News

Introducing Project Oasis: New research and strategies for digital news startups

March 18, 2021, 10:43 AM
In partnership with the Google News Initiative, LION Publishers and Douglas K. Smith, the UNC Center for Innovation and Sustainability in Local Media (CISLM), located in the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media, has released the results of the most extensive look in a decade at the emerging digital news business and how digital startups succeed.
Project Oasis compiled and analyzed data about locally focused digital news publications throughout the U.S. and Canada and now shares the research report and a playbook for aspiring local news entrepreneurs.

Serving local news: Erica Beshears Perel ’98 named new director of CISLM

March 16, 2021, 11:42 AM
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.

Remembering media law scholar and teacher Michael Hoefges: 1960—2021

March 15, 2021, 3:26 PM
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.

Rebuilding trust in America: The challenge for journalists

March 12, 2021, 4:09 PM
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.

UNC Hussman students awarded prestigious advertising internship

March 9, 2021, 10:10 AM
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 named ‘Creative Person of the Year’ by Campaign US

March 9, 2021, 8:39 AM
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.

The Charlotte Observer profiles SNL sketch written by UNC Hussman alumnus

March 3, 2021, 4:50 PM
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.

Emeritus Professor Harry Amana rounds out CABJ’s Black History Month with 30th anniversary celebration

March 3, 2021, 2:12 PM
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.

24 hours. 1 competition. Experience to last a lifetime.

March 2, 2021, 10:34 PM
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.

Understanding the effects of social media in the political world: UNC Hussman experts share their research and experience

March 2, 2021, 5:17 PM
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.