May 2022

"Al Neuharth was a sharp businessman with an entrepreneurial spirit, whose appetite for risk was only exceeded by his drive to succeed. He was also a great newsman. He believed in free expression and he practiced it, even to the point of giving people he wrote about in his weekly column the space to reply."

The Honorable U. S. Senator Roger Wicker was roasted last week by the Mississippi Press Association.  Charlie Mitchell, Associate Professor of Journalism was master of ceremonies.  Left to right: Mrs. Gayle Wicker, Associate Professor Charlie Mitchell and the Honorable Senator Roger Wicker.

From 1920 to 1960, O.N. Pruitt photographed his fellow citizens (both Black and white) in Columbus, Mississippi, surrounding northeast Mississippi and Alabama. He documented floods and fires, tornado aftermath and carnival sideshows, sublime studio portraits and riverside baptisms, executions at the Lowndes County Courthouse, and a 1935 lynching.

Many future professionals – journalist and otherwise – got their first taste of storytelling on their high school newspaper, yearbook, broadcast or magazine.

Melissa Charbonneau graduated from the University of Mississippi in the 1980s and shared her experiences working with the people of Afghanistan for three years as communications advisor to the Afghan Women’s Project and for a NATO-led security mission.

Alumnus to be recognized for his songwriting contributions April 21 at Ford Center OXFORD, Miss. – The late renowned songwriter and University of Mississippi alumnus Jim Weatherly will be honored with the university’s inaugural Medal for the Arts in an April 21 presentation on campus. In partnership with the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and the College of Liberal Arts, the UM Department of Music will recognize Weatherly’s legacy of songwriting and contributions to many genres of music. The ceremony, which begins at 8 p.m. in the Gertrude C. Ford Center for

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The Overby Center for Southern Journalism and Politics held its second program of the spring semester on March 9 at 5:30 p.m. The program addressed the intersection of critical race theory and civil rights history in Mississippi led by Overby Fellow Randall Pinkston.  The main topic of the discussion was Senate Bill 2113, also known as the Mississippi “Anti-Critical Race Theory” bill, and how the bill may affect civil rights history education in the state. Popular with conservative lawmakers, the bill proposes that

Editor’s note: Curtis Wilkie, the inaugural senior fellow of the Overby Center, developed a national reputation as an outstanding political reporter covering presidential campaigns. He became a national figure when he was featured in Timothy Crouse’s classic book about the 1972 presidential campaign, “Boys on the Bus.” Walter Mears, legendary reporter for The Associated Press, also was featured in “Boys on the Bus” as the leader of the pack. By Curtis Wilkie Walter Mears was one of the last of a tribe of political reporters who

Four programs, ranging from a discussion of critical race theory to treatment of women in Afghanistan, will highlight activities this spring at the Overby Center for Southern Journalism and Politics. Here is the schedule: THE INTERSECTION OF CRITICAL RACE THEORY AND MISSISSIPPI CIVIL RIGHTS EDUCATION – March 9, 5:30 p.m. In the last year, Critical Race Theory has become front page news and the spark for contentious debates and legislative proposals throughout America. Critics in Mississippi want to ban CRT in schools. But how will that legislation affect the

The Overby Center for Southern Journalism and Politics opened its spring slate of programming Tuesday night with a partial screening of a new documentary film on the undefeated 1899 Sewanee University football team, followed by a panel discussion with Charles Overby, Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter, and the film’s two directors, David Crews and Norman Jetmudsen. “I’m particularly excited about this being the opening program.” Overby said. “David Crews and I have been friends for a long time going back to when he was