Media College News

Each academic year, the WVU Reed College of Media recognizes faculty members for their exceptional teaching and innovative research. This year, awards were presented to Joel Beeson, Dana Coester and Mary Kay McFarland at the College’s annual Spring Honors Ceremony.

Professors Beeson and Coester are co-recipients of the Faculty Research Award, which recognizes outstanding scholarly work or creative activity. Beeson and Coester have spent years documenting the spread of extremism and harmful content targeting teenagers on social media and gaming platforms. The pair produced and directed a feature-length documentary film, “Raised by Wolves,” which examines the online youth culture in an Appalachian community and reveals a complex ecosystem that exposes them to misinformation and far right extremism. As a result of their research, they have been asked to provide testimonies to congressional committees and briefings to other researchers and reporters at major media outlets. Their work was also recognized University-wide, when they were named co-recipients of WVU’s  2021-22 Benedum Distinguished Scholar Award.

Max Russell (BSJ, 2023) and Tristan Haley (BSJ, 2022) are gaining hands-on experience in advertising and public relations through competitive summer internship programs. Russell is one of just 11 students in the nation to be selected as a 2022 Stickell Honors Intern, and Haley is one of 40 finalists participating in the International Radio & Television Society (IRTS) Summer Fellowship Program.

The Stickell and IRTS internship programs place students at top U.S. marketing communications firms. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, both are running on a hybrid format for the summer 2022 term.

Media students –and professionals—often need to interview their sources. You want to make sure you’re prepared. Whether you’re new to interviewing or a seasoned pro, there is always room to improve your skills.