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Stories matter.

Joan Didion said, "We tell ourselves stories in order to live." I search for storytelling tools and techniques that help us live in community.

Welcome

I am a Professor of Journalism and Professional Writing at The College of New Jersey, teaching courses in Health and Environmental Journalism, Media Entrepreneurship, Writing for Interactive Multimedia, Press History, Race, Gender and the News and a number of special topics. (There are more details on my teaching here.)

I engage in the scholarship of teaching, often in collaboration with colleagues in related fields, developing and testing models for bringing computational thinking and community-engaged learning into journalism and professional writing classes. You can learn more on my Researchpage.

I am also a writer and reflective practitioner with a background in magazine journalism, corporate public relations, and blogging. My Writing page has more details. I occasionally blog on this site -- you can explore that through the post carousel below.

Outside of TCNJ, I serve on the board of the Civic Information Consortium. I also serve as an editorial board member for the Black History Bulletin, published by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. Finally, I serve as a volunteer and occasional liturgist at Arch Street Presbyterian Church.

Inclusive journalism matters.

Inspired by the example of such writers as Maya Angelou, and committed to the mandate to make news coverage, "comprehensive and proportional," I approach the study and practice of journalism by asking, "what perspectives are not being heard?" This question informs inquiries into how technology affects both the narratives we create -- and those we heed. And that leads to the realization that democracy requires both the participation of a diverse, computationally-fluent citizenry and media institutions that are invested in meeting and responding to citizens' information needs. The presentations below reflect some of that work.

What’s your story?