finally come with the launch of the new Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) Sports Communication Interest Group podcast.

Scovel said she was inspired to do a podcast after seeing the great work the AEJMC History group was … Read more “Scovel Hosting AEJMC Podcast on Sports Communication”

CCI Faculty Brittany Tarwater 2025 Volunteer 40 Under 40

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From the moment Brittany Tarwater (‘09, ‘13) stepped into the College of Communication and Information to where she is today in her career, there’s been a network of supportive faculty pushing her to succeed. She didn’t realize when she arrived at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, campus on her 18th birthday that CCI and UT would become intertwined with her life and career for years to come. Now, she joins seven other CCI alumni as one of the class of 2025 Volunteer 40 Under 40.

Tarwater is a full-time assistant professor of practice at the School of Journalism and … Read more “CCI Faculty Brittany Tarwater 2025 Volunteer 40 Under 40”

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”

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”

JEM Professor Amber Roessner Provides Expert Commentary in Wake of President Jimmy Carter’s Death

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As the nation mourns the death of President Jimmy Carter, who died December 29, 2024, Professor Amber Roessner is being called upon by news media to share her perspective on the life and legacy of the longest-lived United States president. A School of Journalism and Media professor, Roessner met the 39th president in 2014 before publishing her book, Jimmy Carter and the Birth of the Marathon Media Campaign, in 2020. She is currently in the process of writing another book chronicling his presidency and post-presidency, on advanced contract with LSU Press.

Roessner’s expertise on Carter and political journalism

… Read more “JEM Professor Amber Roessner Provides Expert Commentary in Wake of President Jimmy Carter’s Death”

From SIS Alumnus to Cichlid Enthusiast

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Scott Wells (’89, ’96, ’13) is a proud alumnus of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he serves as the chief of staff for the Min H. Kao Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. He has earned his bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD from UT. Wells graduated with his master’s degree in information sciences in 1996, which allowed him to merge his two passions: writing and science. In his free time, he enjoys working on his blog, The Cichlid Stage.

Education and Career

Wells earned his bachelor’s degree in English, focusing on business and professional writing, in 1989. After … Read more “From SIS Alumnus to Cichlid Enthusiast”

CCI Makes Impact at NCA Convention; Iannacone Earns Top Paper Honor

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Assistant Professor Jeannette Iannacone, right, receives her Top Faculty Paper award from Laura Lemon (’17), an associate professor at the University of Alabama who graduated from CCI’s doctoral program.

Twenty-nine faculty and graduate students from the College of Communication and Information participated in the 2024 annual convention of the National Communication Association in New Orleans at the end of November, and they were actively engaged as presenters, respondents, panelists, chairs, co-chairs, and more. 

One of the stand-out moments for CCI is Assistant Professor Jeannette Iannacone winning the Top Faculty Paper award in the Public Relations Division at the convention for … Read more “CCI Makes Impact at NCA Convention; Iannacone Earns Top Paper Honor”

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”