School of Journalism & Media

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

by

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

by

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”

Graduating Master’s Student, Dental Hygiene Educator Teresa O’Daniel Says Communication Courses Made Her a Better Teacher

by

When Teresa O’Daniel first became a dental hygienist, she never thought she would be working in public health much less as an educator in the field. But public health eventually became more than just a career option for O’Daniel, who is a dental hygiene instructor at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis. She’s also graduating this semester with her master’s from the College of Communication and Information with a concentration in strategic and digital communication (SDC). 

“When I was in school, I thought, ‘I’m never going into public health.’ But working in public health, I saw what … Read more “Graduating Master’s Student, Dental Hygiene Educator Teresa O’Daniel Says Communication Courses Made Her a Better Teacher”

From Chile to UT, PR Masters Grad Valentina Gomez is Ready to Help Families Like Hers

by

Valentina Gomez (‘23, ‘24) is set to receive her master’s degree in public relations in just three semesters, following her undergraduate studies at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where she majored in journalism.

She will graduate from the College of Communication and Information with a job already secured. During her time at UT, both for her undergraduate and master’s degrees, Gomez took full advantage of the opportunities available to her. She became involved in several student organizations, worked on campus, and completed multiple internships.

Pursuing her Undergraduate in Journalism

Gomez moved from Chile to Knoxville with her family due to … Read more “From Chile to UT, PR Masters Grad Valentina Gomez is Ready to Help Families Like Hers”

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

by

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”

Three CCI PhD Students Receive Graduate Research Awards

by

Three College of Communication and Information doctoral students received fall 2024 Graduate Student Research Awards from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s, Graduate School. These awards are intended to not only support the students’ work but also gives them experience in writing grants and enhances their relationships with faculty.

The three PhD students are:

  • Scott Greeves: awarded $2,000 for Integrating cultural theory into ecosystem service research: A case study of the Tennessee River
  • Shreenandan Rajarathnam: awarded $1,500 for Developing a NIST CSF-based usable security community profile
  • Qinran Li: awarded $1,440 for Eating disorder literacy and warning level on mitigating the negative
… Read more “Three CCI PhD Students Receive Graduate Research Awards”

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

by

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”

Land Grant Films’ Howard Baker Documentary Premieres at CCI Board Meeting

by

Former U.S. Ambassador and longtime friend of U.S. Sen. Howard H. Baker, Jr., Arthur “A.B.” Culvahouse, Jr., addressing the crowd ahead of the screening of Land Grant Films’ Baker for America documentary.

College of Communication and Information master’s student Seth Reynolds vividly remembers his dad’s reaction when he shared he was selected to work on a documentary about U.S. Sen. Howard H. Baker, Jr.

“My dad’s jaw dropped to the floor,” Reynolds said. “‘That is my hero,’ he said.”

Growing up in East Tennessee, Reynolds’ dad idolized Baker because of his character and willingness to put the American people over … Read more “Land Grant Films’ Howard Baker Documentary Premieres at CCI Board Meeting”

Student-Produced Documentary Batmite Set to Premiere at Film Fest Knox

by

The Film Fest Knox poster for Batmite, a student-produced documentary about the Knoxville skating community. The film will premier at the Film Fest Knox Festival on Nov. 17, 2024 in the Regal Riviera movie theater.

After moving to Knoxville, senior Emma Caskill was looking for a way to get plugged into the local skating community.

This led to the discovery of the skateboard store Pluto Sports. There she met its owner Brian Beauchene. Caskill enjoyed learning about the history of skating in Knoxville from Beauchene, who since the 1980s has been at the forefront of advocating for local skaters and … Read more “Student-Produced Documentary Batmite Set to Premiere at Film Fest Knox”

Election Project Endeavor Includes Extensive Coverage and Live TV Special

by

The College of Communication and Information established The Media Center this year to create more opportunities for students to get exceptional hands-on opportunities to learn through experience. That goal is already coming to fruition in The Media Center’s first endeavor, in collaboration with the School of Journalism and Media, to produce coordinated coverage on a news topic, in the form of the Election Project. 

“We have all of these amazing outlets housed within the college now and co-located and it’s important to find ways we can increase the power of our reporting,” said Professor Nick Geidner, The Media Center … Read more “Election Project Endeavor Includes Extensive Coverage and Live TV Special”