Alumni News Archives - Page 8 of 10 - School of Journalism and New Media

Archive for the ‘Alumni News’ Category

Recent graduate Clancy Smith returns to share insights into career in governmental relations

Posted on: November 1st, 2016 by jheo1

Communicating is hard enough. But try communicating on behalf of 122 different personalities.

That’s the situation facing Clancy Smith, a 2015 graduate of The Meek School of Journalism and New Media, in her new job as House Information Officer for the 122- member Mississippi House of Representatives.

Smith returned to campus Oct. 20 to speak on working in government communications to the Public Relations Case Studies class taught by her former instructor Robin Street.

“Clancy is one the best students I have ever taught,” Street said. “She excels in journalism and communication skills. The Mississippi Legislature is lucky to have someone with her talents.”

Smith, who was a print journalism major with a PR emphasis, uses her journalism degree daily in her job. She may take a photo and send it to a representative’s local newspaper, write a news article, or compile a digital newsletter for the internal public of representatives.

“Not a day goes by that I don’t make use of the writing and communications skills I acquired at Ole Miss,” Smith said. “Applying those skills in my role as House Information Officer allows me to be more confident and effective in my job.”

She provides information to members of the Capitol Press Corps, responds to local news outlets on matters relating to legislation, sets up news conferences for representatives and writes weekly summaries of legislative proceedings.

Clancy Smith (left), a 2015 graduate of The Meek School, returned to campus to speak to Senior Lecturer Robin Street’s (right) public relations class about her job as House Information Officer for the Mississippi House of Representatives. Photo by Taylor Lewis.

By Taylor Lewis

Alumni Update: Laura Beth Lyons Strickland (’08)

Posted on: September 22nd, 2016 by jheo1

Meek School graduate Laura Beth Lyons Strickland, communications manager at the Vicksburg, Mississippi Convention and Visitors Bureau, was named Mississippi Tourism Association Member of the Year for 2016 recently.

Strickland has been an integral leader in the rebranding of Vicksburg as The Key to the South, says a news release from the MTA. She has overseen the building and design of Vicksburg’s new responsive design website, launched a weekly blog and grown social media platforms to record levels. She also served as chair of the 2015 Mississippi Governor’s Conference on Tourism.

Her former public relations instructor, Robin Street, fondly recalls Strickland in the classroom and has kept up with her as a public relations professional.

“Laura Beth is a special young woman who puts her heart into her work, whether it was in the classroom or now in her professional work,” Street said. “It also says a lot about her that she remained in her Mississippi to put her talents to use in bettering her hometown and home state.”

Strickland graduated in 2008 with B.A. in both journalism and English, along with a specialization in public relations. She joined the Vicksburg CVB in 2009 and has worked there ever since.

Her work has been recognized multiple times with awards for websites, special events and branding from the Public Relations Association of Mississippi. She has also been named to the Vicksburg Post’s list of the “Top 20 under 40.”

Alumni Update: Alex Cox Shockey and Rachel Hammons (’10, ’14)

Posted on: September 21st, 2016 by jheo1

Just who is behind all those clever social media posts from FedEx? Two Meek School alums, of course. Alex Cox Shockey (pictured left ) and Rachel Hammons (pictured right), both communication specialists with FedEx, plan, create and oversee much of the social media for that company.

The two graduates returned to campus on Sept. 13 to speak to the same public relations techniques class they took with Robin Street, senior lecturer(pictured, center).
Shockey graduated with a degree in print journalism with an emphasis in PR in 2010. She joined FedEx in 2012 after working as a digital communications specialist for Pinnacle Airlines, now called Endeavor Air, for two years.

Hammons earned a degree in IMC in May 2014, then completed a master’s degree in IMC at Northwestern while also interning at FedEx. Following her graduation from Northwestern, she began working fulltime at FedEx in January 2016. (photo credit: Hailey Heck)

Alumni Update: Madisen Theobald (’16)

Posted on: September 21st, 2016 by jheo1

Madisen Theobald at Condé Nast corporate headquarters.

Madisen Theobald is coordinator for digital advertising and product monetization for Condé Nast Publications in New York City. She works on all 16 of the company’s brands: Vogue, GQ, Vanity Fair, Allure, Glamour, The New Yorker, Pitchfork and nine more. Her day-to-day duties include working with the corporate team’s directors and managers to execute and create digital advertisements and grow overall digital revenue. She also facilitates video interviews and production work for Condé Nast’s The Scene.

Madisen graduated Magna Cum Laude in May with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, a minor in graphic design and an emphasis in magazine services. While at the Meek School, she was Ole Miss Yearbook Design Editor, Daily Mississippian designer, and president of the Society for News Design chapter.

“It has been my dream to work for Condé Nast for as long as I can remember,” Theobald says “But it didn’t come easy. During my senior year at the Meek School, I worked five journalism-related jobs, strived for straight As, joined as many clubs in the Meek School that I could, found life-long mentors that saw my strengths when I saw weaknesses, and took classes that I didn’t even need to graduate just so I could learn more. The Meek School was more than the school that gave me an education and my dream job. It was my family that pushed me to be the best version of myself.”

Alumni Update: Ashley F. G. Norwood (’16)

Posted on: September 6th, 2016 by jheo1

I was awarded a masters in journalism last May. The next month, I was hired as a beat reporter for Mississippi Today, the state’s only non-partisan and non-profit digital news organization.

What began as a Master’s thesis project has now earned national attention receiving more than 15,000 views since its summer debut online. It will now continue as a documentary series that details the black experience.

“The Fly in the Buttermilk,” a short documentary on the history, perception, and purpose of black Greek-lettered organizations at Ole Miss is now airing in the national Capitol, Washington, DC, on DCTV.

The film has screened in Detroit during the inaugural African World Film festival last month. I was among 15 filmmakers, and the only one from Mississippi. I joined filmmakers from South Africa, London, Cameroon and other nations.

The “fly in the buttermilk” will be screened in New York this October at the Reel Sisters of the Diaspora’s Annual Film Festival and Lecture Series. Films by women directors of color known around the world will be screened.

The lecture will feature the short film, and I will lead a panel of researchers in comparing the roles of BGLOs on college campuses during the Civil rights and black lives matter movements.

View the project here: https://vimeo.com/167185018

Alumni Update: Browning Stubbs (’16)

Posted on: September 6th, 2016 by jheo1

Browning Stubbs, former NewsWatch Station Manager, Daily Mississippian Writer, Rebel Radio Sports Host, and 2016 Meek School Graduate, recently accepted a position with ESPN at its headquarters in Bristol, CT. He is in the production department. During the summer, Browning interned with ESPN Los Angeles, where he helped produce SportsCenter. Browning had the opportunity to produce segments, edit sound bites and video content, write graphics and scripts and create the top plays of the night. Browning also received experience in the field, helping to produce the ESPYS, the Golden Spikes Award, the CrossFit Games, and a Rams vs. Cowboys NFL Preseason game. In Bristol, Browning will continue to produce content that will air on all of ESPN’s digital and television platforms.

Alumni Update: Clancy Smith (’15)

Posted on: September 6th, 2016 by jheo1

Clancy Smith (’15) is House Information Officer for the Mississippi House of Representatives. Smith will provide information to members of the Capitol Press Corps, respond to local news outlets on matters relating to legislation, set up news conferences for representatives and write weekly summaries of legislative proceedings.

“I’m excited about the opportunity to work with leaders of the state of Mississippi to help facilitate the legislative process and keep the public informed,” Smith said. “The Meek School of Journalism gave me the tools I needed to be ready for this position and great mentors who helped me believe I could get there.”

Smith, a native of Saltillo, Miss., earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism with a minor in political science and an emphasis in public relations from The University of Mississippi before earning a master’s degree in public relations from The University of Alabama in 2016.

Alumni Update: Mark Ray (MA, ’90)

Posted on: March 2nd, 2016 by

This July will mark my 18th year of fulltime freelancing—mostly writing but also some editing and a little project management. It’s been quite a run, especially considering that I’ve been able to thrive on referrals and a small amount of networking.

Over the years, I’ve done regular work for The Cobb Group/Element K Journals, Humana, the Courier-Journal, Culler Media, the United Methodist Church, and the Presbyterian Church (USA), but the Boy Scouts of America has become my major client. Especially recently, the BSA has kept me extremely busy (although I think that work is going to level out some going forward). In the last two years, I’ve edited/rewritten the Bear Handbook, the Webelos Handbook, and the Boy Scout Handbook, edited a new three- volume resource called Program Features for Troops, Teams, and Crews, and written the new two-volume Troop Leader Guidebook, among other projects. I also continue to sell a couple of self-published titles for Scout leaders, The Eagle Court of Honor Book and The Scoutmaster’s Other Handbook.

I haven’t abandoned magazines, however! Since 2009, I’ve written the Roundtable section for Scouting magazine (circulation 1 million), which includes six articles per issue and has a strong service-journalism component, as well as contributing the occasional feature to the magazine. Since 2005, I’ve also written most of the National Eagle Scout Association magazine, now called Eagles’ Call (circulation 138,000), typically including one or two features and 10 or 12 briefs. The strong focus in Eagles’ Call is on profiles, and I’ve profiled everyone from astronauts and Olympians to politicians and CEOs. (It’s interesting to go from interviewing a 16-year-old Eagle Scout who doesn’t answer questions in complete sentences to interviewing a 78-year-old member of the Baseball Hall of Fame!)

Although I lost my pica pole somewhere along the way, the skills I developed in the master’s program at Ole Miss continue to pay dividends. With my books, I’ve done everything—writing, editing, design, layout, production, and marketing—and on other projects I’ve been able to effectively edit both my own work and the work of other people.

Alumnus Burnis Morris chosen as a History Hero

Posted on: January 29th, 2016 by

Meek School alumnus Burnis Morris (’72) was selected as a 2016 History Hero for his work with the Carter G. Woodson Foundation. Read the article at marshall.edu.

Alumni Update: Amber Lynn Murphy (’15)

Posted on: January 26th, 2016 by

I’m Amber Lynn Murphy (’15) and I recently took a job working for The Alliance Agency. Our agency works with many athletes and entertainers. At this point, I thought I was done with journalism, but I have been using my creative abilities more than ever. Everyday I use what I learned in the journalism program to help our company grow differently from other companies in our industry.

I grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana, where my choosing Ole Miss was a shock. My whole family went to Louisiana State University. At first it was hard for them to understand why, but when I started Ole Miss, I gave them a reason to understand. Needless to say, they all are Ole Miss fans, now. Thanks to the community, university, faculty and higher administration for making this journey possible.

While at Ole Miss, I held a sports anchor and reporter position with News Watch99. I had a broad range of duties from editing my own stories to anchoring a live show. I believe my experiences have enabled me to have the flexibility to excel in any tasks that are given to me now. I further refined my skills when I interned at FOX8 and WGNO in New Orleans. During these internships, I attended editorial meetings and performed research. I also prepared for presentations by writing scripts and cutting corresponding film. No story was too tough to tackle and no deadline was too quick. I worked extremely hard, and I loved having a plan and being organized. I always try to get better with each assignment, and I look forward to using these skills in any field of work.

During the academic year, I was involved in 12 student activities, while taking 21 hours and working part-time. My strong work ethic and time-management skills allowed me to successfully understand what it takes. The journalism professors provided me with constructive feedback to better my skills. Additionally, my experience as a student leader of various organizations has prepared me to make quick decisions when difficult situations arise.

I am very interested in using my talents in communication that I learned at the Meek School of Journalism and New Media.