Caption: Jacqui Sieber is a master’s student at the College of Communication and Information and a member of this academic year’s Williams Reporting Cohort.
The author of this story is Drue Hamlet.
The Media Center launched the Williams Reporting Cohort this semester to provide students with the necessary tools and resources to report on the broad and vital topic of mental health.
The cohort is named in recognition of John Williams (’71), an alumnus and College of Communication and Information (CCI) Board of Visitors member who made this program possible through his generous support. His gift helped expand the coordinated coverage program, which began during the 2024-25 school year, when students produced award-winning reporting on the 2024 presidential election and the opioid epidemic affecting the East Tennessee region.
Now, with the cohort in full swing, the program guides five members ranging from juniors to graduate students through the ins and outs of mental health reporting via cohort meetings, professional development opportunities, and mentorship workshops.
“As a non-traditional graduate student and full-time news reporter at 91.9 FM WUOT, the Williams Reporting Cohort has provided me with additional resources for covering mental health on the radio,” said Jacqui Seiber, one of the cohort’s current members. “I am fortunate to work with supportive, successful individuals who help me develop impactful stories.”
Rainesford Stauffer, freelance writer and author, serves as one of the mentors of the program. Stauffer’s work has appeared in several notable publications, including TIME, The Guardian, Esquire, and Teen Vogue. She was awarded the 2022-23 Rosalynn Carter Fellow for Mental Health Journalism, highlighting her commitment to mental health education among young audiences.
“I have had the privilege of working with student journalists in different capacities throughout my career, including as they reported on mental health, and how different experiences within work and education impacted their mental well-being,” said Stauffer. “Through that work, I’ve seen firsthand how important it is to support student-led journalism that covers this intersection of issues with rigor and care. By being grounded in their communities and attuned to issues impacting them, I think student journalists have a uniquely powerful lens through which to cover both challenges facing campus communities, as well as solutions and resources, which is incredibly important when reporting on mental health and well-being.”
With the guidance of mentors like Stauffer, students are expected to report stories on a wide range of topics related to mental health in developing adults. The reporting can be published through The Media Center outlets, including The Daily Beacon, Ablaze Magazine, The Volunteer Channel, Land Grant Films, WUTK, or WUOT, or stories can be pursued as independent projects for publication by local media partners.
Samantha Whitley began reporting stories related to mental health in her position as the mental health beat reporter for The Daily Beacon in July, before the cohort’s official start date. Her work highlights campus outlets like the Center for Care and Resilience and events that work to destigmatize mental health.
“This role allows me to choose freely what I get to cover. Mental health encompasses so many aspects of our lives, so it is honestly hard to narrow down the topics that I can only cover in the semester,” said Whitley. “What guided some of my stories was actually from a public health class about suicide and suicide prevention. While a heavy topic, I am fascinated by learning all the stats and data revolving around suicide and mental health illnesses.”
For Whitley, the cohort serves as both a professional and personal outlet. Reporting on the sensitive topics related to mental health has proved to be a vulnerable challenge for Whitley, who shared she has navigated some of these struggles in her own life.
“I remind myself that knowledge is power, as my mom always tells me, and that I am not only advocating for other students at UT but also for myself,” said Whitley. “Besides the challenges that come with this position, being the mental health beat reporter for The Daily Beacon has assured me that this is the path I want to pursue in my future career, without a doubt.”