Mitchell Named Fellow at Overby Center for Southern Journalism and Politics

Charles D. “Charlie” Mitchell, associate professor and former associate dean in the School of Journalism and New Media at the University of Mississippi, has been named a Fellow at the Overby Center for Southern Journalism and Politics at the University of Mississippi, Center chairman Charles Overby announced today.

“Charlie continues to make a significant impact on Mississippi journalism through his leadership and example,” Overby said. “His role as a fellow with help him continue that work.” 

Mitchell’s role at the center will focus primarily on research and working with the journalism community in Mississippi to support and highlight their work.

“Journalism at all levels has been a force for positive change in the lives of Mississippians for generations,” Mitchell said. “That continues to be true in the digital age, even as media companies work with far fewer resources. A central role of the Overby Center is to be supportive of the School of Journalism and New Media and draw attention to how good journalism creates a better quality of life in communities as well as the nation.”

Mitchell, who is also an attorney, joined the faculty at the University of Mississippi in 2010 from The Vicksburg Post where he was managing editor and executive editor for 24 years. For a total of 30 years, he was a weekly opinion columnist in most Mississippi daily newspapers and several weeklies. His topics ranged from Mississippi issues, specifically, to life in Mississippi, generally.

The column received numerous awards from state and regional organizations, and Mitchell was also frequently honored for news and feature writing during his years in daily journalism. His series of reports in the aftermath of Katrina and from Iraq on efforts to rebuild the country were honored by The Associated Press and the Mississippi Press Association. He has also taken students on reporting and photography trips to South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Mozambique and led a depth report on how Mississippi industries are responding to climate change.

While in the profession, Mitchell served as a board member and president of both the Mississippi Press Association and the Mississippi-Louisiana Associated Press Managing Editors Association. He was also chairman of the Mississippi Center for Freedom of Information and served on the journalism advisory boards of Alcorn State University and the University of Mississippi and was an invited lecturer at Mississippi College, Mississippi University for Women and Jackson State University.

Mitchell worked previously at the University of Mississippi where he taught courses in reporting, advanced reporting and editing. Since 2010, he has taught courses in media law and ethics and a graduate seminar in media law. He served on the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College Advisory Committee and on several university committees.

Mitchell and his wife, artist Nancy A. Mitchell, live in Oxford. They have two daughters and five grandchildren.

The Overby Center for Southern Journalism and Politics was founded in 2007 through a grant from the Freedom Forum. The center features programs, multimedia displays and publications exploring the complex relationships between politicians and the press, with a focus on Southern perspectives.

Courtesy of the Overby Center for Southern Journalism and Politics