School of Journalism & Media

Alumni Garners Regional Emmy Nomination for UT Swimming Documentary

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AAAO Documentary

Watch Triple A, Bar None

Isaac Fowler (JEM ‘18), Tim Morris (JEM ‘18), and Patricia Forrester (Sport Management ‘17) have been nominated for a Midsouth Regional Emmy in the historical documentary category for Triple A, Bar None, a VFL Films production about legendary University of Tennessee swimming and diving coach Ray Bussard.

Bussard coached the Vols from 1968-88 and led the men’s program to its only NCAA team championship in 1978. Triple A, Bar None was created in part to celebrate the 40th anniversary reunion of the national championship team.

During the 1970s, the Vols developed a tradition … Read more “Alumni Garners Regional Emmy Nomination for UT Swimming Documentary”

Documenting Life

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Nick Geidner suspects that if he’d asked his students several years ago if they’d ever watched a documentary, few, if any, would have raised their hands.

So when Land Grant films was born in 2016, Geidner had no idea how wildly successful his documentary program would become.

“We hit at the perfect time,” said Geidner, an associate professor in the School of Journalism and Electronic Media in the College of Communication and Information. “Netflix and cable have really changed the way people think about documentaries. All of a sudden documentary filmmaking is hip and there’s an audience for it.”

Read … Read more “Documenting Life”

Come Hail or High Water: UT Journalism Students Delve into Extreme Weather

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Melanie Faizer

Melanie Faizer, senior lecturer in UT’s College of Communication and Information’s School of Journalism and Electronic Media, encourages her digital news reporting students to sleuth out hard-hitting stories on significant news topics.

This fall their mission is to report on extreme weather issues, and the students are writing about everything from mosquito-borne illnesses to future fire risks in the Smokies to the way tobacco farmers are converting their fields to hemp.

Their stories, with accompanying info-graphics, will be presented online. Associate Professor Nick Geidner’s “Social Journalism” class is creating a Facebook page to promote the work, too.

Last year, Faizer’s … Read more “Come Hail or High Water: UT Journalism Students Delve into Extreme Weather”

Big Orange Welcome to new JEM Professor

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By Chelsea Babin

Every year, the University of Tennessee family grows as new faces appear on  campus. Some are from East Tennessee, while others travel far to call UT their new home. This year, UT’s College of Communication and Information’s School of Journalism & Electronic Media welcomes a new assistant professor.

Joy Jenkins, PhD, originally from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is now a proud member of the BIG ORANGE family here on Rocky Top.

Jenkins is an alumna of the University of Oklahoma, where she received her Bachelor of Arts in journalism; Oklahoma State University for a Master of Science in … Read more “Big Orange Welcome to new JEM Professor”

Former NOVA Executive Producer to Spend a Week Mentoring Students at UT

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ORNL Documentary

Sixteen students in a documentary production class at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, have spent much of the fall semester at Oak Ridge National Laboratory doing interviews and filming to make a 30-minute documentary about the Spallation Neutron Source.

Now the students—14 undergraduates and two graduate students—are getting an extraordinary opportunity: they will work alongside longtime NOVA executive producer and award-winning science journalist Paula Apsell, who arrives at UT Monday, October 28, for a weeklong distinguished lecturer residency.

As part of her visit, Apsell will deliver a free public lecture, “The Art of Science Communication,” at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, October … Read more “Former NOVA Executive Producer to Spend a Week Mentoring Students at UT”

Nannette Baker Receives 2019 Hileman Award

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Nanette BakerTo celebrate a career that has spanned the newsroom and the courtroom, Nannette Baker (JEM ’78) was honored with the 2019 Donald G. Hileman Distinguished Alumni Award at the CCI 50th Anniversary Gala on October 11 at the Knoxville Convention Center.

The Hileman Award, established in 1994, is the highest alumni award presented annually by the college.

Baker began her career as a broadcast journalist before making an about-face and entering the legal profession. Today she serves as chief magistrate judge in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri in St. Louis.

Baker was born in … Read more “Nannette Baker Receives 2019 Hileman Award”

New Website Catalogs Eyes on LaFollette Photojournalism Project

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Each spring, professor Rob Heller from UT’s School of Journalism and Electronic Media in the College of Communication and Information takes his advanced photojournalism students to LaFollette, Tennessee, to find and photograph stories in the Campbell County community of 7,000, about 45 miles north of Knoxville.

It’s a ritual that has been reaping rewards for Heller, his students, and the public for more than a quarter of a century. Spring 2020 will mark the 27th anniversary of Eyes on Lafollette.

A new website chronicles the history of the project and the amazing body of work it’s yielded over the years. … Read more “New Website Catalogs Eyes on LaFollette Photojournalism Project”

After Whitewater Canoeing, Kerns Finds Grad School Smooth Sailing

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Journalism PhD student Charli Kerns has fought her way through whitewater rapids and cascaded over waterfalls in her canoe. Knowing that adrenaline rush, she doesn’t get too stressed out over research, writing, or teaching a class.

Kerns been an action sports enthusiast since being introduced to kayaking through UT’s Outdoor Pursuits during her undergraduate days on Rocky Top. She later picked up canoeing and now considers whitewater canoeing her main sport. She’s traversed waterways across the United States as well as in Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico, Germany, France, and India.

She’s managed to translate her love for action sports—the preferred … Read more “After Whitewater Canoeing, Kerns Finds Grad School Smooth Sailing”

Emmy-winning filmmaker to deliver annual Hill Lecture

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Three-time Emmy Award-winning science documentary filmmaker Sarah Holt will speak on “Turning Complex Science Stories Into Compelling Television” at the 27th annual Alfred and Julia Hill Lecture at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.Holt will give her Hill Lecture on Tuesday, April 2 at 8 p.m. in the McClung Museum Auditorium on the UT campus.The event is free and open to the public.

The annual Hill Lecture series brings acclaimed science journalists to Knoxville to speak on issues in science, society, and mass media. The series was a gift to UT’s School of Journalism & Electronic Media in the College of … Read more “Emmy-winning filmmaker to deliver annual Hill Lecture”

JEM Students Earn Regional Journalism Accolades

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SEJC Onsite TeamStudents from the UT School of Journalism and Electronic Media (JEM) competed at the Southeast Journalism Conference (SEJC), taking home two onsite victories and a wide range of additional awards. This year’s conference was held Feb. 14-16 at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

JEM assembled an eight-journalist squad to participate in the onsite competition for the first time, finishing in a third-place tie with Lipscomb University in team scoring. The competition required a well-rounded group of specialists from writers and editors to photographers and broadcast reporters. The top three competitors for each division were recognized, including first-place finishes … Read more “JEM Students Earn Regional Journalism Accolades”