Year in Review

PATRIOTISM, POLITICS AND THE PLAYING FIELD National journalists, commentators and athletes explored the intersection of race and media in the sports arena as part of WVU’s annual Hardesty Festival of Ideas lecture series. Hosted by the College of Media, panelists explored the role of media beyond game coverage and how society’s heightened political division and partisanship affects the industry.

WVU AND OU TACKLE WOMEN’S INCARCERATION WVU’s College of Media and the University of Oklahoma began a two-year reporting and advocacy project surrounding women’s mass incarceration. Funded by a $170,000 grant from the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation, the project engages students across disciplines – documenting the problem, offering solutions and creating awareness – to improve policy and practice.

TRUTH VS. TROUBLE: COLLEGE OF MEDIA PARTNERS WITH PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING POLITIFACT From “True” to “Pants on Fire,” student journalists in the College of Media are fact-checking politicians in the wake of the fake news era. Led by PolitiFact’s senior correspondent Lou Jacobson and teaching associate professor Bob Britten, the partnership provides realworld experience for students as they populated content for PolitiFact West Virginia and hold public officials accountable for their words.

ALUMNI AWARDS 2018 The College of Media recognized its outstanding graduates with annual awards and recognition. In 2019, awardees included Bob Kittle (BSJ, 1975), P.I. Reed Achievement Award; Betsy Klebe Dziedzic (BSJ, 1979), Friend of the College Award; Tara Curtis (BSJ, 1993), Commitment to Service Award; and Elaine McMillion Sheldon (BSJ, 2009), Young Alumna Award.

WVU LAUNCHES NEW, COLLABORATIVE MAJOR FOR INTERACTIVE DESIGN Mountaineers are now able to bridge the gaps between journalism, communication, art and technology with the new Interactive Design for Media major. Throughout the program students take courses from both the College of Media and College of Creative Arts, gaining skills in a variety of mediums and platforms throughout their undergraduate career.

LINDA ARNOLD INDUCTED INTO WV BUSINESS HALL OF FAME Author, speaker and College of Media alumna Linda Arnold (BSJ, 1976) was inducted into the West Virginia Business Hall of Fame in August 2018, celebrating her career as the founder, former chairman and CEO of The Arnold Agency. Established in 2001, the West Virginia Business Hall of Fame recognizes business leaders who have strong ties to the state and have made a significant impact on the business landscape.

COMMENCEMENT 2019 This year’s May Commencement ceremony featured keynote speaker Hilde Lysiak, a 12-year-old journalist and the founder of Orange Street News in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. Lysiak spoke to more than 220 College of Media graduates as the youngest commencement speaker ever at WVU and maybe in the country.

Prior to graduation, the Reed College of Media recognized top undergraduate students at its annual Spring Honors Ceremony. Marissa Bailey, Graeson Baker, Allison Fladd, Mateah Kittle, Samantha Stocksdale, Steven Treadway and Olivia VanHorn were tied as the top overall scholars, who earned the highest GPA of the May 2019 undergraduate class.

“We are the generation that can restore the people’s trust. We are the generation of reporters who will choose to have our loyalty to one thing and one thing only— to the truth. To the facts.”

HILDE LYSIAK, founder of Orange Street News

COLLEGE OF MEDIA HOSTS SPORTS AND ADVENTURE, BRANDED STORYTELLING SUMMER MEDIA CAMPS Two-dozen high-schoolers from across the country traveled to WVU in July to experience life as a Mountaineer while learning the craft of multimedia storytelling. Campers spent three days immersed in the field, learning from WVU’s top media professionals as they created content for New Student Orientation and Adventure WV. Four of the participants from the eastern panhandle of West Virginia attended on scholarships thanks to a generous donation by Douglas Widmeyer.

WVU PRSSA HOSTS REGIONAL CONFERENCE The College of Media’s PRSSA chapter hosted “Wired and Wonderful: The Reach of Digital Storytelling,” which celebrated the importance of integrated marketing communications in reaching audiences in Appalachia and beyond. Attendees learned storytelling strategies, networked with digital leaders and developed skills with emerging technology over the course of three days.

CREATEATHON 2019 Local nonprofits Homeward Bound, Morgantown Theatre Company and the Rosenbaum Family House were this year’s media marathon clients. More than 50 Mountaineers and mentors stayed awake for 24 hours, giving back to their community, strategizing for the organizations and creating pro bono digital and creative content.

COLLEGE OF MEDIA’S PODCAST ENTERS THIRD SEASON “Marketing Communications Today” began its third successful season in May. The show highlights emerging trends in the media field, data’s impact on the creative process, new storytelling strategies and features a new guest every episode. Listen to episodes at wvumctoday.com.

WVU COLLEGE OF MEDIA HOSTS FIRST ESPORTS CONFERENCE In March, WVU hosted the first Esports gaming symposium and master class which exposed 20 Mountaineers to the billiondollar global industry behind organized, multiplayer video game competitions. Led by four industry trailblazers, the event offered a general introduction to the field while attendees teamed up to develop a $1 million Esports marketing campaign. WD | Esports + Entertainment awarded the winning team an all-expense-paid trip to the Collegiate Starleague Grand Finals in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

$125,000 GRANT AIMS TO SUSTAIN THE FUTURE OF WV’S INDEPENDENT, LOCAL NEWSPAPERS Grant-funded support from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation will allow the College of Media and the West Virginia Press Association to recruit, develop and train the next generation of independent community newspaper owners. From journalism and business training to “internships” at West Virginia newspapers, the three-year program will facilitate successful ownership transitions and modernize operations necessary for today’s local news and consumer demands.

INTEGRATE 2019 The College of Media hosted its ninth annual Integrate Conference in May. More than 150 professionals from across the country converged at the Media Innovation Center for the three-day conference that explores the future of the marketing communications industry.

“We believe that a vibrant local news ecosystem is vital to the state, the country and our democracy. And we have a responsibility to help these news organizations transition to the future.”

MARYANNE REED, dean