Student media director selected as Faculty Champion for community news center

The Center for Community News (CCN) at the University of Vermont has named Steven Chappell, the director of student media at Northwest Missouri State University, as one of 150 journalism leaders from colleges throughout the country who will be part of the organization’s 2026 class of Faculty Champions.

The selected individuals are being recognized for their efforts to start or expand university-led reporting programs in their regions and for their contributions to a national movement of student-powered community reporting.

Student media at Northwest includes the Northwest Missourian student newspaper, Tower yearbook, KZLX radio and KNWT television which was honored last fall by the College Media Association as the Video Outlet of the Year.

Steven Chappell

Chappell – who joined the Northwest faculty in 2012 and was inducted in 2023 into the College Media Association John A. Boyd Hall of Fame – will work to better position Northwest’s student media as a community partner in covering news beyond the University campus and better prepare student journalists for professional careers.

“I am honored to have been selected for this program, mainly because of the rewards it will provide our journalism students,” Chappell said. “The student journalists in our media program, especially at the Northwest Missourian, have always had a focus on local community news, and this program will help us refine and grow that coverage to better inform our readers about what is happening on campus and in Maryville.”

Faculty Champions receive a $1,000 reward, peer support and coaching throughout the year. As part of CCN’s expanded approach to the Champions program this year, participants will work in dedicated cohorts that are organized around beats, communities and geographic regions. The cohorts will be led by program alumni with expertise in their focus area.

“At the core of all of these university-led student reporting programs are innovative and entrepreneurial faculty committed to student success,” CCN Director Richard Watts said. “These programs are a win-win for everyone. Students receive high-impact experiences, and communities benefit from more reliable news. This program is a chance to say thank you to the faculty who make it all possible.”

The Center for Community News is a nonpartisan nonprofit working to grow and strengthen university-led reporting programs and create a more sustainable future for local news outlets and the communities they serve. It works with a network of more than 4,000 faculty and news leaders. For more information, visit www.uvm.edu/ccn.