M.F.A. Murray State University

B.S.  Ohio University 

Teaching media couldn't be more fun. I've had the great fortune of working with incredible editors and mentors in my time as a journalist, and the chance to serve in that capacity as a professor and academic adviser is incredibly rewarding.

Working for a national wire service in Washington, D.C., during the 2000 election got me hooked on political journalism, which ultimately drew me to Kentucky. I spent seven years at the Lexington Herald-Leader chasing down candidates and officials while also digging through their records. Then in 2010, I moved to television and helped launch a nightly political program on the state’s dominant cable network, cn|2. Along the way, I have reported all manner of stories – breaking news, investigative projects, feature stories, profiles, and some sports, including covering the 2013 NCAA basketball championship in Atlanta.

I remain a practicing journalist as the co-founder and editor of The Harrisonburg Citizen, an independent online news site covering local issues, politics, and trends since 2018. The Citizen and its contributors have won numerous Virginia Press Association Awards. In addition, I've worked on producing a seasonal one-hour radio program called Shenandoah Valley Ever Green that airs on WMRA.

Before coming to JMU, I taught journalism and advised the student newspaper at Murray State University for two years. While I thoroughly enjoy teaching, I consider myself above all else a perpetual student. It’s why I went into journalism in the first place – to observe, to learn, to analyze, and tell stories.

Research interests: Media literacy, local news deserts, civic engagement and political journalism