Working/Functional Title
Professor of Practice
Position Summary
The School of Journalism at Michigan State University seeks a Professor of Practice in Broadcast and Visual Storytelling with professional expertise in news and/or sports producing and storytelling. This position plays a key role in advancing the School’s award-winning broadcast news and sports programs and mentoring the next generation of visual journalists.
The successful candidate will be an essential partner in teaching and producing live programs, collaborating closely with faculty and students in a fast-paced, professional newsroom environment.
We seek a seasoned professional with experience as an educator who can teach multiple visual storytelling subjects, including:
- Video storytelling and producing for television, digital, and social platforms
- Live and studio production
- On-air presentation
- Video editing and post-production
- Mobile and emerging storytelling tools
- Professional use of broadcast and field equipment
The position emphasizes hands-on teaching, mentorship, and collaboration, preparing students for careers in contemporary media environments. It requires teaching seven courses over the fall and spring semesters and engaging in creative scholarship, service, and/or outreach.
About the School of Journalism
Program Overview
The School of Journalism’s broadcast programs have earned hundreds of state, regional, and national honors, including:
- Numerous honors from the Hearst Journalism Awards Program
- National recognition from the Broadcast Education Association
- Multiple consecutive Station of the Year awards from the Michigan Association of Broadcasters
Broadcast News
- Student-produced Focal Point News, a 30-minute live newscast
- Innovative mobile journalism courses emphasizing video storytelling with smartphones
- State-of-the-art facilities and equipment
Sports Broadcasting
- Ongoing partnerships with the Big Ten Network and MSU Athletics
- Production of the weekly, award-winning Spartan Sports Report
- A dynamic, growing sports media curriculum
Join Us
This is an opportunity to work alongside Emmy Award–winning faculty in one of the nation’s most respected journalism programs, helping students tell powerful stories while shaping the future of broadcast and digital media.
Why MSU’s School of Journalism?
You’ll join a collaborative team, working in a program that values innovation, professional excellence, and student-centered storytelling — all within a top-tier public research university.
Why East Lansing? Why Michigan State?
Michigan State University offers the rare combination of a top-tier journalism program, a land-grant research university, a Big Ten athletics environment, and a college-town quality of life with global reach. Located in East Lansing, MSU sits at the heart of Michigan, with easy access to Detroit, Chicago, and national media markets, while offering a welcoming, affordable community ideal for creative and professional work.
As one of the world’s leading public research universities, MSU is deeply committed to innovation, inclusion, and public impact. Faculty benefit from a collaborative culture that values hands-on teaching, professional practice, and student mentorship, alongside opportunities for interdisciplinary storytelling across campus.
For visual storytellers, MSU provides a uniquely rich environment: live broadcast operations, major collegiate athletics, cutting-edge facilities, and ambitious students eager to learn from professionals who have done the work. East Lansing’s energy, combined with MSU’s global reputation, makes it an exceptional place to teach, create, and grow.
Appointment Terms & Compensation
- This Professor of Practice will have a fixed-term, 9-month appointment to begin August 2026.
- This appointment may be renewed after the first year.
- The appointment may have summer teaching opportunities.
- Salary comparable to a faculty member in that appointment plus benefits
- One-time relocation allowance
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.
Required Degree
Masters -Journalism or a related field.
Minimum Requirements
Degree requirements differ depending on rank:
- Bachelor’s degree is required for an assistant instructor
- Master’s degree is required for an instructor.
Desired Qualifications
The ideal candidate will bring:
- Significant award-winning professional experience in broadcast news and/or sports media
- Innovative visual storytelling skills and the ability to infuse emerging technologies into professional practice and in the classroom
- A demonstrated record of excellent teaching and student mentorship
- A commitment to participating in service to the School and/or profession, outreach and/or creative projects
- An interest in contributing to initiatives that enhance the School’s national and international reputation for visual storytelling
Required Application Materials
- Cover Letter (up to 2 pages)
- Curriculum Vitae (CV) and Portfolio, including examples of published creative works and a description of the applicant’s role in each work
- Statement on Teaching Excellence (1-2 pages) - Describe how your work, background, or perspective would contribute to teaching excellence
- References – Provide the names and contact information for three professional references.
Special Instructions
Applications must be submitted through careers.msu.edu.
For additional information or to request an accommodation, please contact Dr. Geri Alumit Zeldes, Chair of the Search Committee, at alumitge@msu.edu with the subject line “Broadcast & Visual Storytelling Position.”
Review of Applications Begins On March 27, 2026, and continue until the position is filled. Final candidates will visit in April in which they will meet faculty, staff and students, teach a class and give a presentation on their creative work and teaching experiences. The appointment would begin August 2026.
As an institution of higher learning, Michigan State University is committed to providing a safe environment for its students, faculty, and staff in support of its educational mission. With this commitment, the University conducts criminal background checks and professional misconduct reviews of all applicants for employment in faculty, academic staff, and executive management searches.
Professional Misconduct Review
A professional misconduct review is a prerequisite for a candidate to be selected for this position. Applicants will be asked to disclose whether they are subject to any pending investigation, findings or sanctions related to professional misconduct. Professional misconduct includes misconduct related to a person’s employment, including, but not limited to theft, embezzlement, research integrity, discrimination, or harassment under civil rights laws and policies, including protected identity harassment, sexual harassment, sexual misconduct (sexual assault, sexual exploitation, dating violence, domestic violence, stalking, etc.), and retaliation. All applicants will be asked to sign an authorization and release, which authorizes the University to contact the candidate’s current and former employers, for a period of 7 years prior to the date of application, related to any pending investigations, findings of responsibility and/or sanctions related to professional misconduct. Nothing will be sent to current or former employers unless the candidate reaches the semi-finalist stage.
The existence of professional misconduct history does not automatically exclude a candidate from employment. The University will assess the information, including any information provided by the candidate, in determining whether the candidate is fit for the position. The University may decline to hire a candidate based on the professional misconduct review. All records obtained from external employers will be kept in a secure location, separate from personnel files. If an applicant fails to sign the authorization and release, the application will be deemed incomplete and will be withdrawn.
Review of Applications Begins On
03/27/2026
Website
HTTPS://COMARTSCI.MSU.EDU/DEPARTMENTS/SCHOOL-JOURNALISM
Department Statement
The School of Journalism at Michigan State University is more than a century old but has crafted a reputation for innovation and creativity. Our ACEJMC-accredited program has two undergraduate majors (Journalism and Digital Storytelling, each with multiple concentrations and minors), a masters program, and a shared doctoral program. More than 30 award-winning faculty serve nearly 500 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students. The J-School houses a state-of-the-art newsroom, the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism and the new Center for Journalism Studies.
MSU Statement
Michigan State University has been advancing the common good with uncommon will for more than 160 years. One of the top research universities in the world, MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery and forges enduring partnerships to solve the most pressing global challenges while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.
