OXFORD, Miss. – Veteran journalist Patricia Thompson has been named
director of the S. Gale Denley Student Media Center at the University
of Mississippi.
Will Norton, dean of the new Meek School of Journalism and New Media,
said Thompson was chosen for the post because of her experience in the
field of journalism and in the classroom.
“She’s known
throughout the nation as an outstanding journalist and journalism
educator,” he said. “She’s considered first-class.”
Thompson’s duties include supervising both the editorial and
business operations of the center. Her title also includes assistant
professor, and she will begin teaching in the spring.
“I was very much attracted by the multimedia emphasis at the
Media Center,” Thompson said. “I like the combined newsroom, which
fosters collaboration among all the students.
“This is a great opportunity to be able to work with students.
The industry is reeling right now and having major problems. Maybe we
can help steer things in the right direction, try some new things and
really make sure that students get the kind of information they need to
get good jobs in this challenging environment.”
Thompson said she was attracted to journalism at an early age.
“I actually became interested in journalism in the sixth grade
when I was elected editor of our class newsletter,” she said. “Then I
was co-editor of my high school newspaper and yearbook, and my passion
for writing and editing just continued to grow.”
After earning her bachelor’s degree in journalism at the
University of Missouri-Columbia, Thompson began her career as a staff
writer at The Washington Post. She then worked as an assistant
professor for the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern
University, followed by 15 years as an editor at the San Jose Mercury
News. Most recently, she was deputy managing editor for the South
Florida Sun Sentinel, where she was the senior editor of the Sunday
paper, as well as for key coverage areas including the 2004 and 2008
presidential elections, the economy and health care. Her staff won
state, regional, national and international awards for their work.
Since assuming her new post, Thompson has been meeting with
student and professional staff at the Media Center and attending
faculty meetings.
“I feel like I’m just jumping in from day one, which is great,”
she said. “It’s a beautiful campus and everybody has just been so
supportive and helpful. I know I’m really going to like it here.”
For more information on the S. Gale Denley Student Media Center, go to http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/