Hi! If you skipped all of the other pages and came directly here, I'll offer a CliffsNotes version of me (starting with the acknowledgement that I'm old enough to have actually used printed CliffsNotes in college).

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I'm a teacher-scholar who is fortunate to be able to integrate my research in the classroom to show the practical side of journalism studies. A couple of examples:

• I taught a new class in Fall 2019 titled Real News, Fake News & Media Literacy, which drew on material from a survey (currently under journal review) that examines the multiple cues the public relies on when trying to determine if something is fake news, as well as identifies a typology of various forms of fake news. 

• When we cover social media reporting in my Multimedia Journalism class, I incorporate examples from my long-term research projects on how journalists use Twitter and other platforms as professional tools.

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I love learning new tools as the journalism industry evolves, and I'm fortunate to have taught a range of practical skills courses (like News Writing, Multiplatform Journalism, Data Journalism and Social Media as Professional Tools) as well more critical analysis courses like Real News, Fake News & Media Literacy and Media & Society. I've also gotten to use my mixed-methods training to teach the Graduate Methods in Communication class. 

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Basically, I'm a journalist who realized as an editor at community sections of the Los Angeles Times that I could help reporters much more if I got to them in college, so I went back to school and got my graduate degrees. I didn't think I could love anything as much as I loved working in journalism, but I found a new professional passion in teaching and mentoring. I'm honored that my students and other faculty recognized my dedication with the Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award when I was at Saint Louis University. I also was a teaching fellow through various programs offered at Saint Louis University. (You can learn more on my Teaching pages.) In Fall 2020, I started as a professor at Texas State University.

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Along the way, I've been able to conduct journalism research that interests me. Drawing on my experiences as a newsroom manager, I've looked at the public's experiences with fake news, journalists' use of social media as crisis reporting tools, and the impact of a merger between a nonprofit news site and a public radio station, to name a few. I currently have a journal article under review and am working on a book proposal. (More details are available on my Research pages.)

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I have engaged in multiple service efforts. At SLU, I was the faculty director of the Department of Communication's Advisory Board. The board's structure now serves an example for other departments across the university. In 2018, I kicked off the department's (now annual) CommWeek, which showcases the multitude of opportunities for communication majors and professionals. I've been an officer in professional organizations like AEJMC for several years, and I served on college-level committees for curriculum and mentoring. (You can read more about these endeavors on my Service page.)

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I have a deep and abiding love for AP Style (despite being heartbroken when AP decided "more than" and "over" can be used interchangeably) and I'm an NPR geek (with the shirt to prove it).

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Want to get in touch? Email me at ahinsley[at]txstate[dot]edu