School of Journalism and Media at UT Austin

Cue the phone buzzing... where else do you think you would find a @utjschool student on campus? Comment down below! 📱🧡

Some moments stuck in time from graduation day 🎓 See the full Flickr album of photos at the link in our bio! 🤘

Singing out as a #TEXASMoody student and signing in as a Moody alum 🖊️ 🎉 Congratulations, #UT26!

Congratulations to all our JOU students who will cross the stage this weekend! We are so excited to celebrate your huge accomplishment. Hook ‘em forever! 🤘🎓🗞️

The MANY places you can find JOU students… Comment where you spent the most time this semester on campus! 👀

Going into broadcast news after graduating from the Forty Acres, here’s our next @utexascld student feature, senior Paisley Porter! This Houston native is a double major in CLD and @utjschool , fulfilling her dream of being a Longhorn since 3rd grade. Paisley chose CLD at #TEXASMoody because the program looked like a good program to start with and then serve as a “launch pad” for her journalism degree. Three words to describe her UT experience so far? “As a Moody major, every day is, as my close personal friend Matthew McConaughey says, ‘Alright, alright, alright!’” If Paisley had to pick her favorite class, she would pick Interpersonal Communication with John Daly! She said his lectures were always fun and engaging, making her excited to go to class. Outside the classroom, she was involved with @tstvnews and did several internships with KXAN and KUTX! Rockstar Bagels, Swedish Hill, and Chuy’s are three of her favorite restaurants to eat at close to campus. When she’s not at one of those spots, she’s whipping something up in her apartment because she loves to cook! Her advice to future CLD students: “Explore double majors and minors! CLD is very interdisciplinary, and a lot of the skills and issues courses cross over with other degrees’ requirements. I am a BIG advocate for learning all that you can while you’re here, and if you have an interest in something, getting a minor or double major in it is very doable! We can’t wait to see you reporting for your community, Paisley! Hook ‘em! 🤘

The 4th Annual Juried Student Documentary Photography Exhibition and Opening took place on April 6, showcasing compelling news and documentary photographs. 20 photographs were selected by juror Christine Robinson, the new Nancy Inman and Marlene Nathan Meyerson Curator of Photography at UT’s @ransomcenter . The scholarship prize winners include: 🏆Best in Show: Emilia Edwards 🏅Honorable Mention: Makenna Morgan 🏅Honorable Mention: Maia Thomas The 2026 show also featured the work of Ainsley Ash, Justin Doud, Tessa Harfenist, Samantha Melvin, Ysa Mendoza, Camilo Montoya, Dominic Plata, and Skyler Sharp. Be sure to stop by the 3rd floor of the DMC to check out these students’ amazing work from April to September 2026! 🧡📸

For our next @utjschool faculty feature, we’re spotlighting Professor Tom Johnson! He was born in St. Charles, IL, and moved to Northern California when he was two and a half years old, growing up in several small towns there. Johnson studied at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo for his bachelor’s degree, at Iowa State for his master’s degree and at the University of Washington for his Ph.D. Johnson’s favorite class to teach is “News Media and Politics,” with his research focusing on media use, credibility and trust since the 1984 presidential election. His work explores how perceptions of media trust affect attitudes and democracy. In his early teens, after realizing baseball wasn’t in his cards, he started writing about sports. Later, he became the editor of his college paper, the Daily Mustang, at Cal Poly. Fun fact: At the college paper at Iowa State, he met his wife! Johnson pursued a Ph.D. to continue making a difference through teaching and research, much as he did in journalism. “I thought becoming a professor would have the same benefit of being a reporter: The feeling you are making a difference in the world.” During the fall semester, he spent two months in the Netherlands working with two University of Amsterdam professors to compare Dutch and American views of democracy and media coverage of its threats. If Johnson were to pick a favorite spot to eat near campus, it would be Kerbey Lane because “the food is great, and it has a real Austin vibe.” Some advice he has for current students is to be persistent! “You may not accomplish your goals the first try or the second time. But if you keep working, you will accomplish your dreams!”

We are thrilled to announce that #TEXASMoody @utjschool alumna, WNBA champion and USA Olympic alternate Fran Harris, will deliver the keynote at the 2026 Moody College of Communication Commencement! During her time as a @utaustintx student, Harris served as captain and leading scorer of the undefeated 1986 women’s basketball team, guiding them to a national championship. After graduating, she helped make history with the Houston Comets as they secured their first WNBA championship title in 1997. Returning to Moody College as commencement speaker is a meaningful, full‑circle moment for Harris. “Those years in the journalism school were some of my best UT years,” Harris said. “They helped shape me into a well-rounded communicator, journalist and broadcaster.” Since retiring from professional sports, Harris has built a dynamic, multi‑faceted career. She has become a Fortune 100 consultant, author of more than 20 books and has appeared on over 100 national television programs, including Shark Tank, Good Morning America, TODAY, CNBC and CNN. The 2026 Moody College of Communication Graduation Ceremony will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 9 at the Moody Center, where families and friends will gather to celebrate as graduates cross the stage in this milestone moment. 🎓

JUST IN: Course registration has begun for Summer and Fall 2026, with some exciting options for @utjschool students interested in broadcast! @reportingtexastv is one of three broadcast journalism classes taught by Dr. Kate West at Moody. For Fall 2026, be sure to register for Television Reporting or Broadcast Capstone if you’re looking for experience on air or behind the camera 🎥🧡

Next in our #MoodySpotlight series is Justin Doud, a @utjschool and government junior from Conroe, Texas! Justin chose to study journalism because of the power it holds to make a true impact in society. “People that know what’s happening in their communities and in their country are better-equipped to make responsible and educated choices both in and out of the ballot box. I wanted to pursue a career where I could contribute to that mission while also ensuring that powerful people are held accountable by asking difficult questions.” Growing up in Texas, Justin said it was a no-brainer to come to #TEXASMoody. “It’s by far the best journalism program in the state, and one of the most renowned globally. I also really wanted to go somewhere that had a large faculty with practical professional experience in journalism, and that proved to be the best decision I could have made.” Justin is currently a Dean’s Ambassador, photo editor @thedailytexan , @tstvnews station director and a producer @thedragaudio . He is also an intern @texas_standard and previously worked for @houstonpubmedia . “I got to report on NPR’s national newscast for the first time, covering the Supreme Court, and I had the chance to report on everything from campaigns and elections to breaking news and protest coverage. For a government nerd like me, it was the coolest thing.” Justin said his Moody experience has been irreplicable. “The faculty here are unmatched - John Schwartz, Diana Dawson and Christian McDonald are three of the best journalists I’ve ever met, but they’re even better professors, and they care about our success as students as much as they care about our profession.” “Because of Moody, I’m credentialed as a journalist in the Texas House of Representatives and Texas Senate, I’ve been on the field/court for every major sport at UT, and I went from not knowing what a lede was to writing investigative stories and day-turns rapidly. It’s seriously beyond vital in this career, and I wouldn’t be half the reporter I am without Moody.”

In the future, you could see her working in the NFL – here’s junior @utjschool student and sports media minor Araceli Reynoso! The Coppell, Texas native chose to study JOU at #TEXASMoody because she could embrace her love for sports and find a community of those with shared passions – and she’s done just that! Araceli has been involved with the Cactus Yearbook as a social media staffer since her freshman year and previously served as a staff writer. In terms of outside experience, what started as a freshman-year internship with Sports Girls Club turned into her co-founding and leading Girls Club Texas on campus. From writing about the NFL to building a community of women in sports, she says it’s been challenging but incredibly rewarding. She also interned with SEASON, learning about AI in sports, and this summer she’ll be working in the communications department at the University of North Texas! She describes her UT experience so far as adventurous, astonishing, and bittersweet. Her favorite place to eat near campus? UTea Pho! If she had to give a piece of advice to future JOU students, it’d be: “Let yourself grow during your first year. Don’t feel like you have to have it all figured out!” Have a wonderful rest of the semester, Araceli! Hook ‘em! 🤘