School of Journalism & Media

Q&A: JEM Alumnus’ Work Featured on the Today Show

by

Journalism and electronic media alumnus Yuan Yue (C&I ’18) recently had his coverage of Americans being evacuated from the coronavirus outbreak in China featured on the Today Show.

More than 500 Americans have been evacuated, and, once back in the United States, spent 14 days in quarantine at military bases. As of Feb. 11, the death toll in China had surpassed 1,000.

Since finishing the communication and information master’s program in 2018, Yue moved back to his hometown, Wuhan, China, and started his own video production company. His company produces videos for international media outlets such as NBC, ABC, Great … Read more “Q&A: JEM Alumnus’ Work Featured on the Today Show”

Successful Alumni: Sharrie Williams’ goals led her from Tennessee to Philadelphia, the number four broadcast market in America

by

 

By Lisa Byerley Gary
Instructor, JEM 414, Fall 2014

When Sharrie Williams began her first full-time job in television after graduating from UT, a news job with a small station in Jackson, Tennessee, she also waited tables to make ends meet.

“It paid that poorly,” she said.

But Williams had goals. She wanted to learn everything there was to learn about television news in exactly one year. Then she would move on to a bigger market.

Today Williams is a reporter and anchor at ABC-owned WPLY-TV in Philadelphia, the fourth largest television market in America. Her journey from a … Read more “Successful Alumni: Sharrie Williams’ goals led her from Tennessee to Philadelphia, the number four broadcast market in America”

A Message to Freshmen: Alumnus Kendall Downing Gives Advice to Journalism Students on how to Reach their Goals Post-Graduation

by

By Kelsey French
JEM 414 Fall 2018

 

Kendall Downing has worked in various markets:  WYMD-TV in Hazard, Kentucky, WPSD-TV in Paducah, Kentucky, WXIN-TV in Indianapolis, and back to his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee at WMC Action News 5.

For Downing, it was always a childhood dream to work in news. It’s no wonder he started setting himself apart from his peers as soon as he started college.

“The first thing I did was try to get myself in front of people that would get me as much experience as possible” Downing said.

Downing became heavily involved on campus, both … Read more “A Message to Freshmen: Alumnus Kendall Downing Gives Advice to Journalism Students on how to Reach their Goals Post-Graduation”

Successful Alumni: Jordan Lawson’s experience at UT led him to work as a web content editor in Atlanta

by

By John Vandergriff
Jem 414, Fall 2018

Jordan Lawson is a content editor for Discovery. Photo Courtesy of Jordan Lawson

A journalism major opens many doors, not just those to hard news. Just ask Jordan Lawson, a graduate of the University of Tennessee’s School of Journalism and Electronic Media, and an online editor for Discovery.

Lawson grew up around Knoxville, so the decision to go to the University of Tennessee was easy. There, he decided to pursue a major in journalism and got involved with The Tennessee Journalist, TNJN.com, the official news website for the School of Journalism and Electronic … Read more “Successful Alumni: Jordan Lawson’s experience at UT led him to work as a web content editor in Atlanta”

Successful Alumni: From Naps to News, Claire Dodson’s journey took her to Teen Vogue

by

By Lindsey Owen
JEM 414, Fall 2018

Claire Dodson grew up hearing the sound of The Daily Times being printed from underneath a journalist’s desk where she would sleep while her father worked.

Her father, Richard Dodson, could be found working in the Maryville, Tennessee, newsroom during late hours when the paper was printing. These late nights would later impact Dodson’s career path.

She works as an entertainment editor at Teen Vogue.

Dodson says this is because of the courses, experience, and mentors she had within UT’s Communications Building.

Her journey into journalism began during her junior year at Bearden … Read more “Successful Alumni: From Naps to News, Claire Dodson’s journey took her to Teen Vogue”

Successful Alumni: Courtney Anderson used experience, determination, to make it in TV news

by

*Courtney Anderson is now the Web Producer for WREG-TV

By Madi Bowling, JEM 414, Fall 2018

 

A day in the life of Courtney Anderson starts bright and early as she enters the office of WREG in Memphis at 5:30 a.m. Anderson organizes the calendar of events that will be televised by the station that day and focuses upon the most important events. She talks to daybreak producers about what the morning staff is covering and is sure to redirect them to any breaking news. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., she meets with day producers to plan shows for … Read more “Successful Alumni: Courtney Anderson used experience, determination, to make it in TV news”

Successful Alumni: Andrea Hall teaches journalism and tenacity

by

*Andrea Hall now teaches at Troy University as an Instructor. 

By Lexie Little, JEM 414, Fall 2018

 

Students in their first journalism classes find themselves daydreaming about reporting on the sidelines for ESPN, interviewing A-list stars for People magazine or co-hosting a major network’s morning talk show. But for some, the road to success is not mapped out clearly in black and white like the content they write.

Andrea Hall, an assistant professor of journalism at Auburn University, did not set out on her academic journey with intentions to teach journalism and design. In fact, academia seemed far from … Read more “Successful Alumni: Andrea Hall teaches journalism and tenacity”

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

by

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

by

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”

Two years later: JEM Alumni receive Emmy nomination for Vietnam Veteran War documentary

by

Often times, moments in history are forgotten and so are the people in them. As journalists, it is our job to make sure the moments and people are remembered for years to come. And, that is just what two recent University of Tennessee graduates did as journalism and electronic media students.

Isaac Fowler and Tim Morris, created a Vietnam War Veteran documentary titled “Welcome Home Brother” while working as undergraduates with the School of Journalism & Electronic Media’s documentary program: Land Grant Films. Dr. Nick Geidner, JEM associate professor and director of Land Grant Films, was executive producer and Clint … Read more “Two years later: JEM Alumni receive Emmy nomination for Vietnam Veteran War documentary”