School of Journalism & Media

Broadcasting the Olympics: An Alumna’s Dream Come True

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During this summer’s Tokyo Olympics, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, alumna Courtney Lyle (’12) of ESPN and the SEC Network will deliver NBC’s play-by-play for men’s and women’s field hockey alongside Olympic ice hockey medalist and analyst A. J. Mleczko. When the announcement was made, Lyle tweeted, “Athletes dream of playing in the Olympics. Announcers dream of calling them. I couldn’t be more excited to be part of NBC’s field hockey coverage this year!!! Dream Come True!!!”

Lyle and Mleczko will broadcast from NBC studios in Stamford, Connecticut, beginning August 1. “We will have a feed of the match from Tokyo … Read more “Broadcasting the Olympics: An Alumna’s Dream Come True”

Change the Narrative: Mitchell Explores Storytelling Methods to Improve Museum Inclusivity

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Museums and journalism have historically been seen as trusted institutions through which people can better understand the world. However, both have faced criticism of racism and colonialism, prompting efforts to diversify their approaches to gatekeeping and storytelling.

This report, authored by recent Journalism and Electronic Media graduate Donna Mitchell, examines how storytelling techniques used by journalists could be applied to museum exhibitions to create more comprehensive, engaging narratives. Using insights from scholarly and industry articles, interviews, and participant observation, Mitchell explains the colonialist history of museums and recent calls to address these practices, as well as how they coincide … Read more “Change the Narrative: Mitchell Explores Storytelling Methods to Improve Museum Inclusivity”

JEM Selected for White House Correspondents’ Association Scholarship

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The White House Correspondents’ Association has selected the University of Tennessee School of Journalism and Electronic Media for a new scholarship opportunity for student reporters who aspire to cover national politics and news.

The Carter Holland Memorial Scholarship is named in honor of the late Carter Holland, a promising young journalist and son of Lucie and Steven Holland, a longtime White House correspondent for Reuters and former president of the WHCA. Carter Holland died in 2020.

“The WHCA is excited to partner with the University of Tennessee to help support the next generation of promising young journalists like Carter Holland,” … Read more “JEM Selected for White House Correspondents’ Association Scholarship”

Rob Heller Selected for CCI Board of Visitors Professorship

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School of Journalism and Electronic Media Professor Rob Heller has been selected as the fourth recipient of the CCI Board of Visitors Professorship. 

The BOV Professorship, currently held by Suzie Allard, Chancellor’s Professor in Information Sciences and CCI Associate Dean for Research, was made possible by generous gifts from donors including current and emeritus members of the college’s Board of Visitors. The three-year rotating professorship was established to recognize and reward outstanding CCI faculty members whose research, creative activity, teaching, and academic and professional service have uniquely contributed to the mission of their school, the college and the university.

Heller … Read more “Rob Heller Selected for CCI Board of Visitors Professorship”

JEM science communicator alumni analyze their academic, career experiences

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One of the perks about studying Journalism and Electronic Media (JEM) at UT is the amount of local resources that students have access to. From interning at the Knoxville News Sentinel to Discovery, Inc. to Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), there are ample opportunities to combine the communications field with other specialties.

Here are four science communicator alumni stories.

ORNL is known around the science and technology communities for many things, one of those being its Spallation Neutron Source (SNS). Essentially, this accelerator-based system sends proton pulses to a steel target filled with liquid mercury. Then the neutrons move toward … Read more “JEM science communicator alumni analyze their academic, career experiences”

JEM Students Earn Accolades from 2021 Southeast Journalism Conference

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Students from the UT School of Journalism and Electronic Media walked away with multiple awards in Southeast Journalism Conference competition. Winners were announced March 26.

Best of the South awards are given for a body of journalistic work completed in the past academic year in competition with 30 SEJC member colleges and universities.

Alumnus Noah Taylor placed fifth in the Best Sports Writer category. Taylor is sports editor for the LaFollette Press in Campbell County, Tennessee.

Alumna Gabriela Szymanowska won three awards: sixth place in Best News Writer, fifth place in Best Press Photographer, and fourth place in Special Events … Read more “JEM Students Earn Accolades from 2021 Southeast Journalism Conference”

Anu Garg, Renowned Expert on the Origin of Words, Will Give 27th Hill Lecture Virtually

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Anu-Garg-Headshot

Anu Garg, world-famous expert on the origin of words, will speak about “Language Myths & Hoaxes: A Humorous Look at Language Misconceptions” when he delivers the 27th Alfred and Julia Hill Lecture at the University of Tennessee. The event, which is free and open to the public, will take place virtually via Zoom on Tuesday, March 23, at 8 p.m.

Garg is the founder of Wordsmith.org. He writes a daily column on the origin of words—a word a day—for an online community of some 400,000 word lovers in 170 countries, now in its 27th year. Garg is the author of three … Read more “Anu Garg, Renowned Expert on the Origin of Words, Will Give 27th Hill Lecture Virtually”

‘The Library That Dolly Built’ Gets Dec. 9 Online Premiere

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Dollywood and Abramorama in association with The Dollywood Foundation have partnered to present a free one-night-only live streaming world premiere event for The Library That Dolly Built, the Land Grant Films documentary about Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

Originally scheduled as a nationwide live event on more than 300 screens this spring, the world premiere for The Library That Dolly Built has been reimagined as a free live stream screening of the film, exclusively on Facebook, available nationally on Wednesday, Dec. 9, at 7 p.m. ET. The screening will be followed by a conversation with Dolly Parton, who will also … Read more “‘The Library That Dolly Built’ Gets Dec. 9 Online Premiere”

JEM Sports-Focused Alumni Share Academic, Career Journeys

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They trekked across campus sporting their University of Tennessee shirts, hats and even checkered overalls. 

They also walked the curved halls of the College of Communication and Information [CCI], where they laid the foundations for their careers in sports media. 

These journalism and electronic media [JEM] alumni are eight of the hundreds who’ve found careers in sports media, and all of them agree that their work on campus helped shape their careers.

Katherine Donnelly (2015), ESPN

Students in the JEM program learn about social media platforms and how to use them as content creators.

Katherine Donnelly found a career managing … Read more “JEM Sports-Focused Alumni Share Academic, Career Journeys”

Q&A with IRTS Fellow Ford Sanders

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As part of his journey to becoming a news anchor after graduation, senior journalism and electronic media major Ford Sanders has gained experience with news stations on the local and national level. During his time as a UT student, he has worked with WVLT-TV and the UT Today program in Knoxville and with CBS’ New York City-based programs.

Sanders was among an elite group of students who had the opportunity to be part of the International Radio and Television Society (IRTS) Fellowship Program, a prestigious program for 30 to 40 students from a nationwide pool of more than 1,000 applicants. … Read more “Q&A with IRTS Fellow Ford Sanders”