Mia Moody Chosen for Our First Educators’ Award
Homepage photo: Members and advisers of the Baylor chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists, including Mia Moody, third from left, at the 2024 NABJ Convention in Chicago. (Credit: Baylor University)
Mia Moody, center, was among NABJ-Baylor attendees at the workshop “Controlling the Narrative: The Intersection of AI, PR Measurement & Storytelling Media Institute,” presented in 2024 at Southern Methodist University by the Media-Related Task Force of the National Association of Black Journalists. (Credit: Baylor University)
Mia Moody Chosen for Our First Educators’ Award
Mia Moody, Ph.D., two-term chair of the Department of Journalism, Public Relations & New Media at Baylor University and a fearless diversity advocate, is the 2025 recipient of the Barry Bingham Sr. Fellowship, given “in recognition of an educator’s outstanding efforts to encourage minority students in the field of journalism.”
Moody is also the incoming president of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. She is leaving teaching for the time being, having concluded her tenure as department chair in July.
Moody wrote then to colleagues, “This fall, I am thankful to have time off to work on a book about digital Blackface and media representations of race, topics that have long been central to my research. I have a contract with Bloomsbury, an imprint of Rowman & Littlefield Publishing. Afterwards, I look forward to returning to teaching and continuing to serve our students and department in new ways.”
The Bingham recognition, the first under the stewardship of Journal-isms, comes just days after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott appointed a new ombudsman to enforce a state prohibition on “diversity, equity and inclusion” (DEI) policies at higher education institutions in Texas.
Marlene S. Neill, Ph.D, (pictured) Baylor professor and graduate program director, who nominated Moody, wrote that “Dr. Moody has actively participated in Baylor’s diversity and inclusion initiatives, serving as chair of our department’s diversity committee for many years and establishing our diversity plan, co-chair of the College of Arts & Sciences Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee, and engaging in Baylor’s Commission on Historic Campus Representations, the URM [Underrepresented minority] Faculty Experience Working Group, and the Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE).
“Her advocacy has focused on promoting structural change and inclusive hiring practices. Additionally, she is an active member of the Faculty and Staff of Color Association (FOCA), where she has helped foster a sense of community and mentorship among underrepresented faculty and staff.”
Moody has been adviser to the Baylor chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists since 2003. “One of the most meaningful moments in her stellar career was the launch of the Moody-Ramirez Belden Endowed Scholarship for Diversity in Journalism, named in her honor,” Neill continued.
Moody received the Lionel C. Barrow Jr. Award for Distinguished Achievement in Diversity Research and Education in 2018, the Cornelia Marschall Smith Award for “superlative contribution to the learning environment”: Professor of the Year from Baylor in 2021, and, last year, the Educator Award from the Southwest Education Council for Journalism and Mass Communication (pictured).
Joy Wells (pictured), a former student, wrote, “Dr. Moody’s commitment to diversity, inclusion and student success is very evident in everything she does and touches. She leads and guides us with warmth and integrity; her boldness has shaped countless students’ paths including my own. I can proudly say my college experience would not have been the same without her.” Wells, a first-generation college student, used her Moody-Ramirez Belden Endowed Scholarship for Diversity in Journalism “to remain in the program while excelling as a Baylor track athlete, serving as an officer in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and leading NABJ as president,” Neill told the judges.
Journal-isms has been described as “an influential nonprofit dedicated to chronicling diversity in the media industry through words and conversations.”
The $1,000 Bingham fellowship honors educators who make exemplary efforts to encourage journalism among students of color, ensuring that Barry Bingham Sr.’s legacy of inclusion and opportunity continues to thrive.
Bingham (1906-1988) was the patriarch of the legendary Bingham family, longtime publishers of the Courier-Journal in Louisville, Ky.
The fellowship was first awarded in 1990 by the old National Conference of Editorial Writers, later the Association of Opinion Journalists, to honor Bingham’s contributions to civil rights, education and the media.
“George Barry Bingham: The Patriarch Who Built a Media Empire,” from Uncovering Hollywood, was posted on YouTube in July.
Journal-isms’ assumption of the fellowship followed the 2024 dissolution of the News Leaders Association, under whose leadership the award was previously managed. That association was successor to the American Society of News Editors and Associated Press Managing Editors.
“I am deeply honored to receive the Barry Bingham Sr. Fellowship Award,” Moody said Monday after the judges met. “As a professor and former department chair, this recognition holds special meaning for me. Mentorship and community engagement have always been at the heart of my work, and I’ve made it my lifelong mission to advance inclusion and diversity through my research, teaching, and service.
“To be recognized for these efforts — and to follow in the footsteps of the distinguished educators who have received this award before me — is truly humbling. Thank you to Journal-isms and the News Leaders Association for continuing Barry Bingham Sr.’s legacy of championing diversity in journalism education. I am grateful for this honor and inspired to keep pushing forward.”
Fellowship judges were: William Celis, newly retired professor and associate director and associate dean at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism in Los Angeles, and Bingham winner for 2018; Mei-Ling Hopgood, professor at the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communication at Northwestern University, Bingham winner in 2020; Rick Horowitz, writing coach and discussion leader; longtime member of the selection committee.
Also, Richard Prince, Journal-isms columnist and CEO, chair; and Linda P. Shockley, who spent 32 years with the Dow Jones News Fund working with journalism students to secure internships for them.
The award is to be presented at the next Journal-isms Roundtable, by Zoom on Nov. 24.
