SECOND PUBLICATION

“Training Sports Communicators to Report Concussions Accurately and Responsibly: Evidence From the Concussion Legacy Foundation Media Project Workshops,” Journalism and Mass Communication Educator, September 2024. With UA colleagues Dr. Scott Parrott (1st author) and Dr. Andrew C. Billings. LINK TO FREE ABSTRACT. The point: Current and aspiring sports journalists need to know how to accurately and responsibly report on the big issue of concussions in sports. The Concussion Legacy Foundation has valuable media resources and an effective journalist training program (we know because we tested it on students).

ACADEMIC AND PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS

“The impact of web metrics on community news decisions: A resource dependence perspective” presented to Community Journalism Interest Group, AEJMC National Convention, Chicago, Ill. (August 2017).

“Impact of web metrics on news decisions” (master’s thesis) presented at Media and the Public Sphere 2016, Athens, Ga. (October 22, 2016).

“Media criticism of revered sports figures in Alabama: Case studies of Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant and Gene Stallings” presented at AEJMC Southeast Colloquium panel, Knoxville, Tenn. (March 28, 2015) and Alabama Program in Sports Communication Symposium, Tuscaloosa, Ala. (Feb. 5, 2016). 

“Hit in the head: Media coverage of the football concussion controversy” presented to Alabama Sports Writers Association annual convention, Birmingham, Ala. (June 12, 2016).

“Legal thievery: Aggregation and copyright law” presented to Alabama Sports Writers Association annual convention, Mobile, Ala. (June 14, 2015).

NOT A TOTAL LOSER

Top Faculty Paper (with Dr. Wilson Lowrey as 2nd author), Community Journalism Interest Group, AEJMC National Convention, Chicago, August 2017 (Title: “The impact of web metrics on community news decisions: A resource dependence perspective”)

Top Graduate Student Award/KTA Inductee, University of Alabama (April 2016).

MORE ABOUT MY COURSES

JCM 180 Journalistic Principles and Practices — We get acquainted with the purposes and skills of different kinds of journalism in this intro-level class. Ultimate mission: Get the students excited about journalism, which is worth getting excited about.

JCM 303 News Writing and Reporting — Hear a lecture, do a lab, then go tackle a real news story. Students do that most weeks as they learn to report and write for different platforms. We mix it up with sessions on feature writing, data journalism, social media, ethics, law, diversity and public relations. I like this one especially because it merges News Media and Public Relations students.

JCM 325 Sports Writing and Reporting — More practice at being a good journalist. The topics just happen to be about sports (where the storylines are better!). Students run beats, cover games, write a variety of stories and critique professional work. And I’ll say this for UA’s increased geographic diversity: We spend more time talking about ice hockey than you’d ever imagine. I also get on my soapbox about sports writers who are homers and the dangers of football concussions.

JCM 493 Ethics and Diversity — We wrangle (civilly!) over current ethical controversies in media (journalism, public relations, advertising and entertainment). If I’m able to cut off the conversation, then we learn the skill of using a justification model to resolve ethical conflicts in media through moral reasoning. That is, of course, a foundation of respected media practice. It helps in life too.

JCM 511 In-Depth Reporting — This graduate-level course, part of UA’s professional track Community Journalism program but also open to others, teaches students how to plan, report and write in-depth issue stories. Each student does a real enterprise story of his or her choosing.

JCM 555 Entrepreneurial Journalism — This graduate-level course mixes in marketing skills as students learn how to create and sustain a small online news site. I pull from tons of cool stuff learned at The Scripps Howard Journalism Entrepreneurship Institute. With traditional news organizations shrinking or collapsing, digital startups offer some hope to replace the journalism lost. And they are where more future jobs will be. Hardest part of the course: Learning how to spell “entrepreneurial.”  

OTHER STUFF AT UA

Current faculty adviser, student chapter of Associated Press Sports Editors. Students: This student organization, which is officially recognized by the university and the national APSE, offers educational and networking opportunities, and is open to any CIS student, not just sports journalism students. Cost is $25 (paid to the national organization). If you want to apply, send me an email and I’ll tell you how.

Former coordinator, Media Writing Center, Room 134, Reese Phifer Hall. Students: The MWC offers free writing advice from peer mentors to any CIS student working on a class writing assignment. For the semester schedule of walk-in hours, visit Room 134 or look for fliers posted in numerous locations in the JCM Department.

Former coordinator, Dow Jones summer internship applications. Students: CLICK HERE to learn more about this valuable, competitive program in which students work for news organizations around the country. If you want to apply, send me an email and I’ll provide the necessary contact information.

PODCAST WITH THE CRIMSON WHITE

“We Rate Ratings” with Monica Nakashima and Josh LeBerte, July 4, 2021: We talked about teaching journalism, course policies, the Rate My Professor website and the comment that hurt the most. And I fear I insulted academic writing. Anyway, thank you, Monica and Josh.