Cox Institute for Journalism Innovation, Management & Leadership
Cox Institute for Journalism
Innovation, Management & Leadership
The James M. Cox Jr. Institute for Journalism Innovation, Management and Leadership at the Grady College prepares students and professionals for leadership roles in the news media. By sponsoring intensive training programs and funding applied research, the Cox Institute is at the forefront of addressing the strategic challenges faced by contemporary news organizations. The Cox Institute includes the Journalism Leadership, Innovation and Writing Labs, along with the Certificate in News Literacy.
Certificate in News Literacy
The Certificate in News Literacy enhances students’ ability to discern between credible information and information disorder through critical examination of how we access, analyze, verify, create and share media messages with an emphasis on news. It’s an interdisciplinary, four-course certificate that can be added to any major at UGA.
Journalism Innovation Lab — Griffiths Innovators
Through the Journalism Innovation Lab’s Griffiths Innovators, the Cox Institute creates initiatives to develop products, practices and people of the industry’s future.
Journalism Leadership Lab — Levin Leaders
The Journalism Leadership Lab offers top journalism students the opportunity to study leadership development through programs such as Levin Leaders and The Lead podcast.
Journalism Writing Lab — Fink Fellows
The Cox Institute’s Journalism Writing Lab, through the Fink Fellows, provides opportunities to be published and produce compelling storytelling in the media industry.
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Faculty and Staff
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Ivanka Pjesivac
Head, Department of Journalism; Director, James M. Cox Jr. Center for International Mass Communication Training and Research; Associate Professor
About: Dr. Pjesivac teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in digital storytelling, public opinion, and international communication. She studies international and cross-cultural communication, media trust and credibility, and effects of digital […]
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Keith Herndon
William S. Morris Chair in News Strategy and Management; Executive Director, James M. Cox Jr. Institute and Professor of Practice in Journalism
About: Dr. Herndon teaches courses in the Business of News and Financial Journalism along with Food Journalism as a special topics course and as independent study. He also teaches Media […]
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Amanda Bright
Clinical Associate Professor; Director, Cox Institute Journalism Innovation Lab
ABOUT Amanda Bright, PhD, MJE, is a clinical associate professor specializing in community journalism, news product innovation, design and pedagogy. She is the managing editor of Grady Newsource, assistant editor […]
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Lori Johnston
Senior Lecturer; Director, Cox Institute Journalism Writing Lab
About: Lori Johnston teaches a variety of journalism classes, including reporting and writing across platforms, religion reporting, home and garden reporting, critical writing, feature writing and investigative reporting. View Curriculum Vitae […]
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Kyser Lough
Associate Professor; Director, News Literacy Certificate
About: Dr. Lough studies visual communication and solutions journalism, with an emphasis on photojournalism. He teaches graduate-level visual communication method & theory, as well as undergraduate photography and journalism ethics […]
Board of Advisers
The Cox Institute is engaged with a variety of partners and collaborators. We appreciate the support we receive from everyone involved with our work. We also want to recognize the special contributions of the following industry and academic professionals who serve as advisers to our programs.
Bob Sullivan, chair
Bob Sullivan is a veteran journalist and author of five books, including The New York Times bestsellers,“Gotcha Capitalism” and “Stop Getting Ripped Off.” He has won the Society of Professional Journalists Public Service Award, a Peabody award, a Webby award, a Carnegie Mellon University CyLab Cybersecurity Journalism Award and the Consumer Federation of America Betty Furness Consumer Media Service Award. He spent nearly two decades working at MSNBC.com and NBC News, and still appears on TODAY, NBC Nightly News and CNBC. He’s now a syndicated columnist and host of AARP’s “The Perfect Scam” podcast, co-host of the podcast / audio documentary “Breach,” which examines history’s biggest hacking stories, and co-host of the podcast “So, Bob,” which tackles stories about the unintended consequences of technology. His latest podcast is called “Debugger,” exploring issues at the intersection of technology and democracy, produced in cooperation with Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy and the Kenan Institute for Ethics.
Advisers
| Brittany L. Adams-Pope, Ph.D. Public Service Faculty, UGA J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development | Pallavi Gogoi Chief Business Editor, NPR |
| Nick Chiles Cox Institute Industry Fellow, 2020 Journalism Writing Lab | Richard T. Griffiths Cox Institute Industry Fellow, 2017 Georgia First Amendment Foundation CNN, retired |
| Craig Douglas Senior Director of News, American City Business Journals | Joanna Ossinger Markets Editor, Bloomberg News |
| Ken Foskett Cox Institute Industry Fellow, 2022 Georgia First Amendment Foundation The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, retired | Polina Marinova Pompliano Founder and Author, The Profile |
| Marilyn Geewax Cox Institute Industry Fellow, 2018 NPR, retired | Kendall Trammell Senior Producer, CNN Digital |
| Amy Glennon Cox Institute Industry Fellow, 2019 Formerly with Cox Media Group | Kamille Whittaker Cox Institute Industry Fellow, 2023 Co-Founder, Canopy Atlanta Assistant Professor, Clark Atlanta University |
Industry Fellows
Each academic year, the Cox Institute names its Industry Fellow, a highly regarded honor for an industry professional who has the opportunity to engage with journalism majors at the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. The Industry Fellow also provides the keynote address at the annual Cox Institute Spring Recognition Dinner.
Former Industry Fellows
| Richard Griffiths Cox Institute Industry Fellow, 2017 Georgia First Amendment Foundation CNN, retired | Marilyn Geewax Cox Institute Industry Fellow, 2018 NPR, retired |
| Amy Glennon Cox Institute Industry Fellow, 2019 Formerly with Cox Media Group | Nick Chiles Cox Institute Industry Fellow, 2020-2021 Writer in Residence, Journalism, University of Georgia |
| Ken Foskett Cox Institute Industry Fellow, 2022 Georgia First Amendment Foundation The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, retired | Kamille Whittaker Cox Institute Industry Fellow, 2023 Co-Founder, Canopy Atlanta Assistant Professor, Clark Atlanta University |
| Bob Sullivan Cox Institute Industry Fellow, 2024 veteran journalist and author of five books | Randy Travis Cox Institute Industry Fellow, 2025 senior investigative reporter, Fox 5 Atlanta |
The Institute’s Legacy
The Cox Institute was established in 1990 by the late Conrad Fink, a legendary journalism professor in the Grady College. It is named for the late James M. Cox Jr., who headed Cox Enterprises and Cox Broadcasting Corporation from 1957 until 1974.
A beloved professor for 30 years following a successful career as an international journalist and news executive, Fink taught generations of journalism students how to report the news and manage journalism businesses ethically, responsibly and profitably. A no-nonsense professor with formidable bushy eyebrows, Fink trained students to write for and manage news companies from Amarillo, Texas, to London and Beijing.
Fink, who held the William S. Morris Chair in Newspaper Strategy and Management at Grady College, created a unique newspaper management curriculum, developed a residence program for visiting professional journalists and recently spearheaded the creation of an endowed program in sports journalism.
“Grady College mourns the passing of Conrad Fink,” said E. Culpepper Clark, then dean of the UGA Grady College. “Conrad was a lion of journalism, respected and beloved by generations of students, alumni, colleagues and media leaders. He reported during the golden age of newspapers but also embraced the brave new world of digital journalism. He was a citizen of the world with intense devotion to every student who sat across a table from him.”
Fink was appointed professor at the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication in 1983. In 1990 he became the director of the James M. Cox Jr. Institute for Newspaper Management Studies. He was named William S. Morris Professor of Newspaper Strategy and Management in 1995 and held the Morris Chair at his death.
Institute Happenings
Past News
- Levin Leaders to document best practices in leadership through podcasts
- Griffiths Innovators elevate local news through digital strategy
- Fink Fellows strengthen local democracy with city council coverage
- Cox Institute hosts media literacy influencer Kelsey Russell for News Literacy Certificate Fall 2025 Celebration
- Nick Chiles co-authors “The Black Family Who Built America
- Cox Institute Griffiths Innovator earns Poynter ACES Certificate in Editing
- Students Learn to Fight Misinformation in Real Time at Hackathon, Featuring Adam Levin and Seana Davis
- Cox-SABEW Fellows Attend Skills Workshop at Wall Street Journal
- Covering Poverty Writers Collaborate With Students in India for Inaugural Journalism Partnership at UGA
- The Lead Podcast Publishes 100th Episode
- Herndon Named to UGA’s Inaugural Fellows for Transformative Teaching Program
- Inaugural Cox Institute Showcase Celebrates Student Work
- Students Combat Disinformation in Cox Institute’s First What the Hackathon
- Kentucky Kernel wins Betty Gage Holland Award for 2022
- 2023 Levin Leaders Recognized at Cox Institute Spring Leadership Dinner
- Cox Institute’s Digital Natives program completes 3rd year
- Kamille Whittaker Named 2023 Industry Fellow
- Cox-SABEW Fellows Attend NYC Workshop
- The Lead Podcast Launches 13th Season
- Work by Cox Institute Graduate Assistants Presented at Leadership Conference
- Herndon Serves as Judge in the 2022 James Beard Awards
- Teams and Fellow Innovate with News Organizations in Spring 2022
- The Lead Podcast Names its New Host for Fall 2022
- The 2022 Levin Leaders Receive their Cox Institute Leadership Medals
- Journalism Innovation Lab Team Finishes in Top 6 in Nationwide Competition
- Indiana Daily Student Wins Betty Gage Holland Award for 2021
- Ken Foskett Named Cox Institute’s Industry Fellow for 2022
- Kyra Posey Wins Award from Georgia Association of Broadcasters
- Cox Institute Announces New University Certificate in News Literacy Starting Fall 2022
- Cox Institute Launches 2nd Year of Digital Natives Program
- Cox Institute Names 2021 SABEW Fellows
- UGA Student Earns Poynter ACES Certificate in Editing
- The Lead Podcast Welcomes New Graduate Assistant as Host for Fall 2021
- Cox Institute Adds New Directors, Initiatives to Benefit Students, Industry
- Cox Institute’s Podcast Work Featured on Leadership Podcast
- Collaboration Led by Cox Institute Wins Distinguished Paper Award at ALE Conference
- Cox Institute Director Completes CTL Writing Fellowship
- UGA Journalism Student Awarded Internship Funded by Scripps Howard Foundation
- Cox Institute Graduate Assistant Earns Poynter ACES Certificate in Editing
- Cox Institute Journalism Innovation Lab Relaunches Online Poverty Reporting Toolkit
- 2021 Levin Leaders Receive Cox Institute Leadership Medals
- Cox Institute Director Featured as Strategy Podcast Guest
- Grad Students Publish White Papers with Cox Institute
- Cox Institute Announces 2020 Cox-SABEW Fellows
- The Red & Black Wins 2020 Betty Gage Holland Award
- Cox Institute Grad Assistants Present Papers at Leadership Conference
- Scripps Howard Foundation Awards Grant to Fund Cox Institute’s Reporting Project
- Cox Institute’s eBook from The Lead Podcast Wins Gold Medals
- The Lead Podcast Welcomes New Student Host for Fall 2020
- Norsworthy Awarded 2 Industry Scholarships
- The Lead Podcast Wins 1st Place in SPJ Regional Awards
- Cox Institute Recognizes 2020 Levin Leaders, Awards Scholarships at Spring Leadership Dinner
- Paul Pagnato Advises UGA Students to Prepare for Unprecedented Change
- Cox Institute Hosts NewsCraft20
- NewsCraft20: Schedule Announced for Covering Culture
- Nick Chiles Named Cox Institute’s Industry Fellow for 2020
- Cox Institute Releases eBook Compilation of Interviews from The Lead Podcast
- Grady Students Complete 2019 Cox-SABEW Fellowships
- 2019 Mobile News Lab Finishes with Project Showcase
- Cox Institute’s Norsworthy Inducted into Sphinx Society, UGA’s Highest Student Honor
- Grady’s SPJ Wins Outstanding Chapter for Region 3
- Cox Institute Hosts 2019 Entrepreneurial Journalism Symposium
- Cox Institute Launches Grady Writing Lab with Nick Chiles
- University of North Alabama’s Flor-Ala Newspaper Honored with Betty Gage Holland Award
- Cox Institute Presents Innovative Practice Paper at ALE Conference
- Cox Institute and Newsy Expand Student Training Relationship
- Cox Institute Director Receives Grady’s Darwin-Davis Award
- Cox Innovation Fellowship Features Largest Summer Group
- Morris Chair Establishes Morris Media Fellows Program in 2019
- Cox Institute’s Norsworthy Recognized for Academics and Work Performance
- Grady Journalism Students Participate in Collegiate Leadership Competition
- Cox Institute Director Receives UGA Creative Teaching Award
- Cox Institute Recognizes Inaugural Class of Levin Leaders at Spring Leadership Dinner
- NEWSCRAFT 19: A Workshop on Reporting, Writing, Pitching and Selling News
2018
- 6 Grady Students Held Cox Innovation Fellowships in Summer and Fall Terms
- Glennon to Serve as Cox Institute’s 2019 Industry Fellow
- Grady Students Complete 2018 Cox-SABEW Fellowships
- Journalism Students Complete 2018 Cox Institute Mobile News Lab
- Cox Institute Will Unveil Levin Leaders Initiative in January
- Cox Institute Director Named Morris Chair
- Fanning Institute and Grady Faculty Explain Collaboration in Innovative Practice Paper
- 5 Grady Journalists Training This Summer as Newsy Fellows
2017
- Grady Students Recognized as 2017 Cox-SABEW Fellows
- NPR’s Marilyn Geewax to be Industry Fellow at Grady’s Cox Institute
- PILOT Sponsors UGA’s Grady Mobile News Lab for Fall 2017
- Investigative Report on Sexual Misconduct on College Campuses Wins 2017 Holland Award
- Cox Institute and NPPA Spearhead Resource Effort for Independent Journalists
- Cox Institute Leader Selected for Pulliam Fellowship
- Funke Named Google News Lab Fellow
- Grady Journalism Students Complete 2017 Cox Institute Leaders Program
2016
- Cox Institute Joins the Google News Lab University Network
- Cox Institute Celebrates Dedication of Office and Journalism Innovation Lab
2015
- College Editors Convene at Grady for 20th Annual MSCNE
- Herndon Receives Business Journalism Grant from Reynolds National Center
- Cox Leader, SABEW Fellow selected for the Pulliam Fellowship
2014
Institute Projects
Certificate in News Literacy
Join the more than 180 students across 22 majors who are improving their ability to tell truth from fiction with the Certificate in News Literacy. The Certificate enhances students’ ability to discern between credible information and information disorder through critical examination of how we access, analyze, verify, create and share media messages with an emphasis on news. It’s an interdisciplinary, four-course certificate that can be added to any major at UGA.
JOURNALISM INNOVATION LAB
The Journalism Innovation Lab creates innovation initiatives to develop the products, practices and people of the industry’s future. Contact Dr. Amanda Bright, director of the Journalism Innovation Lab, with questions.
Griffiths Innovators
The Griffiths Innovators, funded by Richard T. Griffiths, is a program within the Journalism Innovation Lab of the Cox Institute for Journalism Innovation, Management & Leadership. Its purpose is to engage UGA journalism majors in innovation projects with news organizations — providing a rich learning experience for both members of the partnership for the benefit of local news.
Griffiths Innovators take on various innovation tasks each year. We have teams that take on one-time special projects, as needed, and those that compete within the Reynolds Journalism Institute Innovation Competition. Most of our Griffiths Innovators, though, are paired with newsrooms through one of two versions of the program.
- Innovation Fellows: 2 hours per week remotely from October-April, minus breaks (40 hours total)
- Digital Natives: one full week on-site during the first week of January (40 hours total)
The 2025-2026 Griffiths Innovators are: Riley Baugh, Katherine Davis, Nicholas Eriksen, Maya McKenzie, Shad McMillan, Jasmine Milbourne, Derek Oliveros, Maura Potvin, Makenna Reavis and Rachel Sandstrom. The Griffiths Innovators are part of the Cox Institute’s Innovation Lab and are provided scholarships through a fund established by Richard T. Griffiths, a former news executive with CNN. Amanda Bright serves as director of the Journalism Innovation Lab.
Cox Institute Innovation Lab’s
Solutions Journalism Hub of the South
Telling the whole story in the South.
That’s the mission and purpose of the Solutions Journalism Hub of the South at the University of Georgia—to support storytelling that covers both the problems and the actions being taken to address them.
We are committed to advancing education, research and industry collaboration and innovation to improve the understanding and reach of solutions journalism, with a special focus on the southern United States.
As one of four inaugural Solutions Journalism Hubs named in 2021, the University of Georgia’s hub is uniquely positioned in the South to help newsrooms, students and researchers tell the whole story of our region. There are many problems here that we need good reporting on, but we want to also train storytellers to cover the responses — as a way to not only balance the narrative but provide audiences a way to engage.
Online News Association & Society for Professional Journalists (ONA/SPJ) at UGA
ONA and SPJ at UGA is a student organization with membership in the Society of Professional Journalists, the nation’s largest journalism organization, and the Online News Association, an organization focused on bridging the intersection between journalism and technology. ONA and SPJ at UGA was founded by Lindsey Cook, Whitney Wyszynski and Alex Laughlin in 2013.
ONA/SPJ focuses on information sessions regarding First Amendment rights, the free flow of information and open government records. As a student-run organization, we act as a resource for student journalists by providing opportunities in the journalism field on current issues and trends in the industry.
Contact us by joining the ONA/SPJ at UGA Slack channel in the Journalism Innovation Lab workspace or at onaspj@gmail.com.
JOURNALISM LEADERSHIP LAB
The Journalism Leadership Lab prepares students for leadership roles in the news media, addressing strategic challenges faced by contemporary news organizations. Contact Dr. Keith Herndon, executive director of the Cox Institute and director of the Journalism Leadership Lab, with questions.
LEVIN LEADERS Program
Levin Leaders are top Grady journalism students selected to study leadership development principles during each spring semester.
They are immersed in a hybrid training experience that combines the best of online education with facilitated leadership development workshops. The program is designed to prepare students for leadership roles in a digital-first era influenced by social media and an explosion in mobile platforms.
The program began in 2013 in partnership with the Poynter Institute. In 2017, the experience was revised to deploy the “Your Leadership Edge” program, which encourages participants to develop the skills to “lead anytime, anywhere.” In 2019, the program became the Levin Leaders Initiative after a new gift pledge from Adam Levin and the Philip and Janice Levin Foundation. The Levin family’s gifts and pledges to the program to date exceed a quarter million dollars.
Keith Herndon, professor of practice in the journalism department and director of the Cox Institute, leads the leadership workshops and coordinates the program.
The Lead Podcast
How to get ahead in the news industry, told by the people who did. Hosted by Alexis Derickson and executive produced by Charlotte Varnum for the Cox Institute.
2025 Levin Leaders
The 2025 Levin Leaders are: Lily Aldrich, Sophia Davenport, McKenna Edwards, Sophia Eppley, Ansley Gavlak, Taylor Greaves, Clarice Henry, Sidney Josephs, Caroline Newbern and Grant Turnage. The Levin Leaders are part of the Cox Institute’s Leadership Lab and are provided scholarships through funding from Adam Levin, his wife Heather McDowell and the Philip and Janice Levin Foundation. Keith Herndon, the executive director of the Cox Institute, also serves as director of the Journalism Leadership Lab.
The 2024 Levin Leaders are Carmen Corley, Alexis Derickson, Taft Gantt, Jayden Henson, Libby Hobbs, Lilly Kersh, Joe Kopsho, Allison Mawn, Tori Newman, Sophie Ralph, Nava Rawls, Anna Ruth Riggins, Liz Rymarev, Lee Short, Torin Smith, Avni Trivedi and Owen Warden.
The 2023 Levin Leaders are Ashley Balsavias, Grace Mains, Ryan Kerley, Sidney Chansamone, Jacqueline GaNun, Stuart Steele, Dawn Sawyer, Eric Tiongson, Eve Hernandez, DonA Traylor-Askew, Dania Kalaji, Erin Kenney, Katie Tucker and Olivia Wakim.
The 2022 Levin Leaders are Janelle Ward, Kyle Soto, Kathryn Skeean, Katherine Lewis, Brieanna Smith, Spencer Donovan, Julia Walkup, Nimra Ahmad, Emily Garcia, Madison Franklin, Caroline Kurzawa, Palmer Thombs, Thomas Ehlers, Deaundria Turner and Sydney Fordice.
The students received their medals during a private, socially-distanced dinner on March 15 at the Center for Continuing Education. Grady College Dean Charles Davis attended to recognize the accomplishments of these top journalism students.
The Levin Leaders were recognized at their annual recognition dinner. The keynote speaker was Nick Chiles, the Cox Institute Industry Fellow.
The Levin Leaders were recognized at their annual dinner. The keynote speaker was Amy Glennon (ABJ ’90), the Cox Institute Industry Fellow. They were the first cohort to assume the title of “Levin Leader.”
James M. Cox Jr. Leadership Medals were presented to the sixth cohort of Cox Leaders.
The 2017 Cox Leaders are Katelyn Umholtz, Taylor Cromwell, Lauren Sloan, Zachary Hansen, Denver Ellison, Anna Logan, Cory Cole, Reann Huber, Daniel Funke, Mollie Simon, Lauren Herbert, McKenzie Lewis, Miles Moraitis and Jaylon Thompson. Richard Griffiths is the 2017 Cox Institute Industry Fellow.
The 2016 Cox Poynter Leaders are Emily Selby, Erin Cavalli, Lauren McDonald, Evelyn Andrews, Jennifer Goldberger, Jamie Han, Sam Lack, Grace Donnelly, Haylee Silverthorne, Mariya Lewter, Kalyn Wilson, Macey Kessler, Alison Menhart, Gabriel Cavallaro and Katie Kraft.
The 2015 Cox Poynter Leaders are Melanie Watson, Deegan Mundy, Kathryn Roberts, Elizabeth Grimsley, Jamari Jordan, Kendall Trammell, Taylor West, Eli Watkins, Stephen Mayes, Laura James, Jordan James, Allie Blinder and Brenna Beech.
The 2014 Cox Poynter Leaders are Aashka Dave, Hilary Butschek, Jeanette Kazmierczak, Nicholas Watson, Brittini Ray, Nicholas Fouriezos, Meredith Thornhill, Kathleen LaPorte, Whitney Wyszynski, Hayden Field, Chris Conley and Cailin O’Brien.
The 2013 Cox Poynter Leaders are Mac Little, Megan Ingalls, Lauren Blais, Polina Marinova, Maura Friedman, Sofia Jesani, Christopher DeSantis, Keith Llado, Darcy Lenz, Kelsey Kent, Lindsey Cook, Amanda Dixon, Katherine Wolpert and Cody Schmelter.
Cox-SABEW Fellowship
The Cox-SABEW Fellowship program started in 2013 and honors students who have embraced business journalism and qualified for the recognition through professional experience and student media.
Journalism Writing Lab
The Journalism Writing Lab provides scholarship opportunities to Fink Fellows, students who are selected to enhance their writing, visual storytelling and editing skills in their work for media outlets. We provide needed editorial and cultural coverage as staffs have shrunk, and the opportunity for students to pursue passion projects.
Contact Lori Johnston, director of the Journalism Writing Lab, to learn more.
Students work with peers and Professor Johnston on meaningful reporting projects throughout the academic year. It’s a great way for students to grow their skills, and receive support and mentoring from each other and Cox Institute faculty in a welcoming, inclusive environment.
The storytelling formats for digital and print products include text, visuals and video podcasts. Projects for 2025-2026 are likely to focus on these topics and beats: local government, mental health and poverty, and lifestyle topics such as home and garden, food and tourism writing.
Our Work
Our award-winning work has been published in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Oconee Enterprise, The Oglethorpe Echo, Grady Newsource, The Red & Black, The Athens Banner-Herald, The Current and The (Macon) Telegraph. Our students have received these awards:
Georgia Press Association’s 2025 Better Newspaper Contest
- First place, Enterprise Story: Combination of three stories: A package of stories including High need, low accessibility: Oglethorpe County residents face barriers to mental health care, even as teens and schools are willing to have the conversation by Navya Shukla and Sydney Rainwater of the Journalism Writing Lab. The same story won third place in the Enterprise Story category focused on a single story.
Georgia Press Association’s 2024 Better Newspaper Contest
- Second place, Multimedia Journalism, Weekly Division: Elizabeth Rymarev and Olivia Wakim for their video, Crocheting with Care: Virginia Sanders serves others with her craft (read the story here)
Mental Health Writing
We are part of The Carter Center’s Mental Health Parity Collaborative, a group of newsrooms that are covering stories on mental health care access and inequities in the U.S. The partners on this project include The Carter Center and newsrooms in select states across the country.
These stories resulted from social media callouts and Reels on the Cox Institute and Red & Black Instagram accounts:
- Religious Contacts, Student Volunteers Find Themselves in Midst of Mental Health Crisis (Grady Newsource)
- How to access mental health resources as a UGA student (The Red & Black)
More examples of our work:
- Story referenced in piece published by The Center for Public Integrity: Despite efforts to close gap, parity in mental health care remains elusive
- Story published in Atlanta Magazine: “We’re Just Trying To Climb Up“
- High need, low accessibility: Oglethorpe County residents face barriers to mental health care, even as teens and schools are willing to have the conversation (The Oglethorpe Echo)
- Story referenced in piece published by The Center for Public Integrity: Despite efforts to close gap, parity in mental health care remains elusive
Government Meeting Coverage
We provide essential stories covering city council meetings. Each student was assigned to a city council in Bogart, Bishop and North High Shoals for The Oconee Enterprise, a weekly newspaper. They cover the meeting, write the story that week and receive professional editing. We plan to expand this offering to more newspapers.
- UGA reporting course brings students to meetings
- Group petitions to recall town leaders
- Bishop ends church lease
- Bishop approves new transparency initiatives
- Bishop official called a ‘blasphemer’ – Council passes civility resolution
- Bishop Town Council approves repair funds for the community center but stuck on lease decision
- North High Shoals Town Council OKs division of property
- North High Shoals citizens voice concerns over code enforcement
- North High Shoals plans park workday
- Bogart mayor explains how voters will have to vote in two locations
- Bogart Council approves development fee schedule
- Bogart council approves FY 2026 budget
- New office park coming to Bogart
- Bogart Council plans new park, approves budget
- Bogart mayor says building moratorium is good for the city
- Bishop community center to undergo some repairs
- Bishop mayor steps down
- Bishop to honor mayor in April
Covering Poverty
Covering Poverty is a resource for journalists, devoted to helping community, regional and national journalists cover poverty within their beats and to provide guidelines on how to appropriately write about people and poverty-related matters. Students involved in Covering Poverty have been published by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Oglethorpe Echo, The Athens Banner-Herald and The Current. The Writing Lab partners with other publications in the Southeast to produce Everyday Heroes, a special AJC section. Covering Poverty also is part of The Carter Center’s Mental Health Parity Collaborative.
“My experience with the Cox Institute’s Covering Poverty project was very formative. In my first two semesters at Grady, I was able to take on stories that dealt with heavy topics, and the lessons I learned from those stories and the people I interviewed has helped me find ways to connect with my community and learn about the struggles they face here at UGA and in the Athens-Clarke area. I even had my stories published in The Atlanta-Journal Constitution, which was exciting to know that it had a larger audience and people saw the sensitive work we did throughout the year.”
—Liz Ryamrev, former Red & Black editor and a 2024 graduate who has interned at the Omaha World Herald and Dallas Morning News, in a “Profiles of Tenacity” piece
Here are some examples of our work:
- Everyday Heroes 2024 Special Publication (AJC)
- Everyday Heroes: Produce, peanut stand owner collects donations to erase student lunch debt (AJC)
- Everyday Heroes: UGA student helps create exciting holiday shopping day for kids (AJC)
- Everyday Heroes: Georgia student gives back after finding hope at cancer camp (AJC)
- Everyday Heroes: Georgia student helps kids, teens with tutoring and community connections (AJC)
- Oglethorpe County Resource Guide: Nonprofits, individuals provide help year-round (The Oglethorpe Echo)
- Everyday Heroes: #Bakewithme Project passes ‘bread hug’ onto others (AJC)
- Everyday Heroes: Aliyah Williams (AJC)
- Everyday Heroes: Riya Patel (AJC)
- Nonprofits, individuals come together to help year-round (The Oglethorpe Echo)
- Here to Help: Lexington Baptist Church’s monthly food pantry has been a community fixture for over 20 years (The Oglethorpe Echo)
Culture, Lifestyle and Business Writing
We tailor our writing and visuals to the needs and interests of students, media outlets and professionals who serve as mentors to help them refine ideas and pitch stories.
- When less is more: Capsule wardrobes drive sustainable fashion in the US and India (AJC)
- Pay with your phone: Georgia, US play catch up as India surges ahead in payment methods (The Oglethorpe Echo) and (Macon.com)
- As India surges ahead in digital payments, US plays catch-up (Video for India Blooms News Service)
- Hands-on experience: Teller’s lifelong passion plays out through his metal creations (The Oglethorpe Echo)
- Dance school, Cub Scouts add to list of Lena Wise’s groups (The Oglethorpe Echo)
- Toledano’s plans include new business for Maxeys (The Oglethorpe Echo)
- Former church being turned into home, called ‘Holy House of Love’: Lexington’s Russell Chapel AME undergoing renovations (The Oglethorpe Echo)
- Churches, others boost Pats with pregame meals (The Oglethorpe Echo)
- From the NBA to OCHS: Strong’s journey to coaching (The Oglethorpe Echo)
- Former magician has ties to Trump (The Oglethorpe Echo)
- Local photographer focuses on history (The Oglethorpe Echo)
- Patriots face tough road for first victory (The Oglethorpe Echo)
Reporting & Writing Resources
Watch tutorial videos on using style guides, quotation/attribution, interviewing and more: Skills for Storytelling and Reporting YouTube Channel.
Additional Resources:
- Reporting I Textbook
- Book Recommendations
- Reporting and Writing Checklist
- AP Style: Most Common Rules
- How to Use the Online AP Stylebook
- Five Ways to Get In Touch with Sources
- Interviewing 101
- How to Write an Email to a Source
- Using Quotations
- How to Correctly Use Quotations and Attribution
- Guide to Person on the Street Interviews
- Your Guide to Covering a Speech, Event or Meeting
- The Art of Lead Writing
- Tutorial Graphics on Various Journalism Writing Styles
- Using Social Media to Report and Promote Your Work
- 10 Major Writing Takeaways
- The Polishing Process
Freelancing Resources
Professor Lori Johnston moderated a discussion between photojournalist Steffenie Burns (ABJ ’17) (photojournalist) and writer Sonam Vashi about freelancing during an Entrepreneurial Journalism Symposium hosted by the Cox Institute.
About the JLab
The JLab is part of the Cox Institute Suite on the first floor of the Journalism Building — Rooms 135 and 135A. We provide a free spot for students to work individually, collaborate, conduct interviews for stories or jobs, and meet with other students and journalism faculty.
The JLab is a casual, comfortable space with free coffee and snacks, movable tables and chairs, plugs to charge devices, a TV with AirPlay capabilities, two desktop computers and a printer.
It is composed of two rooms, giving ample opportunity for students to gather, recharge, study or get work done. You don’t have to be affiliated with a Cox Institute program to use the JLab.
The JLab also is available on a first-come, first-serve basis for individual study and work time or to meet with other students. Simply walk in to use the space, if it’s not reserved. (See calendars below for current reservations.)
Also:
- You can reserve the JLab for a single or recurring group meeting or an interview where privacy is needed. Email Alexis Derickson at alexis.derickson@uga.edu.
- If a need arises to use the space with privacy (for example, to record a video or podcast or for an interview), you can simply sign your name to an open space on the calendar posted on each door to use one of the rooms.
Note: If a lab space is used for weekly standing office hours, you should be able to also use the space; just ask the faculty member if it’s OK for you to be there.
The JLab is also conveniently located adjacent to the offices of the Cox Institute faculty, so feel free to pop in and say hi to Dr. Herndon, Dr. Bright and Professor Johnston while you are there!
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