My teaching philosophy is grounded in the belief that higher education should bridge classroom learning and the complex challenges students will encounter as the next generation of professionals. I aim to equip journalism students with essential practical skills—particularly strong communication and technological competencies—while cultivating the conceptual depth and ethical foundation necessary for human-centered journalistic practice. Ultimately, I seek to prepare students to translate classroom knowledge into meaningful professional practice, enabling them to navigate an increasingly complex and demanding media landscape while using journalism to serve society and humanity. My research, professional background, and teaching converge on advancing ideas and practices that strengthen journalism’s public service mission.
I view journalism as a critical knowledge-producing enterprise anchored in the pursuit of truth. While absolute truth may be unattainable, I encourage students to strive for functional truth: a verifiable, contextualized account of reality informed by rigorous engagement with diverse perspectives. This pursuit is inseparable from journalism’s role in fostering a democratic and pluralistic public sphere. By emphasizing journalism’s ontological and epistemological foundations, I help students recognize that they are not merely reporting facts—they are contributing to the construction of a public forum where all communities can be heard.
My teaching philosophy centers on the principle that learning is most effective when it is active, relevant, and student-centered. I foster a dynamic classroom environment where students are encouraged to define their own educational goals and develop innovative solutions to complex problems. My pedagogy prioritizes five key principles: Experiential Learning (emphasizing learning by doing and connecting assignments to real-world challenges); Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving (using real-world stories, analogies, and metaphors to clarify concepts); Technological Integration (ensuring fluency with current industry tools); Mentorship and Support (delivered with empathy and personalized feedback); and an Individualized Student-Centered Approach (encouraging students to leverage their unique strengths). I thrive in small-class settings that promote open dialogue and enable students to receive regular, actionable feedback on their persuasive writing and critical thinking. My commitment to graduate education includes serving as a hands-on mentor, guiding master’s and doctoral students through advanced research projects, including data-intensive and methodologically rigorous studies. I leverage my professional network and academic training to help students develop externally funded research agendas, publish in high-impact journals, and translate their scholarly work into meaningful civic and professional outcomes.
My teaching interests encompass journalism, sociology of news, political communication, media ethics, the relationship between news media and social media, and the rapidly evolving intersection of AI and journalism. Drawing on my fifteen years of professional journalism experience, scholarly research in media sociology and political communication, and university teaching, I am particularly interested in helping students understand journalism not only as a professional practice but also as a social institution shaped by organizational structures, political environments, technological change, and individual journalistic agency. I am especially interested in teaching news sociology, examining how ownership, organizational policies, professional routines, ideology, and social and political pressures influence news production and framing. My interest in political communication focuses on the reciprocal relationship between media, political actors, and the public, while my work on news media and social media explores how platformization, audience participation, and changing information flows are transforming journalism and public discourse. I am also increasingly interested in AI and journalism, particularly the implications of generative AI for news production, verification, journalistic ethics, professional autonomy, misinformation, and the future of the journalism profession. Across these areas, I aim to connect theoretical perspectives with contemporary cases and practical journalistic experience, enabling students to critically examine how journalism is changing and its continuing role in democratic society.
I have extensive experience teaching in face-to-face, online, and hybrid learning environments. I have redesigned course content and instruction to meet diverse student learning needs while maintaining high academic standards. My experience with Canvas, D2L Brightspace, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Kahoot! has enabled me to create engaging, interactive, and accessible learning experiences that incorporate multimedia resources, collaborative activities, formative assessments, and real-time discussions. I am committed to leveraging educational technology not simply to deliver content but to foster meaningful student participation and active learning.
My scholarly work—which includes rigorous, cross-national analysis of media discourse and political rhetoric, particularly focusing on contexts within the Global South—provides the expertise necessary to instruct courses focused on journalism in international contexts. This dual perspective allows me to prepare students to execute effective campaigns across diverse cultural, political, and regulatory environments, offering critical insights relevant to the rapidly growing markets and complex media ecosystems. My professional expertise directly underpins my pedagogical approach, which emphasizes the integration of theory and real-world application. I have successfully taught a diverse student body at the undergraduate levels in courses covering news writing, strategic communication, and advanced reporting across online, in-person, and hybrid modalities.
As an instructor I have Taught JTC 210: News Writing course at Colorado State Fall 2023 –Fall 2024, an undergraduate journalism course covering news values, news judgment, reporting, and writing for print, broadcast, and digital media. Instruction included Associated Press (AP) style, the First Amendment, copyright law, broadcast writing, social media writing, advertising copywriting, and strategic communication, emphasizing ethical journalism, audience-centered storytelling, and multiplatform news production.
Also, I taught JTC 300 Strategic Writing and Communication for Summer 2021–Summer 2023 & Spring 2025, an undergraduate course focused on strategic, professional writing and presentation skills across diverse organizational and communication contexts. Instruction emphasized audience analysis, message design, persuasive communication, content strategy, and the creation of effective written and oral content adaptable to both traditional and digital media. The course prepared students from a wide range of academic majors to communicate professionally across industries and career fields.
I taught JAMS-201: Media Writing course at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee from Fall 2018 to Spring 2020, an undergraduate course covering news writing and breaking news reporting for print, broadcast, and digital media. Instruction included Associated Press (AP) style, press release writing, strategic media communication, media strategy development, creative brief preparation, and advertising copywriting, with an emphasis on producing clear, accurate, audience-centered, and multimedia-ready content.
I, as a teaching assistant, have helped teaching media in society course, especially grading the students teaching which includes issues such as the Rise and Decline of Modern Journalism, Journalism’s Values, Ethics, and its relations with Democracy and society” and Evolution of mass communication systems, rise of digital media.
Last but not least, my commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) serves as the unwavering foundation of my academic practice. As a dedicated champion of inclusivity and an advocate for multi-perspectivism, I view the classroom as a vital space for challenging established norms and preparing students to navigate a complex, multi-perspectival world. I realize this commitment by actively integrating diverse narratives and global into the curriculum, ensuring that our study moves beyond the canonical and incorporates scholarship and professional work from historically marginalized, multicultural, and underrepresented communities. By embracing multiculturalism, I help students understand how power operates across varied cultural landscapes, thereby developing the cultural competency essential for ethical media professionals. I prioritize creating an equitable learning environment where all students—especially those from underrepresented backgrounds—feel a deep sense of belonging.