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Great-great-granddaughter of Pulitzer Prize-winner forges her own path in journalism

Posted on: April 15th, 2021 by ldrucker

The great-great-granddaughter of a Pulitzer Prize-winning Memphis cartoonist is forging her own path in the journalism world.

Tupelo native Abbey Edmonson’s great-great-grandfather and great-grandfather, J. P. Alley and Cal Alley, were editorial cartoonists for the Memphis Commercial Appeal during the early to mid-20th century. J. P. Alley was the first cartoonist at the Appeal, and he won a Pulitzer Prize for journalism in 1923.

Edmonson will soon graduate from the University of Mississippi School of Journalism and New Media and pursue a graduate degree. The Tupelo High School graduate always enjoyed reading and writing and knew she wanted to continue that passion within her studies at Ole Miss.

Originally an English major, halfway through her freshman year, Edmonson decided to switch majors and has focused on editorial journalism with a specialization in social media. She said majoring in journalism and minoring in English and creative writing has been “the best of both worlds.”

Abbey Edmonson rides in a boat during a recent journalism project that explored climate change in Mississippi. The photo was taken by Billy Schuerman.

One of Edmonson’s accomplishments was receiving a scholarship to attend the Investigative Reporters and Editors conference in September of 2020. Edmonson said professor Cynthia Joyce inspired her to apply for the scholarship. She was shocked, yet happy to receive the opportunity.

One of her favorite conference events, held online due to COVID-19, was a student journalist networking event during which student journalists from across the country discussed their graduation plans, Edmonson said.

During her time at Ole Miss, Edmonson has been involved with “Her Campus,” an online magazine written by and focused on empowering women in college.

Between her sophomore and junior year, she received an internship to work at Invitation Magazine in Oxford, a local event publication that covers Northeast Mississippi. Last January, she was promoted to editorial assistant.

Edmonson works with a small staff and has written for different departments. She runs all of Invitation’s social media accounts, works on shout-outs, the team calendar, and has taken event photos. At times, she had even illustrated and written feature stories.

During an editorial meeting in the fall before the COVID-19 pandemic, Edmonson pitched a story idea to Rachel West, publisher of Invitation Magazine and an adjunct instructor of integrated marketing communications, about a class she was taking at Ole Miss taught by cartoonist Marshall Ramsey.

West said Edmonson wanted to write a story about her experiences taking the cartooning class and her family background of cartoonists, and compare how the old and new cartoons she had obtained and created have influenced her learning experiences within the class.

“That idea really put a whole lot of air under her wings,” West said. Soon after, the two began discussing plans for Edmonson’s future after Ole Miss.

While applying to different jobs and grad school, West saw that Edmonson was talented and passionate about art and storytelling. She suggested that Edmonson apply to the Savannah College of Art and Design.

“It’s always better to have options,” West said. “As a student, it is rewarding to come from an undergraduate program such as Ole Miss because of how much other schools look at and value it so much.”

After applying to various schools, Edmonson has been accepted into the Columbia University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and the Savannah College of Art and Design MFA in writing program. As of now, she will be attending SCAD.

“In her application essay, she spoke about how growing up with an autistic brother forced her to get comfortable being in the background – but it was from that vantage point that she cultivated such sharp observational skills,” said Cynthia Joyce, associate professor of journalism. “In my experience, it’s rare to see such a quiet, attention-avoidant student emerge as a true leader. In both her academic and personal achievements, Abbey has done just that.”

West said Edmonson is well prepared for this industry.

“Abbey never comes to a meeting or leaves work without having contributed something,” West said. “That is the most amazing quality in anyone in the workplace.”

Edmonson said she enjoyed being involved in the Lens Collective photography workshop in 2019 during which she learned new multimedia journalism skills. She also took a trip for her honors thesis practicum with Professor Michael Fagans and student photographer Billy Schuerman.

“Take advantage of every out-of-classroom opportunity that is given to you,” she said. “I learned a lot of things that you just can’t learn in the classroom. You have to learn it on your feet and in real life.”

Excited to embark on her new journey, Edmonson hopes to become involved in the magazine and publishing industry, whether that is working for Garden & Gun, Southern Living, or Penguin Random House.

This story was written by student Cloi Bryan for OxfordStories.net.

For more information about our journalism or integrated marketing communications programs visit jnm.olemiss.edu or email jour-imc@olemiss.edu.

University of Mississippi journalism team studies Climate Change in Mississippi

Posted on: March 15th, 2021 by ldrucker

Climate Change in Mississippi

Nationally and globally, much of the conversation about climate change has been territorial and political.

In Mississippi, state leaders have spoken of it rarely, if ever. However, the state’s science, industrial, agricultural and energy sectors have been working to address change and devise strategies.

A desire to explore the issue more in-depth led University of Mississippi School of Journalism and New Media professors and students to study the topic within the state. The result is the project Climate Change in Mississippi that focuses on what is, not what if. Practices, not policy.

Journalist and Professor Charlie Mitchell, who helped lead the Climate Change in Mississippi project, said the premise was that too many people have formed opinions about climate change without seeing how it relates to their daily lives. The project aims to report this relevance as a factual resource among political chatter.

“Climate change is a super-broad topic and much reporting is along political lines or appeals to emotion,” he said. “The students worked to identify front-line people in Mississippi dealing with change directly or indirectly and tell their stories about what’s happening, what’s being researched and what’s expected. The point was to deal with fact, not speculation or opinion.”

Jared Poland, a senior integrated marketing communications major from Chattanooga, plans to work in public relations after graduation at an agency, non-profit, or for a political action committee.

“I saw this class as an opportunity to use my public relations skills to shed light on the effects of climate change felt by everyday Mississippians,” he said. “The depth reporting class gave me the opportunity to spend time creating a series of stories that describe at length the 2019 floods in the Mississippi Delta and how the backwater flooding related to climate change and affected individuals.”

Poland said he immersed himself in the issue, traveling to the Delta twice and spoke with community leaders, locals, a climatologist, and other knowledgeable individuals about the floods and the pumps.

“I was able to see firsthand the hardships they had faced due to the flooding and was able to speak with them about the proposed pump project that almost everyone believed was the solution to the floods,” he said. “I also learned about their lives, their families, their passions and their hardships caused by the floods.”

“Climate change is a super-broad topic and much reporting is along political lines or appeals to emotion,” he said. “The students worked to identify front-line people in Mississippi dealing with change directly or indirectly and tell their stories about what's happening, what's being researched and what's expected. The point was to deal with fact, not speculation or opinion.”

Charlie Mitchell

Journalist and Professor

Students honed their research, interviewing and writing skills and worked to become better at identifying relevant facts and sources, then weaved the information into a understandable and compelling narrative.

Mitchell said the school has a history of producing relevant depth reports on national and international topics ranging from the emerging economy in post-war Sri Lanka to the intersection of good food and poor health in the Mississippi Delta.

“Former Dean Norton identified this topic as crucial, and it was decided students here and students at the University of Nebraska would tackle the topic simultaneously,” he said.

The UM student reporting team included Danielle Angelo, Anne Florence Brown, Lydia Cates, Will Corley, Abbey Edmondson, Cody Farris, Jacob Meyers, Eliza Noe, Jared Poland, Billy Schuerman, Tamara Tyes and Lauren Wilson.

Team advisers included John Baker, Michael Fagans, Charles Mitchell, Will Norton Jr., Darren Sanefski and Hannah Vines.

Poland said the most interesting part is it’s an issue that has affected Delta residents since the early 1900s.

“The project that is believed to be the solution to the floods was originally proposed in 1941,” he said. “I was able to speak with individuals who have spent their entire life dealing with floods and fighting for solutions to prevent them.

“As someone deeply interested in politics, I was fascinated by the pumps project and the political discourse and conflicts that have unfolded surrounding it, including the EPA’s veto of the project in 2008. It has been a heavily contested political issue and remains one today.”

Poland said others who take the course should use it as an opportunity to deeply explore the topic.

“It was the first project of this size I have ever taken on, but with the help of my instructors, it truly was one of my favorite experiences during my time at Ole Miss,” he said.

William Schuerman is a senior journalism major with a print emphasis and an environmental studies minor.

“I enrolled in the class because, after I heard about the project, I knew there would be an opportunity to produce content about a subject I am very passionate about,” he said.

Schuerman, who hopes to work as a photojournalist and be published in National Geographic someday, said the class was different from other classes. He traveled across the state helping other students create multimedia.

“Projects like this are where I have learned the most in my time at the University of Mississippi, so it was a logical step forward for me,” he said. “… I feel that I always learn more when working in the field than purely sitting in the classroom.”

Professor Michael Fagans, a project adviser, said he tried to ask questions to get students thinking about how to better cover their story area and how to tell it with infographics, photos or illustrations.

“As with many of our ‘outside the classroom’ reporting opportunities, students learn valuable lessons when they get out into Mississippi and meet, interview and tell the stories of our residents,” he said.

Providing feedback and encouragement leads to growth, Fagans said.

“I hope that our students were able to gain insight into how to be better journalists, what kind of effort can go into a project and the value of getting out ‘into the field,’ sometimes, quite literally,” he said.

“I hope that, because of this project, people recognize that climate change is real and it is causing real repercussions, even in Mississippi. Mississippi is rural and not nearly as populated as other areas of the country that are experiencing major effects of climate change. So I feel like it often gets overlooked in the big picture of climate change."

Abby Edmonson

STUDENT JOURNALIST

Abbey Edmonson, a senior journalism major with minors in English and creative writing and an emphasis in social media, said she was curious about the effects of climate change in our state.

Her focus was on saltwater aquaculture on the Gulf Coast, where she traveled with Fagans and Schuerman.

“Throughout the trip, we interviewed several people who are involved in the commercial fishing industry, specifically the oyster industry,” she said. “We toured the last oyster-shucking house in Mississippi, watched how oysters are bred, and rode a boat out to an oyster farm. That trip is something I’ll hold onto forever because we got to interact firsthand with people who are experiencing real issues as a direct result of climate change.”

She said students also interviewed people about possible solutions in the works, which “added a bright spot to an otherwise disheartening situation.”

“I hope that, because of this project, people recognize that climate change is real, and it is causing real repercussions, even in Mississippi,” she said. “Mississippi is rural and not nearly as populated as other areas of the country that are experiencing major effects of climate change. So I feel like it often gets overlooked in the big picture of climate change.

“I wanted to learn more about it, because I honestly didn’t know much about it to begin with. I also wanted to be able to tell people about the changes that are visibly happening and, I think, are underrepresented in the media. Everything is so interconnected, and it’s important to recognize that when one area gets affected by climate change, other areas will follow.”

To learn more about the project and read student work, visit the Climate Change in Mississippi website.

University of Mississippi journalism instructor pens book about Mississippi songwriter Jim Weatherly

Posted on: March 3rd, 2021 by ldrucker

The late Jim Weatherly, who passed away Feb. 3 at his home in Brentwood, Tennessee at age 77, was part of Mississippi and American music history. A new University of Mississippi scholarship has been established in his honor.

The Pontotoc native, who later became a quarterback at the University of Mississippi, chose to pursue a music career over football and went on to write songs for 50 years. His best known song was “Midnight Train to Georgia” recorded by Gladys Knight & the Pips. Other artists who have recorded Weatherly’s songs include Glen Campbell, Kenny Rogers, Neil Diamond, Kenny Chesney and Garth Brooks.

Jeffrey Roberson, a journalism instructor with the University of Mississippi School of Journalism and New Media, is Weatherly’s first cousin and author of “Midnight Train,” a book produced by Yoknapatawpha Press in conjunction with the School of Journalism and New Media that chronicles the life of the Hall of Fame songwriter.

We asked Roberson a few questions about Weatherly and his legacy.

Q. How long had you known Jim Weatherly?

A. My father, now 95, and Jim’s late mother were siblings. So I had known him all my life. He was 16 years older, and I was only 5 when he completed his Ole Miss football years. He lived in California until I was in my mid-20s, and we would see him twice a year during those years. Then, in the late-1980s, he moved to Nashville, and we saw him a lot more.

Q. How would you describe him?

A. Jim loved his hometown of Pontotoc and his home state of Mississippi, and much of his music reflected that love and passion. When he received a Governor’s Award for Excellence in Music in Jackson a few years ago, he told the audience, “I’ve lived in California, and I’ve lived in Tennessee, but I’ve never considered myself anything but a Mississippian.”

He loved football, especially Ole Miss football. He loved his family. His wife, Cynthia, and their children, Brighton and Zack, were so important to him and brought him so much joy. He began reading biographies and autobiographies later in life, and he realized he might have a story to tell, and certainly he did. The book “Midnight Train” is his life story.

Jim Weatherly

Q. What do you think his contributions in the music world meant to Mississippi?

A. Jim liked to say he was born in Pontotoc, between Oxford and Tupelo, between Faulkner and Elvis. So he always said that he had a head start on being a songwriter. While his music and his football resonated with Mississippians and Southerners, who can be passionate about both, I think it was the worldwide attention his music received that proved people everywhere could relate. He was overwhelmed by the news in 2014 that he was to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York. It was a significant moment that brought attention to the state of Mississippi and gave his music even more worldwide acclaim.

Q. How do you think his legacy will live on?

A. His songs have been recorded by so many people and groups from different walks, from Neil Diamond to Widespread Panic, from Garth Brooks to Dean Martin, Aretha Franklin, the Oak Ridge Boys, Glen Campbell, Kenny Rogers, Charley Pride, and many, many more. Country Music Hall of Famer Ray Price recorded an astounding 38 of Jim’s songs.

But it was Gladys Knight and the Pips who sent his music to the top. They recorded 13 of his songs. The National Endowment for the Arts and the Recording Industry Association of America chose 365 significant songs of the 20th century. Jim’s “Midnight Train to Georgia” was No. 29.

Gladys Knight Tweeted (after his death), “I’m missing Jim Weatherly already. He was about life and love. . . .I’m gonna miss him terribly and love him always.”

Last summer in a televised show called “Global Goal: Unite for Our Future,” Jennifer Hudson sang the opening song, which was one of Jim’s classics – “Where Peaceful Waters Flow.” His legacy lives on through his music.

Click this link to learn more about the University of Mississippi Scholarship that has been established in Weatherly’s honor.

University of Mississippi journalism professor helps judge prestigious Pictures of the Year International contest

Posted on: March 2nd, 2021 by ldrucker

A University of Mississippi School of Journalism and New Media professor recently served as a live judge for the Pictures of the Year International contest.

Alysia Steele, associate professor of journalism, has been virtually judging competition entries for the contest known by some as the oldest, most prestigious photo contest in the world. It started in 1943-44 and is held at the University of Missouri.

This year, Steele said there are 28 judges divided into groups of four, and the contest will continue through March 7.

“This contest is incredibly important because it acknowledges and celebrates the tremendous physical and emotional work that photojournalists do every day,” said Steele, “because it’s their life’s calling and passion, and it’s not easy work.

“Photographers risk their lives to document history – to make public what’s happening around the world, and I don’t think many people realize the dangers they and their loved ones also face. Not just about the physicality of the work in dangerous situations, but also the stress and worry their loved ones go through when they are in the field, or the support they give when the photographer works long hours and misses precious family moments. That’s real.”

In our ever-changing technological world, Steele said we don’t always see what’s happening, but the contest is one way to acknowledge and honor the work photographers contribute to the world.

“Photographs have helped change international policies and bring light to human causes,” she said. “We are not ‘just’ photographers – we are visual storytellers, who report, who also find stories, and who dedicate an immense amount of time to our work.”

Alysia Steele

Steele said she teaches that captions are just as important as visuals.

“Oftentimes photographers are still at an event or situation reporting by themselves,” she said. “They arrive early and stay late. They pay attention to details, they’re thinking about composition, moments, light, and so many other technical factors that go into creating an image, but they’re also thinking about their surroundings and the reporting of what they see and hear. Their accuracy, honesty and transparency are incredibly important to journalism, and this esteemed and well-respected competition honors the work.”

Steele said being asked to help judge the competition was one of the greatest honors she’s ever been given.

“When I read the email initially inviting me, I had to re-read it, to make sure I understood what was being asked of me – I was being asked to judge,” she said. “OMG was my response. It is a chance to collaborate, debate and provide perspective with esteemed peers, who also provide their insight.

“The conversations we had were thoughtful, respectful and in-depth. No decision was ever made lightly. We worked together for a common goal – to honor what we collectively thought was the best representation in the four categories we judged, which were Spot News, Daily Life, COVID-19 Picture Story and Local Photographer of the Year (one of the most premiere categories of photographers all over the world documenting their communities).”

Steele said they had two weeks to individually review thousands of photos and narrow down what they individually thought are the best of the best. Images that received two out of the four votes from their team made it to the next round.

“From there, we narrowed it down by additional rounds,” she said. “I think one category of finalists alone took us three hours on live stream. For example, one category had over 2,000 entries, and we narrowed the top winners and awards of excellence down to, I think, five entries.

“There is a tremendous amount of integrity in this competition, and to be asked to provide my humble professional opinion, and for this organization to see value in my small contribution, is just one way that helps justify the decision I made to become a visual storyteller in the first place. To be included in the ever-growing and long line of prolific judges, is a nod that I did something right in my career.”

Students can tune into the competition to learn more about storytelling, composition, moments, theory, ethics, newsworthiness, and how to articulate and defend photo choices. Visit https://www.poy.org/ to learn more.

To see a list of judges: https://www.poy.org/78/judges.html

Award

A number of UM School of Journalism and New Media professors judge or have judged national competitions.

Professor Graham Bodie, Ph.D. will soon be judging the International English Public Speaking Competition.
Professor Michael Fagans has judged some categories in the Evangelical Press Association competition. He also helped judge the Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar’s Photo Competition pre-COVID-19.
Professor Debbie Hall will be serving as a judge for the American Marketing Association collegiate competition in April.
Professor Samir Husni, Ph.D. will be judging the Best Use of Print category for the International News Media Association Global Media Awards. There are 50 entries he will be judging from all over the world.
Professor Iveta Imre, Ph.D. will be judging the Broadcast Education Association documentary entries for the Festival of Media Arts.
Professor R. J. Morgan, Ph.D., has served as a judge for many state organizations, as well as the National Scholastic Press Association, Columbia Scholastic Press Association, Journalism Education Association, and Society of Professional Journalists Foundation.
Professor LaReeca Rucker has served as a judge for the Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence Awards that honors the best in collegiate journalism.
Professor Marquita Smith, Ed.D., just finished judging the The Robin Turner Program, or Toner Prizes, in Political Reporting at the Newhouse School of Syracuse University.
Professor Patricia Thompson judges several national competitions annually. She recently served once again as a juror for The Robin Turner Program, or Toner Prizes, at the Newhouse School at Syracuse University.
Professor Kathleen Wickham, Ed.D, will be judging the National Headliner Journalism Awards for the 11th year. The contest, founded in 1934, is one of the oldest journalism contests and the only competition to judge across all media platforms: print, broadcast, photography, magazines, radio, digital and online journalism. This year, the number of submissions topped 1,000, Wickham said. More than 3,000 medallions have been presented since the contest was created by the Press Club of Atlantic City.

Professor from Oslo’s Peace Research Institute speaks with School of Journalism and New Media class

Posted on: February 25th, 2021 by ldrucker

Building peace from below

Peace can be built from above by people who have power, but it can also be built from below.

This was one of the key messages in a lecture given by Dr. Henrik Syse, a research professor from the Peace Research Institute in Oslo who teaches peace and conflict studies at Bjørknes University College.

Syse spoke to students in Dr. Zenebe Beyene’s peace journalism class remotely via Zoom this week about “reflections on the Nobel Peace Prize and generating a conversation about peace.”

The popular public speaker served a full six-year term from 2015 to 2020 as a member of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, which awards the Nobel Peace Prize. He served as its vice chair from 2017-2020.

We can all play a role in fighting for peace, Syse said, even if we don’t hold a leadership position.

“There are so many ways: personal, communal, diplomatic, political, spiritual,” he said. “… We must be able to talk about peace…We must find arenas… If we leave it to others to talk about peace, we won’t make any headway in our lives or communities.”

Can we agree on a concept of peace as a goal worth pursuing in itself across cultural boundaries, Syse asked. He said there are different conceptions of peace.

Negative peace: The absence of physical conflict.
Positive peace: A life of possibilities and fulfillment, enjoyed in confidence and predictability (within the human condition).
Inner peace: The tranquility of the mind.
Fraternal peace: Harmony between people who mean each other well.
Environmental peace: Harmony with the needs of the earth and its creatures.
Divine or philosophical peace: Harmony with God or the Cosmos.

“We need meeting points across differences,” he said.

Syse also discussed the history of the Nobel Peace Prize that came from the will of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, who lived from 1833-1896.

“He wanted the money after his death to be used for the good of mankind – to award people who had done something great for the world,” Syse said.

The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in chemistry, medicine, literature, peace and economics.

"This is one of the reasons why we need to work hard. It’s not only aspiring or hoping for peace; we need to work for it because we cannot have peace unless we contribute our own share."

Zenebe Beyene, Ph.D.

assistant Professor and
Coordinator of International Programs

“Individuals who don’t hold a lot of power…They can build peace from the bottom up in their society,” Syse said. “… I think we should all think about how we can contribute to peace, whether we win the Nobel Peace Prize or not.”

Syse said one way of being more peaceful and agreeing on a definition of peace is by using common sense principles like the Golden Rule, known in many religions and cultures. Treat others the way you would have them treat you.

He said journalism can be an instrument of peace.

“Disagreement can be very constructive,” he said. “… Journalism plays a huge role there. You can uncover truth in a way that uncovers peace and speaks truth to power.”

Syse, who teaches regularly at the Norwegian Defense University College, the University of Oslo, and other institutions of higher learning, is chief editor (with James Cook) of the Journal of Military Ethics. From 2005 to 2007, he was head of corporate governance for Norges Bank Investment Management, which manages Europe’s largest sovereign wealth fund, and he continued, until 2009, as an advisor and consultant on social issues for NBIM.

He was also a member of the Norwegian Press Complaints Commission from 2002 to 2016, and has been a member of the Norwegian Academy of Language and Literature since 2010. He was nominated as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2007.

Syse has written and edited approximately 20 books and many articles and essays. His publications span the fields of philosophy, politics, business, religion and ethics. He is often used as a commentator on social and ethical issues by the media.

He holds a Master of Arts degree in political philosophy from Boston College and a Dr.Art. (Ph.D.) degree in moral philosophy from the University of Oslo. He is also a Sunday School teacher – and a specialist on The Beatles.

Beyene, an assistant professor and coordinator of international programs, said conversations about peace are important.

“I think one important takeaway point for all is, although there are different conceptions of peace, peace is something that is worth fighting for because it is the foundation for everything.

“This is one of the reasons why we need to work hard. It’s not only aspiring or hoping for peace; we need to work for it because we cannot have peace unless we contribute our own share.”

Kelby Zendejas, a student in Beyene’s class, said it was an honor to listen to professor Syse’s presentation on peace and the Nobel Peace Prize.

“I remember writing down several quotes from his lecture that resonated with me as an aspiring journalist,” she said. “My ultimate takeaway from his lecture was definitely that peace can be built from below. It’s our duty as journalists to seek out the truth and uncover the truth by telling good stories.

“One other thing he said – one that I believe is the most important skill for a journalist to acquire – is the ability to listen. To be able to listen and tell unbiased stories with hope that peace journalism can contribute to world peace as a whole.”

UM School of Journalism and New Media graphic designer and Daily Mississippian win advertising awards

Posted on: February 12th, 2021 by ldrucker

Congratulations to University of Mississippi School of Journalism and New Media graphic designer Hannah Vines and The Daily Mississippian for winning awards in The Mississippi Press Association annual advertising contest.

Hannah Vines

The Daily Mississippian is a professional member of MPA and the staff and students compete against professional journalists and staff working at newspapers in the state. Judging was based on the design of print and digital ads as well as special editions produced throughout 2020.

Vines won two first-place awards and one third-place award. She won a first-place award, in competition with all newspapers in Mississippi, in the category for grocery/restaurant black and white ads for an ad about Chicory Market, and she won first place in the institutional color ads category for large newspapers for a Miss Mississippi sorority ad. She won third place in the retail color ad category for large newspapers for a CBD ad.

The Daily Mississippian won second place for General Excellence in the Class AB category, which includes the largest newspapers in the state. The Commercial Dispatch in Columbus took first place in that category.

The awards were announced in a virtual ceremony on Feb. 5 during the MPA mid-winter conference.

A ‘Gentle Insistence on Excellence’: Dr. Dupont will retire from UM School of Journalism and New Media after spring semester

Posted on: February 9th, 2021 by ldrucker

A 'Gentle Insistence on Excellence'

At the end of the spring semester, Dr. Nancy Dupont will retire from the University of Mississippi School of Journalism and New Media. She has been a vital part of the school since 2006 – teaching across a wide swath of the curriculum and playing a critical role in the growth and achievements of the broadcast journalism program.

While the entire faculty will miss her, that absence will be strongly felt by Interim Dean Debora Wenger, who has worked with Dupont in one way or another for more than 30 years.

When Wenger moved to Charlotte, N.C. to produce the 11 o’clock news more than 30 years ago, Dupont was the 6 o’clock producer, supervising the station’s hour-long show.

“Despite the fact that she was under an incredible amount of pressure in that role, Nancy was always funny and fun to be around,” Wenger said.

Wenger’s responsibilities included coming into the station about 2 p.m. and monitoring the news feeds that came from the network and other sources so she could alert Dupont about any great video she should include in her show. She also helped write breaking news stories for the 6 p.m. news and led the production of the late show.

“My first impression (of Nancy) was that she was good at her job, and that I could learn something from her,” she said. “My second impression is that she was someone I wanted to be friends with because she sure knew how to make people laugh and to like her.”

Not much has changed, Wenger said.

“After 30+ years of knowing Nancy, I still learn things from her, and I still enjoy being her friend,” she said. “When my husband, Mitch, was interviewing for a job at the University of Mississippi, Nancy was the first person to put my name forward as a candidate for an open position in the then Department of Journalism.

“Once I got the job, she was a huge help in getting me settled into my new role – and for the past 10 years, she has been a source of great ideas for making our program stronger, and she has been a great advocate for me always.”

For many years, Dupont was the faculty adviser for NewsWatch Ole Miss, and Wenger said Dupont deserves immeasurable thanks and credit for taking the program to a higher level. She was also a key driver behind the curriculum development that has made our broadcast program a much more relevant and robust component of the school.

“My first impression (of Nancy) was that she was good at her job, and that I could learn something from her. My second impression is that she was someone I wanted to be friends with because she sure knew how to make people laugh and to like her.”

Debora Wenger

Interim dean

Dupont has served as chair of the Electronic News Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication and was twice named chair of the news division of the Broadcast Education Association. In 2019, she was elected to a two-year term on the Broadcast Education Association Board of Directors.

Dupont’s scholarship is extensive. She co-authored the book Journalism of the Fallen Confederacy in 2014 and has authored a dozen or more book chapters. She has also been a prolific presenter at national and international conferences.

“I got an education at Loyola University in New Orleans, and set out to be a reporter,” Dupont said. “I soon tired of that, because the producers boss people around all day, and I wanted to be a producer.”

Dupont joined the UM faculty in 2006 after spending 17 years as a broadcast journalist and 13 years as a journalism educator. She earned a Ph.D. from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1997.

Wenger said one of the things she has learned from Dupont is to keep her love of breaking news alive.

“Whenever a big story emerged in the state, Nancy was always the first person on the phone to me saying, ‘Who can we send,” she said. “A ‘go-get-’em’ journalist’s heart is alive and well in Dr. Dupont, and she’s helped to keep it beating strong in me as well.”

Dupont said Wenger is the “smartest person I have ever known.”

“She has such confidence in herself,” Dupont said. “She can do anything. She taught me how to be a good producer … She taught me to take the challenge.”

Wenger said Dupont has been a role model – someone who exemplifies what it means to be a teacher first.

“Though she was an excellent researcher and contributed countless service hours, she has always focused on students,” Wenger said. “That’s why I’m so glad that one of the ways we will honor her is by naming the Mississippi Scholastic Press Association Broadcast Adviser of the Year Award after Nancy.”

The MSPA Board of Advisers unanimously approved a request by the University of Mississippi School of Journalism & New Media to rename its Broadcast Adviser of the Year award in honor of Dupont.

“Dr. Dupont is a highly-decorated journalism educator and the long-time faculty adviser for the award-winning NewsWatch, UM’s daily live student-run news broadcast,” said Dr. R. J. Morgan, director of the MSPA. “Throughout her career, Dr. Dupont has been a friend to scholastic journalism and a mentor to generations of young communicators.

“As such, she embodies both the spirit and substance of those educators our adviser of the year awards seek to honor, and I think I speak for the entire board when I say we are incredibly excited to have her name attached to this honor going forward.”

Morgan said the award, which honors the state’s best high school broadcast adviser, will be awarded at the spring convention, to be held virtually on April 9. Dupont will be involved in the judging process.

According to some of Dupont’s colleagues, naming the award for her could not be more fitting.

"In all your teaching, I saw you set the highest standard of professional journalism practice, and the ‘students’ responded to that in ways that will be rewarding for them all through their careers. Your gentle insistence on excellence has been inspirational ..."

Charlie Mitchell

JOURNALIST AND PROFESSOR

Professor Charlie Mitchell said when he visited NewsWatch in action, it was clear that students were “at work” as opposed to “in a class.”

“This is not insignificant,” he said. “In all your teaching, I saw you set the highest standard of professional journalism practice, and the ‘students’ responded to that in ways that will be rewarding for them all through their careers.

“Your gentle insistence on excellence has been inspirational to me, too. While you engaged in serious scholarship, you also organized Broadcast Day and attracted every news director in Mississippi and several from Tennessee to visit campus and meet with students each year. This was truly service above self and, again, something to admire.”

Samir Husni, Ph.D., founder and director, professor and Hederman Lecturer of the Magazine Innovation Center, said the only silver lining after the horrors of Hurricane Katrina was that it provided the opportunity for the department to hire DuPont.

“Her combination of professionalism in the newsroom and classroom is unmatched,” he said. “From day one, she put both skills into the service of our students, and she excelled as a mentor and as a teacher. I’m very proud to have had the honor of working with her as a colleague and to also call her my friend. I wish her the best in her retirement.”

Iveta Imre, Ph.D., a UM assistant professor of journalism, said she is sad Dupont is leaving.

“Your endless energy and passion have been amazing to witness during the short time I have had the pleasure to work with you,” she said. “I was always amazed at your dedication to work with NewsWatch students day in and day out for hours on end, to help them grow into budding journalists and support them on their journey. You are leaving big shoes to fill.”

Study abroad in Rome this summer with the UM School of Journalism and New Media

Posted on: January 26th, 2021 by ldrucker

If you’ve ever dreamed of traveling abroad and studying in Italy, a group of professors from the School of Journalism and New Media are planning to offer classes there this summer.

From May 25 to June 21, you can explore Florence, Rome, Sorrento and Capri while earning six hours of integrated marketing communications and/or journalism credit with professors from the school.

Study Abroad Rome

Choose two of four classes on topics such as smartphone photography, international writing, issues in European media, and world communication systems while experiencing Italy.

In addition to courses, you’ll have access to some of the best museums in the world (as well as the best gelato in the world), get to see beautiful small Italian towns, take an Italian cooking class, and participate in a variety of other cultural excursions around Tuscany, Rome and the Amalfi Coast.

For more information, including courses, itinerary and price, visit www.omjabroad.com or email Dr. Jason Cain at jacain@olemiss.edu.

Professor seeks UM School of Journalism and New Media student volunteers for app project that provides free emotional support

Posted on: January 18th, 2021 by ldrucker

As we continue to be separated from each other due to COVID-19, several studies have documented increased levels of depression, stress and anxiety, and decreased levels of general mental well-being among students.

A University of Mississippi School of Journalism and New Media professor is hoping to change that by partnering with creators of an app that provides free emotional support. Professor Graham Bodie, Ph.D., is also seeking students from the school willing to participate as listeners through the app for other students in need.

Graham Bodie

The HearMe.App, created by Adam Lippin and his team,

allows people to seek and receive support at any time. Users download the app to their Android or Apple device, specify their preferred listener type (male-female, age range, time availability to chat, etc.), and either identify a topic for conversation or begin chatting.

“All conversations are text-based, and listeners go through minimal training in active and reflective listening before they are allowed to interact with users,” Bodie said. “To date, over 54,000 conversations have taken place on the app with 94 percent of support seekers reporting they ‘felt better after one chat.’”

At the outset of the pandemic, the HearMe.App team commissioned a survey of 350 American adults, Bodie said. Results indicated that a majority of 18- to 24-year-olds reported feeling less connected than before the pandemic, compared to a majority of those over 35 who reported feeling more connected.

“Those in the traditional college-aged cohort were the least satisfied with the emotional support they are currently receiving and more readily identified texting to be a viable means of seeking support (again, compared to those in older age cohorts),” Bodie said. “Our current studies thus target a key demographic likely to benefit the most from digital forms of emotional support.”

The studies will take place at the University of Mississippi and University of Minnesota. They will examine whether broad-based, communal emotional support, delivered through a free app, can mitigate stress among college students and the negative mental health effects of social isolation and loneliness resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

By any number of measures, 2020 was stressful, and 2021 might be best described as “the year of loneliness” if we continue to be separated from each other due to COVID, Bodie said.

“In March, U.S. American higher education institutions closed down most campus operations and dormitory housing, and began encouraging or mandating online courses in an effort to manage the rapidly spreading COVID-19 pandemic,” he said. “By April, it was clear students were unlikely to return to campus for the remainder of the spring semester. As summer turned to fall, students continued to remain isolated, either at home or in a restricted and curfewed campus community.”

Bodie said general population studies find younger age groups reporting more impact from COVID-19 than older age groups, and students from disenfranchised groups are even more at risk of suffering from the consequences of the pandemic.

“Although most colleges and universities offer formal sources of support, these resources are generally underutilized,” he said.

Even if universities were able to convince more students to use mental health services, Bodie said the staffing alone would overwhelm personnel and overextend the financial capacities of higher education budgets. One answer to assisting students through crises is to strengthen social support networks.

Receiving high-quality support from friends and other informal help providers is vital for student coping, he said. However, COVID-19 precautions have disrupted students’ channels of seeking support. Some students are now socially isolated from peers, roommates, family members, and co-workers; and their social life has declined since March 2020.

Bodie said scholars are increasingly recognizing the need for colleges and universities to prioritize early prevention and intervention programming through platforms that allow students to adequately manage their mental health on or off campus.

He is looking for students to become listeners. While some might only be available for one session each week, others may have a few hours weekly to devote to the project.

“First, it does not take long to be a supportive shoulder for people, a keen ear available to listen in times of stress,” Bodie said. “Second, we hope students will seek support through the application as the semester progresses, whether they sign up as a listener or not.”

If you are interested in participating as a listener, click this link to answer the following short survey to get started.

Volunteer to “listen” on the app by emailing Bodie at at gbodie@olemiss.edu.

For more information about our journalism or integrated marketing communications programs visit jnm.olemiss.edu or email jour-imc@olemiss.edu.

Welcome back to the University of Mississippi School of Journalism and New Media

Posted on: January 15th, 2021 by ldrucker

Dear Students,

Here’s hoping your time away from campus allowed you to reconnect and recharge – to reconnect with people you care about and to recharge your enthusiasm for learning and growth.

As we head into the spring semester, let me first acknowledge how proud I am of you – the fall was tough on everyone, but you met the challenges head on and did better than we could have imagined.

Interim Dean Debora Wenger

I, personally, have reasons to be hopeful that the spring semester is going to be better:

The vaccine rollout is ramping up and as more and more people are inoculated, that should make our campus and our communities safer in the coming months. In the meantime, we saw in the fall semester that following the university’s safety protocols does help to protect us, and we will continue to stick with what we know is a good thing. Please read your Monday Morning Memo carefully each week to stay on top of COVID testing and vaccination updates.
We also know more about what works and what doesn’t in this learning environment. You and your instructors should be better prepared this semester to focus on getting the most that we can out of our time in the classroom, online or on Zoom. Everyone has reason to head into the spring with more confidence.

We do recognize, though, that things won’t always be easy this semester. Please practice self-care and reach out to me, your faculty or any of our staff if you start to struggle. The earlier you seek help, the easier it will be to get back on track.

Remember, too, that the university provides counseling services. You can call the University Counseling Center at 662-915-3784, Monday-Friday (8 a.m. – 5 p.m.) or the UM Dept. of Psychology at 662-915-7385.

We’ll try to communicate more often and look for additional ways to connect as the semester continues. We encourage you to follow us on social media – just log onto your favorite platform and look for “umjourimc”. In the meantime, stay safe and remember that we are stronger together.

Sincerely,

Dr. Deb Wenger
Interim Dean
drwenger@olemiss.edu
662-380-3046