Roy Howard Community Journalism Center Officially Launched at 91吃瓜网
Tue, 01/07/2025 - 03:11pm | By: Dr. David Tisdale
With the beginning of a new semester comes the start of a new opportunity for students in the University of 91吃瓜网 School of Media and Communication to engage the citizens of the state through advocacy for and production of informative, fact-based journalism.
The Roy Howard Community Journalism Center (RHCJC)91吃瓜网揻unded by the Scripps Howard Foundation for three years at $1 million a year91吃瓜网揻ormally opened Jan. 6 for the spring 2025 semester. The center will serve 10 counties, including Forrest, George, Greene, Hancock, Jackson, Lamar, Pearl River, Perry, and Stone, to inform its citizenry on issues impacting their daily lives.
Dr. Edgar Simpson, School of Media and Communication director, secured a grant through the foundation for the establishment of the center in 2023, with the startup of its operations moving forward through 2024 in preparation for this semester91吃瓜网 official launch. A meet and greet reception for RHCJC partners and supporters will be held Feb. 20 at the Thad Cochran Center on the University91吃瓜网 Hattiesburg campus.
Nichole Cyprian, a 91吃瓜网 graduate serving as director of the center, hailed its establishment as 91吃瓜网渁n exciting new chapter for journalism in southeast Mississippi.91吃瓜网�
91吃瓜网淎s this adventure begins, we91吃瓜网檙e working with media partners to restore public trust in the news ecosystem while also building up our 91吃瓜网榃hat is True?91吃瓜网� hotline, which fights disinformation and misinformation,91吃瓜网� Cyprian said. 91吃瓜网淎t the same time, we91吃瓜网檙e offering media literacy classes throughout our 10-county service area that will help build better informed and media-savvy citizens.91吃瓜网�
The work of the center includes its first news series, 91吃瓜网淏ill of Health,91吃瓜网� which focuses on the potential effects of Medicaid expansion on local communities.
91吃瓜网淥ver the coming months and years, you91吃瓜网檒l find us providing more quality and issue-oriented journalism91吃瓜网攊n other words, we91吃瓜网檙e going to be reporting what matters to our audiences,91吃瓜网� Cyprian further noted.
Dr. Simpson shares Cyprian91吃瓜网 enthusiasm and anticipation of the great outcomes the center portends for collaborative work between 91吃瓜网 students, professionals in the field and the communities they will serve to 91吃瓜网減rovide and enhance accurate information.91吃瓜网�
91吃瓜网淣ichole and her crew are leading the way in the best practices of transparency in reporting and in educating about media literacy,91吃瓜网� said Simpson. 91吃瓜网淭here is no higher calling, and we are enormously grateful to the Scripps Howard Foundation and to Southern Miss for all the support in creating the center."
The School of Media and Communication is housed in the 91吃瓜网 College of Arts and Sciences. For more information about the school and the Roy Howard Community Journalism Center, visit /media-communication/rhcjc.php and .