BEA2026

The threat to the integrity of journalism is at an all-time high. Media is adapting to technological changes such as AI, combating widespread disinformation, and the constant change in how the public consumes news. In addition, high school and college broadcast programs deal with roadblocks such as: as misalignment of curriculum, credit transfer issues and liability considerations. Changes such as these highlight the need to strengthen dual-enrollment programs. Statistics show this educational advantage improves the career opportunities for future journalists especially for students living in underrepresented areas and demographics.
Moderator: Chalise Macklin, University of Memphis
Panelists: Roxane Coche, University of Florida
Harrison Hove, University of Florida
Brian Bentley, Clark Atlanta University

Please join us as we recognize all of the Faculty Festival winners from News competition.  

After the awards are handed out, we will hear from our Best of Competition winners from News, Film & Video and Audio.
Confirmed Presenters

Faculty Film & Video
Commercial or PSA Category
House of Honey; Jonathan Vinson, Huntington University

Mixed/Pedagogical Category
ALL ONE; Rodrigo Gómez Claros, Skye Baxter, Cooper Rogers, Seth Savage & Stacey Teves, Middle Tennessee State University

Faculty News
Television Feature News Reporting Category
From Denver to Mecca: A CNN producer’s personal pilgrimage to Islam’s holiest site; Kareem El Damanhoury, Muhammad Darwish, Angelica Pursley & Matog Saleh, University of Denver

Faculty Audio
Radio Station Promo, PSA, Commercial Category
Universal Electric Scooter and Skateboard Life Insurance; Don Connelly, Western Carolina University

Why aren’t more local TV news stations embracing news influencing on social media? In 2024, Pew Research Center found that 20% of adults regularly get news from influencers – and most have no affiliation or background in a news organization. Learn from two professors who began a social media news influencer project and took those lessons into the classroom; and from a local TV news reporter on the challenges of breaking through.
Moderator: Jamie Hoskins, Syracuse University
Panelists: Catherine Loper, Syracuse University
David Charns, Investigative Reporter, KLAS 8 News NOW

While every production program faces difficulties, DII and DIII programs often face unique resource challenges. This panel explores ways that smaller academic programs have successfully partnered with their university athletics department and overcome common hurdles. We will present specific experiential learning opportunities tied to student media and course curriculum, take a closer look at our partnership models, and discuss unique ways of addressing common human, budget, and equipment resource issues.

Moderator: John Mcuire, Oklahoma State University
Panelists: Chris Shofner, Bethel University
Jasen Sokol, John Carroll University
David Allen Nelson, University of Central Oklahoma

Consistent with BEA’s mission to advance research on media technologies and education, this panel addresses how AI reshapes the study of journalism — not only as an object of analysis but as a methodological revolution in media research itself. It aligns with the convention’s focus on technological transformations, algorithmic cultures, and the future of scholarly inquiry in media and communication.
This panel offers a timely and urgently needed scholarly conversation for the BEA 2026 Convention by illuminating how artificial intelligence is transforming journalism not only as a professional practice but also as a rapidly evolving domain of academic inquiry. Uniquely distinguished by the prominence and interdisciplinary reach of its participants, the panel features leading scholars and industry experts whose work has shaped national and international conversations around AI, media innovation, and communication research. ICA Fellows Don Shin and Shuhua Zhou bring perspectives on AI epistemology, algorithmic fact-checking, and audience cognition; Kerk F. Kee, an interdisciplinary principal investigator with over $13M in prestigious grants, contributes cutting-edge insights into AI-driven risk communication systems and their implications for journalistic verification; Alexandra M. Merceron, a senior industry executive and faculty expert in emerging media technologies, connects academic theory to real-world innovation as she examines the rise of LLM-based information ecosystems and generative engine optimization. Nigerian journalist, founder and executive editor of Minority Africa Caleb Okereke speaks on the panel both as a researcher and practitioner with a focus on questions of ethics and representation in AI and journalism. His current research work examines automating the journalistic "gut feeling." His research team uses LLMs to select images to accompany news stories in a large-scale study. Collectively, these leading AI experts demonstrate the depth, rigor, and forward-looking vision that aligns with BEA’s mission to advance research and education on emerging media technologies. Their combined expertise ensures that this session will offer attendees unparalleled insights into the theoretical, methodological, and practical transformations reshaping journalism in an AI-integrated media environment.

Kerk F. Kee
Professor, Texas Tech University

Alexandra M. Merceron
Executive Vice President, Rubenstein Communications
Faculty, New York University

Caleb Okereke
Founder and Executive Editor of Minority Africa

Don H. Shin
Professor, Texas Tech University
Editor, JoBEM (Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media) Special Issue “AI, Misinformation, and the Future of the Algorithmic Fact-Checking”
Doctoral Fellow, Northeastern University