Left to right: Maryanne Reed, Dana Coester and Gina Martino Dahlia.
The West Virginia University Reed College of Media has topped two different “best of” lists for innovation.
MediaShift, the premier destination for insight and analysis at the intersection of media and technology, recently announced its top picks for media innovation in several areas. Dean Maryanne Reed was recognized in “EducationShift20: Honoring Innovative Journalism Educators.” College of Media faculty Dana Coester and Gina Martino Dahlia were listed in “MediaShift20: Recognizing Digital Media’s Top Innovators” for their work on “100 Days in Appalachia,” which was also recognized in “Top 6 Journalism Collaborations of 2017” by MediaShift contributor Stefanie Murray.
Since her appointment as dean in 2004, Reed has been working with faculty like Coester and Dahlia to establish the College of Media as a national leader in modern media education. “100 Days in Appalachia” is an example of an innovative journalism project that has received national and even international attention.
“I am honored and proud that our college has received recognition from MediaShift for our innovation efforts,” said Reed. “I’m particularly proud that our ‘100 Days’ project continues to resonate with audiences. Our college is committed to creating and supporting journalism that addresses the nation’s challenges. [Coester and Martino] are doing that through the eyes of Appalachians, and America is paying attention.”
“100 Days in Appalachia” is a digital publication that launched in January 2017 to share stories from a region of the country dubbed “Trump Nation.” It is a collaboration between the College of Media, West Virginia Public Broadcasting and The Daily Yonder. The project is led by Coester, an associate professor, who also serves as the creative director of the College’s Media Innovation Center.
"This honor is really in recognition of the ‘100 Days in Appalachia’ team and the engaged community around this project,” Coester said. “I'm excited for there to be national recognition of the innovation that is happening right here in Appalachia."
Dahlia is an associate teaching professor and chair of the College’s Journalism program, who also serves as general manager of 100 Days.
"’100 Days in Appalachia’ has been a labor of love; not just for myself, but for our entire team who believes in the power of civic journalism,” Dahlia said. “Receiving this recognition is also proof positive that this project resonates, not just in Appalachia, but all across America."
While “100 Days” was initially created to chronicle the first few months of President Donald Trump’s administration, it has garnered a large following, prompting the College of Media to extend the program. In the past year, it has been recognized nationally and internationally by media outlets like The Guardian, Poynter Institute for Media Studies, Columbia Journalism Review and Harvard University’s Niemanlab.
This is the inaugural year for EducationShift20 and MediaShift20 rankings. MediaShift accepted nominations throughout 2017 and then voted to create the final lists. The EducationShift20 list includes journalism faculty at college and high school levels and educators affiliated with various organizations who have made a significant mark on the discipline. MediaShift20 recognizes the top innovators in digital media for the year and includes individuals from over the world, representing disciplines including investigative reporting about big data and artificial intelligence.
-WVU-
el/01/11/18
CONTACT: Erica Lindsay, WVU Reed College of Media
304.293.7016; Erica.Lindsay@mail.wvu.edu
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