Mass Communications

Meet the Faculty | Departmental Information Sheets

A Unique Program

The B.A. in Mass Communications at Emory & Henry is unique in that students do not choose specialty tracks or sequences in a particular media field. Instead, the broad-based curriculum will prepare you for a wide variety of career opportunities and will still allow you to develop expertise in an area of interest.

MCOM is the essence of the liberal arts in one dept. We’ve got it all: gather information, evaluate the sources, communicate the information in a variety of platforms with a foundation in law, history, economics, and writing! Back to the future. Those skills and understanding never go out of style.
Dr. Teresa Keller, Department Chair, Emory & Henry Mass Communications Program

Read more about why a degree in mass communications is increasingly valuable to your future.

Our graduates thrive in their careers because:

They are grounded in the liberal arts.

Both the College and the Mass Communications Department at Emory & Henry operate in the finest of liberal arts traditions. You will gain strong writing and critical thinking skills plus an understanding of modern media issues. With a well-rounded academic background, combined with strong media skills, you will be ready to grow and succeed in the professional world.
They are prepared for the changing media industry.

In today’s media world, reporters often must cover events for both print and electronic media. Meanwhile, public relations specialists must know how to write, design, persuade, utilize video, and build Web sites. And most media specialists move around during the course of their career. Our alumni continually praise our program for the diverse skills and knowledge that they acquired which prepared them for their challenging, successful and changing careers.

Rich Media Experience

Part of the rich educational opportunity for mass communications majors at Emory & Henry is the number of media outlets in which you can participate.

The Whitetopper, student newspaper
The Sphinx, student yearbook
WEHC-FM, 90.7, the college & community station
EHC-TV, departmental television studio
EHCWired.com, departmental news web site

Many of our students also find media-related work experience on and off campus. While one internship is required for the mass communications degree, some of our majors work in a variety of professional settings before they graduate.

More Career Choices

The B.A. in Mass Communications prepares students for careers in journalism (print, TV, radio, and Web) and persuasive communication (public relations and advertising). Students learn how to communicate visually through graphic design, and they develop creative production skills for radio, television, and film. Our graduates then secure rewarding jobs across the region and the country, while their broad-based education positions them for career advancement and growth.

Our Graduates

...find jobs.

Our graduates have an excellent track record in landing outstanding jobs. They work in local institutions such as Abingdon’s famed Barter Theatre and Bristol’s WCYB-TV, but they also find jobs in the national market—from news organizations in major metro markets to television and film companies in southern California. Some of the jobs held by our alumni include the editor of a daily newspaper in Maine, the sales manager of a cable television company in Florida, and key positions in advertising and public relations along the East Coast with hospitals, universities, businesses, chambers of commerce. Our graduates often find their way to top management in business and nonprofit organizations.
... win awards.

While getting good jobs is par for our alums, they also excel in their fields. Among our stand-out graduates are:
- four Emmy winners,
- a two-time Pulitzer-Prize nominee, and
- a variety of statewide and industry-wide award winners.
These stellar professionals have been recognized not only for their excellent expertise in writing, design, public relations, and video work, but also for their commitment to covering the important issues affecting their communities and our culture.
... stay involved.

Strong involvement in our program doesn’t end at graduation. Our alums remain active contributors to the excellence of our curriculum by offering not only financial donations, but also their valuable gifts of time. Our students benefit from the attention of alums when they return to attend special events, speak to classes, lead workshops, advise students on career decisions, and develop internship opportunities.

Faculty

Department Chair

Teresa Keller, tkeller@ehc.edu, 276-944-6822

Ph.D. University of Tennessee

Former television news anchor and public relations director of a regional theater, Dr. Keller was awarded the 2003 Virginia Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundations and CASE and Virginia’s 2010 Outstanding Faculty Award. She serves on the board of directors of both a broadcasting corporation and the Virginia Association of Broadcasters. She is co-author of Television News: A Handbook for Writing, Reporting, Shooting, Editing, and Producing, now in its third edition.

Tracy Lauder, tlauder@ehc.edu, 276-944-6152

Ph.D. University of Alabama

With a professional background in magazines and public relations, Dr. Lauder’s experience includes being a writer and editor at Southern Living magazine and running a freelance writing and consulting business. Her teaching interests include media literacy, persuasive communication, print design, media writing, and women’s studies. She is particularly interested in how the mass media shape culture and influence behavior.

Twange Kasoma, tkasoma@ehc.edu, 276-944-6889

Ph.D., University of Oregon

Dr. Kasoma began her journalistic career as a stringer for All Africa News Agency and a press researcher for Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Zambia. She has had print media experience in Zambia, Ghana and the United States. Her research interests are mainly in international communication, and she is the co-founder of the Kasoma Media Foundation—an organization that spearheads the improvement of training for Zambian journalists. She conducts an Emory & Henry study abroad course entitled Media and Journalistic Practice in Zambia where students work in Zambian news organizations.