BEA2025

This interactive session is designed for college professors teaching broadcast and video journalism, providing a deep dive into core exercises from the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) News Video Workshop. Drawing on decades of professional training, these exercises will help students develop the critical skills needed to make quick, effective decisions while shooting and editing video for news or documentary storytelling.
Led by experienced NPPA instructors, this three-hour workshop will equip you with practical techniques to enhance your classroom instruction. Participants are encouraged to bring a camera and editing software—camera phones and apps are perfectly acceptable.
Presenters: Julie M. Jones, University of Oklahoma
Tim Underhill, Ball State University
Joe Mahoney, Metropolitan State University of Denver

Welcome to BEA2025! Grab a cup of coffee and a muffin and get the inside knowledge on BEA initiatives, volunteer opportunities and journals. Panelists will give you tips on navigating BEA's annual convention and NAB Show.

Broadcast journalists and podcasters must consider how they present themselves and are received by audiences. Journalism educators must consider how to teach lessons on professionalism and talk to students about industry norms for self-presentation. Such conversations can be difficult to navigate. This panel, aimed at student journalists, early-career professionals, and educators, focuses on ways to have constructive dialogue on personal appearance, voice, and delivery. Findings from a new book on this topic will be discussed.
Moderator: Elia M. Powers, Towson University
Panelists: Melissa Greene-Blye, University of Kansas; Elliott Lewis, Syracuse University; Lance Liguez, University of Texas - Arlington; Jennifer Meadows, Chico State University

In an era where smartphones have revolutionized storytelling, the Mojo Awards celebrate excellence in mobile journalism, which empowers more journalists to narrate stories from more corners of the globe. The awards recognize outstanding achievements across four categories:

• Mobile journalism
• Crisis reporting
• Documentary
• Rural voices

Winning Mojo films will be showcased at this event, demonstrating high quality work indistinguishable from traditional cameras, followed by a Q&A discussion.
Organized in association with Mobile Journalism Awards.

Moderator: Ahmed El Gody, Orebro University
Hussein Amin, American University in Cairo; Case Study of Facebook in Egypt
Rasha Allam, American University in Cairo; Navigating Change: Assessing Social Media's Role in Reshaping News Distribution and Revenue Streams
Ahmed El Gody, Orebro University and Mahitab Ezz El Din, Linnaeus University; Clicks, Shares, and the Decline of Serious Journalism: A Content Analysis of Egyptian Newspapers in the Digital Age
Salma El Ghetany, American University in Cairo; Fast Moving Consumer News (FMCN): Context Deficit in News Consumption Among Younger Generations"

This panel would discuss what we wish we would have known before getting into the media business. This can give those who are looking to get into the business a look behind the curtain while deciding if this business is something they want to pursue.
Moderaotr: Steve Stilwell, Liberty University
Panelists: Amy E. Bonebright, Liberty University
Jen Smith, University of Kentucky
David M. Lubbers, Drake University

In this expanded session, Mike Reilley of Journalist's Toolbox will show you Google Earth Studio, Google Earth and Earth Pro to create flyover videos, timelapses and mine historical satellite imagery for stories. He'll also show you some AI tools for debunking deepfake images and videos that you can take to your classrooms and newsrooms right away. We’ll break down doctored video and audio with WatchFramebyFrame and Deepfake-o-meter. We’ll also look at the innovative Rolliapp.com to track disinformation spreaders on social channels. Prior to the training, set up a free Rolliapp.com “press pass” account (use the JOURNOAI code). Participants should bring a laptop, and they’ll get handouts with links to all of the tools and examples of projects that use them. Trainer: Mike Reilley, UIC senior lecturer and founder of JournalistsToolbox.ai. Twitter: @itsmikereilley | @journtoolbox | Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mikereilley.bsky.social

Join the News Division leadership team and find out about News panels, research opportunities, Festival of Media Arts and how to get more involved in the division.

LinkedIn, Indeed, Talent Portals-there is a variety of ways to look for the first job as you graduate from college. What will help you stand out in this still competitive job market? What should your resume and portfolio include? We will gather a panel of recruiters and hiring managers to help soon-to-be grads prepare to enter the job market.
Moderator: Heather Dunn, Talent Dynamics/ASU
Panelists: Kari Patey, VP of Producer Development, CBS News and Stations
Sinan Sadar, News Talent Recruitment, Hearst Television
Chip Mahaney, Emerging Talent Leader, E.W. Scripps Company
Patrick McCreery, Owner, Talent Dynamics and former President, Meredith Local Media Group

The 2024 election cycle was arguably one of the longest — and strangest — in United States history. The two major party candidates seemed to be locked in 244 days before the general election, and a potentially viable third party candidate emerged, the son of a political dynasty. But the following weeks saw events both serious — an assassination attempt, the withdrawal of the incumbent president from the race, questions about the viability of specific policy proposals from each candidate — and, frankly, weird — a candidate doing a YouTube video with a former sitcom star where he admitted staging a wreck between a bear carcass and a bicycle in Central Park, persistent false rumors of a vice presidential candidate’s lewd behavior with a couch, a presidential debate that devolved into a spat about who had the better golf handicap. Even the use of the word “weird” has become politicized.

How do students learn to cover these events, especially in a political landscape that is often marked by contentious discourse? And how do students learn to engage in critical thinking skills to be able to extract facts from political hyperbole?
Moderator: Kathleen M. Ryan, University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado
Participants:
Nicole Clarity, Hofstra University; Clarity’s students won a 2023 Murrow award for their midterm election coverage.
Jay DeDapper, Marist Poll, Marist University; DeDapper leads the poll’s public education efforts, including outreach for student journalists about poll literacy.
Antonio Mora, University of Miami; Mora will discuss strategies to develop and implement successful election night coverage.
Leighton C. Peterson, Miami University; Peterson helps faculty and students navigate a landscape that privileges vocational preparation over critical thinking skills, often in a political environment that attempts to stifle robust political discourse.

Journalism has historically approached sensitive topics with a detached, fact-driven lens, often overlooking the human element at the core of these stories. As research reveals the unintended harm this can cause — especially to individuals and communities affected by trauma — the profession is shifting toward trauma-informed and empathy-based practices. This panel will equip journalism instructors with practical strategies to teach students how to approach difficult subjects, such as addiction, with greater sensitivity and care in bother reporting practices and writing styles, while empowering sources to have more agency in their stories. Participants will gain insights into balancing these empathetic approaches with the core journalistic principles of independence and truth-seeking, preparing the next generation of journalists for a more ethical and humane future in reporting.
Moderator: Ashton Marra, West Virginia University
Panelists: Franklyn Charles, Slippery Rock University; Aaron Atkins, Weber State University; Elise De Los Santos, Northwestern University

This panel we will examine several major news events of the past 5 decades. In 1989, the world watched as ‘Tank Man’ stopped tanks at Tiananmen Square. Fifty thousand demonstrators gathered at the World Trade Center Conference in Seattle to protest. U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Gifford was shot on a sunny Saturday morning in Tucson. The attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001 held the nation’s attention for years after the attack. Our panelists, several who were involved in the coverage, will reexamine how news organizations provide coverage of breaking news.
Moderator: Fritz J. Messere, SUNY - Oswego
Panelists: Richard Vogel, retired from Culver Stockton College; Nicole Clarity, Hofstra University; Teresa (Terry) Filipowicz, Pima Community College; Nancy L Bartley, Green River College

At BEA 2024 in Las Vegas, a panel on "extreme deadlines" veered into a tangent on accommodations--those official notes appearing in recent years that demand more time or quiet conditions for a student to take a test (among other things). But can you accommodate a student who needs more time when your newscast starts exactly at 5:00? For this one, we would invite two deans of students or HR professionals, one from a large state school, one from a small private school, in addition to a professor who leads live newscast labs. This should leave to extensive audience Q&A.
Moderator: Kevin Finch, Washington and Lee University
Panelist: Lydia Reeves Timmins, University of Delaware

In this session, Jeff Kofman, veteran ABC, CBS News journalist Emmy-winning war correspondent and founder of Trint and Ronald Mawad, Global Director of Customer Success at Trint will explore Trint's groundbreaking innovations and its new focus on empowering journalism students and faculty.

Jeff will share lessons learned from his journey from reporting on the frontlines to entrepreneur and founder of one of the most advanced AI-powered platforms in the industry.

Ronald and Jeff will explain how Trint has become the leader in transcription and translation for media, trusted by giants like The Washington Post, The New York Times, BBC, TF1, Der Spiegel and The Associated Press to create content faster and more efficiently.

They will also unveil Trint’s new program for introducing its software to journalism schools, ensuring the next generation of journalists has the tools needed to thrive in a rapidly changing media landscape.

Join this session to gain insights into how AI is transforming journalism and what it means for future journalists.

As published on the RTDNA website, “The RTDNA/Newhouse School at Syracuse University Newsroom Survey is the only comprehensive annual research of radio and television newsrooms.” This session, led by the survey’s researchers, will present the 2024 findings, providing an overview of the current state of local radio and television news. This includes information on staff demographics, worker safety, management hiring and retention decisions, and use of new technologies including AI.
Moderators: Keren Henderson, Syracuse University; Bob Papper, Syracuse University

In a fast-paced, viral-driven media landscape, how can journalism educators prepare students to create engaging content on platforms like TikTok while upholding the principles of ethical reporting? This panel will dive into innovative approaches for integrating TikTok and other social media tools into journalism curricula for both news and sports classrooms. Educators will share techniques for teaching students how to craft accurate but creative news and sports coverage that resonates with digital audiences, while also addressing the challenges of maintaining journalistic standards in a rapidly evolving media world. Moderator: Chuck Scatterday, West Virginia University

Partnering With The Weather Channel: Productions for a Changing Climate
Climate change is a global challenge requiring science-based broadcast productions that need international collaborations. This panel will explain how to forge high-impact transnational production and distribution partnerships between universities, government agencies, and media networks like The Weather Channel and The Weather Channel en Español.
Panelists: Jairo Becerra, Universidad Catolica de Colombia
John Velandia, Universidad Catolica de Colombia
Santiago Arenas, Universidad Catolica de Colombia
Lina Gavidia, Universidad Catolica de Colombia
Mia Medellin, University of Texas at Arlington

Student News Live Needs You! Created to amplify the voices of student journalists - learn more and get involved!
Student News Live provides a platform for student journalists and transform how their voices are heard in the media landscape, reaching audiences through mainstream networks and streaming platforms. In this session you will learn how you can get involved with this new initiative, either as an individual or campus organization.
Panelists: Lance Liguez, University of Texas – Arlington
Nick Hirshon, William Paterson University of New Jersey
Rob Quicke, Marshall University
Alexander Felix, William Paterson University of New Jersey
Julia Menn, William Paterson University of New Jersey

Covering Race and Trauma: Voices of Resilience in Journalism Education
This panel explores the intersection of journalism, race, trauma, and mental health, with a focus on preparing the next generation of journalists to cover racially charged events with sensitivity, accuracy, and empathy. It features a unique collaboration of students, their instructor, and an expert in trauma-informed journalism. The panelists will reflect on their experiences during "Voices of Resilience," a three-week course where students were embedded in South Minneapolis to cover the anniversary of George Floyd Square and in Greenwood District during the Tulsa Race Massacre anniversary.
Panelists: Julie M. Jones, University of Oklahoma
Desiree Hill, University of Oklahoma

Creating local broadcast news content to engage collegiate audiences; a research-based and innovative semester of news leadership, creative storytelling & journalistic practice
Broadcast students at St. Bonaventure University are committed to building trust within their immediate target audience. They are devoting this year to reimagining and rebuilding a digital news product that informs and engages their peers in an unbiased, truthful, and entertaining way. Through a thorough and inclusive research study, students will track audience feedback, innovatively adjust production, and present insights that could help future news leaders reengage America’s generation Z as informed local news consumers.
Panelists: Anna Bulszewicz, St. Bonaventure University
Sydney Labayewski, St. Bonaventure University
Anthony DaSilva, St. Bonaventure University

Journalists need to be good storytellers at heart, but that starts with being able to identify a good story and then figure out how to tell it effectively. From large intro classes to reporting classes to capstone classes, students seem to struggle with the idea of what makes a good story. This panel will feature a variety of ideas for teaching students how to identify good stories in their communities, develop them and then present them in a compelling way.
Moderator: Jen Smith, University of Kentucky
Panelists: Jen Smith, University of Kentucky
Karen Russell, Tennessee State University
Boriana Treadwell, University of Miami
Lauren Bavis, Syracuse University
David Stephenson, University of Kentucky

Election shows are a great opportunity for students to engage in our country’s democracy. As faculty/advisors, it is important that we guide students in the production of local, regional and national stories that are unbiased and relevant. This panel will discuss student media coverage of the 2024 elections, both on election night and leading up to November 5th. Panelists will discuss what went well, what didn’t and lessons/strategies to take into the NEXT election cycle.
Moderator: Stephanie L. Anderson, University of South Florida
Panelists:
Robin Cecala, Professor, Point Park University, U-View Television Advisor 
Ken Fischer, Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Barbara Merckx, Instructor & News Director for OU Nightly at the University of Oklahoma
Derek Wood, Professional Instructor of Journalism & Digital Media at Ashland University, Faculty Advisor and General Manager of 88.9 WRDL

Stephanie Anderson (moderator), Assistant Professor, University of South Florida

Virtual production (VP) has become the new gold standard in professional video creation. To attract students and prepare them for working in 21st century media, educational institutions face pressure to upgrade their production facilities and update their curriculums. Digital natives are savvy. They know to excel in a competitive job market they need hands-on, immersive learning on the latest and greatest tools. And educators and administrators realize they must balance both operations and the budget.

In this case study, Ball State University, ARwall and Absen share steps they took to update and upgrade BSU’s facility and curriculum by installing a virtual production system. They’ll share how to:
•     build a state-of-the art VP studio without breaking the bank
•     revise curriculums to reflect the industry’s transition to VP
•     follow best practices for training future professionals on VP
•     promote VP to your school’s competitive advantage as a credible, future-facing leader
•     create new revenue streams and enhance reputation using a VP 'studio back-lot'

Speakers
Rene Amador, CEO, Arwall

Alex Kartman, Director of Sports Production, Ball State Sports Link, Associate Lecturer of Media, Video Production, Sports Media

Kobe Xiao, Director of Sales, AbsenLive (Live&Love), Absen

Moderator: Judith Chandra Clark, University of Alabama
Open Paper Competition
Open 1st Place Paper: Revisiting news work in 2024: Technology use by corporate owners and its impact on local television newsroom labor; Carey L. Higgins-Dobney, University of Kentucky
Open 2nd Place Paper: Stance and Mediated Identity Construction of Joe Biden in Televised News Discourse on 2024 Presidential Election Campaign; Shreyoshi Ghosh, College of Media, Communication and Information, University of Colorado Boulder; Jonathan Behr; Millicent Elewosi, University of Colorado Boulder
Debut Paper Competition
The Infrastructure of Trust: Examining the Role of Philanthropy, Social Media, and Audience Perceptions in News Consumption; Azade Asadi Damavandi, Bowling Green State University; Ghazale Asadi Damavandi, Boston University

Moderator: Rasha Allam, American University in Cairo
Panelists:
Rasha Allam, American University in Cairo; Media Perspectives and Narratives of Gaza- Israel War
This paper presents a content analysis of online news coverage of the Gaza-Israel conflict, focusing on both Arab and international news websites. By examining the narratives, themes, and the frames used, this study aims to show the different narratives that each platform uses in portraying the conflict. The findings reveal interesting outcomes on the use of language, story formats, and the use of multimedia reporting and underlying biases that may influence public perception. This study highlights the impact that the different narratives of coverage might have on audience understanding. The study aims to highlight the role of media in shaping narratives about the Gaza-Israel war contributing to discussion towards media responsibility and the media’s role in shaping public opinion.

Hussein Amin, American University in Cairo; Transnational Media Coverage of the War on Gaza
Abstract - This presentation will assess transnational news television media coverage of the war on Gaza. It examines unique challenges the journalists face when trying to cover this war? How does coverage of this war differ from coverage of other issues? What are the differences between Arab transnational news media coverage during the war on Gaza and the Western transnational media?

Nadine El Sayed, The American University in Cairo; This presentation will address how the same news agencies' coverage of the war on Gaza differed between their English and their Arabic versions (For example, BBC, CNN and AlJazeera), especially during the first month of the war.

Salma El Ghetany, American University in Cairo; The Civil War in Sudan No One is Talking About: A Case Study for Media of the Global North
This presentation will explore the critical gaps in media coverage of Sudan's ongoing civil war. By conducting a content analysis of select major media outlets in the Global North, the presentation will assess the extent to which this conflict has been overlooked or under-reported, sometimes at the expense of more coverage of other major conflicts such as the war on Ukraine or the war on Gaza. The analysis will highlight the media's role in shaping public perception and examine the implications of such coverage—or lack thereof—on global awareness. This study aims to provoke a discussion on the responsibilities of international media in reporting on conflicts in regions like Sudan.

News Division
Comparison Study of Broadcast Journalism Curriculum and News Reporter/Anchor Job Posts; Kevin Hull, University of South Carolina; Minhee Choi, Texas Tech University

From Ukraine to Gaza: Watching One War Displace Another on the U.S. Cable News Agenda; Kenneth Richard Blake, Middle Tennessee State University School of Journalism and Strategic Media; Jun Zhang, Middle Tennessee State University; Jason Bernard Reineke, Middle Tennessee State University

Radio & Audio Media Division
State of commercial radio post-COVID-19: Optimism in the face of continuous industry evolution; Kyle J. Miller, Northwest Missouri State University; Christina C. Smith, Georgia College

Local Podcasts Should Not Be Overlooked: An Interview with Matt Peiken, Host and Creator of The Overlook Podcast; Chad Whittle; Georgia College & State University

Aliens on the Radio: From Science Fiction to Contested Facts in the Early Years of Paranormal Radio, 1947-1972; William Evans; University of Alabama

Sports Division
Image Repair Differences between Human and AI-generated Messaging: The Case of the Chicago White Sox; Kevin Meyer, Illinois State University; Peter Smuddle, Illinois State University; Joseph R. Blaney, Illinois State University; Stephen Hunt, Illinois State University; Lance Lippert, Illinois State University; Megan Hopper, Illinois State University & Roy Magnuson, Illinois State University

More than “sitting on their backside?” A visual framing analysis of Esports podcasts; Rich Johnson, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Arizona State University; Ryan Broussard; Lindsey A. Sherrill, University of North Alabama; Marcus Funk, Sam Houston State University

Interactive Media & Emerging Technologies Division
Beyond the Viewer: Exploring the Effects of Parasocial Relationships on Twitch Livestreamers; Ashley Adamian, Valdosta State University & Kisun Kim, Columbus State University

Showcasing your most innovative teaching ideas. As part of our quest for the most innovative teaching ideas, we present “BEA Ignite” – where you can share your best classroom project/exercise/ideas. Following the traditional “ignite” format, presenters get 5 minutes and 20 slides to share their passionate teaching idea. The ten best “ignite” ideas are selected to make their presentations “live” during a BEA2025 session.

Like the famous film, the premise of excellent student-led projects is that behind them is an unnoticed master who arranges situations, contexts, logistics, spatial and interpersonal relationships that result in a transformative learning experience for the student-participants. This panel showcases film/documentary/video projects from academic programs across the country and world that reflect this kind of approach to teaching and learning. We would spotlight a student-led feature film project out of Oklahoma, a student-led documentary on hunger and food insecurity out Kansas (ironically the nation's breadbasket), a student-led "Choose Your Own Adventure'' video production project out of Kentucky, and a student-led online newspaper reporting project out of Cairo, Egypt, that focused on the status of women.
Moderator: Lydia Reeves Timmins, University of Delaware
Panelists: Traci Easley Williams, University of Oklahoma; Tom Hallaq, Kansas State University; Carey L. Higgins-Dobney, University of Kentucky; Nadine El Sayed, The American University in Cairo

There is an ongoing negative view of journalism that has been festering on the fringes but has gone mainstream. This panel provides a combination of perspectives from academics and practicing journalists to address the implications of these negative public perceptions in the wake of the 2024 election. This panel continues a conversation started at BEA On Location 2023.
Moderator: Teresa (Terry) Filipowicz, Pima Community College
Panelists: David Deeley, University of North Florida
Robert N. Spicer, Millersville University of Pennsylvania

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 44 reporters have been killed around the world this year. Closer to home, Jeff German, an investigative reporter for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, was murdered by a politician who had lost election because of German’s reporting. The politician, Robert Telles had created a toxic environment in his office and German brought it to light. This panel will discuss German’s life, career, and the importance of addressing violence against journalists.
Moderator: Terry Filipowicz, Pima Community College

Generative AI offers innovative solutions for idea generation, news writing, and sentiment analysis. In this session, we will share best practices for using generative AI in the classroom and the newsroom. We will provide an overview of generative AI industry practices in newsrooms around the US, talk about how generative AI is used in classrooms, share assignment ideas, and provide updates on ethical considerations.
Moderator:
Iveta Imre, Assistant Professor, University of Mississippi
Panelists: Generative AI industry practices; Ernest Kung, AI Product Manager for The Associated Press
Generative AI in the classroom; Brad Conaway, Instructional Assistant Professor, University of Mississippi
Generative AI Ethics; Ivanka Pjesivac, Associate Professor, University of Georgia