By Kaslyn Tidmore
Graduate Assistant at the Center for Media Ethics and Literacy
We are excited to introduce the new interim director of the Center for Media Ethics and Literacy. Gina Holland Shelton is a former national reporter for The Associated Press, where she covered the U.S. Supreme Court for five years during her 17-year AP career.
Shelton joined the University of Arkansas in 2013 and has taught courses in media law, government and media, news reporting and editing. Since 2015, she has directed the Lemke Journalism Project, a high school multicultural reporting program. Shelton also serves as the campus adviser to the Society of Professional Journalists and is president of the Northwest Arkansas Professional SPJ chapter.
After moving from Washington, D.C., Shelton found a fulfilling career in academia, preparing students for their dream jobs. Her roles include advanced instructor and internship coordinator, as well as many other titles. For more about Shelton, see her Q&A with Andra Liwag on the Fulbright Review.
Keep reading as Shelton shares insights on her vision for the center, offers advice to aspiring media professionals and addresses the critical challenges facing today’s media landscape.
What is the Center for Media Ethics and Literacy?
For the past decade, the center has brought journalists to campus to spend time with University of Arkansas students and faculty to discuss ethical challenges in media. Previously known as the Center for Ethics in Journalism, the center has hosted fantastic visiting professors: photographers, investigative reporters, documentary filmmakers, and newsroom leaders. The center has expanded its mission to promote better literacy, something that applies to everyone and something that is critically important right now.
What advice would you offer to students and emerging professionals who are eager to make a positive impact in media ethics and literacy?
One of our graduates lives in New York and was recently hired as a news verification reporter. You don’t have to work full-time in that field to make a difference. We are all fact-checkers. Now – more than ever – we must be diligent in fighting misinformation.
Be skeptical and speak out if you see a suspicious claim or photograph trending on social media. If you choose to work in the communications field, you have a responsibility to make sure the information you consume and share is reliable. As far as ethics, be intentional in the decisions that you make.
What are your primary goals and vision for the center during your tenure as interim director?
I want to raise the profile of what we’re doing in the School of Journalism and Strategic Media. We have a terrific faculty, and the center will assist them by inviting insightful guests and ensuring that our students are up to date on current events and research. Our events will showcase the talent on campus. On a lighter note, we want students to stop by our office in Kimpel 202 to grab a snack and say hello. We have resources to connect students to training, volunteer opportunities, internships and mentors. Follow us on social media to stay connected. Instagram: @uarkmediaethics X: @UARKJourEthics
How do you engage students and the community in discussions about media ethics?
All journalism and public relations students take a semester-long ethics course. What we’re doing in the center is looking for ways to deepen students’ understanding of the real-world challenges they will face working in journalism, public relations or a related field. Each semester we will have multiple visiting distinguished professionals with varied experiences. The visitors will have events open to the community, something we see as important with our university’s land-grant mission. We’re troubled by the declining trust in journalism. Through open events, we will educate the general public about the field.
What are the most pressing challenges you see in media today?
I’m a second-generation journalist. My dad ran the daily newspaper in my hometown. My first job was listening to a police scanner and racing to accident and crime scenes to take photos. That newspaper stopped publishing in 2023, and the once vibrant newsroom was closed. Over the past two decades, about 3,000 newspapers have disappeared in the U.S. Those local journalists haven’t been replaced, and because of that, we have less accountability in government. Many people turn to social media for their news. Unlike news outlets, which fact-check their stories and can be sued for publishing false, damaging information, social media is unregulated. In addition, artificial intelligence is providing opportunities – and challenges – to journalists and public relations professionals.