Great guests

The 2023-24 academic year is in the home stretch. The last day of class at UNC-Chapel Hill is April 30, followed by exam week and commencement. This year, I have been fortunate to have several visitors speak in person and via Zoom with students in my courses. As I've written before, I use a question-answer …

How I spent spring break

Normally a hub of student activity, the Pit at UNC-Chapel Hill is quiet during spring break. UNC-Chapel Hill's spring break is wrapping up. Here's how I spent my week: graded midterm exams for an introductory writing course; prepared presentations and assignments for classes; reviewed applications for an online master’s program in digital communication; read a graduate student's …

What I am teaching this semester

The spring 2024 semester at UNC-Chapel Hill begins on Wednesday, Jan. 10. Here's what I am teaching this term: MEJO 153, Writing and Reporting. In this course, students learn the essentials of writing and information gathering for journalism and public relations. The class meets in person twice a week and has 20 students. MEJO 557, …

Q&A with Jake Potter, integrated communications director at RDU International Airport

Jake Potter is integrated communications director at the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority. A 2008 alumnus of the journalism school at UNC-Chapel Hill, he previously worked as associate director of communications at Affordable Dentures & Implants and as an intern at The Motley Fool and The News Reporter in Whiteville, North Carolina. In this interview, conducted by …

The return of the Durham VOICE

Carl Kenney, instructor of the Community Journalism course at UNC-Chapel Hill The Durham VOICE is back. In 2008, my colleague Jock Lauterer started the Durham VOICE, a student-produced website and monthly newspaper that covered the northeast central section of Durham, North Carolina. It's an area of the city often overlooked by other news organizations. For …

Q&A with Taylor Heeden of QnotesCarolinas

Taylor Heeden is a staff writer at QnotesCarolinas, a news organization based in Charlotte, North Carolina. A graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, she previously worked at the Johnstonian News and the Chatham News + Record. In this interview, conducted by email, Heeden discusses her work at Qnotes and offers advice to student journalists. Q. Describe your …

What I am teaching this semester

The fall semester at UNC-Chapel Hill begins on Monday, Aug. 21. Here's what I am teaching this term. MEJO 557, News Editing. In this course, undergraduate students learn about editing for digital media, including headline writing and social media. The class meets in person twice a week, and it has 18 students. Here is the …

Chatting with ChatGPT about editing

Over the summer, I have been playing with ChatGPT, a chatbot that uses artificial intelligence to provide written answers to questions. Starting with a prompt, you can ask ChatGPT to compose, refine, revise or make its answer shorter or longer. The result is what looks and reads like a post or essay. I'm curious how …

Jazzman, take my blues away

Next week, I am stepping out of the journalism school at UNC-Chapel Hill and spending my afternoons at the music department. From June 26-30, I will be one of several instructors in the UNC Summer Jazz Workshop, which includes performances each evening that are free and open to the public. It’s the eighth year that I’m participating in …

My summer plans

The 2022-23 academic year at UNC-Chapel Hill is over. We made it! Here is my agenda for the summer: Lead a week-long residency for our online master’s program in digital communication. A dozen students will get training in video production from my colleague Chad Heartwood. I will meet with them for brainstorming sessions for their …