Personal
Influences

John David Reed

A resume or a CV omits one important factor: people who influenced our careers. Top among those would be Dave Reed, now retired from Eastern Illinois University, whose impact is detailed in the About Me page of this website.

Many at the University of Maryland were influential in my doctoral studies. The journalism department was filled with brilliant scholars who shaped my nascent thinking about how to study journalism as a social scientist. Most significant among those was Kathy McAdams, who made research accessible.

Dr. Kay Bartol graciously escorted me into the business school, where I learned organizational behavior from her, Dr. Cynthia Stevens and Dr. Hank Sims, and I learned from my fellow business students how to perform academic research at a high level. I'm forever in their debt.

At the University of Florida I have been surrounded by exemplary teacher-scholars who inspire me to excel at both. I could not ask for more helpful colleagues, and their influence on my work is beyond measure.

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Education

Ph.D. in journalism and public communication, University of Maryland, 2007. Dissertation: “Paradigm Disguise: Systemic Influences on Newspaper Plagiarism.” Adviser: Dean Thomas Kunkel.

Bachelor’s degree in journalism, Eastern Illinois University, 1979. Graduated cum laude. Minor in history, emphasis in computer programming.

Work experience

University of Florida, associate professor, August 2007 to present. Teach undergraduate and graduate courses, advise graduate students, chair doctoral committees, and conduct research published in peer-reviewed journals.

Graduate teaching assistant, University of Maryland, August 2004 to June 2007. Taught classes autonomously (including one assigned the week before the semester began when a professor became ill) and assisted Professor Gene Roberts.

Copy editor, Washington Post financial desk, June 2005 to April 2009. Worked in the home office for two years while a doctoral student at the University of Maryland and worked one day a week from my Gainesville home.

Editor, Skagit Valley Herald, Mount Vernon, Wash., April 1998 to August 2004.  Newspaper named best daily of its size in the region five of my six years. Created Sunday edition in 1999.

Publisher and editor, (Butte) Montana Standard, January 1994 to April 1998. Promoted to publisher after one year. Converted previously all-male leadership team into majority-female team. Readership measured at 94 percent.

Editor, Corvallis (Ore.) Gazette-Times, May 1989 to January 1994. Newspaper placed first or second all five years in general excellence contest. Paper broke national story on capture of nation’s longest-running fugitive.

City editor, La Crosse (Wis.) Tribune, August 1986 to May 1989. Oversaw several investigative projects, including misspending by high school principal and property tax inequities. Promoted to oversee features and state staffs.

Assistant city editor, Decatur (Ill.) Herald & Review, August 1980 to August 1986. Started and managed first regional bureau, then moved to home office to oversee all bureaus. Initiated several investigative reporting projects.

Reporter, Springfield, Ill., State Journal-Register, May 1979 to August 1980. Regional reporter for three counties. Broke investigative story about the sheriff appointing cronies and a felon as special deputies.

Honors

Teaching

• Teacher of the year, University of Florida, 2009-2010.
• Teacher of the year, College of Journalism and Communications, University of Florida, 2009-2010.

Research

• Top paper, special call, Media Ethics Division, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication national conference, August 2011.
• Top paper in the newspaper division, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Southeast Colloquium, March 2009.
• Second-best paper published in American Journalism in 2008