Journalism professor Teri Finneman will give Budig writing lecture


LAWRENCE — Teri Finneman, associate professor of journalism, is the recipient of the 2021-2022 Gretchen and Gene Budig Teaching Professorship of Writing and will present a lecture on the vital role of student writers Feb. 24.

Teri Finneman, associate professor of journalism at KUThe Budig Professorship Award recognizes outstanding faculty instruction, and the recipient of the award is asked to deliver a formal lecture. In her lecture, "Reimagining Roles: Student Writers Serving Kansas Communities," Finneman will share the opportunities and challenges of using student writing to help fill information gaps in Kansas small towns. From a feature story on a beekeeping couple to a 50-page voters' guide, writing can serve as a critical tool to connect a community, Finneman said, and help students understand the importance of the written word. Her lecture is at noon in the Clarkson Gallery at Stauffer-Flint Hall, and it is open to the public.

Finneman joined the William Allen White School of Journalism & Mass Communications in 2018. She teaches courses on reporting, history and diversity. She is the publisher of the Eudora Times, an online news site that covers the small town of Eudora, whose newspaper closed during the Great Recession. The Eudora Times is staffed by students from the journalism school. 

“We are grateful to the late Dr. Budig and Gretchen Budig for this gift that recognizes the importance of excellence in writing,” said Ann Brill, dean of the journalism school. “Along with storytelling, clear and engaging writing creates a sense of shared experiences. We have seen that in many communities, and so recognizing Dr. Finneman for her contributions to the Eudora community is a great way to celebrate this gift.”

Finneman’s research focuses on news coverage of U.S. first ladies and women politicians, as well as the U.S. suffrage movement. She is the author of “Press Portrayals of Women Politicians, 1870s-2000s,” which was named a 2016 finalist for the Frank Luther Mott‑Kappa Tau Alpha book award for best research-based book about journalism or mass communication. 

Finneman also conducts research related to media ethics and journalism history. Her oral history work focuses on local and regional journalism history in the heartland, and she is executive producer of the Journalism History podcast. 

In 2021, she received the Jinx Coleman Broussard Award for Excellence in the Teaching of Media History. In 2020, she won first place in the Teaching News Terrifically in the 21st Century contest and an honorable mention in the AEJMC Standing Committee on Teaching's contest for Best Practices in Teaching Difficult Topics in a Polarized Society.

The Gene A. Budig professorships and lecture series were established in 1994 by Budig and his wife, Gretchen. Budig became KU’s 14th chancellor in 1981, and during his 13-year tenure more than 180 faculty positions were established. He was an active fundraiser during Campaign Kansas, the 1987-92 campaign that raised $265 million from private donors. Budig Hall is named in his honor.

“Dr. Budig was dedicated to excellence in education throughout his distinguished career. We are very appreciative of the loyal support that Gene and Gretchen Budig have always shown to the School of Journalism,” Brill said.

Tue, 02/01/2022

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Julie Adam

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Julie Adam

William Allen White School of Journalism & Mass Communications

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