2025 North Carolina Media & Journalism Hall of Fame honors six new inductees

The NC Media & Journalism Hall of Fame will induct six distinctive industry professionals at its annual gala on Friday, April 11, 2025, at the Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill.

The Hall of Fame honors exceptional leaders with ties to the state of North Carolina who demonstrate leadership in their spheres of influence; service to the professions and society; performance exemplifying the highest professional standards; and commitment to inspiring and advancing young people in media and journalism careers.

Rich Beckman, Allen Bosworth, Woody Durham (posthumously), LaToya Evans, Kit Hoover and Robyn Tomlin will be inducted into the Hall of Fame for outstanding contributions, leadership and sustained success in their respective fields.

“Over nearly three years since coming to Carolina, I’ve become increasingly aware and impressed with the long, storied history of media leadership and innovation in the state of North Carolina,” said Raul Reis, dean of UNC Hussman. “Each of this year’s honorees has earned their place in the pantheon of North Carolina media and journalism all-time greats while also inspiring those that follow them to aspire to the highest standards of industry and service.”

Rich Beckman is a trailblazer in online production and multimedia storytelling. A 30-year professor at the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media, he was also the North Carolina Scholastic Media Association director. Beckman served as a Knight Chair in Visual Journalism for the University of Miami’s School of Communication in addition to being a director of its graduate program in journalism and media management. He has received numerous prestigious awards for his work including the Joseph A. Sprague Memorial Award from the National Press Photographers Association.

Allen Bosworth is the president emeritus of EP+Co, an award-winning creative agency he co-founded and worked with for 36 years. He built a career as an innovator for brands such as John Deere, Wendy’s, Michelin and General Mills — and on the front lines of the wireless communications industry. For 25 years, he led EP+Co’s account for what is now Verizon Wireless. His work established EP+Co as Ad Age’s 2019 A-List Standout Agency. He has also teaches advertising and marketing classes at UNC Hussman — his alma mater — and is the chair of the school’s Board of Advisers.

Woody Durham (posthumous), a Carolina graduate, was the Voice of the Tar Heels for 40 years. He became an iconic figure in Chapel Hill and beyond as he called 23 Tar Heel football bowl games, 13 men’s basketball Final Fours and six national championship games, including NCAA title wins in 1982, 1993, 2005 and 2009. His broadcasting work landed him induction into the National Sports Media Association’s Hall of Fame. He passed from primary progressive aphasia in 2018.

LaToya Evans is a strategic communications executive and founder of The LEPR Agency, a public relations, crisis communications and advertising firm in Charlotte, N.C. Evans’ agency is one of the nation’s largest independent, Black-owned public relations firms. She has worked with Fortune 500 companies such as Coca-Cola, Cisco Systems and Walmart, as well as several presidential candidates, celebrities and nonprofits throughout her career. She has also served on the Community Relations Committee for the Charlotte City Council to promote equality and improve crisis response efforts. Evans was inducted into PR Week’s Women’s Hall of Fame (Hall of Femme) in 2021. She serves on the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media Foundation Board and is a past member of the school’s alumni board. She is a graduate of UNC Hussman.

Kit Hoover — a television host, sportscaster and broadcast journalist — is the longest-tenured host of nationally syndicated NBC programs Access Hollywood and Access Daily with Mario & Kit. She has covered sports events for ESPN and Fox News, including the Summer Olympics in 2004 and the Super Bowl in 2004 and 2005. Hoover has also hosted several television specials throughout her career, including the 2020 Miss America Competition. In 2024, she launched The Coop with Kit, a top trending podcast. The Coop with Kit features women working in entertainment, sports and business who are just hitting their stride. Hoover is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill.

Robyn Tomlin, a graduate of UNC Hussman, has more than 25 years of experience leading digital and print news organizations across the country. She serves as the chief content officer for McClatchy, where she oversees news and lifestyle brands including The Miami Herald, The News & Observer, The Charlotte Observer, Us Weekly and Woman’s World magazine. Tomlin previously served as the top editorial leader at regional and national news organizations, including The N&O, The Dallas Morning News and the Pew Research Center. She was also the founding editor of Digital First Media’s Project Thunderdome in New York, N.Y.

A committee of professionals and faculty review nominations to select each year’s honorees. Since its founding in 1981, the Hall of Fame has celebrated more than 230 professionals in media, advertising, journalism, public relations and related fields.

The Hall of Fame gala induction ceremony benefits the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media and its students in developing the future leaders and innovators in media and journalism. For more information, please visit go.unc.edu/ncmjhof, or contact Alexandra Myers at 919.962.1204 or alexandra.myers@unc.edu.