School of Journalism & Media

Alumna Nikki Burdine Uses Journalism Platform To Advocate For Others

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“It was the scariest and best day of my life.”

That’s how School of Journalism and Media alumna and co-anchor of WKRN’s Good Morning Nashville Nikki Burdine (’05) described the birth of her first child Andi.

Burdine gave birth to Andi twenty-eight weeks into her pregnancy—far from full-term. She weighed just one pound, four ounces.

Due to her size, Burdine’s daughter was considered a ‘micro-preemie’, and Andi’s first few weeks of life were spent in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

One day while visiting Andi in the NICU, Burdine ran into a close friend who was also visiting her … Read more “Alumna Nikki Burdine Uses Journalism Platform To Advocate For Others”

Students Expand Horizons As Part of CCI Study Abroad Program in Valencia

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Students traveled to Valencia, Spain for the Spring 2024 semester as part of the CCI Global Communication Scholars Semester program.

Since freshman year, Tonyea Pruitt has been researching various study abroad programs offered at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Studying abroad has always been a goal for the senior School of Journalism and Media major. When she learned about the CCI Global Communication Scholars Semester in Valencia, Spain, she knew it was the one.

“It was a great opportunity to not only study abroad but to also complete an internship in my field,” Pruitt said. “An additional plus was that … Read more “Students Expand Horizons As Part of CCI Study Abroad Program in Valencia”

Land Grant Films, East Tennessee PBS JobPop! Series Wins Four National Telly Awards

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Alumnus Seth Reynolds filming Tennessee Valley Authority’s robot dog Spot fora JobPop! video on becoming a programmer.

Land Grant Films and East Tennessee PBS won four national Telly Awards for JobPop!, an innovative video series targeted at third through sixth graders and aimed at workforce development. 

Land Grant Films is a documentary production program in the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s College of Communication and Information, which provides students real-world experience in documentary storytelling while supporting local nonprofit organizations.

“The Tellys are professional awards, so we were competing with organizations like The Disney Channel and Hearst Media,” Professor and … Read more “Land Grant Films, East Tennessee PBS JobPop! Series Wins Four National Telly Awards”

Students Traveling to Paris to Cover the 2024 Paralympics for the USA TODAY Network

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The school has partnered with the USA TODAY Network to cover the 2024 Summer Paralympic Games. Traveling to do so are: Professor Nick Geidner, Caleb Jarreau, Lukas Vysniauskas, Ryan Beatty, Griffin Hadley, Professor Erin Whiteside, Avery Bane, Catherine Ligon, Gabriel Jackson, Kylia Berry, Lillian Van Alsburg (not pictured) and Aman Misra (not pictured).

Catherine Ligon, a junior in the School of Journalism and Media at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is excited about the opportunity to cover the 2024 Paralympic Games.

“Through this trip I hope to learn what covering an international sporting event would be like,” Ligon said. “This … Read more “Students Traveling to Paris to Cover the 2024 Paralympics for the USA TODAY Network”

WUOT, The Daily Beacon, JEM Faculty Win Big At East Tennessee SPJ Awards

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CCI media outlets and college alums won big at the East Tennessee Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists’ (ETSPJ) Golden Press Card Awards this past May. From the left: Professor Mark Harmon, WUOT reporter Jacqui Sieber, CCI graduate student Alexis Bishop, graduate student Nick McNeese, Beacon photographer Edward Cruz, Knoxville News Sentinel reporter and Beacon alumnus Daniel Dassow (’23), and WUOT Interim News Director Melanie Faizer.

College of Communication and Information media outlets and faculty won big at the East Tennessee Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists’ (ETSPJ) Golden Press Card Awards in May.

The annual awards honor … Read more “WUOT, The Daily Beacon, JEM Faculty Win Big At East Tennessee SPJ Awards”

Mark Littmann Named Professor Emeritus, Reflects On 33-year Career at UT

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College of Communication and Information faculty and staff applaud Professor Mark Littmann (middle) during the 2023 Convocation after it was announced he plans to retire after 33 years at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

One evening while clearing out his office on the second floor of the College of Communication and Information Building, Professor Mark Littmann stumbled across a nearly forgotten note from a grateful student on his desk.

Littmann enjoys hanging onto messages like this one. He stores them in what he playfully calls his “happiness file.” He has collected past evaluation forms, notes, cards, and more from his … Read more “Mark Littmann Named Professor Emeritus, Reflects On 33-year Career at UT”

Master’s Student, CCI Staff Member Austin Orr Views Degree As Next Step Towards Teaching Goal

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Office of Student Media technology coordinator and advisor Austin Orr has aspirations of one day being an instructor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

In his current role, he works with students on a daily basis helping them grow their photography and video skills through hands-on experiences in student media organizations such as Lumos Media Services and The Daily Beacon.

“That experience has been so fulfilling and so enriching that I was like, I really want to do my master’s so that I can have the potential to teach actual classes one day,” Orr said.

This May, Orr moves … Read more “Master’s Student, CCI Staff Member Austin Orr Views Degree As Next Step Towards Teaching Goal”

Student attends 2024 White House Correspondents’ Dinner

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President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden greet White House Correspondents’ Association scholarship recipients at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C., Saturday, April 27, 2024, before the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner. (Official White House Photo by Erin Scott)

Graduating senior Eli Boldt was very grateful for the opportunity to return to Washington, D.C., this April after interning at the Smithsonian Affiliations Office last summer.

This time it was to attend the 2024 White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) Scholarship luncheon and the annual WHCA Dinner.

“It was a lot of fun,” they said. “I felt very lucky to be … Read more “Student attends 2024 White House Correspondents’ Dinner”

Master’s Student, Lady Vol Swimmer Katie Mack Finds Calling On Rocky Top

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For College of Communication and Information master’s student Katie Mack, the decision to attend the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, was life-changing.

It was on Rocky Top that the Lady Vol swimmer found her calling for sports communications and media and aspires to turn that into a career after she graduates this May. 

“I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life before I set foot on this campus,” Mack, who will receive her master’s degree with a concentration in journalism and media, said. “I really think that this school has really helped me hone those skills, gain … Read more “Master’s Student, Lady Vol Swimmer Katie Mack Finds Calling On Rocky Top”

Graduating Senior Ben Slotnick Finds a Home After Transferring to Rocky Top

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An internship with the Tennessee Smokies may have brought graduating senior Ben Slotnick to Knoxville, but it was the Tennessee Vols culture that made the area feel like home.

Slotnick applied for the internship on a baseball coach’s recommendation, and for the past two years he has been a studio host and play-by-play commentator for the minor league baseball team.

Slotnick said working with the Smokies helped him get used to Tennessee Vols culture, adding once he got to the school, it helped make the transition much easier.

Prior to enrolling in the School of Journalism and Media at … Read more “Graduating Senior Ben Slotnick Finds a Home After Transferring to Rocky Top”