Dr. Keith Herndon

William S. Morris Chair in News Strategy and Management; Director, James M. Cox Jr. Institute and Professor of Practice in Journalism, Journalism

About: Dr. Herndon teaches managing news organizations, entrepreneurial journalism, ethics and a variety of journalism skills courses. He is the Director of the Cox Institute for Journalism Innovation, Management and Leadership and runs its leadership development program and Grady Mobile News Lab.

View Curriculum Vitae

Education

Doctor of Philosophy, Media and Information, Curtin University of Technology (Perth, Australia)
Master of Liberal Studies, University of Oklahoma (Norman, Oklahoma)
Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, University of Georgia (Athens, Georgia)

Research Interests and Activities

Exploring the intersection of media and technology, including shifting business models and the forces shaping management, entrepreneurship and leadership development. Projects have included studying the deployment of broadband Internet services in rural Georgia, analyzing the financial performance of news organizations and researching labor and wage patterns in the news and media industries.

Look around and learn: Effects of 360-degree video in online news Bartosz Wojdynski, Ivanka (Radovic) Pjesivac, Jihoon (Jay) Kim, Keith Herndon & Matthew Binford

Abstract: In a between-subjects eye-tracking experiment, adult readers of a large metropolitan daily newspaper (N=70) viewed and evaluated one of two versions of the same online news feature: one with an embedded 360-degree video alongside text and images, and the other using exclusively text and static images. Findings show that the presence of 360-degree video […]

Democrat or Republican? Using Political Stereotypes as a Bias Discussion Exercise Keith Herndon

Abstract: This innovative practice paper explains a classroom exercise that asks students to identify anonymous people as either Democrats or Republicans based only on brief descriptions. Students are challenged to explore the reasons behind the identifications they make, specifically confronting the trigger words that lead them to assign a political affiliation. In doing so, the […]

Using directional cues in immersive journalism: The impact on information processing, narrative transportation, presence, news attitudes, and credibility. Matthew Binford, Keith Herndon, Jooyoung Kim & Bartosz Wojdynski Paper to be presented at the Annual Convention of International Communication Association (ICA). Washington, DC.

Abstract: This study examined the effects of the use of directional cues in immersive journalism on information recall, attitudes towards a news story, narrative transportation, presence, and message credibility by conducting a randomized between-subjects three-condition lab experiment (N=90) with community participants using three versions of originally produced 360̊ video news story. The study found that […]

Developing Thought Leaders: An Industry Practicum Approach. Keith Herndon

Abstract: This innovative practice paper discusses how a journalism training practicum empowers and emboldens participants to think critically about their professional goals and allows them to emerge not only with new technical skills but also as industry thought leaders. The news industry is facing a profound technological upheaval as the majority of news consumers turn […]

Teaching Leadership in a Management Course: Using Q Methodology to Engage Students in Theory Building Keith Herndon Paper accepted for presentation at the annual conference of the Association of Leadership Educators in Chicago, July 8-11, 2018.

Abstract: Teaching leadership within the parameters of a management course can be a daunting task. It is imperative for students to have an understanding of the perceived differences in leadership and management, but such instruction requires a delicate balance between teaching theory and illustrating practical applications. This article, prepared as an innovative practice paper, shares […]

Labor Productivity: Proposing the Economic Metric as an Empirical Leadership Proxy Keith Herndon

Abstract: Leadership is inherently difficult to quantify. Studies have surveyed and observed behavior in all sorts of organizations attempting to understand relationships and causes and effects of leadership styles and outcomes. As Yammarino (2013) stated, “we have many empirical studies (quantitative, qualitative, and meta-analyses) on leadership, but theory is still ahead of data.” This paper […]

Teaching Specialties

Entrepreneurial Journalism with a focus on innovation and emerging business models; ethics and leadership development; journalism courses with an emphasis on writing and reporting skills across platforms.

Experience

Keith Herndon, Ph.D., was named the William S. Morris Chair in News Strategy and Management in August 2018. He had been appointed Professor of Practice in Journalism in Fall 2016 and also named Director of the Cox Institute for Journalism Innovation, Management and Leadership. Dr. Herndon continues in those roles. He had served as a visiting professor at Grady since Fall 2012 and taught as a lecturer in Fall 2011. Prior to teaching at Grady, Dr. Herndon was a media research consultant with Internet Decisions, LLC, a strategic planning firm he began in 2005. He was a leader in Cox Enterprises’ Internet division, serving as Vice President of Operations and Vice President for Planning and Product Development. He managed strategic partnerships and led technical diligence on Cox’s new media investments, serving on the board of directors of an investment recipient. He was also Director of Operations at Cox Radio Interactive, a pioneer in streaming media. He began his career while a student at the University of Georgia, working as a reporter and sports editor for his hometown paper in Elberton, Ga., and then as a sportswriter for the Anderson (S.C.) Independent and the Athens Banner-Herald. After graduation, he was a Pulliam Journalism Fellow, covering business news at The Indianapolis News. He was a business reporter at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution before becoming assistant business editor, deputy business editor and administrative editor. Dr. Herndon wrote The Decline of the Daily Newspaper: How an American Institution Lost the Online Revolution (Peter Lang, 2012). He also has published two books about innovation and entrepreneurship.

Awards and Fellowships

•   Dr. Herndon received a 2019 Creative Teaching Award from the University.
•   The Grady College presented Dr. Herndon with the 2019 Darwin-Davis Award, honoring the “Grady Spirit.”
•   The Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism awarded Dr. Herndon a grant to fund a business journalism program during the 2016 spring semester along with supplemental grants to fund a lecture series and two national internships. He had been a Reynolds Fellow in 2013 studying business journalism education at the center’s Arizona State University headquarters.
•   Dr. Herndon was named an Atlanta Mobility Star in 2015 for his role in developing and launching the Grady Mobile News Lab.
•   He was recognized as the Journalism Department’s Teacher of the Year in 2014.
•   The Georgia Technology Authority awarded a 2013 grant to research and write two case studies on rural broadband projects underway in Georgia.
•   His 2011 doctoral dissertation at Curtin University received the Chancellor’s Commendation for Excellence.