Knight Chair

Journalism Technologies and the Democratic Process

Professor
University of Florida
College of Journalism and Communications
August 1999 - present

Summary: The College of Journalism and Communications at the University of Florida is one of the largest and most respected j-schools in North America. The Knight Foundation has selected 19 schools since 1990 at which to establish an endowed chair in journalism. I have established (with the help of my colleagues here) an online media concentration within the Department of Journalism; this is equivalent to the department's concentrations in reporting, editing, photojournalism, and magazine journalism.

Responsibilities

• Develop and teach new courses in the College of Journalism and Communications. These courses prepare students for the work environment in journalism by teaching them not only how to use new tools, but also how to report and tell stories when their tools -- and the world -- are always changing.
• Guide and advise graduate and undergraduate students with an interest in interactive media and online journalism.
• Conduct and publish research in journalism technologies and the democratic process.
• Work with other members of the College of Journalism and Communications faculty on interactive media projects and research.
• Communicate with, learn from, and assist journalism professionals both in and outside Florida.

The College

The College of Journalism and Communications offers the bachelor of science degree in journalism, telecommunications, advertising, or public relations. Also offered are master's and doctoral degrees in mass communication; there are some very cool options for joint mass comm and law degrees and a master's in documentary video. There are about 60 faculty and more than 2,500 students in the college (including more than 200 graduate students). It's a big place! The college operates two TV stations and four radio stations and also is home to the Interactive Media Lab, the Brechner Center for Freedom of Information, and the Documentary Institute -- among other things. Please investigate the college's Web site for more information.

The Town

The University of Florida is in Gainesville, a really nice college town with no beach. The nearest, nicest coastal towns are St. Augustine (63 miles as the crow flies) and Cedar Key (a bit closer, on the Gulf of Mexico). Gainesville is about 100 miles northwest of Orlando and Disney World. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated that there were 95,447 residents of Gainesville in 2000. I have not figured out whether that includes the 45,000-plus students or not. I think not. The Gainesville airport is served by Delta and U.S. Airways.

Academic Life

People outside academia seem to think this is an easy job with a light workload. Most of my colleagues work at least a 60-hour week during the semester, and there are plenty of weeks when we work 80 or more hours. To teach an hour-long class in a subject you know well, you usually prep for two to three hours. When it's a new subject to you, it can takes weeks to get ready to teach just one day's class. Reading takes a lot of time. Grading takes a lot of time. We also spend hours every week talking to students and advising them, and more hours in required committee meetings.

The payoff: It's very enjoyable work, almost always interesting, often new and surprising, and it allows me to learn new things continually. It's harder than working in the newsroom, but it's more stimulating.