MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Three Middle Tennessee State University journalism students were among 12 students from across the state immersed in real-world media through participation in The Tennessean’s second annual Journalism Academy.

Hannah Carley, Shauna Reynolds and Brianna Sorrell from MTSU’s School of Journalism and Strategic Media joined professional journalists for three days of learning, networking and mentorship at the newspaper and digital outlet’s Nashville office in early January.  

The Tennessean Journalism Academy allowed students to see a professional news organization and expand their contacts with experienced journalists and students across Tennessee. Participants also learned about writing and reporting, investigating, digital production, and applying for jobs.

“Liz Schubauer, city editor, and the rest of The Tennessean staff were so generous with their time and knowledge,” Reynolds said. “We had the chance to talk with journalists from multiple departments in informal panels with Q&A sessions, in one-on-one mentorship meetings and at casual meals. Journalism students are very curious by nature, so our questions were nonstop. We experience valuable insight from reporters and editors with varied backgrounds and levels of experience.”

Reynolds said she enjoyed talking with students from other Tennessee universities and learning about what was happening in student media at bigger, smaller, and public and private schools.

“Hearing about administrative efforts to shut down a story at a private university reminded me how fortunate I am to work for an editorially independent student publication,” she said, referring to the MTSU Sidelines digital news outlet.

The experience at the three-day event and spending time in The Tennessean’s office helped ease Reynolds’ anxiety as she approaches graduation.

“I’ve been leery of big corporate media organizations, but learning how a large team collaborates to produce local news with the resources of a larger network left me seeing things differently,” she said.

Reynolds said she and the others attended a Zoom meeting with editors from across the South region of Gannett, the parent company for The Tennessean, which is also part of the company’s USA Today network.

“That helped me understand how The Tennessean works with newspapers from different markets to deliver the most thorough news to the appropriate audience,” said Reynolds, adding that the opportunity before the spring semester started really inspired her.

“I am so thankful the School of Journalism allowed me to take part in this,” she said. “I am headed into this new semester with fresh inspiration for my work at Sidelines and working on my application for The Tennessean’s summer internship program.”

About MTSU academy students

• Hannah Carley, of Taft, is a journalism major with a minor in English and is expected to graduate in May. She enjoys writing hard news stories and investigative articles and describes it as “putting together the pieces of an abandoned puzzle.”

“Journalism, to me, is listening and digging; it’s tracing a path and telling the reader why the problem is happening. I’m in love with this wild career,” she said.

• Shauna Reynolds, of Nolensville, is a nontraditional student majoring in journalism with a minor in mass communications. She will graduate in May. She relishes opportunities to amplify the lives and accomplishments of people in her community who “might otherwise go unnoticed.”

“I am happiest working on profiles and taking the time to explore who my subjects are, not just what they’ve done,” she said.

• Brianna Sorrell, of Memphis, is a journalism major with a minor in political science and is expected to graduate in December. Sorrell said her passion for journalism is rooted in her “love for storytelling and the impact it has on connections.”

“For me, journalism isn’t just about reporting stories — it’s about building community and sparking meaningful conversations,” she said.

To learn more about MTSU’s School of Journalism in the College of Media and Entertainment, visit https://journalism.mtsu.edu/.

For more information about MTSU’s College of Media and Entertainment, visit https://media.mtsu.edu/.

—  DeAnn Hays (deann.hays@mtsu.edu)