Oxford Stories
Oxford Stories is a website I created for my journalism students at the University of Mississippi School of Journalism and New Media as a platform to showcase their work. After recognizing the quality of the stories my students were producing, I felt they deserved a broader audience. This inspired me to launch an online publication primarily focused on covering Oxford and Mississippi.
For a time, the site functioned as a student-run news wire service. Many of the articles were picked up and published by local media outlets, including The Oxford Eagle, The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, and HottyToddy.com. Several pieces were even distributed by the Associated Press.
Our collaboration with HottyToddy.com played a role in Hotty Toddy’s eventual integration into the School of Journalism and New Media. The Oxford Stories project was also named one of 10 national winners of a grant from the Online News Association. This award allowed us to conduct a live local news experiment using the teaching hospital model, incorporating social media strategies and data analytics into our coverage.
This website was typically used with introductory multimedia writing classes. Because this is one of the more complex WordPress themes, you have to start from scratch and build the elements of the site, adding different features, such as menus and widgets. I also amended the design in some areas using CSS to create larger boxes and text.
We frequently shared student stories published on Oxford Stories via the School of Journalism and New Media’s website and social media channels.
This project helped students secure internships and jobs by giving them an accessible, professional platform to showcase their work. It also functioned as an effective marketing tool for the School, as it often appeared in search results for stories related to the University of Mississippi School of Journalism and New Media.
The Media Rewind
The Media Rewind is another magazine-style website I created and customized using WordPress so students enrolled in my School of Journalism and New Media classes could publish their thoughts and columns about the media. This website is sometimes used with an Introduction to Mass Communications class.
MISS. Understood
This is a project website I created and customized using WordPress that explored the positives and negatives of Mississippi and how the state could be improved. It also showcased student work.
The Black Mirror Project
This is another project website I created, customized and launched using WordPress that showcased select student work.
“Black Mirror” is a British science fiction anthology series set in the near future that I use to help students speculate about the future of AI, media and digital technology.
I am often contacted by educators from all over the world who are using “Black Mirror” in their classrooms. They sometimes share “Black Mirror” assignments they have given their students, and some request to use my assignment, which is featured on the site.
Discover a world of possibilities
A project website I created and customized using WordPress that showcases the work of my School of Journalism and New Media students. The project was developed as a crime reporting website, and students wrote about a teenager who was murdered in a nearby town. I changed some of the design using CSS and took many of the photos used to create the site. It was used for a multimedia reporting class.
About
This is a project website I created and customized using WordPress to showcase the work of students from the School of Journalism and New Media. The project commemorated the 50th anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who was killed in Memphis — just a short distance from our university.
For the assignment, students were asked to research, interview, and tell the stories of individuals who lived through the civil rights era. The website features a powerful collection of the narratives they uncovered and wrote, highlighting voices and experiences from a pivotal moment in American history.
The assignment that inspired the creation of this site was recognized in the 2018 Ideas for Teaching Diversity report by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. It was selected as a notable submission by the AEJMC Standing Committee on Teaching for its annual competition.
The Southern Galaxy
This is a website I created that is an extension of my brand. I was a former member of the features section of the state’s largest daily newspaper. The site focuses on feature stories and welcomes contributions from anyone who would like to potentially have their work published.
Ole Miss in Africa
I was asked to change the front of this website and update the site so that it could be refreshed with stories and used in the future. I also created the site logo. The website features student stories and some marketing communications work that I wrote about the School of Journalism and New Media’s study abroad trips to Africa.
IMC Master’s Degree Website
I procured all of the art and wrote much of the marketing copy for this website that was launched as a promotional and recruiting tool for the University of Mississippi School of Journalism and New Media.
School of Journalism and New Media website
I wrote much of the marketing copy that appeared on the University of Mississippi School of Journalism and New Media website for many years. Before doing this, the school was not publishing consistent or frequent marketing copy for the school.
Identifying this as a necessity and something that I had the skills to do, I took the initiative to begin writing marketing stories about our school that were published on the school’s website and social media platforms that I created for the school when it did not have uniform or consistent social media marketing.
The following examples include my own layout designs and other examples that I helped conceptualize, collaborating with designers. I also wrote all of the stories.
Discover a world of possibilities
For this page, I interviewed the photographer during a “Trash the Dress” photo shoot that took place in a swimming pool. Our staff photographer was also on site to capture behind-the-scenes images of him at work.
To create the page design, I wanted to feature the subject’s striking underwater photographs from the shoot. After he sent them over, I conceptualized and developed the layout to showcase the unique visuals.
We also incorporated images taken by our staff photographer, along with additional artwork provided by another photographer known for “Trash the Dress” sessions, to create a dynamic and visually engaging presentation.
About
For this Mississippi wedding trend story, I repurposed the movie poster for 27 Dresses by modifying the text that decorates the dress using Photoshop. The altered design aligned with the theme of the article while maintaining visual appeal.
The story also highlighted actress Katherine Heigl’s wedding to a University of Mississippi graduate, tying pop culture to local interest in a fun and engaging way.
Bags: Totes a stylish way to go green
For this fashion story, I drove around town to photograph a selection of handbags featured in the piece. In addition to capturing original images, I also sourced product art from companies and used Photoshop to remove the backgrounds, creating clean cutouts for use in the layout.
Once the visuals were prepared, I collaborated with a page designer to bring the final presentation to life, ensuring the design complemented the story’s stylish and modern tone.
Beauty and the Bargain
For this feature on thrift shopping and fashion, I coordinated a photo shoot with three friends known for their bargain-hunting skills. On a Saturday, I photographed them along with some of their favorite finds from local thrift stores, capturing both their personal style and the unique items they had discovered.
After the shoot, I used Photoshop to remove the backgrounds from the images, isolating each subject and their featured pieces. I then collaborated with our page designers, providing them with the edited photos to help create a clean, eye-catching layout that reflected the fun and creativity of the story.
Beliefs Run Deep: Mississippi tops several categories of national survey
For this story, I curated relevant file art to visually support the content and provided it to our page designers. To enhance the design and give the layout a strong sense of place, I suggested using the shape of Mississippi as a background element behind the story text. This creative direction helped visually tie the piece to its geographic focus and added visual interest to the page.
Behold Books: College educators tackle a variety of subjects
For this story, I styled a stack of books to serve as the dominant image and coordinated with our photographers to capture the shot. The visual centerpiece helped set the tone for the piece and tied together the academic theme.
In addition, I gathered headshots of each professor featured in the article, along with images of their published books. I then provided all of the visual assets to our page designers, who used them to create a clean, organized layout that complemented the story and highlighted the featured faculty members and their work.
Curious College Collections: Famous manuscripts, artwork, music boost the profile of state’s campuses
For this story package, I gathered individual photos of each person featured and provided them to our page designers, who used the images to create a cohesive collage that visually tied the profiles together.
To enhance the overall design and give the piece a playful focal point, I also sourced a Curious George illustration from a local college, which we used as the dominant art element. The combination of personal photos and themed artwork helped create an engaging, visually unified layout.
Cool gifts for hip dads
With the goal of creating a visually engaging product page for this gift guide, I gathered all of the artwork for the featured items and coordinated a photo shoot with the father pictured below to serve as the dominant image for the layout.
After collecting and organizing the visual elements, I worked closely with our page designers, who brought everything together into a cohesive and appealing design that highlighted the gift suggestions in a fun and relatable way.
Dogs Rule the Catwalk: Fashion-conscious owners big spenders
I arranged and coordinated the photo shoot featuring these canine models, selecting the dogs and setting up the scene to match the playful tone of the story. Photographer Joe Ellis captured the images, bringing out the personality and charm of each pet.
Once the photos were complete, I provided them to our page designers, who used the images to craft a fun and engaging layout that complemented the theme of the piece.
Dorm Decor: Student rely on coordinated color schemes, reflected in bedding, rugs, lamps and wall art, to turn rooms into top-of-the-class living quarters
For this dorm décor feature, I sourced all of the product images directly from various companies, ensuring we had high-quality visuals that matched the style and tone of the piece.
After gathering and organizing the artwork, I collaborated with our page designers, who used the images to create an eye-catching and cohesive layout that highlighted stylish and affordable design ideas for college students.
Freaking Out: Whether you dress as a freak, geek or ghoul, there are plenty of thrilling options this year
For this Halloween feature, I photographed all of the visuals and used Photoshop to remove the backgrounds, creating clean, cutout images that enhanced the playful, seasonal theme.
In addition to handling the photography and image editing, I also designed the layout myself, ensuring the final page was visually engaging and cohesive from concept to completion.
High-tech Tots: Toys, activities for tykes quickly take on grown-up proportions
I arranged a photo shoot for this illustration featuring these babies—using my own computer as a prop to create a playful, tech-themed scene.
In addition to coordinating the shoot, I gathered supplementary artwork and conceptualized the overall design for the package. I then worked with our page designers, who brought the vision to life with a fun and engaging layout.
Bringing India to Mississippi: $4M, 3,500-square-foot Hindu temple opens in Rankin
The dominant photo used in this package was a file image taken by another photographer, but I also spent time on location at the temple capturing additional visuals to enhance the story.
Two of my photos were selected for inclusion: the small inset image on the left and the larger photo at the bottom of the page. These helped provide a more complete and personal perspective of the setting.
Our page designers used all of the elements to create a thoughtful and visually balanced layout.
The Sauce Boss: Madison man markets bottled-up dream
I developed the visual concept for this story, proposing a bold layout that featured the bottle of sauce as the dominant image with its creator shown at a smaller scale — emphasizing the product’s impact and brand identity.
Our photographers captured both the product and the portrait, and I worked closely with our page designers, who brought the concept to life in a dynamic and visually striking layout.
Kermit Speaks, We Listen: The famous frog discusses his Mississippi roots, going green and Lady Gaga
I envisioned the cover design for this special section featuring my exclusive Q&A with Kermit the Frog, carefully selecting and gathering the accompanying artwork to complement the feature.
Our page designers then brought the concept to life, crafting a vibrant and engaging cover that captured the playful spirit of the interview.
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