News

During Erica Beshears Perel’s two decades in the news industry — as a reporter, educator and executive — change has been the constant, as news has become increasingly digital and traditional revenue sources have shifted.
The changes motivate Perel, a 1998 graduate of the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media, as she moves into a new role leading its Center for Innovation and Sustainability in Local Media.

Associate Professor Emeritus Michael Hoefges, a founding coordinator of the M.A./J.D. dual degree program at the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media, passed away March 9, 2021, after a long battle with cancer, leaving behind a rich legacy of media law research and devoted teaching at the school. His UNC Hussman colleagues and students remember Hoefges, who joined the school in 2003, as a kind, thoughtful professional whose calm demeanor and meticulous attention to detail permeated all aspects of his work, as well as his courageous battle with cancer.

On March 16, 2021, the Knight Foundation and the deans of the top journalism schools participating in the Carnegie-Knight Initiative on the Future of Journalism Education will gather industry leaders to discuss the growing debate over the traditional journalistic value of objectivity.

Two students from the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media recently received internships from the Multicultural Advertising Intern Program (MAIP) sponsored by the American Association of Advertising Agencies Foundation.
As MAIP fellows, Tran Nguyen ’22 and Tanya Slehria ’21 will both work at advertising agencies this summer thanks to the program’s paid internship, which UNC Hussman’s Director of Career Services Jay Eubank calls highly competitive.

Margaret Johnson ’91 was recently named “Creative Person of the Year” by Campaign US for her work with Goodby Silverstein & Partners (GS&P), where she serves as chief creative officer and partner.
A business magazine covering advertising, media, marketing and commercial creativity, Campaign US awarded Johnson the honor as part of its 2020 Media Awards, which celebrate excellence, effectiveness and creative thinking in the media industry.

Scott Fowler ’87, a columnist for The Charlotte Observer, recently wrote about a Saturday Night Live sketch co-written by another alumnus of the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media — Bryan Tucker ’93.
The sketch — that skewered Charlotte, Charlotte Hornets rookie LaMelo Ball and his proud papa LaVar Ball — aired during the Feb. 27, 2021, “Weekend Update” segment and featured SNL star Kenan Thompson’s take on LaVar Ball, a character Thompson had already portrayed several times during the life of the show.

To commemorate the last week of Black History Month, the Carolina Association of Black Journalists (CABJ) invited NC Media & Journalism Hall of Fame inductee Professor Emeritus Harry Amana for an intimate conversation. On the evening of Thursday, Feb. 25, the retired professor sat down (virtually) with eight current UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media students, and Hussman Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Associate Professor Dr. Trevy McDonald, to talk about his journey to becoming UNC’s first Black journalism professor and about laying the foundation for 30 years of CABJ.

One strategic communications competition, 24 hours and over 70 enterprising students adds up to a weekend of resume-building experience benefiting students and local businesses alike.
Must be time for the Crash Campaign!
The weekend of Feb. 26 - 28, 2021, saw the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media’s annual student-led Crash Campaign competition turn virtual as 16 teams of 74 students combined marketing, advertising, public relations and design skills to produce campaigns for local businesses — under time pressures that mirror what they will encounter in their careers.

Politicians and political movements are leveraging the power of social media more than ever, and the effects on civil discussion and debate can be dramatic and consequential.
UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media faculty and alumni on the front lines of examining media and politics joined Dean Susan King for the virtual conversation — “The Changing Landscape of Social Media and the Influence on Politics” — on Feb. 25, 2021, to explore the issues.

by Barbara Wiedemann
UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media graduate Jason Kilar ’93 has been a sought-after interview lately, making headlines as the new CEO behind WarnerMedia’s decision to release its 2021 feature films in theaters and streaming on HBO Max simultaneously. Add the UNC Hussman undergraduates in Professor John Sweeney’s Sports Communication class to the list of wide-ranging interviews the powerful media CEO has made time for recently with the likes of Kara Swisher at The New York Times and Variety editor-in-chief Claudia Eller. Kilar spent 75 minutes videoconferencing with the UNC Hussman students on Tuesday, January 26, at Sweeney’s invitation.