Likes receives international journalism award
Terry Likes
The head of Mississippi State University’s Department of Communication has added another award to his list of journalistic accomplishments.
Terrence D. “Terry” Likes received the Award of Excellence in the Faculty Audio Competition for his radio report, “Fake News Blues: A Credibility Crisis for Journalism. The impact of fake news allegations on media organizations and audience trust.”
Presented to Likes in July, the Award of Excellence was given by the World Journalism Education Conference, a gathering of the international community of journalism educators. Held once every three years, the conference presents best teaching practices and new research dedicated to journalism education. Now in its 15th year, the 2019 conference was held in Paris, France. Previous WJEC locations have included New Zealand, Singapore and Canada.
Judged by a panel of peers and experts in the field, Likes’ submission on fake news investigates the impact of fake news on media organizations and audience trust.
“In the age of ‘fake news’ and ‘alternative facts,’ how can mainstream news media mitigate damaged credibility perceptions and retain audience trust? In this report, we explore what the allegations of fake news mean for journalism and its future,” Likes said.
“If you conduct an internet search of fake news, you will find many articles attempting to define fake news or help the audience determine what it is and how to spot it,” Likes said. “One goal of this report is to provide a variety of expert viewpoints, along with recent and historical audio clips to help shed light on this timely political and media-oriented topic.”
“During the last presidential campaign, it became increasingly obvious that Donald Trump was embarking on a new endeavor -- to use Twitter as his main method of communication to reach his audience,” Likes said. “In many instances, he bypassed traditional media outlets and offered allegations of ‘fake news’ if there was a media report he disputed.”
Likes said Trump is not the only president to battle the media.
“Most famously, Richard Nixon and his vice president, Spiro Agnew, waged a battle with the media,” Likes said. “Historically, surveys of the American public once showed CBS news anchor, Walter Cronkite, to be the most trusted man in America. The level of trust between the media and the audience has eroded over time due to a variety of reasons. Fake news allegations have only hurt public trust of the media.”
“While there are some reporters who have given journalism a black eye, most journalists work hard every day, abiding by a code of ethics to report the truth and let the audience decide what to think about the events for which journalists are reporting,” Likes said.
The Tennessee Radio Network aired Likes’ report in January 2019. MSU’s radio station, WMSV-FM, plans to air the report this fall.
For the report, Likes interviewed Debora Wenger, an assistant dean in the University of Mississippi’s School of Journalism; Chris Swindell, former television news reporter and current faculty member at Marshall University; Mark Tremayne, the University of Texas, Arlington; Dom Caristi, Ball State University; Rob Spicer, Millersville University; Tom Christie, University of Texas, Arlington; Eric Newton, Cronkite News, Arizona State University; and John Borden, Kansas State University.
Since 1987, Likes has amassed 100 professional media awards for his communication work and has published articles in the Journal of Electronic News and the Journal of Media Education, among others.
His 2018 documentary, “Cameras, cops and concerns: The impact of media coverage on police shootings involving minorities,” aired on the Tennessee Radio Network and won Broadcast Education Association and National Broadcasting Society awards as well as an Associated Press state award.
Currently in production, Likes has developed a radio documentary on the modern history of presidential relationships with the media, from FDR’s fireside chats to Trump’s tweets.
Likes joined the MSU faculty in August, coming from Tennessee State University in Nashville, where he served as department chair for eight years. A Saint Louis native, Likes received his Ph.D. from the University of Kentucky in 1996 in mass communication, his masters from Western Kentucky University in 1988 in organizational communication, and his bachelors from Maryville University-St. Louis in 1985 in mass communication.
MSU’s College of Arts and Sciences includes more than 5,300 students, 300 full-time faculty members, nine doctoral programs and 25 academic majors offered in 14 departments. Complete details about the College of Arts and Sciences or the communication department may be found at www.cas.msstate.edu or www.comm.msstate.edu.
MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.
Sarah Nicholas | College of Arts and Sciences
