Media College eNews

The West Virginia University Reed College of Media invites you to join us Thursday, October 24th from 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. at the WVU Media Innovation Center, 4th Floor of Evansdale Crossing, for a photo exhibit and reception celebrating a collection of photos by Kristian Thacker.

The exhibit is a selection of images taken from covering the stories around the teachers movement in West Virginia over the last year. 

Kristian Thacker will be in attendance at the photo exhibit on October 24th to meet with attendees and answer questions about his work.

An award-winning veteran journalist, a former advertising and PR executive, a data-driven B2B marketer and a policy reporting rising star were all recently honored by the West Virginia University Reed College of Media at its annual Alumni and Donor Recognition Ceremony. Originated by the College’s local alumni chapter, the outstanding alumni awards acknowledge exceptional professional achievements as well as commitment and service to the College of Media.    

Dean Diana Martinelli welcomed alumni, donors and guests to the ceremony and reception, which was held at the Media Innovation Center on October 10.  

The 2019 Outstanding Alumni Award winners included:

Four prominent women in the sports media arena spoke about their accomplishments, struggles and the future of the industry in “Play Like A Girl: A Discussion of Women in Sports and Media,” the keynote event in West Virginia University’s 2019 Diversity Week.

Hosted by the West Virginia University Reed College of Media , Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, panelists included Paola Boivin, a professor at Arizona State University, sports journalist and first female member of the College Football Playoff Committee; Meghan Duggan, captain of the U.S. Women’s National Hockey Team and three-time Olympic medal winner; Tomika Ferguson, Virginia Commonwealth University assistant professor who examines the college experiences of women of color student-athletes; and Kelli Zinn, deputy athletics director at WVU. The panel was moderated by Emily Corio, a teaching associate professor in the College of Media.

Left to right: Michael Rinker, Glenn Kittle, Madison Greer, Victoria Donatelli, Gillian Brooks, Megan Scarano and Sarah Poteracki. 

The West Virginia University Reed College of Media has announced Point Pleasant, West Virginia, as the next partner for BrandJRNY, a project that aims to revitalize communities in the Mountain State through customized branding plans that promote tourism and economic development.

Located in Mason County, Point Pleasant is situated along the state line that separates West Virginia from Ohio at the confluence of the Kanawha and Ohio rivers. It is a town rich with history and folklore, such as the Battle of Point Pleasant in 1774 and the Mothman legend. It is a community on the rise, with diversified tourism attractions and the infrastructure and amenities to support visitors.

The Point Pleasant community is also already engaged in efforts to increase tourism and economic development. Community engagement is a key indicator of success for BrandJRNY projects. Throughout the year-long project, residents will be encouraged to attend events and roundtable discussions and participate in a number of ways that will help guide research and implementation of an overall branding strategy that will benefit the community for years to come.

Two new faculty members have joined the College of Media this fall semester. Heather Cole is a teaching assistant professor for the Interactive Design for Media program, and Jim Iovino has joined the College of Media as the Odgen Newspapers Visiting Assistant Professor of Media Innovation. 

Cole came to WVU from Penn State Behrend in Erie, Pennsylvania, where she was an assistant teaching professor of digital arts and program chair of the Game Minor. She earned her MFA in interdisciplinary arts from Goddard College in Plainsfield, Vermont. 

Iovino was the deputy managing editor of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, which was awarded the 2019 Pulitzer Prize in Breaking News Reporting for its Tree of Life massacre coverage. Iovino managed all digital editorial initiatives at the Post-Gazette, including driving audience-first and digital subscription efforts. Previously, Iovino was a senior news editor of operations and managing editor for NBC Universal in Philadelphia, New York and Washington, D.C. Iovino has an extensive journalism background that includes newspaper and television leadership experience.   

The West Virginia University Reed College of Media will host Elaine McMillion Sheldon during an opening reception for her photo exhibit, "Be Still," on Thursday, September 5, from 3 - 5 p.m. at the WVU Media Innovation Center on the fourth floor of Evansdale Crossing. 

"'Be Still' is to bear witness to both the beauty and pain before you, and accept them both as reality," according to Sheldon's exhibit description.

The reception will be the first chance to view Sheldon’s exhibit at WVU and “Be Still” will be on display at the Media Innovation Center through Friday, October 4. Light refreshments will be served, and the event is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact Shannon Cunningham at slcunningham@mail.wvu.edu or (304) 293-6246.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Chris Martin, former dean of the West Virginia University P.I. Reed School of Journalism (now the Reed College of Media ) and former vice president of WVU University Relations, died on Wednesday, August 7, at the age of 67.

In Martin’s 23 years at WVU, she became known for her love of journalism and innovative approach to both media education and branding at the university. She joined the journalism faculty in 1990 and served as the director of the school’s undergraduate writing program, news editorial sequence chair and dean from 1997-2003.

100 Days in Appalachia, a media outlet incubated at the West Virginia University Reed College of Media’s  Media Innovation Center, continues to expand with two new grants that will have a big impact on how the program educates both students and the nation’s media. The digital publication is a collaboration with  West Virginia Public Broadcasting (WVPB) and  The Daily Yonder, of the Center for Rural Strategies.

100 Days has garnered a national reputation as a go-to source for real stories coming out of Appalachia, told by the journalists and community members living and working there. What started as a way to combat stereotypes in the first 100 days of the Trump administration has turned into an ongoing, evolving project that is not only changing the way our country perceives the region but is also experimenting with new digital storytelling and community engagement techniques.

Two West Virginia University Reed College of Media students are dedicating their classtime to learn about how to generate positive social change through their respective undergraduate programs. The Advocacy and Public Interest Communication program merges various academic fields’ science-based insights about strategic communication for sustained behavioral change into one degree.

Maura Flynn and Julia Hillman took their first APIC course together, working toward criminal justice reform in West Virginia under the leadership of assistant professor Geah Pressgrove. While Flynn and Hillman are passionate about different social issues and have different undergraduate backgrounds – Flynn studying journalism and leadership, Hillman studying public relations and political science – the two found their niche in the advocacy class.