"Lee Hills Chair in Free-Press Studies"

Hiring Department

Missouri School of Journalism, University of Missouri – Columbia, MO

Job Description

Missouri School of Journalism, University of Missouri – Columbia, MO

The Missouri School of Journalism invites applications for the Lee Hills Chair in Free-Press Studies. Endowed by a gift from Lee and Tina Hills and matching funds from the State of Missouri, this position is dedicated to advancing teaching, research, and public understanding of free-press issues in democratic societies. This position invites professional journalists and/or academic scholars who have developed significant free press track records to apply.

The Lee Hills Chair will extend, adapt and lead a program with national and international impact on the practice and understanding of journalism, emphasizing the imperative of a free press in today’s global society. The Chair is charged with advancing strong and innovative programs through teaching, news outlet engagement, research, professional partnerships, and outreach.

At the heart of this chair is the opportunity to teach and mentor students in public affairs journalism, through the Missouri Method of hands-on learning in our news outlets and classrooms. The right candidate for this role will engage with our news outlet leaders and students to advocate for press freedoms. The successful candidate will understand that our students learn by doing using the Missouri Method. This work is conducted across the community-facing Missouri News Network, which includes the Columbia Missourian, KBIA-FM (NPR), Missouri Business Alert, Vox city magazine, KOMU-8 (NBC), statehouse reporting project and the Boone County Journal. This position will actively engage with news outlet leaders and students to move our cross-platform coverage forward with a focus on training the next generation of journalists and serving communities across Missouri and beyond. The Lee Hills Chair will also use the resources of the chair to ensure the School’s national presence as a leader in the field while working with industry leaders.

Key Responsibilities:

• Teach undergraduate and graduate courses in journalism, with a focus on free-press issues and First Amendment rights.
• Develop and offer courses, workshops, and seminars for media professionals and the public, both on campus and through distance-learning platforms.
• Advance new knowledge through programs that reach a broad public.
• For the tenured position, conduct and publish scholarly and/or public-facing industry research on free-press issues.
• Develop strategies and practices around ethical and responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in free press studies.
• Organize and participate in conferences and public programs related to free-press studies.
• Mentor students and support graduate research.
• Collaborate with the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute (RJI) at the School to help the industry with press freedom issues and share key information with the industry.

Appointment Details

• 12-month appointment at the rank of Tenured Full Professor or NTT Professional Practice Professor
• Salary and benefits are competitive and include support for research, travel, and program development, as provided by the endowment.
• Screening of applicants will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled

Qualifications

• For a professional practice appointment: Bachelor’s degree and at least ten years’ experience in journalism, with a national reputation for professional leadership in standing up for press freedoms.
• For a tenured appointment: Ph.D. in journalism or a related field, with a national reputation in free-press studies and a significant research record with a demonstrated track record of broader impacts.

Candidates will be evaluated on:

• Distinguished record as a journalist or scholar, with credentials qualifying for appointment as a full professor with tenure.
• Demonstrated excellence in teaching and the potential to be an outstanding classroom instructor.
• Commitment to advancing free-press values and public understanding of First Amendment rights.
• Evidence of working in public on press freedom issues in an effective and collaborative manner.

Anticipated Hiring Range

Salary Range: $120,000.00 - $145,000.00

University Title: Professional Practice Professor

Application Materials

• Letter of Interest
• CV or resume
• List of professional references
• Examples of work relevant to this position (links, PDF's, etc.)

Application Deadline

Screening of applicants will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled