The Washington Journalism and Media Conference

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Speakers

Scott Jackson

SCOTT JACKSON

Freelance Sports Broadcaster and Talk Show Host, SiriusXM

Scott Jackson is a freelance broadcaster in Washington D.C.  He is a fill-in talk show host at Team 980 and 106.7 The Fan, part time sports anchor at SiriusXM and WTOP, and the TV play-by-play voice for ODU Basketball. A Northern Virginia native and lifelong D.C. sports fan, Jackson is also the official Washington Commanders Football Post-Game Show co-host. He also calls high school basketball and lacrosse for Monumental Sports Network. His career includes time in Raleigh, NC and Jacksonville, FL.

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Speakers

Alex Rosenwald

ALEX ROSENWALD

Senior Director of Strategic Communications and Publicity, MediaDC

Alex Rosenwald is Senior Director of Strategic Communications and Publicity for MediaDC, where he is responsible for the communications and publicity of the operating company and the Washington Examiner.  At MediaDC, he focuses on strategic communications and tactical implementation: extending MediaDC and the Washington Examiner among traditional and new media, and the staff to implement it. He earned a BS degree in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from George Mason University. A diehard Angels fan, Alex and his wife Maddie and hound Stella live in the City of Fairfax.

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Speakers

Dr. Richard T. Craig

DR. RICHARD T. CRAIG

MA Director, Communication, George Mason University

Richard Craig directs the MA program in the Department of Communication at George Mason University and teaches at the undergraduate and graduate level about the influence of the media.  He has been a part of the university and the communications department since the fall of 2009.  Dr. Craig received his BA in Journalism from Olivet College, his MA in Telecommunications Management from Michigan State University, and his PhD in Mass Communication/Media Studies from Howard University. His research centers on mass media political economy; addressing the production, distribution and consumption of media content.  He takes particular interest in exploring the social structure/struggle embedded in media production and interpreted in media consumption.  His goal is to use research to influence the development of policy to enhance opportunities for media production and distribution by marginalized cultures. In recognition for his work, he received the 2021 Spirit of King Faculty Award as part of Mason’s annual Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Evening of Reflection event.

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Advisory Board Photographer Speakers

Meghan A.T.B. Reese

MEGHAN A.T.B. REESE

Producer, Writer, & Photographer

Meghan Reese is a producer, writer, and photographer. Reese’s credits include producing and writing for National Geographic, National Geographic WILD, Discovery Channel, Travel Channel, History Channel, Smithsonian Channel, Science Channel, Oxygen, A&E, Animal Planet, Amazon Prime, HGTV, Investigation Discovery, Discovery Family, PBS, Sony, Capital TV Pakistan, Facebook and Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, the White House, the U.S. Department of State, and NASA.

Reese also runs Ography — her own photography and multimedia shop — capturing events for the National Park Service, the White House, and many other businesses, families, and events. Her photography has been featured by The National Park Service, The New York Times, The L.A. Times, The Wall Street Journal, PBS, and more.

Reese’s first step into production was as an assistant director and producer for WGBH PBS’s news coverage team, where Reese covered local Boston stories and major national events including the nomination and election of President Barack Obama.

Prior to making the switch to television and film, Reese was an award-winning writer and editor for several newspapers, medical, health and lifestyle magazines, and executive editor of Today’s Dietitian Cookbook. Her writing career began at USA Today, covering fashion, trends, and popular culture.

Reese holds a journalism degree from American University, where she held several prestigious internships around the Washington D.C. area, including The Washington Post, CNN, NPR, and at the White House.

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Speakers

Juliette Rouge (Shedd)

JULIETTE ROUGE

Associate Dean & Associate Professor of Peace and Conflict Resolution, George Mason University

Dr. Juliette Rouge (Shedd) is the Associate Dean and Associate Professor at the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, George Mason University. She teaches research and practice methods courses and on terrorism, peacebuilding, media and conflict, extremism, global conflicts, and ideologies. She holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from George Mason University and a BA in Political Science and Psychology from George Washington University. Her research includes work on the relationship of media to conflict, specifically focused on media coverage of terrorism and the role of women in political violence. She is an active practitioner working internationally on peacebuilding in divided communities and developing local leadership capacity with communities in Ukraine, Serbia, Myanmar, and Central Asia. Locally, she works with communities to collaboratively address contentious local issues. These projects include media literacy and dialogue training, conflict resolution in schools, police-community engagement, and supporting community engagement processes for local government on issues like confederate legacy street names and monuments. Her projects are funded by local governments, the Virginia Department of Education, USAID, the Department of State, and nonprofit organizations. She leads the Carter Schools administrative staff, budget and administrative processes, and new program and partnership development. She has shepherded the Carter School’s efforts to respond to the Covid 19 pandemic and to build upon effective distance education offerings along with overseeing a wide range of innovations in experiential and service learning.

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Faculty Advisor

Matt Schott

MATT SCHOTT

Faculty Advisor

Matt Schott is the publications adviser at Francis Howell Central High School in St. Charles, Mo., where he just completed his 17th year.  He advises the newspaper, yearbook, website and broadcast at FHC, where students have been the recipients of numerous local, state and national awards. He’s been honored with two teaching awards by the Dow Jones News Fund, was the 2010 Journalism Teacher of the Year in Missouri and was named one of six recipients of the Stephen Sondheim Inspirational Teacher Award in 2019. Prior to teaching, Matt was a designer and editor at newspapers in Missouri, Illinois and Florida. Matt also is a freelance photographer for various clients around St. Louis in his free time and loves soccer and reading.

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Faculty Advisor

Melissa Larson

MELISSA LARSON

Faculty Advisor

Melissa Larson is excited to return to WJMC for her 10th year as a Faculty Advisor for the Pink Group.  Melissa taught technology, photography, and journalism for 14 years, before leaving the classroom to chase dreams, and is now working at Edpuzzle making educational videos. She advised yearbook and online publications which received numerous state and national awards. In 2014, she received the “Rising Star” Award from the Journalism Education Association. In 2013, she was recognized as one of nine Apple Award Finalists for Secondary Educator of the Year in the Douglas County School District. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, photography, reading, hiking, and traveling.

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Faculty Advisor

April van Buren

APRIL VAN BUREN

Faculty Advisor

April van Buren, MJE, advises yearbook (Tower Tales), broadcast (Tower TV), and a new journalism website (Tower Media), and also teaches various digital media classes including graphic design and web design at East High School in Madison, WI.  She has taught journalism for about 18 years, including at Parkway Central High School in suburban St. Louis and at Mesa Vista Middle and High School in rural New Mexico. She has also been an adjunct professor for the Communications Department at the University of New Mexico-Taos. From 2010 to May of 2013, she served as the New Mexico director for the Journalism Education Association and as the Vice President of the NM Scholastic Press Association. She earned her National Board certification in Language Arts in 2012, and studied journalism, education and library sciences at the University of Missouri-Columbia. She was the 2013 NM Adviser of the Year and currently serves on the Board for the Kettle Moraine Press Association and as the Broadcast Contest Director for the Journalism Education Association. In her free time, she likes to read young adult fiction, and plays roller derby and ice hockey.

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Faculty Advisor

Jessica Young

JESSICA YOUNG

Faculty Advisor

Jessica Young is returning for another summer with the Washington Journalism and Media Conference.  Young teaches yearbook, journalism, photography, video production and graphic design at Orange Glen High School in Escondido, Calif. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Anthropology from San Diego State University and her Master’s Degree in Education from University of California, San Diego. She serves as the Vice President and Communications Chair for her school district’s teachers union. Young is the President of the San Diego Journalism Education Association and serves on the Board of Directors and Board of Trustees for the Quill and Scroll International Journalism Honor Society. She is an active member of the scholastic journalism community and teaches at workshops and conventions around the country. She was recognized as a “Rising Star” by the Journalism Education Association in 2012. In addition to teaching, Young works as freelance writer, photographer and graphic designer. She also enjoys running, baking, watching baseball, putting glitter on things and traveling. She has conquered the Original Marathon Greece, The Inca Trail in Peru, and the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC. In 2020, she fostered and adopted an Australian Cattle Dog, named Juno, who is now her best friend and #1 sidekick.

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Faculty Advisor

Abrianna Nelson

ABRIANNA NELSON

Faculty Advisor

Abrianna Nelson, CJE, teaches journalism and advises newspaper, yearbook, broadcast, and literary magazine at Washington-Liberty High School in Arlington, Va. She also serves as a Curriculum Coordinator for the Journalism Education Association’s Curriculum Initiative; previously she served as the Entrepreneurship Module Leader from 2013-2017. Additionally, Nelson previously advised newspaper and yearbook at Pleasant Ridge High School in Easton, Kan from 2011-2014. She majored in journalism and history at Washington and Lee University and interned with the Fairfax County Times and USA Today. Nelson also holds an M.A.Ed. in Education from The College of William and Mary and an Ed.S. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Virginia. Her specialties include web-based journalism and social media. In her free time, Nelson enjoys creative writing, binge-watching, rock climbing, and triathlon training.