Rate My Professor Sally Ann Cruikshank

Sally Ann Cruikshank is a Professor in the School of Journalism and Strategic Media at Middle Tennessee State University. She serves as the program coordinator for the Bachelor of Science in Journalism, reachable at 615-904-8331. Cruikshank earned her Ph.D. from Ohio University after an award-winning career as a television news producer. She has led journalism workshops around the world for the U.S. State Department and Voice of America. At MTSU, she contributes to various academic programs including the Master's in Media and Communication, Environmental Journalism and Communication B.S., and Interdisciplinary Media Concentration B.S., where she is listed among the faculty.

Cruikshank's publications include the co-authored textbook A Complete Guide to Television, Field, and Digital Producing, published by Routledge in 2021 with Christine Eschenfelder and Keonte Coleman. Her peer-reviewed articles feature 'Cheaper than a goat: U.S. newspaper and television coverage of the southern Sudan conflict' in Journalism Practice (2018), 'Artificial Intelligence and Journalism: An Agenda for Responsible Research' (2022), and contributions to 'The Impact of Twitter Use on Enjoyment and Sports Viewing' (2019). She has chaired master's theses such as 'Little Lies: A Look at Misinformation in Recording Industry' (2022), 'VIRTUE ETHICS IN AI ADVERTISING: A CONTENT ANALYSIS' (2022), and 'A Textual Analysis of the Depiction of Neurodivergent Characters' (2025). Cruikshank serves on the Graduate Council, Strategic Plan 2035 Development Committee subcommittees representing Journalism and Strategic Media, and Faculty Learning Communities including Motivational Interviewing as Pedagogy with Ken Blake. She organized the 2023 Graduate Studies Night for online students and participated in the 2024 civic learning conference presentation with Honors students. Additionally, she held the position of Division Vice Chair for the International Communication Division of AEJMC and appeared on C-SPAN as a journalism professor.