Laura K. Smith - College of Information and Communications

Faculty and Staff

Laura K. Smith, Ph.D.

Title:	Journalism Sequence Head
Department:	School of Journalism and Mass Communications College of Information and Communications
Email:	lksmith@sc.edu
Phone:	803-777-5232
Office:	School of Journalism and Mass Communications 800 Sumter Street, Room 207 Columbia, SC 29208
Resources:	Curriculum Vitae

Education

B.S., Telecommunication, University of Florida
M.A., Mass Communication, University of Florida
Ph.D., Journalism, University of Texas at Austin

Research

Smith's research interests include news diversity, multi-platform journalism practices, media convergence, FCC ownership policy and consolidation, newsroom processes, and journalism pedagogy/education.

Teaching

Dr. Smith joined the faculty in Fall 2015. She has more than 25 years of broadcast industry and university-level teaching experience — specializing in Journalism and Mass Communications. She teaches an array of courses focusing on multi-platform news, including writing, visual storytelling, newscast production and others. Before teaching, Smith spent more than 12 years working in television, primarily local TV news.

Publications

Smith, L. (2009). Consolidation and news content: How broadcast ownership policy impacts local television news and the public interest. Journalism & Communication Monographs, 10, 369-453.

Smith, L. K. (2008). Race, ethnicity & student sources: Minority newsmakers in student-produced versus professional TV news stories. Howard Journal of Communications, 19(2), 182-199.

Smith, L. & Tanner A., & Duhe, S. F. (2007). Convergence concerns in local television: conflicting views from the newsroom. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 51, 555-574.

Tanner, A., Smith, L. K. (2007). Preparing students for convergent journalism: A nationwide survey of medium and small market TV producers and reporters. Electronic News, 1, 211-225.

Poindexter, P. M., Smith, L. K., & Heider, D. (2003). Race and ethnicity in local television news: Framing, story assignments, and source selections. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 47(4), 524-536.

Service

Dr. Smith currently serves as a liaison between AEJMC and the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA).
She is an active member of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC)’s Electronic News Division, recently serving as division Head (2012-2013), and is currently a member of AEJMC's Future of News Audience Engagement Committee.
She serves on the editorial board of the Electronic News journal as well as The Howard Journal of Communication.
She is currently a member of AEJMC's Committee on News Engagement

Personal

Smith lives in Columbia with her husband and daughter. She and her family are known for traveling the country during the summer - camping, hiking, swimming and seeing the world. She is an avid college football fan, loves to sail and has traveled extensively throughout the Caribbean.