The generosity of the donors below—Cornerstone Donors—helped make MTSU’s new Center for Innovation in Media possible.

Richard Campbell is the former director of the MTSU School of Journalism and author of a scholarly book on 60 Minutes. He currently directs the Journalism Program at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He is also the interim chair of the Department of Communication.

Gannett-owned media operations in Nashville, Murfreesboro and Clarksville—all of which are helmed by publisher Carol Hudler—are among the inaugural Cornerstone Donors. The Tennessean donated through the Gannett Foundation, the charitable arm of the Gannett Co., which owns the Nashville newspaper and its array of multimedia products. The Daily News Journal in Murfreesboro and the Leaf-Chronicle of Clarksville, both also owned by Gannett, also pledged through the foundation.

The Tennessee Association of Broadcasters (TAB) helps deliver public interest standards, consumer product choices, and other information to the public. (See article on page 38.)

The Tennessee Press Association certainly lived up to its mission statement when it became a Cornerstone Donor. In addition to promoting optimal quality in Tennessee Press Association member newspapers, the association prides itself on anticipating and meeting educational needs in the fields of journalism, First Amendment issues, advertising, business, and technology.

Virginia Dodge Fielder, Ph.D., retired in 2004 as vice president for research at Knight Ridder, the nation’s second-largest newspaper publisher until its sale in 2006. A member of the College of Mass Communication’s Board of Professional Advisors, Fielder also spent time as a reporter and research manager for the Chicago Sun-Times and the Lexington Herald-Leader.

John Seigenthaler founded the First Amendment Center in 1991 with the mission of creating national discussion, dialogue, and debate about First Amendment rights and values. A former president of the American Society of Newspaper Editors, Seigenthaler served for 43 years as an award-winning journalist for The Tennessean. At his retirement he was editor, publisher and CEO. He retains the title chairman emeritus. In 1982, Seigenthaler became the founding editorial director of USA TODAY, serving in that position for a decade. He is chair of the College of Mass Communication’s Board of Professional Advisors and founded the College’s Chair of Excellence in First Amendment Studies.

Jeffery Reid (‘81), a veteran broadcast journalist with more than 28 years of experience, is an executive producer for CNN Productions. Reid oversees editorial content for the network’s long-form programming, including CNN Presents and CNN: Special Investigations Unit. Reid’s projects Black in America 1 and 2 and Martin Luther King: Words that Changed a Nation, examined the black experience in America. He has served as executive producer for Lou Dobbs Moneyline and Inside Politics. He’s also worked on breaking news including the space shuttle Columbia disaster and the war in Iraq. His other documentary work for CNN includes programs about the Virginia Tech massacre and the Oklahoma City bombing. Reid has been named to Ebony magazine’s Power 150.

Beverly Keel (‘88) is senior vice president of media and artist relations for Universal Music Group (UMG) Nashville. She was previously a recording industry professor at MTSU, where she also served as director of the Seigenthaler Chair of Excellence in First Amendment Studies. Before joining UMG Nashville, she was also a nationally recognized music journalist who covered Nashville for more than 15 years. She served as a Nashville correspondent for People magazine for a decade and was also entertainment editor of American Profile and celebrity columnist at The Tennessean. Keel’s husband Ronnie Steine, who was reelected Metro Nashville councilman-at-large in 2007, also contributed to the project. He previously served as councilman-at-large from 1991 to 1999. He was elected Nashville’s fifth vice mayor in 1999 and served until his resignation in 2002.

The slogan “Can You Hear Me Now?” employed by Verizon Wireless reflects the company’s commitment to deliver the most reliable wireless network in America. But it’s not just the company’s network that earns praise. Verizon Wireless has been identified as one of the best-run companies in America and also ranked among America’s best employers. The company’s 85,000 employees (including many at its Murfreesboro call center), enjoy an industry leading pay and benefits package and work in an environment that inspires excellence. Verizon Wireless is a longtime sponsor of the MTSU College of Mass Communication.