Wednesday, February 21, 2024

The Daily Beacon

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Volume 145, Issue 5

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Wednesday, February 21, 2024

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@utkdailybeacon

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STATE OF THE MEDIA

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, February 21, 2024

DAILY BEACON STAFF AND POLICY INFORMATION

Letter from the Editor: Editorially independent

EDITORIAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Abby Ann Ramsey MANAGING EDITOR: Bella Hughes COPY CHIEF: Emma Johnston NEWS EDITOR: Eli Boldt ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR: Macy Roberts SPORTS EDITOR: Caleb Jarreau ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR: Jack Church DIGITAL PRODUCER: Karsten Hoglund OPINIONS EDITOR: Calie Wrona PHOTO EDITOR: Cole Moore DESIGN EDITOR: Emma Fingeret ENGAGEMENT EDITOR: Sarah Portanka PAGE DESIGNERS: Katie Goss, Chloe Black

COVER PHOTO: Emma Fingeret / The Daily

Beacon

ADVERTISING/PRODUCTION ADVERTISING MANAGER: Cullen Askew ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES: Shelby

Coppock, Jacob Stromatt ADVERTISING PRODUCTION ARTISTS: Donatella

Thomas, Ailin Lopez

CONTACTS TO REPORT A NEWS ITEM OR SUBMIT A PRESS RELEASE, please email editorinchief@utdailybeacon.com TO PLACE AN AD, please email admanager@utk.edu.

LETTERS POLICY: Letters to the Editor must be exclusive to The Daily Beacon and cannot have been submitted to or published by other media.

Letters should not exceed 400 words and can be edited or shortened for space. Letters can also be edited for grammar and typographical errors, and Letters that contain excessive grammatical errors can be rejected for this reason. Anonymous Letters will not be published. Authors should include their full name, mailing address, city of residence, phone number and e-mail address for verification purposes. Letters submitted without this information will not be published. The preferred method to submit a Letter to the Editor is to email the Editor-in-Chief.

CORRECTIONS POLICY:It is The Daily Beacon’s policy to quickly correct any factual errors and clarify any potentially misleading information.

Errors brought to our attention by readers or staff members will be corrected and printed on page two of our publication. To report an error please send as much information as possible about where and when the error occurred to editorinchief@ utdailybeacon.com.

The Daily Beacon is published by students at The University of Tennessee on Wednesday during the fall and spring semesters. The offices are located at 1345 Circle Park Drive, 11 Communications Building, Knoxville, TN 37996-0314. The newspaper is free on campus and is available via mail subscription for $200/year or $100/semester.

It is also available online at: www.utdailybeacon. com

ABBY ANN RAMSEY Editor-in-Chief

Those familiar with the Beacon have probably, at some point or another, heard it called an “editorially independent student newspaper.” Whether you’ve heard one of our editors say this, seen this on our website or remember it from going to UT in past decades, the phrase has become somewhat synonymous with The Daily Beacon.

I say this every day, and we type it out every week when we upload our paper online, but the routine of saying it can sometimes lead us to lose sight of what it actually means and how important it actually is. It feels especially important this week as we celebrate Student Press Freedom Day tomorrow.

At its core, editorial independence means all of our decisions are made free from interference from outside entities. We have every right to publish what we want, when we want, where we want and how we want. Each and every decision we make is made by us and us alone.

Another important part of this description is that we are a student newspaper. Not only are decisions made only by our newsroom staff, but our

newsroom staff is made up of only students. Every word, photo, video, graphic, correction, paper and social media post you see comes from the mind of a student at the university — with the exception of letters and columns, which are occasionally produced by people other than students but are always edited by a student.

It seems obvious for a campus newspaper, but when you stop to think about it, it is a little crazy.

A group of 12 editors and about 30 staff members, most of who are between the ages of 18-22, have been entrusted to carry on the legacy of a 153-yearold award-winning publication on a campus with more than 35,000 students. No pressure, right?

“While we are editorially independent and grateful to be so, we cannot get comfortable.”

Sometimes the pressure does feel extremely real, and it feels scary that we’re making these decisions on our own as students, even though

we get advisor feedback. While it can be daunting most of the time, it is more frequently freeing and thrilling. It is a blessing to have the editorial independence that is so frequently taken away from other newsrooms.

As you’ll read in this issue, 13 student newsrooms have been shut down since 2021 due to issues related to structural, financial or editorial discrepancies. Student newsrooms are struggling to stay afloat due to low engagement, budget cuts, censorship, relocation, forced coverage, exploitation, administrative interference and an overall declining sense of media literacy in America. Interference with editorial independence can shut a newspaper down, or it can force the newspaper to become a PR mouthpiece for the university, skirting around truths and transparency — two of the most important tenets of journalism.

While we are editorially independent and grateful to be so, we cannot get comfortable. We are always aware of threats to our independence and aware that things could change in the blink of an eye if we are not careful. So many other student news outlets have seen their space taken out from under them, their printing rights revoked or their budget cut altogether. This week, as we celebrate student newsrooms and help people understand their importance, consider supporting The Daily Beacon through viewing our content, interacting with us on social media or even donating to the newsroom.

Letter from Managing Editor: A two-way street BELLA HUGHES Managing Editor

Life imitates art, but in the case of media, art imitates life. At a time when “get ready with me” videos, Instagram lives and dangerous comment sections are at our disposal, it’s hard to navigate what is news and what is entertainment.

Student Press Freedom Day was created by the Student Press Law Center to raise awareness to the censorship or advocacy challenges student newsrooms face across the nation. The SPLC sets initiatives to protect the editorial independence of newsrooms and the voices of students who work within the organizations.

This year the theme of of Student Press Freedom Week is “powerfully persistent.” This is very telling of the current state of the media as social media platforms are saturated with users yearning to get likes and views. Those who are lucky enough to find success in the media landscape are tasked with putting in ample amounts of work to stay relevant and create impressions on viewers.

Being powerfully persistent goes beyond want-

ing likes and views — persistence is seen in writers, filmmakers, editors, actors, producers, advisors, students and dreamers. This field is for the creatives and the tactical thinkers — as reporters we think ahead and two emails forward to bring you the best content possible.

A student journalist’s work is nothing without the reader. Earlier this year, the Beacon tabled on ped walkway to pass out papers and survey our audience on what they want to see from us. We found that out of the students surveyed, 75% read our content on Instagram, 17% read the weekly newsprint and 7% read our website.

These results contradict a study done on news trustworthiness where social media was the least trusted form of news whereas a newspaper was the highest trusted amongst Gen Z. Instagram is a convenient source for information, but the article doesn’t stop at the headline or caption. The full article paints a picture of the truth, your community and current events.

To be educated is to be informed, and by seeking trustworthy news, you benefit yourself and support local journalists. The Beacon is seeking powerful persistence by listening to our readers and meeting them where they are with the content they want to read.

The Beacon introduced an identity section that features stories that often go untold. Art, culture,

humanity and self expression are all themes we unconsciously interact with daily, and by bringing identity to life, we can create a bigger conversation and understanding of how we ourselves are powerfully persistent.

Art imitates life no matter where you consume your media so we must be persistent in seeking the truth. In celebration of Student Press Freedom Day, I encourage you to read your local news outlet beyond the headline. The journalist behind that byline put in ample time and energy to produce a great story for you.

There is something special between the lines of a news article, and it’s up to the reader to find it.

“Art imitates life no matter where you consume your media so we must be persistent in seeking the truth.”

STATE OF THE MEDIA

Wednesday, February 21, 2024 • The Daily Beacon

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Letter: Sports journalism students should dream about covering women’s sports, too GUY HARRISON Assistant Professor of Journalism and Media Teaching in our sports communication concentration, part of my job is to provide my students with the basic tools and knowledge required to realize their aspirations. Typically, those aspirations focus on covering men’s sports — college football, the NFL, the NBA, MLB or the NHL and what often goes unsaid is that most of my students, regardless of gender, don’t envision themselves covering women’s sports once they graduate.

Sure, many of our students see the value in working with women’s sports now as student journalists, but too often, women’s sports are the stepping stone and not the finish line. Yes, a lot of the bias toward men’s sports is due to the structure of the mainstream sports media industry. It was an industry built by men for men at the outset, and, although women’s sports continue to break viewership and attendance records, many of our most visible sports outlets in the industry, especially NBC, Fox, CBS, still privilege men’s sports. This is also true of the mainstream media’s primary customers: advertisers.

Despite the improvements in women’s sports viewership, even the mostwatched women’s sports telecasts — say, a Women’s World Cup or NCAA Women’s Basketball final don’t yet earn the kinds of ratings necessary to make the kind of money the NFL makes. Perhaps they never will. The NFL is a bit of an economic anomaly, and many more sports, and jobs in sports media, exist beyond it. We always tell our students never to get into journalism or media for the money, but, with so much cash changing hands in men’s sports — have you seen Tony Romo’s annual salary? I t’s a lot easier for our students to be seduced by men’s sports and their potential riches than women’s sports.

Still, women’s sports are worth getting excited about and deserve not just more viewership and attendance but also better journalism and commentary, with excellence and exciting developments seemingly on every proverbial corner.

Iowa’s Caitlin Clark just broke the NCAA women’s basketball career scoring record and is on pace to become, in just a week or so, the highest-scoring collegiate basketball player ever, regardless of gender or association (i.e., NCAA, AIAW).

The Oklahoma Sooners softball team this year is seeking its fourth-straight national title, something no other collegiate softball program has done. New professional women’s indoor volleyball (PFV) and ice hockey (PWHL) leagues launched last month. Clearly, stories focusing on women’s sports are there to be told by those who want to tell them.

Unfortunately, some of the most important stories on women’s sports are told by those who would rather cover men’s sports and therefore struggle to see women as athletes in their own right. Such was the case at the NBA’s recent All-Star festivities when TNT’s Kenny Smith said, repeatedly, that WNBA star Sabrina Ionescu should have shot from the WNBA’s 3-point line, instead of the NBA’s arc, during her headto-head shooting duel with Steph Curry.

Nevermind that Ionescu made the same number of threes as Damian Lillard, the guy that won the NBA’s actual 3-point shooting contest.

To tell better stories about women athletes, they need better storytellers around them. From where I stand, I would love to see some of our best aspiring sports journalists make larger investments, in the short and long term, in women’s sports.

“Still, women’s sports are worth getting excited about and deserve not just more viewership and attendance but also better journalism and commentary, with excellence and exciting developments seemingly on every proverbial corner.”

Guy Harrison Assistant Professor of Journalism and Media

“Lady Vol for life” and WNBA player Candace Parker is recognized during a basketball game against the University of South Carolina at Food City Center. Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024.

Cole Moore / The Daily Beacon

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STATE OF THE MEDIA

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Mapping independence: New project tracks freedom in student newsrooms BELLA HUGHES Managing Editor

Student newsrooms across the nation face limitations and scrutiny based on the structure in which they are set. The Brechner Freedom of Information Project was funded by the Lumina Foundation to bring the internal struggles of newsrooms to light and bring affordable and accurate information to the hands of student journalists.

In 2021, the first survey was conducted in a pool of 525 outlets, and on the eve of the project launch, 13 of those newsrooms no longer existed due to structural, financial or editorial discrepancies. Student newsrooms vary in size and support, but they all have a common goal: independence.

While pursuing her Ph.D., Jessica Sparks served as a media advisor for the Savannah State newspaper, Tigers Roar. As an advisor, she saw newsroom threats firsthand as the Savannah State administration viewed the student newspaper as a “marketing outlet” and not an editorially independent source. Sparks saw a need for respect and transparency within student newsrooms, and thus, the Brechner Project began.

The Brechner Project was originally meant to assess how college media survived the pandemic, but as the research went on and more outlets got involved, Sparks found that newsrooms were so isolated that they were unfamiliar with the different structures and operations their peer newsrooms experienced. The Brechner Project became less of an evaluation of the current state of newsrooms and more a story about awareness and unity amongst student newsrooms across the nation.

“A lot of the outlets don’t know what other outlets like them are doing as far as how they are structured, what they’re doing for revenue, how they are remaining stable,” Sparks said.

“And then, of course, how are they remaining independent? That was really how all this came through.”

The structure of newsrooms There are three main layouts for student newsroom independence including editorial, structural and financial. Each system varies in how outlets receive funding, advisors and editorial advice. A majority of newsrooms receive allocated funds from student government or are supported by the university itself. The least popular but most hands-off structure are the newsrooms protected by a 501(c)(3) — a taxexempt nonprofit organization — where the outlet receives funds from donors and alumni to cover operational costs.

“We have to have a pretty involved alumni base or group of people who are really passionate about keeping the news outlet free and autonomous,” Sparks said. “A lot of schools won’t allow student groups if they are separate from

The Brechner Freedom of Information Project is an assessment of newsroom structures ranging from editorial and financial independence amongst college outlets. Bella Hughes / The Daily Beacon the institution to participate in recruitment fairs, get a space on campus or be able to use computers or software.”

Financially independent newsrooms are tasked with fighting for space, access to the student body and functional equipment but have the advantage of complete autonomy.

Structural support is a medium between financial support and complete independence while bearing the luxuries of support from an advisor. Structurally supported newsrooms don’t have to worry about what Sparks calls “keeping the lights on.”

“There’s a lot of associated costs with being truly independent … like having a facility and newsroom that’s in a campus building with free rent,” Sparks said. “That is structural … things that you don’t really think about until you have to think about, like, who keeps the lights on?”

Lastly, editorial independence is the foundation of student newsrooms. Writers, photographers and creatives in between can portray a story without risk of university implications. Of the newsrooms surveyed for the Brechner Project, all are editorially independent.

to print. Advisors are seen as champions of the student work produced within the newsroom, but when it comes to the business operations of keeping a newsroom afloat, the advisors are obligated to side with the university.

Although most advisors do not interfere with the editorial process, 58% of the surveyed outlets have a university-paid advisor which can lead to several opportunities for university interference.

“It’s okay right now ­— until,” Sparks said.

“Until the wrong person steps in … there’s a whole bunch of different scenarios that might make the outlet very vulnerable as they get university funding … or if they’re in a newsroom that’s on the campus or if they have a website that’s hosted by the university. All of those things that just kind of open up opportunities for the university to take control if it wanted to.”

Advisors serve as a liaison between the newsroom and the university. They do not come between the student and what goes to print. Advisors can advocate in support of the students’ need for equal access to public information especially at a public institution.

Student newsrooms make an effort to emulate the working environment of real-world outlets and the Brechner Center protects that.

“Campus press outlets across the country faced a lot of control by the governments they cover. … Funding can be yanked, or their advisors can be fired,” Cuillier said. “Imagine your local city newspaper or TV stations. If the mayor could yank their funding, we wouldn’t have a free press, would we? And that’s the situation we have on universities all around the country with students trying to learn how to do good journalism.”

Private universities face a greater need for independence as they are not protected by the First Amendment. The right to free press protects government institutions from intruding on speech and press. but excludes private institutions like universities.

“We need laws actually covered by the universities. That’s the right thing to do,” Cuillier said. “We need police forces at private universities to be subject to public record laws because they have enforcement laws … so they should operate transparently.”

Are newsrooms at risk?

There comes a time when someone poses the question, “What if?” For student media outlets, “What if?” comes about more often than you think. “What if we get a big interview?” “What if our story goes viral?” “What if we get shut down?”

Under the structural setup, newsrooms are overseen by university-paid advisors who offer editorial advice without dictating what goes

A fight for public information The Freedom of Information Act is a protection act to maintain the integrity of newsrooms by exploring the access to public information of federal agencies. David Cuillier, the new director of The Brechner Center for the Advancement of the First Amendment, prioritizes the newsroom right to public information by supporting and informing journalists on how to access public records.

A call to action The interactive map titled “Freedom in College Newsrooms” is one step in uniting outlets that face similar adversity. Student media entities are legitimate news outlets that desire the same need and access to information. This Student Press Freedom Day, support your local outlets’ efforts to bring you accurate and timely information.

STATE OF THE MEDIA

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, February 21, 2024

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Romanticizing the mundane UT sophomore Lanie Kristin Draughon inspires positivity as a social media influencer MACY ROBERTS Arts & Culture Editor

Like most college-aged students, sophomore biology major Lanie Kristin Draughon, who goes by Lanie Kristin on social media, discovered social media at a young age. In Draughon’s case, it was when her mother finally agreed to let her download Instagram in the third grade. However, unlike most others, Draughon has been able to find success out of her love of content creation as an influencer.

Once Draughon began posting way back in elementary school, she never stopped — not even when she was made fun of by her classmates. Draughon said she began taking social media more seriously in high school, and she continued to post consistently until one day, during the spring break of her senior year in high school, everything changed with one TikTok video.

“I posted a little day in my life at the beach,” Draughon said. “It was probably like eight seconds, and it got half a million views, … I gained 20,000 followers in the span of like three days.”

Less than two years after Draughon posted her first viral video, she has amassed 34,000 followers on Instagram and nearly 100,000 followers on TikTok. According to the social media management platform Sprout Social, Draughon’s follower count classifies her as a “micro-influencer.” Her TikTok videos have a total of 11.7 million likes, with her most popular video having accumulated more than 1.2 million likes and 8.1 million views.

Draughon considers most of her content to fall under the lifestyle category. She frequently posts “day in my life” and “get ready with me” videos in addition to videos with viral sounds and trending topics. She said she reposts her TikTok videos to Instagram reels if they fit the time frame, although she loves being able to post pictures to Instagram, as photos are her favorite type of content to post.

Being able to share her experiences is Draughon’s favorite part about posting to social media, but it doesn’t come without the risk of receiving hate, she said.

“People really have a problem with my reels, especially my positive content,”

Draughon said. “I just recently had a video go viral, and I don’t know how many comments, probably like 2,000 comments, and they’re all negative. It was a video of me that was five seconds and I was just like, ‘I’m so happy to wake up and live every day.’”

Draughon said that when she receives hate comments, she tries to ignore them and not take them personally. Positivity is a central part of Draughon’s character, and she says that despite the hate she may receive for it, spreading positivity in her posts is something she is devoted to doing.

“I feel like that’s kind of been my purpose with social media,” Draughon said. “Being able to share that positive side of life, that you will get your spark back and that things will be ok again. Things have to be hard before they get good, and that really makes you appreciate it. That’s kind of what I’ve held like in my heart while doing social media — that maybe if just one person hears this and they can be better from it … they take a little piece of what I’ve been through to move on.”

Draughon said it’s not just random people on the internet who don’t like the content she posts, though. While in high school, she was in a four-year relationship with someone who didn’t like her posting as much as she did. Draughon ended up going through a bad breakup but shared her philosophy of there “always being rainbows after the rain” which inspires her to get through emotional times.

Natalie Nicholson, a sophomore psychology major, said she follows Draughon on TikTok and Instagram and appreciates the positivity her videos spread.

“I like her content because it’s refreshing to see someone romanticize all the mundane parts of college that I take for granted,” Nicholson said. “I feel more motivated to wake up early and start my day on a positive note when I see how positive she is every day.”

As a micro-influencer, Draughon has relationships with many different brands that gift her items and ask to work with her.

Many of these companies are small and local businesses that sell clothes and beauty products, but Draughon has also received PR from big-name brands like Ulta, CASETiFY and Princess Polly.

Lanie Kristin Draughon, who has amassed nearly 100,000 followers on TikTok, has a longstanding partnership with Alani Nutrition and frequently posts videos featuring the energy drinks. Courtesy of Lanie Kristin Draughon One of Draughon’s most consistent and long-standing partnerships is with Alani Nutrition, a wellness brand with over 1 million followers on Instagram. She began working with them during her freshman year at UT in October 2022 and frequently features their energy drinks in her videos with the phrase “first sip best sip.”

While Draughon said she’d love to do influencing full-time, she’s unsure if this would make her fulfilled and that she’s devoted to finishing her degree in biology. She plans to continue content creation as long as she can but also wants to pursue a career in medical aesthetics. In the future, she says she may consider combining both passions by documenting her career on social media.

With the amount of hate and stress social media can bring, social media can sometimes feel like too heavy of a burden to bear.

Draughon admitted that while she’s dealt with her fair share of being made fun of, it’s not enough to destroy her love of posting content. Whenever she feels down, she thinks back to her senior year self who was “posting like an influencer” even though she didn’t have the followers.

“When these followers came to me, I felt like it was … I don’t know, like a God thing,” Draughon said. “This is what’s going to make me feel happy, and I just try to do all of what I do right now for that girl who was so hurt her senior year.”

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STATE OF THE MEDIA

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Justice through coverage Race, equity and justice reporter Angela Dennis talks reframing coverage of marginalized communities SHELBY WRIGHT Staff Writer

Angela Dennis is an award-winning reporter with Knox News who has spent her journalistic career reframing the way marginalized communities are covered in Knoxville. Dennis is most notable for her approach to race, equity and justice reporting by intersecting topics of issues through historical and contemporary lenses.

Dennis was raised in the Tampa Bay area of Florida but was born in Knoxville. In 2008, she came back to her roots but not as a journalist. Dennis did a lot of inner-city and non profit work around Knoxville and because she found herself in social justice spaces, she began writing as a guest columnist for Knox News on issues of race. Then, the paper hired her as a reporter.

“Historically, the media here in Knoxville has done a poor job of centering marginalized voices, but especially Black voices, so I try to always keep that front and center when thinking about the work that I do,” Dennis said.

Dennis told The Daily Beacon that social justice is her passion and she strives to make sure that the voices of “the little guy” are heard over the masses, especially the voices of those who have been historically left out of the media. Dennis not only tries to cover marginalized people and the Black community in her stories but also works to make sure they’re represented through news photography.

In an article, Knox News executive editor Joel Christopher commented on the impact Angela has had in his newsroom.

“We knew when we asked Angela to join our newsroom that she is a remarkable talent. Angela has exceeded every expectation we had and more, and has put us in a much better position to ensure Black communities are fully and truly present in our coverage,” Christopher said.

The Black community has been represented more widely in Knox News’s coverage, and she believes she has inspired those around her to make institutional change within their newsroom.

“I believe that the change that I have brought in my coverage has been concrete, but I also believe that the mere presence of Black and marginalized people in coverage is a huge step towards progress because for so long that hasn’t been the case,” Dennis said. “These people have not been used to seeing themselves on our front pages, in our archives, and that alone is progress. It’s change. It is always going to be more difficult to see concrete systemic change from the media when it comes to issues affecting Black people. We’ve been fighting for that change for decades, and the Black press has played a critical role in that since before the Civil Rights Movement. I am blessed to be able to carry out that legacy here in a city where we are vastly underrepresented.”

Dennis’ work has not come without pushback from some in the Knoxville community.

“It’s very hard as a Black journalist, especially a Black woman journalist who is specifically covering issues of race, to not receive that type of feedback, and that’s just something that you have to be prepared for going in. … But I see what I do as a service to the community, and I try to remember that there are more people who appreciate this coverage than those who do not,” Dennis said.

In the United States, only 6% of journalists are Black. Therefore, while journalists of color provide a nuanced reporting to marginalized communities, Dennis argues that they can’t do it all and that journalists of all backgrounds should focus on reporting marginalized communities. However, Dennis warns us to be wary of falling into sensationalism that can come with reporting on these communities on the issues of crime and traumatic events.

Dennis said that while the media has the ability to do a lot of good, it also has the ability to do a lot of harm. Thus, it is important to also find the good, everyday stories of marginalized communities and tell those as well.

“Think about the way you’re reporting on these communities and start by building relationships — actually go into these communities and talk to people so that you can actually see that the narrative often painted with these communities is not all hysteria and controversy,” Dennis said. “There’s a lot of beautiful, positive stories in these, and if you

Knox News race, equity and justice reporter Angela Dennis works to redefine coverage of marginalized communities through her reporting. Courtesy of Angela Dennis take the time to actually build relationships and not just show up as a reporter … you reporting will actually flow from that. … Black people and the oppressed want to know that they are more than just a story and that their lived experiences matter.”

The media is constantly changing, and while some fear that journalistic integrity is dying, Dennis disagrees.

“I believe that journalistic integrity is still prevalent. I don’t believe it is lost. I do think that we must change our way of thinking about it for a number of reasons,” Dennis said. “I believe it is our mandate as journalists to protect democracy, but often, even in the midst of that, it is confused with bias. For instance, as Black journalists, we are often con-

sidered activists simply for doubling down on coverage of our own communities when our insight should be considered as valuable. We provide nuance others can’t — it is not a lack of objectivity. I think also there is the reality that whiteness has historically been considered to be the objective norm in the industry. As newsrooms diversify, we really need to think deeper when we talk about objectivity especially as it relates to journalists of color.”

Dennis’ coverage has impacted and changed the lives of many and, looking forward, shows that Knoxville journalists like Dennis strive to create solutions through reporting rather than sensationalizing systemic issues that hinder marginalized communities from prospering.

STATE OF THE MEDIA

Wednesday, February 21, 2024 • The Daily Beacon

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While getting your news from social media feels easy, there are other, more reliable ways to stay in the loop. File / The Daily Beacon

Simple, free ways to get your news ABBY ANN RAMSEY Editor-in-Chief

If you hear about a major news development and your first instinct is to turn to TikTok to learn more, you’re not alone. In fact, about a third of adults under 30 regularly get their news from TikTok, compared to only 9% in 2020.

While news on social media can be helpful in a pinch, it’s not always produced by vetted news sources and oftentimes contains bias from the creator. And as much as you tell yourself you’ll find an Associated Press article on the topic later, the truth is, you might not get around to it. And who can blame you, especially if you’re a student juggling a full class load, jobs, extracurricular activities and life in general? But instead of giving up on reading the news altogether, you can find a halfway point by prioritizing newsletters, podcasts and apps that make news content digestible, accessible and, of course, reliable.

Here are a few ways you can listen, read and engage with reliable news while not exhausting yourself by trying to squeeze in 2,000-word articles between all your readings for class.

The Daily If you’re the type of person who loves in-depth reporting and storytelling, The Daily is the podcast for you. Produced by The New York Times and hosted by Michael Barbaro, this podcast chooses one major news story to dive into every day.

Whether you’re listening to a reporter and photographer journey through the Darién Gap alongside migrants or listening to an interview about legacy admissions, you’re likely to learn something new every day.

Up First NPR has an endless slew of podcasts to choose from, but if you’re looking for

a quick rundown of the day’s top three headlines, look no further. Hosted by Leila Fadel, Steve Inskeep, Michel Martin and A Martinez, the podcast pulls in other reporters to fill you in on politics, foreign policy and pop culture headlines sweeping the world. Put in your headphones and turn this on, on your way to class each morning to start your day up to date on the news.

Wall Street Journal The Wall Street Journal has a myriad of different newsletters you can sign up for depending on your interests. Get a rundown of content related to trending products, politics, fashion and the economy.

The best part is that if you’re interested in reading more than just the blurbs in the newsletter, the content is free for UT students.

RocaNews Even if you’re getting a brief rundown of the news in a podcast or newsletter, sometimes keeping up with current events just isn’t as entertaining as scrolling through social media. That’s where RocaNews comes in. The media company was started with the intention of providing non-partisan news to people with a gamified app similar to Duolingo where you set streaks and get rewarded for reading news. The app is free for two weeks and then costs 99 cents a month, but you can also follow the outlet on Instagram @ridethenews.

Keeping up with everything going on is not easy, but these are just a few ways to get started, especially when it comes to national and international news. Keep in mind that local news often has a greater impact on your day-to-day life. You can also access free content through The Daily Beacon and sign up for a daily newsletter with the Beacon’s most recent articles related to news, arts and culture, opinion, and sports.

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The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, February 21, 2024

STATE OF THE MEDIA

AI Tennessee Initiative strives to innovate across the state ELI BOLDT News Editor

Lynne Parker, associate vice chancellor at the University of Tennessee and director of the AI Tennessee Initiative, has had an extensive career in artificial intelligence. At a national level, she led AI policy efforts in Washington D.C. in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and served as deputy chief technology officer of the United States.

In September of 2022, Parker returned to Knoxville and UT, where she has been a member of the faculty since 2002. The project that she began to spearhead was the AI Tennessee Initiative.

“In talking with the leadership here at UT, we decided it would be great for me to come back and lead this new initiative, to really think very holistically about how the state of Tennessee can become more of a leader in the data and AI-driven economy going forward,” Parker said.

The AI Tennessee Initiative is research and education-focused and aims to engage with communities and industries across Tennessee to utilize the benefits of AI. It aims to help make Tennessee a leader in AI and its future.

In January of 2024, UT announced Vasileios Maroulas as the new assistant vice chancellor and deputy director of the AI Tennessee Initiative. Maroulas, a professor in the mathematics department, is excited to contribute to the AI Tennessee Initiative and forward UT’s mission.

“I look forward to fostering strategic partnerships and uncovering AI opportunities that will not only enhance our university and its mission in research and education but also enrich the lives of our students and positively impact the state of Tennessee,” Maroulas said in a press release.

AI has been making waves across the world in recent years. But it wasn’t until the AI research organization OpenAI released ChatGPT that students and their schools began to reckon with how AI would be used in and out of the classroom.

A ChatGPT task force was established at UT and is led by Ozlem Kilic, vice provost for Academic Affairs. In January, a student task force was created to advise Kilic. UT put together suggested syllabus statements for professors to use depending on what level of AI they wish to use inside their classrooms.

The statements range from encouraging AI to be used to the student’s benefit to it being not permitted at all.

An AI and Writing Pedagogy Faculty Learning Community meets once a month to better navigate AI in classrooms.

The AI Tennessee Initiative works closely with colleges across the university to help

facilitate research opportunities and to better utilize AI. “We also work very closely with other people who are working here at the university, like the new College of Emerging and Collaborative Studies,” Parker said. “We work very closely with them on their new AI 101 class that was taught last fall.”

Other classes were added this spring including AI 401: Exploring the World of AI. UT is also working towards a new applied AI degree Parker is hopeful to get approved by fall.

With the recent release of OpenAI’s generative AI programs, people are questioning the future and whether AI will take over jobs done by humans. It is an interesting question, but Parker admitted that there is a limit to the creativity of the tools themselves.

“I actually have been a proponent of this concept of democratizing creativity, where what you’re doing is enabling more people to get started in creative activities, but it’s not going to replace the people who are deeply creative,” Parker said.

AI can help to give starting points to people, but Parker is assured that today’s tools don’t rise to the expertise of human creators.

Parker does not think the issue will be AI taking people’s jobs. The issue will be jobs searching for people who are better equipped to understand and utilize AI. It will be a necessary skill in the coming years.

For Parker, AI education is transdisciplinary. She is eager to help the next generation learn vital skills that will serve them throughout their careers. She stressed that the AI Tennessee Initiative is planning to do work throughout the state of Tennessee.

They want to partner with industries and universities throughout the state to help build up Tennessee as a leader in AI.

A student and Lynne Parker, associate vice chancellor and director of the new AI Tennessee Initiative at UT, discuss how an AI robot works inside a lab in the Min H. Kao Electrical Engineering and Computer Science building. August 30, 2022. Courtesy of Steven Bridges

“...what you’re doing is enabling more people to get started in creative activities, but it’s not going to replace the people who are deeply creative.”

Lynne Parker Director of the AI Tennessee Initiative

Lynne Parker, who has led AI policy efforts in Washington D.C., is spearheading the AI Tennessee Initiative. August 30, 2022. Courtesy of Steven Bridges

STATE OF THE MEDIA

Wednesday, February 21, 2024 • The Daily Beacon

9

A ‘new norm’ in film

The writers strike has not only impacted Hollywood production companies — it has also taken a toll on Knoxville, a city rich with entertainment production.

SARAH PORTANKA Engagement Editor With the increase of streaming services, the landscape of television and movie-watching is rapidly reshaping. Streaming has changed the way television is produced, the role writers play and how they get paid. While streamers enjoy the endless array of options at their disposal, streaming culture has caused many writers to lose their jobs. Writers work less with streaming television, as streaming platforms tend to prefer shorter seasons compared to longrunning television series. This leads to fewer episodes and potentially less compensation for writers.

Over the past year, the nation has paid close attention to the impact of strikes on Hollywood workers and productions, but the effects are also evident in Knoxville, a city rich with production and consistently named one of the best places for movie-makers to live and work.

Jason Hensley is the president and executive producer of McCosh Films, a Knoxville-based television and content production company focusing on the narrative side of unscripted television. For McCosh Films, a wave of change began to take over even before the strikes began.

“I think really COVID started the whole process of everything that changed in the industry,” Hensley said. “We had some lucrative projects with a couple of networks, and when that hit, everything was closed down, you know. We’re not gonna shoot anymore. They tell us that we’re not gonna do any projects right now.”

Any progress in recovery made in the three years since COVID-19 came to a screeching halt in the spring of 2023.

On April 18, 2023, members of the Writers Guild of America voted to go on strike if they failed to reach an acceptable agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. AMPTP represents the major film and television studios in Hollywood, negotiating contracts on behalf of hundreds of producers, writers, streamers, studios and networks.

As an agreement was not met, members of the Writers Guild began a strike on May 2, 2023,

fighting for higher royalties, mandatory staffing of TV writing rooms and safeguards to their jobs from the threat of artificial intelligence.

“When the writers strike happened, it kind of trickled down to us in unscripted,” Hensley said. “I think what you saw was a lot of layoffs for sure, a lot of shows not being produced on the narrative side, but then that also came into our world, which is unscripted, so no projects at all were being greenlit.”

On July 14, 2023, members of the Screen Actors Guild joined the strike, causing detriment to the recruitment side of the industry. Among these recruiters is Curt Willis, the film office director at Visit Knoxville. Willis’ main task is to recruit feature films to shoot in Knoxville.

“It was slowing down a little bit before that out of anticipation of the strike, and when it happened, it pretty much, you know, everything kind of came to a standstill,” Willis said.

“I think SAG was supporting them (writers), so projects were just slowing down then, and certainly when SAG went on strike, it completely shut everything down.”

SAG rules apply to every film Willis recruits.

“We weren’t able to recruit anything during the strikes,” Willis said.

Hensley noted a sense of uncertainty throughout the strikes as he and his team had to navigate uncharted waters.

“It was a massive wave of scary times because nobody knew what was gonna happen,” Hensley said. “What’s gonna be the new norm when the writers are rehired, you know? Are they gonna produce as much content? Are we gonna need as much help from production companies outside?”

After 148 days of fighting, the writers strike in Hollywood finally came to an end on Sept.

27, 2023, with a tentative agreement on a new labor contract. While the job may be finished in Hollywood, the Knoxville film industry is still battling many repercussions as there continues to be an abundance of mergers and layoffs happening.

Hensley explained that the biggest difference in the industry since the strikes is a heightened sense of caution among networks when choosing what projects to take on.

“I think networks and streamers were more,

A behind-the-scenes look at the filming of McCosh Films’ feature documentary “The Lighthouse Effect.” Courtesy of Jason Hensley I guess they felt … a little more free to explore new ideas, new concepts for shows,” Hensley said. “I think now it is so difficult to get anything past the powers that be. I think you really have to have something that they feel like they think is gonna be an absolute winner. Otherwise, they’re not gonna take a chance on it. …

They don’t want to take a risk, and they don’t want to put their name out on a project that may flop or may succeed. They’re not willing to take that gamble.”

This increased vigilance has in turn created a cycle of rejection, making it more difficult for companies like McCosh Films to get their names out there.

“I get told ‘no’ every day,” Hensley said.

“And so really it’s a numbers game, so you’re really trying to pitch and develop a certain number of ideas and shows to hopefully get a ‘yes’ out of a handful of projects that you put out there.”

With studios still recovering, Willis has experienced a change in the types of films they are able to recruit.

“We don’t get studio films,” Willis said.

“Now we’re getting a lot of independent films.”

Knoxville’s film industry is still in the process of recovery, trying to regain what was lost during the strikes. Production remains held up as shows and movies begin to trickle back in.

“Being honest, we’re still feeling the ripples of that, and we’ve not fully gotten back to where I guess where everybody wants to be, which would be everybody selling shows, and there’s massive production going on,” Hensley said.

“It’s gonna be a good year still, but it feels like people got knocked off track when the strikes happened,” Willis said. “They’re still

trying to get some stuff plugged in, so it hasn’t quite started rolling yet.”

Despite facing a slow comeback, Willis is hopeful that the industry will regain its pace within this year.

“We’re having conversations with a lot of people and a lot of people we were talking to before the strikes and then some other new projects,” Willis said. “It feels like they’re all right on the cusp of getting their financing line back up, you know, deciding on locations, so I feel pretty strongly that later on in the spring and summer, things are gonna start rolling pretty good.”

On the production side, Hensley also estimates a resurgence well into this year but remains unsure of what the future could look like.

“It does seem like there’s a little bit more excitement going on that networks want and streamers want to produce more content,” Hensley said. “But I think some of the financials are affecting that, and a lot of people are losing their jobs. So that’s the scary thing, but hopefully we’ll get it shaken out and things will, you know — I say ‘get back to normal,’ but I really don’t know what the new normal is gonna be in our world and in our industry.”

Amid a rough time, the Knoxville film industry has still found ways to be successful. The Knoxville Film Office experienced enormous success in November with Film Fest Knox in just its inaugural year. McCosh Films is currently in post-production on a documentary that will be coming out later this spring in addition to several corporate projects in the works. The ability to be flexible and find windows for success amid unpredictable times is a testament to the Knoxville film industry and community as a whole.

10

STATE OF THE MEDIA

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, February 21, 2024

A look at landmark libel cases throughout the 20th century EMMA JOHNSTON Copy Chief

Since the ratification of the Bill of Rights in 1791, newspapers, magazines and other publications have exercised their right to the freedom of the press granted in the First Amendment. This civil liberty protects the press from laws that would restrict free communication and expression in the media.

The freedom of the press has limitations, however, to protect citizens from harm. One such limitation — or form of speech in the press that is not protected — is libel, the written form of defamation. Libel occurs when an individual or a publication publishes a false statement that harms a person’s otherwise good reputation.

For a statement to be considered libelous, it must meet five conditions: * It must be false. * It must harm the person’s reputation. * It must be published — anything written by a person and read by two or more people is considered published. * It must identify a person — if the description of the person is specific enough that one could narrow it down to 25 people, then it is considered identification. * The writer must be at fault — meaning they were either negligent or reckless.

Over 200 years, the freedom of the press has been threatened by a number of libel lawsuits. Several of these cases became landmarks in press history, and their rulings have contributed to the state of press freedom today.

New York Times Co. v. Sullivan (1964) Considered one of the most significant li-

1964

New York Times Co. v. Sullivan “It is as much (the press’s) duty to criticize as it is the official’s duty to administer.” (written by Justice William J. Brennan Jr. in the majority opinion)

bel cases in history, this landmark Supreme Court decision established the actual malice doctrine. In 1960, The New York Times published an advertisement that called attention to the oppressive treatment of students of color by Alabama police.

The Montgomery public safety commissioner, L.B. Sullivan, filed a libel suit against The Times claiming that the ad wrongfully criticized him as the head of the police force and contained factual inaccuracies. In accordance with Alabama’s libel law at the time, the lower courts favored Sullivan.

When the Supreme Court brought the case up, however, a unanimous decision was made in favor of The Times, and the “actual malice doctrine” was established. The actual malice doctrine held that public officials, like Sullivan, must prove that a writer acted with “actual malice” by publishing a known falsity or by recklessly disregarding the truth.

The Supreme Court recognized that minor inaccuracies are inevitable in a fast-moving field like journalism and that without proof of “actual malice,” public officials do not have standing in suits of this nature.

The significance of this decision lies in that it established a new protection allowing the press to continue holding public officials accountable through criticism. It was ruled that the previous Alabama law compelled people to not publish criticism for fear of being sued. To rectify this, the court wrote that “it is as much (the press’s) duty to criticize as it is the official’s duty to administer.”

Rosenblatt v. Baer (1966) Just two years later, a libel suit between Frank Baer, a public official in New Hampshire, and Alfred Rosenblatt, a columnist for a local newspaper, was brought before the Supreme Court. Baer argued that Rosenblatt’s editorial statements criticizing the performance of the governmental group

Baer oversaw directly defamed his personal performance.

Citing New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, the Supreme Court ruled that Baer, though he held a lower position in the governmental hierarchy, was, in fact, a public official and therefore needed to prove actual malice.

In the majority opinion of the court, Justice William J. Brennan Jr. held that “criticism of government is at the very center of the constitutionally protected area of free discussion. Criticism of those responsible for government operations must be free, lest criticism of government itself be penalized.”

This ruling further sustained the First Amendment’s protection of the freedom of the press, allowing citizens to act as watchdogs toward the government and uphold ideals of democracy.

Curtis Publishing Co. v. Butts (1967) & Associated Press v. Walker (1967) In these cases, the actual malice standard was set to apply to public figures, not just public officials. In Curtis Publishing Co. v.

Butts, two SEC head football coaches brought a libel suit against the Saturday Evening Post for alleging that the two had rigged the outcomes of games based on information received from a questionable source.

The Supreme Court decided that the actual malice doctrine applies to any public figure — official or not — and ruled in favor of Wally Butts, one of the coaches and a public figure, because the magazine made its allegations with reckless disregard for the truth.

In Associated Press v. Walker, the Supreme Court honored its decision from Curtis Publishing Co. v. Butts — this time in favor of the publication. Since the AP acted in “good faith” in quickly reporting on a newsworthy riot and Edwin Walker was considered a public figure, the Supreme Court decided that there was no actual malice and favored the AP.

1966 1967

While the former case favored the figure and the latter favored the press, both were instrumental in establishing the actual malice standard for public figures and protecting the freedom of the press.

Gertz v. Robert Welch Inc. (1974) In this case, lawyer Elmer Gertz sued writer Robert Welch for libelous statements accusing him of being a “Communistfronter.” When the Supreme Court brought the case up, it ruled in favor of Gertz because he was neither a public official nor a public figure and therefore needed only prove negligence, not actual malice. However, the court also decided that the burden of proof of falsity and fault, which for a private figure is negligence, lies on the plaintiff.

This decision meant that a private person suing the press for libel must be able to prove both that the allegedly libelous statements were false and that the writer acted negligently. Consequently, the press is protected from libel claims against content published in good faith — or honest intent.

Milkovich v. Lorain Journal Co. (1990) When an opinions column was published alleging that a local wrestling coach lied at a recent hearing, the Supreme Court made a landmark decision regarding opinions in the press. The court decided that articles of opinion are held to the same standard as other articles with respect to provable claims. Statements capable of being proven true or false are to be held accountable just as they would be in a non-opinions article.

This did not necessarily add a protection for the press, but it set in place the standard for publications to follow when publishing opinions. It also upheld the fair comment doctrine which allows the press to publish opinions provided that they are based on facts.

1974

1990

“Statements of belief or opinion are like hyperbole, as the majority agrees, in that they are not understood as actual assertions of fact about an individual, but they may be actionable if they imply the existence of false and defamatory facts.” (written by Justice William J. Brennan in dissenting opinion)

Rosenblatt v. Baer

Curtis Publishing Co. v. Butts

Gertz v. Robert Welch Inc.

“Criticism of government is at the very center of the constitutionally protected area of free discussion.” (written by Justice William J. Brennan Jr. in the majority opinion)

“To me, differentiation between ‘public figures’ and ‘public officials’ and adoption of separate standards of proof for each have no basis in law, logic, or First Amendment policy.” (written by Chief Justice Earl Warren in concurring opinion)

“Under the Court’s new rules, the plaintiff must prove not only the defamatory statement, but also some degree of fault accompanying it.” (written by Justice Byron White in dissenting opinion)

Milkovich v. Lorain Journal Co.

STATE OF THE MEDIA

Wednesday, February 21, 2024 • The Daily Beacon

11 11

Opinion: Where the cover letter ends and where life begins CALIE WRONA Opinions Editor As I sit here, fingers sore from typing one too many cover letters sent into what one can only assume is an endless void, I can’t help but wonder: Is finding a job in print media a quick 5K or a never-ending marathon?

Now, let me be clear — I never expected finding a job to be a walk in the park, nor did I anticipate landing my dream job immediately. But isn’t there a tiny bit of hope mixed with a dash of “I’m special” in all of us?

That sense of being unique, likely fostered

by Carrie Bradshaw, who epitomized the very essence of who 10-year-old me aspired to become, instilled that belief in me. Despite being somewhat young for “Sex and the City,” I would sit captivated, entranced by the screen, longing for the time when my life would mirror the show.

But, instead of being surrounded by Manolos and cosmopolitans in New York City, all I’ve got are press passes and Google Docs in Knoxville.

Carrie and I share a love of fashion, curly hair and well-timed remarks, but that’s where the similarities end. While Carrie navigated the treacherous waters of print media with ease, I am handling my job hunt with all the grace and poise of a newborn deer learning to walk. A clumsy fawn that reads headlines like “Over 500 journalists were laid off in January 2024 alone” or “A look at the wave of layoffs hitting the news industry” and wonders if it’s worth it.

The reality of the situation hits me harder than an 8:45 a.m. editorial meeting. Job listings taunt me like elusive love interests in a romantic comedy, with their cryptic requirements and unrealistic expectations. I thought entry-level positions were supposed to be, well, entry-level. So why are the requirements eight years of professional experience and the ability to write Pulitzer-worthy pieces on demand?

The glamorous allure of a career in print media, once so tantalizingly close, now feels like a distant dream, slipping through my grasp with each rejection letter that doesn’t even bother to be sent.

Whilst praying to whatever gods are out there for a chance or even an email back, I have to play the networking game. I peruse LinkedIn like a seasoned socialite working the room at a swanky Manhattan party. I send out connection requests like virtual love letters, hoping to charm my way into the hearts of industry insiders who hold the keys to my future.

Opinions Editor Calie Wrona, inspired by Carrie Bradshaw, writes, “While Carrie navigated the treacherous waters of print media with ease, I am handling my job hunt with all the grace and poise of a newborn deer learning to walk.” Calie Wrona / The Daily Beacon But amidst the chaos and uncertainty, there are moments of clarity and hope. Every rejection letter, or lack of letter, is a plot twist in my life that will hopefully lead me to where I am meant to be. And who knows? Maybe I’ll stumble upon my dream job in the unlikeliest of places like Carrie stumbling upon a highly sought-after pair of shoes in the bargain bin at Century 21.

But as each lead goes unrequited and payment reminders land in my inbox with a soul-crushing thud, I can’t help but wonder if I’m fighting a losing battle. Is print media truly a dying breed, destined to be relegated to a history class textbook alongside typewriters and rotary phones? Or is there still room for those of us who believe in the power of a well-crafted sentence, the beauty of a carefully laid-out page?

Perhaps I’m just being naive, clinging to a past era in the face of inevitable change. But could it be that this is the very essence of every hopeful person with a dash of ‘I’m special’

and a sprinkle of narcissistic optimism? They defy the odds, challenge the status quo and refuse to accept that their dreams are out of reach.

After all, isn’t life just one big adventure full of twists, turns and unexpected detours?

And if there is one thing I learned from all those late-night reruns of “Sex and the City,” it’s that sometimes the most exciting journeys are the ones we least expect.

So maybe, just maybe, finding a job in print

Calie Wrona is a senior at UT this year studying journalism and electronic media. She can be reached at cwrona@vols.utk.edu.

Columns and letters of The Daily Beacon are the views of the individual and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Beacon or the Beacon’s editorial staff.

media isn’t a quick 5K or a never-ending marathon. Maybe it’s something else entirely — a journey towards embracing the unknown, chasing dreams with reckless abandon and believing in the power of a well-written cover letter to change the course of our lives.

12

STATE OF THE MEDIA

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Beacon alumni use experience to find success in local journalism CALEB JARREAU Sports Editor

Tyler Wombles has taken on several different roles over his career.

He started as a stringer for The Advocate and Democrat during his senior year of high school. He went to Tennessee to pursue a career in journalism, which included a stop into the basement with The Daily Beacon.

Wombles climbed the ladder at the student paper, beginning as a staff writer and ending as managing editor, with a stop as sports editor in the middle.

His senior year, he accepted a position as sports editor back at his hometown Advocate and Democrat. Soon after, he took a role as a cops and courts reporter at The Maryville Daily Times. He rose through the ranks as a sports reporter and is now the sports editor at The Daily Times.

Throughout his several stops along the way, the class of 2020 graduate has relied on what he learned as a student journalist at the Beacon.

“You’re really doing the job. You’re managing contributors and making a schedule and figuring out what’s going to get covered and writing yourself and editing,” Wombles said. “I mean, that’s exactly what I do now.

I think it also just gives you confidence because I was able to walk into working at The Daily Times and I knew what to expect, even down to the content management system, Blox. We both use the same one.

“I had confidence in, ‘OK, this is how you not only write a story and edit a story, but this is how you manage people. This is how you do this type of thing.’ I just think it prepares you because you’re actually doing the job in itself.”

The journey for fellow Beacon alum Josh Lane was a lot more straightforward. Lane knew he wanted to work in sports, and he decided to work at the student television outlet as part of a requirement for his introduction to journalism class. The only catch was the outlet declined him.

Utilizing his backup plan, he sent an email to The Daily Beacon and was accepted. COVID-19 slowed down his journey, but he eventually worked his way up to sports editor of the student paper.

When The Daily Times had an opening during his senior year, Lane was able to call on his Beacon connections to get a foot in the door. He took the job just a few months before graduating. The paper has been a stomping ground for Beacon alumni, and Lane followed in their footsteps.

If it wasn’t for student media, Lane might not have had the connections to get the position at The Daily Times.

“These are what professionals who do this

Former Beacon Sports Editors Tyler Wombles and Josh Lane credit their success in local sports journalism to their experience in student media.

Caleb Jarreau / The Daily Beacon look like,” Lane said. “This is the stories they write and the questions they ask and all these things. And getting to meet them and interact with them, like all that stuff was so much more beneficial to me than sitting in a classroom. I mean, I definitely wouldn’t be where I am without my time in student media.”

Wombles and Lane are combining now to cover a wide variety of sports at The Daily Times. Uniquely positioned, the paper covers nine area high schools as well as Maryville College and University of Tennessee sports.

It’s a lot of work, and it keeps the pair and a network of freelance writers busy.

“There are a lot of organizations out there that say, ‘We cover this many schools or we do this,’ but it doesn’t necessarily mean they provide real deep coverage,” Wombles said.

“We do, we go for it. We cover these schools that we cover. We typically cover every game that we can. We’re there consistently. It’s not just a hit and run and come back to them later. We’re there.”

Both Wombles and Lane utilized networking opportunities to get to the positions they’re at now. The experience of doing the job through college made the transition

almost seamless.

Sitting in a press box with professional journalists led directly to job opportunities — something that isn’t possible with just attending classes.

“What are you doing if you’re not getting experience,” Lane said. “If you’re not making connections, if you’re not getting extra experience, if you’re not pushing yourself as a writer and as a reporter and trying to get better. No one’s going to want to hire you if you come in and it’s a resume that just says, ‘Hi, I went four years, but I did nothing with it.’ No one’s going to want to hire you.”

State of the media in Blount County The industry is changing, and The Daily Times has been in the midst of that. The paper recently switched to using mail carriers to deliver the paper as opposed to the traditional contractor route.

The move has brought ire on social media, but it is a part of the change happening in the journalism industry. Wombles remembers his older colleagues telling him stories of how mad people were when they switched from an afternoon paper to a morning paper.

“It’s the nature of the business a little bit,” Wombles said. “I mean, people just don’t really like change, and you’re going to see that a lot of times, especially in a community where they’ve had a certain print schedule or expecting the newspaper to come out a certain time every day.”

They also recently went away from printing a Sunday paper but still put a product out on the other six days. There’s also been the transition to digital, which is about 50/50 at The Daily Times.

Many papers in the East Tennessee regions of Adams Publishing Group print just once weekly, but The Daily Times has had enough success to hold onto its print product.

The circulation is around 12,000 for The Daily Times, Wombles estimated.

“If you do good work and good reporting — and I think we do we do good game coverages and everything — people are still going to care,” Lane said. “If you’re sitting there and twiddling your thumbs and not doing any good work and whatever, I don’t think people are going to care if the paper dies out. I think as long as long as your work speaks for yourself, people are going to be interested.”