Assistant Professor Shannon Scovel loves sharing her passion for research with her undergraduate students.
So, she invited students in her spring 2024 JMED 175 Introduction to Journalism and Creative Media class to contact her to learn more about and/or to work on a research project together. Senior public relations major Katy Niedling accepted that invitation.
“Even though I had no prior research experience, I saw it as a unique chance to challenge myself and learn something new,” Niedling said. “Professor Scovel’s enthusiasm for the subject and her encouragement during the announcement also gave me the confidence to reach out.”
The duo discussed research ideas and, a little more than a year later, Scovel and Niedling are celebrating a second-place faculty paper award from the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) Commission on the Status of Women.
“I was so shocked and excited to hear that we had won an award at AEJMC,” Scovel said. “This project has been in the works for a while, so it was super rewarding for me not only to earn the award, but to earn the award with Katy.”
Their paper, Journalists’ Engagement with Athlete Social Media Content in Women’s Sports Reporting, focused on if, when, and how sports journalists covering women’s sports elect to embed social media content from athletes into their reporting. Scovel presented the findings at the annual AEJMC conference on the duo’s behalf. A journal is also currently reviewing the paper for publication.
Scovel hopes the research findings offer journalists some context on how others in the field are embedding women athlete social media content into their reporting and provides academic scholars a better understanding of the “boundary of work” in women’s sports reporting.
“This experience has been one of the highlights of my time at UT. It pushed me beyond the classroom and helped me develop valuable skills like critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork,” Niedling said. “As I prepare to graduate, I feel more confident pursuing opportunities that involve research or data analysis, and I hope this experience will stand out on my resume as proof that I can take initiative and see a project through to the end.”
Niedling recommends more undergraduates within the College of Communication and Information (CCI) seek out research opportunities with faculty. She said research is a great way to grow both academically and personally.
Scovel said there are many opportunities for undergraduate research at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, whether through the school, CCI, or the Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Office. She plans to make the same offer to her fall Introduction to Journalism and Creative Media class now she has Niedling as an example of the opportunities available to them if they accept.
“While this collaboration was a learning experience for both of us, it was exciting and special to work with an undergraduate student,” Scovel said. “This might be my favorite paper I’ve ever written, both because I’m really interested in the topic but also because I learned so much about myself as a scholar and a collaborator through the process.”